Chicken Bones in Compost a Good Idea?

Chicken bones in compost is another way to make your plants thrive. But it is important to know how to use the compost effectively. You will soon have a blooming garden with the right amount and technique.

Read all you need to know about using chicken bones as plant compost.

Is Chicken Bones Compost Good for Plants?

You can compost chicken bones because they are organic and safe to use as plant fertilizer. They create humus after composting, which is necessary for soil fertility and plant growth. While raw and cooked chicken bones can be composted, cooked bones are preferred.

Even when composted, chicken bones take time to decompose. However, a few strategies can help you speed up the procedure. Following the easy methods outlined below, your compost will be ready in less than 60 days.

The Best Ways to Compost Chicken Bones

Because of their hard nature, they decompose differently and more slowly than other dietary waste. So, there are two viable methods for composting chicken bones.

1. The Hot Composting Method

As the name implies, a high temperature is needed in this method. Correct optimization of moisture, air, nitrogen-to-carbon balance, and heat is required to decompose the food waste. Furthermore, chicken bones are known to draw bugs and pathogens to the compost pile bin, which hot composting helps to keep at bay!

The first and most critical step is cutting the bones into smaller pieces. The bones can be crushed with a hammer or ground in a meat grinder. You may break cooked bones with a hammer or even your hands if you use cooked bones, which is highly advised since chicken bones good this way.

Place the first layer of brown materials on your compost pile. Yard garbage includes dried leaves, twigs, dry grass clippings, sawdust, newspaper, pine needles, paper plates, paper bags, paper towels, cardboard pieces, etc.

The browns contain carbon and provide energy to the microorganisms. Now, on top of the browns, add the nitrogen-rich green stuff. Kitchen scraps, vegetable peelings, eggshells, bread, shrimp shells, and even hair can be found in this stratum.

Warm composting may necessitate more nitrogen-rich green materials than ordinary composting. Now, sprinkle the smashed chicken bones over the greens. Place the bones in the center of the mound, where the temperature is the highest.

Add the bones after 2-3 layers of greens and browns if you have a lot of waste to compost. To keep the moisture content in a pile, sprinkle water after each green layer. However, avoid overwatering; the pile should be damp but not dripping to make the chicken bones decompose.

2. Composting with Bokashi

Bokashi composting is an anaerobic method that allows you to make chicken bones compostable with cooked meat and bones, as well as organic food and yard waste. In this procedure, bokashi bran is inoculated with specific EM microorganisms that ferment and break down the trash.

A Bokashi bucket can be purchased or readily made at home. Drill holes in the bottom of a huge bucket using two buckets of varying sizes. Set a brick in the center of this bucket and place the second bucket on top of it.

Finally, place a clean, round piece of cloth on the top bucket’s floor. And there you have it! Your Bokashi bin is now complete. Next, cover the cloth with a thin layer of bokashi bran.

On top of the bran, pile all of your food scraps, including composting meat, vegetable peels, bones, coffee grounds, tea bags, eggshells, avocado pits, and chicken bones. Alter the layers with another thin layer of Bokashi bran till the composter is full.

Put a bucket liner on top of the bin and compress it to remove all air pockets. Finally, leave the bucket in an airtight container for 20-25 days. Harvest your pre-compost and bury it in a corner of your property to ferment further. Avoid burying it near plants as it might be harmful to them. You can also put it in plastic bags and save it for later.

How to Apply Chicken Compost to Plants?

You can apply chicken compost in garden beds, container gardens and hydroponics systems. The ideal way to use chicken compost is to fertilize root crops and flowering plants.

Applying chicken meal fertilizer, like all plant care procedures, depends on the peculiarities of your growing system. The following content shines more light on these three common applications for chicken compost meal fertilizer among gardeners:

– In Garden Beds

The basic rule is to use one pound of powder or pellets per 10 square feet of growing space or about a tablespoon per planting hole if you’re putting in transplants. Begin by spreading the bone compost over your garden bed and stirring it until thoroughly mixed with the top few inches of soil.

This brings the particles closer to the plant roots and dilutes any remaining aroma that may attract hungry animals. After that, water thoroughly to incorporate the fertilizer into the soil. Each dose of the fertilizer should take four months to degrade. If your plants are still growing, you can reapply it.

If you use liquid fertilizer rather than powder, dilute it in four to eight tablespoons per gallon of water and apply it to garden beds weekly during the growing season.

