I personally have never heard of such a thing. Most farmers apply raw manure to their fields in the fall or spring.
I guess that is like having a cow live in your vegetable patch. This has been done for hundreds of years if not thousands so I guess it is part of the natural cycle. By the way your lettuce doesn,t taste like cow poop does it?

As far as I know, there is no distance restrictions regarding animals versus food crop. I know you are supposed to have a minimum of 6 months between the 'fresh' manure and the harvesting of crops. Fall applications are great for spring crops, especially if you are where winter is not a walk in the park. Applying fresh manuare to crops like lettuce and other short timed crops are frown upon. It's like asking ecoli to dinner.

I'm more cautious than most. I do not fresh manure on my gardens until it has been out of the animal for a minimum of 6 months, no matter what crop is it.

We have cows and they are fenced into the garden areas over the fall and early winter, to help clean up the vines and such plus a bit of fertilizer. We have 15 cows in a 5-7 acre field.

Hope this helps.

Marla

This explains a lot

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden safety from e-coli

I am the same as you with regards to aging compost, Marla. Once in a while I'll do a super hot quick compost pile, tested with a thermometer and turned frequently, but even then I will not use it except for pumpkins, winter squash and water melons, far away from anything else.

The coop is easily going to be 50 feet from crops and the run will be at about 1 bird per 50-75 square square feet. There would not ever have anything leafy green or a root vegetables within 40 feet from the back of the run.Maybe it's wrong, but apart from the pure science of pathogens,I see a bit of an ick factor. I was thinking of growing cucurbits and maybe corn, tomatoes and stuff like that up to about 10-15 from the back of the run?

I don't see a problem, just not the short crop items. It will be very handy to give the 'girls' a treat of any odd shaped or excess. Keep them penned up during harvesting time, or they will help themselves to a bite of each perfect fruit.

Marla

These are the regulations for certified organic producers, but are prudent for anyone. Whatever you do, be sure that your liability insurance is up-to-date if you incorporate livestock in your vegetable production areas:

The U.S. regulations for organic production require that raw animal manure must be composted unless it is applied to land used for a crop not intended for human consumption; or is incorporated into the soil not less than 120 days prior to the harvest of a product whose edible portion has direct contact with soil; or is incorporated into the soil not less than 90 days prior to the harvest of a product whose edible portion does not have direct contact with the soil surface or soil particles. See 7 CFR 205.203 (c)(1) and (2).

The requirements for making compost are regulated as well, and are designed to encourage soil health while minimizing risks to human health or the environment.

http://www.ota.com/organic/foodsafety/manure.html

Thanks bi11me for the clarification. So since I have a minimum of 180 days, I should be ok, I'm glad to hear that.

As with most gardening projects, the process is 4 dimensional because you are dealing with both space and time. Throw in a little microbiology and a splash of government and stir gently. Einstein found it complicated, too, and a quick Google search indicates that he didn't even have chickens...

Alot of us, still remember how our forefathers farmed and our farm has been in our control (and Mother Nature's) since 1898. That's alot of time and records. We are lucky that our parents and grandparents had us 'help' in the gardens, and we remembered. Most of my and my hubby forefathers lived into their 80s and 90s, we feel fortunate to have lived and learn at their sides. My family has been farmers in the same area since the 1700s, and Ireland/Europe before that. Just comes natural to us. Common sense helps also.

Marla

PS. I'll bet Einstein had neigbors that had animals, maybe not next door, but around the corner somewhere.

Some states do. I persoally run chickens in a chicken tractor over an area to eat weed seeds a week before planting and never had any problems.

Some times I want to say just get over it. Deer , moose , mice , voles ,crows, wild turkey, bobcats , bear, fox all s**t in my orchard and gardens. Chickens are bad ?

I heard you, ravenh. How can they keep the birds from sh..ing over a certain piece of ground???? If it wasn't for 'natural' fertilizer, can you image how poor our ground would be after all these years?? At least the deers, mice, voles, birds and other wild animal don't doodoo in just one place, like keeping a few 100 cattle in pens. That concentration would be dangerous no matter where it's at.

Marla