Chicken Manure

Chicken manure is a rich source of nitrogen. However, raw manure will burn the roots and developing tubers and encourages the growth of diseases, such as scab (Streptomyces scabie), on your potatoes. You can rake raw manure over the garden in the fall and allow it to age over the winter, but the smell, flies and harmful bacteria, such as E. coli and salmonella, make it an unappealing process. Placing the manure in a compost pile allows it to heat up to 135 to 160 degrees Fahrenheit as it decomposes and kill the harmful bacteria.