Composting and using backyard poultry waste in the home garden

Backyard poultry ownership provides a great opportunity for improved self-reliance and small-scale agricultural sustainability through home egg and meat production. One issue with backyard poultry ownership is managing the waste products of your birds, particularly the manure and bedding mixture (termed “litter”) that builds up in the coop. If not managed properly, this waste material can create odors and attract flies. Composted poultry waste, on the other hand, can be an excellent resource for amending and fertilizing garden soils.