Poultry manure or NPK: which to choose

NPK works fast and is easy to measure. Poultry manure works slower, builds up the soil and costs far less per bag. Most growers end up using both. Here is how the two compare on price, on what they actually put into your soil, and on how to use them well.

Price per 50kg bag compared

The NPK price is a FarmSquare listing and the manure price is from HTS Farms. At those prices, a bag of NPK costs about nine times a bag of manure. It isn't a like-for-like comparison, because NPK carries far more nutrient per kilogram. But it explains why so many farmers mix the two.

What is actually in each bag

The numbers on an NPK bag tell you exactly what's inside. NPK 15:15:15 is 15 percent nitrogen (N), 15 percent phosphate (P) and 15 percent potash (K) by weight. A 50kg bag therefore carries 7.5kg of each. It dissolves quickly and the crop can use it within days.

Poultry manure is less precise. What's in it depends on what the hens were fed, whether bedding is mixed in, how wet it is and how long it has been stored. Dried poultry manure usually carries a few percent nitrogen, plus phosphorus, potassium, calcium and smaller amounts of other nutrients plants need. It releases them slowly, as the manure breaks down in the soil.

The bigger difference is organic matter. Manure adds it and NPK doesn't. Organic matter helps soil hold water and nutrients and stay loose enough for roots to grow. Many farms in Akwa Ibom work sandy, acidic soils that lose nutrients quickly in heavy rain, and that is where organic matter earns its keep.

What the research says about yields

According to Fertilizer Daily's report on a two-season study from Adekunle Ajasin University, poultry manure raised maize grain yields by up to 94.6 percent compared with untreated soil. The researchers tested 5, 10, 15 and 20 tonnes per hectare and found 10 tonnes per hectare gave the best economic return.

Ten tonnes per hectare works out at about 1kg per square metre, or 200 bags of 50kg per hectare.

Why farmers switched when NPK jumped

When BusinessDay surveyed farmers in June 2022, a 50kg bag of NPK 15:15:15 had gone from about ₦8,000 to ₦28,000 in a year. Smallholders told the paper they were mixing poultry waste, ash, cow dung and food waste with their fertiliser. The same report put the trade-off plainly: "You don't get the immediate impact on the crop when you augment organic manure in place of fertiliser."

Today's listed NPK price is higher again, so the same logic holds: manure carries much of the load, and a smaller amount of NPK is kept for when the crop needs a fast feed.

Fresh or dried manure: which to use

Fresh poultry manure is strong. It is high in ammonia and can scorch young roots and seedlings if it goes straight onto a bed. Left to dry or compost for a few weeks, it becomes gentler, easier to spread and less smelly, and good composting heat also kills many weed seeds and germs.

As a simple rule, use dried or composted manure close to plants, and only work fresh manure into ground that won't be planted for a few weeks. Ask your seller which one you are buying. Ours comes both ways.

How much manure to use per area

Using the research figure of 10 tonnes per hectare, or about 1kg per square metre, as a starting point:

Treat these as a starting point, not a rule. Hungry crops and tired soil may need more, and a soil test is the best way to know. If you are also using NPK, you can usually cut the manure or the NPK back from what you would use on its own.

How to apply poultry manure well

• Spread manure evenly and work it into the top layer of soil one to two weeks before planting.
• When feeding growing plants, keep manure a hand's width away from stems and water it in.
• Don't spread it just before heavy rain on sloping ground, or it will wash away before it does any good.
• On leafy vegetables, leave a good gap between applying manure and harvest, and wash produce well before eating.

Using manure and NPK together

The most common approach on small farms is manure as the base and NPK as the top-up. Work manure in before planting to build the soil, then use a smaller dose of NPK at the stage when the crop needs a quick, measured feed. You spend less on NPK, and the soil gets better each season instead of worse.

Handling and storing manure safely

• Wear gloves when handling manure, and wash your hands afterwards.
• Store bags somewhere dry, off the ground and under cover. Wet manure clumps, smells and loses value.
• Keep manure well away from wells and drinking water.

Which one to use, and when

• Use NPK when a crop needs a quick, measured feed, for example at a known growth stage.
• Use poultry manure to build soil over seasons, and to cut how much NPK you buy.
• Work manure into the soil before planting rather than piling it against young plants.
• Ask your seller whether the manure is fresh or dried.

Buying poultry manure from our farm

Our manure comes from the laying hens at Itak, and it is what goes onto our own vegetable beds. We sell it from ₦4,999 for a 50kg bag, and we'll tell you the delivery fee before you pay. Read more about our bagged poultry manure.

Common questions about poultry manure and NPK

More guides from our farm

• Egg prices in Uyo this month
• Poultry farm startup costs in Akwa Ibom
• Catfish prices in Uyo this month