Chicken poo, I love you.

I never thought I'd say this, but I love my chicken's poop. The power of the poo does not go
underrated in my household and we consider it a top commodity. It has turned my garden, edibles and not, into luscious gold - "gardener's gold" as many call it. I don't know if you know this or not, but there's a hierarchy in the poo world and I'd like to take this opportunity to briefly explain it.

No matter the source, manure is the perfect fertilizer. This is nothing new, but some poo is better than others.

• On the lower end is horse and cow dung. Although, still a very capable fertilizer with a bulky, hummus-rich finish (I couldn't help myself with the wine term), its lower levels of important elements - nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K) -shove it to the lower end of the spectrum.
• Next comes the waste of sheep and goats. They produce a better poop than their larger counterparts. It breaks down easily and can be spread right on the garden in the spring without aging. The pellet-size poo is also very easy to collect.
• You might think twice before saying no to an Easter bunny next year. Similar in size and shape to sheep and goat droppings, rabbit poo has higher levels of N-P-K. It's double these nutritious ingredients so you get more bang for your buck.
• Saving the best for last, and this is where my chicken poo comes in, is the strength of bird manure no matter the type. It's the most valuable in terms of blowing other manure away because of it's superpowers in nutrients. And if you can get a hold of some pigeon guano - even better - Europeans have been using it since the Middle Ages and consider it the best of the best for their gardens.

Like most manure, age it by composting before spreading on the your garden. Most manure is "hot" and could burn your plants because of its strength - and the smell isn't too appealing either. But, once broken down, it dispels most of its odor and becomes a killer amendment to your soil.

Who would've thought there was this much to consider when discussing animal waste. It's amazing!