Which Is a Better Organic Compost: Guano or Chicken Manure?

Growing Vegetables

• Nitrogen, phosphorous, and potassium percentages in fertilizers are rated by weight. Many vegetable plants are heavy nitrogen feeders. Sea birds and bats have a higher protein diet than chickens, which raises nitrogen levels. Manure from the cave bat is approximately 3 percent nitrogen and the fish-eating Peruvian seabird is a high 11 percent. Chicken manure weights in at 1.1 percent nitrogen. High-nitrogen-using plants such as corn can chalk one up for the Peruvian or bat guano team.

Shallow Rooted Plants

• Plants with short root systems like flowers and grass favor more phosphorous and potassium in the soil. Chicken manure has .80 percent phosphorous and .50 percent potassium. Cave bat manure comes in at 10 and 1.0 percent respectively, with the Peruvian seabird at 13 and 3 percent. Looks like guano compost wins again, if we use only micronutrient data as the defining guidelines.

Hydroponics Fertilizer

• Hydroponics growing raises plants in water with nutrients added, rather than soil. A fraction of water is needed in this system compared to soil-based growing, because this system recycles nutrients. A larger yield is possible in the smallest of space. Often, commercial fertilizers are chosen to use with hydroponics growing, but organic compost use is growing. Both guano and chicken fertilizer provide preferred organic and pesticide-free nutrition. The best compost for hydroponics is a draw between chicken and guano.

Field Crops

• Soybeans, wheat, sunflowers and cotton are field crops that are used to low levels of added nutrition to survive. Through abusive farming techniques, even these plants have pulled many of the nutrients out of the soil. Depleted field crop soils can use some compost help. Crops such as these would more than benefit from composted chicken manure, since guano might be way too rich. The chicken manure compost gets one full point with field crop plants.