How Chickens Poop Money 🐓💩💲

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July 11, 2022

Who would've ever thought you would open an blog about chicken poop? 😉

Now since I've peaked your curiosity lets explain where I'm going here...

This is the first year that we have raised our pasture-raised chickens here on the ranch. In the past Brian would lease small acerages in the Treausre Valley and raise the chickens close to home. This year all things fell into place for him to bring the chicken operation up to the ranch.

We knew that chicken manure was a powerful fertilizer, so we knew there was certainly a benefit to having the chickens here, but we did not expect what a fast change we would see to our pastures.

On our ranch we have not used nitrogen fertilizers in over 30 years. Due to our management of our cattle, we get everything we need directly from the cattle and don't need that extra input from outside sources. That doesn't mean the land doesn't benefit from extra fertilizer, but we didn't need it.

When there is a concentration of animals in one area it can leave amazing nutrients or it can ruin the ground. This is why moving the chickens every day is absolutely critical. In one day they can leave a significant amount of manure, and leaving them more than 2 days can end up killing the pasture. Here are the chicken enjoying their fresh grass after being moved.

Here is their pasture from the the previous days. You can see the concentration of chicken manure they can put down in just 24 hours!

The amazing thing is looking further back in the photo you can see how quickly that grass begins to grow again!

In this picture you can see the line where we had the first day of chickens on pasture. Look at how lush and green the grass is on the left compared to the grass on the right! We certainly didn't expect to see such dramatic results like that!

As ranchers our entire business revolves around growing grass. The more grass we grow = running more cattle = more profitable ranch for our family.

The amazing thing about regerative agriculture is that you can build up the fertility of land and the land actually gives back more. It doesn't degrade the land over time, but increases it's health and fertility.

This is another reason why diversity on the land is important too. Chicken manure is "hot" which means it has a lot of nitrogen, as well as other minerals like phosphorus and dozens of trace minerals. The grass is able to utilize it very quickly, which is why the grass looks so dramatically different after running the chicken houses across the pasture. The chemical nitrogen that most commercial farmers use also allows for quick growth, but it doesn't have the balance of other minerals that chicken manure has. Because if this lack, chemical nitrogen will cause the grass to suck other minerals out of the soil to fuel the rapid growth. This is why chemical fertilizers diminish the soil over time.

By bringing the chickens up to our pastures this year, we are seeing a massive increase in the fertility of our pastures, which will have long-lasting benefits to our ranch fertility into the future. With proper grazing management, these nutrients will be recycled into the soil for use next year and for many years to come.

Basically, everyday the chickens are here, they are pooping money all over our pastures!

Poop on chickens, poop on.

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Full 2026: Series on The Big Grass Fire "It Starts with a Spark!"

Neighbors Helping Neighbors: Standing Together During the Big Grass Fire When wildfires threaten our communities, they don’t stop to ask whose land they’re on. They move quickly, changing lives in a matter of hours. But in rural communities like ours, something else moves just as quickly—neighbors stepping up to help neighbors. As the Big Grass Fire continues to impact parts of Idaho and Oregon, Sean Cunningham of Cunningham Pastured Meats has joined countless ranchers, volunteers, firefighters, and first responders working tirelessly to support those directly affected. But, in spite of the effort to mitigate the damages, the devastation is real to life and property. While the Cunningham ranch has not been directly impacted by the fire, Sean has been spending long days assisting neighboring ranchers whose grazing lands, livestock, fences, and livelihoods have been threatened. Whether helping protect cattle, building fire lines, moving equipment, or supporting firefighting efforts wherever needed, the work reflects something deeply rooted in ranching culture: when one neighbor is hurting, everyone shows up. With but a brief reunion with Sean after his 3 days of fire service. As you can imagine, while Sean is all smiles to finally be home for some much-needed rest, tears were shed by the littles in his reunion with the family! As many of you know, Liz and Sean, while still only in their late 30s, have seven children and one on the way. To date, Liz and Sean have spent days apart, each taking on the role in their own capacity against the fires. Sean on the dozer in the field and Liz capturing the story in a digital war to garner the attention of news agencies like KTVB7, the Lt. Governor's office, the White House, electric company CEOs and others for much needed assistance and support for the communities who are now at the mercy of a rogue grass fire, The Big Grass Fire and simultaneous fires stretching thousands of acres throughout the Jordan Valley and beyond. That spirit of service and capitalizing on each person's strengths to wage the war against the fires is nothing new to ranchers. Across the West, ranchers have long been among the first to respond when wildfire strikes. Their knowledge of the land, equipment, water sources, and terrain often makes them invaluable partners alongside local, state, and federal fire crews. Many volunteer through Rangeland Fire Protection Associations, organizations that have become an essential part of wildfire response throughout Oregon and Idaho. These partnerships help firefighters respond more quickly while protecting communities, grazing lands, wildlife habitat, and homes. For ranching families, these fires aren’t simply headlines—they’re deeply personal. A single fire can erase years of stewardship, destroy fencing, eliminate forage needed to feed cattle, and disrupt generations of hard work. Yet even in the face of tremendous loss, ranchers continue helping one another because that’s simply what neighbors do. We are incredibly grateful to every firefighter, volunteer, dispatcher, law enforcement officer, ranch family, and community member working around the clock to protect lives and property. Their courage and commitment remind us that the strength of rural communities isn’t measured only by the land we steward—it’s measured by the people willing to stand together when it matters most. Please continue keeping the families directly affected by these fires in your thoughts and prayers. Recovery will take time, but our communities have always been built on resilience, compassion, and a willingness to lend a hand. As of Wednesday July 29, 2026 at 8 am the non-official update includes official agencies holding the line with the yellow circles area in the image below a wild card. With potential winds pushing north again, critical barriers may not be enough to hold the fire from encroaching on Silver City. The blue circled area on a post seen here with images is the most difficult to manage, with juniper trees, canyons, and rock formations making it difficult terrain to navigate intervention and support. See more details and images here From all of us at Cunningham Pastured Meats and Cliff’s Country Market, thank you to everyone serving on the front lines and behind the scenes. We are honored to stand alongside a community that continues to embody the very best of what it means to be neighbors helping neighbors. We continue to remain steadfast in prayer in the midst of a very active and devastating fire season.Watch Sean's interview with KTVB news.

How Chickens Poop Money 🐓💩💲

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