From a spin off in Serious Deer Talk...

I use composted chicken litter as fertilizer. I had my concerns before we started using it for fertilizer. Haven't seen any negative effect on my turkey populations, and have had continued population growth since I began using it.

How do yall feel about using chicken litter for fertilizer?

I’ve seen a difference where turkeys will disappear due to this on farms that used it

Been on ever pasture I hunt since 1993, completely wiped them out! I have to drive outside of the litter zone to even see a turkey.

No impact where I hunt. Numbers seem to be increasing.

If people would do it right it probly wouldn’t be no problem…put i know folks around here literally scoop it after they catch chickens a spread it as fast as they can…i grew up somewhere that there was covered up with birds once..and my daddy could remember when they started layin litter down…i aint sayin thats what did it..but the birds disappeared in about 5 years…i have seen 2 ever…an my daddy had pictures of all the birds he kilt up there..an he had pictures of birds in groups of 40-50….im beyond skeptical…i wouldnt put that crap nowhere close to a turkey unless i was doin everything your supposed to do to make it inert…put it through a heat..whatever you gotta do…an even then…me personally..im not doin it🤷🏻

I see them scratching in litter piles all the time around here. I’ve never thought it made a difference

Per Georgia Wildlife Department:

Has spreading chicken litter caused turkey declines? In short, we do not have evidence that using chicken litter as fertilizer in pastures directly affects turkey populations. However, theoretically, chicken litter may be able to transmit a parasite that is lethal to turkeys, Histomonas meleagridis. This parasite causes blackhead disease, which is almost always fatal to turkeys, but does not cause significant disease in chickens. Chickens commonly carry a cecal worm, Heterakis gallinarum. This worm carries the Histomonas parasite, which can live for long periods of time in the worm and its eggs. When chickens defecate, they shed the eggs of the cecal worm, which are picked up by turkeys, or earthworms which are then eaten by turkeys. In a laboratory setting, turkeys that were housed in chicken litter were susceptible to blackhead disease, but we do not have direct evidence that this occurs in the wild. Chicken litter that is composted, or that comes from broilers, is not as high risk for containing Histomonas because the short life span of a broiler does not allow enough time for the completion of the full life cycle of the cecal worm. Chicken litter from breeders, particularly if it is not composted, is at higher risk of containing the parasite. While we have had occasional cases of blackhead disease in the southeast, we do not have direct evidence that these cases were from the spreading of chicken litter as fertilizer. We also do not have evidence that turkey population declines are a result of blackhead disease. Typically, when a disease affects wildlife at the population level, evidence in the form of sick or dead animals exists on the landscape. This has not been the case with turkeys and blackhead disease and researchers do not believe that this is a major factor in turkey population declines.

The litter I get is from broilers and is composted.

My experience is local and limited. Years ago litter was spread on a farm I hunt. Went from hearing 8-10 different gobblers on a good morning to none. Joined a club and didn't kill a turkey on that farm for 5 years. 2 years ago spread again. Didn't kill a turkey last year and that farm had zero birds. Haven't seen one on the farm this year either.

I think it is a biological weapon.

Not finding a sick and or dead turkey seems to me to be about impossible…ive found evidence of their death..many times… i have never found a bird i feel like you coulda said..hey..thats a sick turkey..🤷🏻

I read, or heard, recently that tests had shown whether or not chicken litter mattered depends on what type of chicken house it came from. They studied litter from laying houses and broiler houses. The litter from one carried disease and the other didn't. I'll try to backtrack to it.

I would agree, but..... The outfitter I hunted with in Kansas used to offer turkey hunts. He said it was like the turkeys were just vaporized. One day they were there, the next, they were gone. No feather piles, no carcasses, nothing. I'm sure he tried hard to find them because he had to cancel hunters for the following spring. He quit booking turkey hunts. Folks in his area (SE Kansas) swear it was the chicken litter being hauled in from Arkansas for fertilizer.

I know of 3 that came from the property I once hunted. All displayed signs of black head or similar disease but were too far gone for a sample by the time it got to the lab. The first one I was aware of a friend killed it but told me about it several days later and had it in a cooler. That was back around 2006 or so. Then again a few years later and then again around 2021.

Chicken liter is put out across the creek almost yearly. I don’t know where they get it from but will ask. They do have some turkeys but nothing like it was.

Broiler houses typically don’t live long enough for disease to build up. Layer houses however do. According to what folks have told me.

I’ll add I had pheasant, Chukkar and quail on the farm side of that property

Local biologists told me all cons spreading it where turkeys and quail are present. They will not nest if it’s already out. If they have already nested they may stay or leave the eggs. If hatched the hen carries the mess back to the nest on their feet and feathers the little one can’t handle it.

…we spread litter in hay fields every year, guess how many turkeys get ran over by hay mowers while nesting in the field? Several. Next

Chicken litter is absolutely responsible for turkeys vanishing from properties I’ve hunted over the years. You used a very key word in your post “compost” chicken litter. What we currently have are farmers literally spreading litter on land that is straight out of the houses that has not gone through a compost period. The expense of commercial fertilizer has driven the demand for chicken litter to an all time high. I can’t tell you how many tons I’ve seen spread in recent months. I wish its use was more regulated but to much money involved!!

There’s a process to the composting part. I’ve never sen it turned over in the pile. Jlcoffee could tell us the process but he’s not around

Any time the litter has moisture in it and is in a pile big enough to trap the heat and gasses within the core, it heats up. It needs to reach a core temperature of at least 120-150 (130 is suggested) for several hours 48-54. After that period of time the litter can be flipped and the process starts over for the litter that wasn’t heated to temp.. windrowing is the “in house” process. Composting is when you put the dead chickens in litter, and cover with litter. This heats up and rots the chickens. Done properly it works fine…

You better nock on wood ridge life

No impact here. Turkeys and quail are doing great.

Y'all confusing me, is populations down or not?