The first use is one that we’ve all heard of. Compost it. There’s so much to be said about how to compost and lots of scientific mumbo gumbo that can be talked about but here are some basic facts;
Soiled chicken bedding should be added to your compost bin at around 25% manure, 75% bedding (straw/shavings/hay). This doesn't have to be exact so don’t panic if you’re more towards the 40/60 mark. The reason for this is that chicken manure is very high in nitrogen and the straw/shavings dull the nitrogen levels down by adding carbon. Another example of things to add to bring down the nitrogen levels would be to add leaves in the fall or even coffee grounds.
Ready for a tiny bit more science? Keep your compost pile at roughly 130-160 degrees F for a few days but try not to exceed 160 degrees F because that will start to kill off some of the good microorganisms. If your pile isn’t heating up, try adding some more moisture to the mix. Your compost pile should feel slightly spongy.
Turn your compost regularly. When you turn your compost, you’ll feel the heat radiating off of the pile. This is a byproduct of everything breaking down and turning into very nutrient-rich soil.
The last step is to hurry up and wait. After a few months, your mixture will smell like a spring mud puddle or fresh dirt that your dog decided to take from your rose garden. Luckily, at this point you can just add some of your fresh compost to that hole he just dug because your compost is ready! Again, there’s much more science behind composting but basically, it’s a lot of waiting for the organisms to do their thing.
If you don’t want piles of compost littered around the yard causing an eyesore for passersby. So, another simple thing to do with used straw/shavings is to put it around trees, bushes or anywhere that you don’t feel like weeding every three days. Instead of buying expensive mulch, why not use something that you already have? Keep in mind that some plants and trees like higher pH soil while others don’t. For example, I, unfortunately, killed our young blueberry plants by adding bedding that was a bit too fresh and too soiled. So, in turn, I only use very lightly soiled straw/shavings to keep weeds down around our bushes.
Another idea along those same lines is to make a crappy tea. Literally... Put some of your smelliest, grossest poo into a pail, bucket or watering can and fill it with water. Let that mixture sit until you need to water your plants next to and you’ve got a high nutrient tea for your plants. Again, be sure you know which plants you’re using it on, and how much tea you’re using. Nitrogen-loving plants like plum trees will love it but blueberry bushes might just turn brown on you.
