1. Appearance change

Color change: Chicken manure before fermentation is usually bright yellow or dark brown, and the color will gradually darken as the fermentation process progresses. Chicken manure after fermentation is generally dark brown or dark gray.

Texture change: Unfermented chicken manure has a loose texture and may contain more solid blocks. After fermentation, the texture of chicken manure will become more delicate and uniform.

2. Odor change: Chicken manure has a strong pungent odor when it is not fermented. This is mainly because chicken manure contains a large amount of irritating gases such as ammonia and hydrogen sulfide. After fermentation, the smell of chicken manure will become soft, with a faint earthy fragrance or humus.

3. Temperature change

In the early stage of fermentation, due to the vigorous activity of microorganisms, heat will be generated inside the chicken manure, and the temperature will gradually rise. Generally speaking, the temperature during the fermentation of chicken manure can reach about 60-70℃. This high temperature stage helps to kill harmful organisms such as pathogens and parasite eggs in chicken manure.

As the fermentation is completed, the microbial activity gradually weakens, and the temperature of the chicken manure will gradually decrease, and eventually approach the ambient temperature. When the temperature of the chicken manure is stable at around the ambient temperature and there is no obvious temperature rise, this is an important sign that the chicken manure fermentation is complete. This shows that the microbial decomposition of organic matter in the chicken manure is basically over and no longer generates a lot of heat.

4. Nutrient changes

Stable nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium content: The nitrogen element in the unfermented chicken manure mainly exists in the form of uric acid, ammonia, etc. These forms of nitrogen are easy to volatilize and lose, and may cause certain damage to the plant root system. After fermentation, the nitrogen element will be converted into more stable ammonium nitrogen and nitrate nitrogen. At the same time, phosphorus and potassium elements will also be converted from some insoluble compounds to forms that are more easily absorbed by plants. When the main nutrients such as nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium in the chicken manure are detected to be stable and meet the standards of organic fertilizers, it means that the chicken manure fermentation is complete.

Sufficient decomposition of organic matter: The fermented chicken manure has a high degree of organic decomposition. When the content of organic carbon is reduced to a certain level, it means that the microorganisms have fully decomposed the organic matter in the chicken manure and the chicken manure fermentation is complete.