– Container Gardening

Container plants can benefit from fertilizer, which promotes flower and fruit development. It would help if you used it once or twice during the growth season to ensure that it is balanced with other types of fertilizer and that your plants receive the appropriate nitrogen and potassium.

To acquire the correct concentration, follow the instructions on the fertilizer container. Take care not to apply the fertilizer too close to the plant roots, as this could cause them to burn.

Apply liquid fertilizers at a concentration of four to eight tablespoons per gallon every week, just as you would for garden beds.

– Hydroponics System

Bone meal fertilizer is ideal for water-based growing in a hydroponics system, especially when used in liquid form. On the other hand, application instructions are less uniform, and you’ll need to figure out how much to use based on your system.

Phosphorus concentrations of 30-50 ppm (parts per million) inside the fertilizer solution are generally recommended for growth. Plan on testing your nutrient solution regularly and adjusting the amount of fertilizer you add to keep this concentration.

– Tree Planting

Consider enriching the backfill soil with a little chicken compost when planting a new tree. This aids in establishing healthy roots and provides a nutrient boost to young trees as they begin their growth journey.

– Tea Made From Compost

Compost tea can be made from poultry compost to boost plants’ liquid. Steep a bag of compost in water, filter it and then water your plants with the nutrient-rich liquid. It’s like treating them to a relaxing spa treatment!

– Mulching Magic

Chicken compost is also an excellent top treatment for plant beds. Spread a thin coating of compost on the soil surface around your plants once they’ve settled in. This functions as a natural mulch, retaining moisture, regulating soil temperature, and slowly releasing nutrients as it decomposes.

– Vegetable Rows

If you love homegrown vegetables, chicken compost is your best friend in the kitchen garden. Mix compost into the soil as you prepare your planting rows. This nutrient-dense foundation will allow your crops to grow.

– Flower Borders

Chicken compost may make a difference in those attractive flower borders that greet you with a blaze of colors. It ensures those flowers are tucked into the soil along the edge.

Frequently Asked Questions

– Is It Okay to Compost Meat Bones?

Yes, it is okay to compost meat bones that are either raw or cooked. Furthermore, meat bones are one of the most difficult organic materials to decompose. As a result, many gardeners choose to compost meat bones separately from their other kitchen waste.

However, with the appropriate techniques, you may accelerate the process. Make sure you cook them first, then chop them into pieces. Doing this initially speeds up the composting process before putting them into the compost.

– Is It Okay To Bury Chicken Bones in the Garden?

Yes, it is okay to bury chicken bones in your garden. If you bury them in the ground, it may take months or years to decay completely and become useful. If you bury them this way, ensure that they are at least two feet deep in the earth.

This makes it difficult for animals to dig them out. However, composting chicken bones before using them in your garden soil improves their effectiveness. Because composted chicken bones are already degraded, they can be used on soil and plants.

– How Long Does It Take for Chicken Bones To Decompose?

It takes around two months for chicken bones to decompose completely into compost. The lower the density of a bone, the faster it decomposes. Chicken bones disintegrate more slowly than fish bones but faster than larger animal bones such as goat, pig, and cattle bones.

– How Can Bones Be Broken Down Faster for Composting?

Bones can be broken down faster for composting by using a hammer to break them into small pieces or a hacksaw to cut them. Cooking the bones before cutting and adding chicken bones to the composting bin will give you the best results.

– Can You Put Chicken Bones in the Green Bin?

No, you cannot put chicken bones in the green bin because they degrade differently than other kitchen scraps. Instead, add raw or cooked chicken bones in warm or bokashi compost. This also answers the question, “Can I put bones in compost bin?”

– Can You Compost Beef Bones?

Yes, you can compost beef bones. However, they may take longer to decompose. Cut them into little chunks before dumping them into the compost bin to hasten decomposition. You may also decide to compost beef bones separately from your other kitchen scraps.

Conclusion

We trust you now understand that chicken bones are compostable and how to compost them. Here are the important points to keep in mind:

• Since chicken bones are biodegradable, you can always recycle them into compost and use them as plant fertilizer.
• You can utilize different methods to prepare the compost by following the guidelines in this post.
• Unlike chemical fertilizers, chicken bones do not contain any potentially dangerous substances.
• It’s also a more cost-effective technique to improve the soil and plants in your garden.

Remember that your garden soil and plants require chicken bones whenever you wish to eliminate them.