Expert: Ronald B Persaud - 6/23/2009

Question
I have a kids party that will be hosted at my house in about a month. I just laid seed and topping that contains chicken manure mixed with compost. I had planed to water twice a day to keep it moist until the party. Is that enough time to give the manure to dissipate so that the kids can play on the grass?

Answer
This depends upon how much chicken manure is there on the lawn; which depends upon how much of the mixture you applied and how much chicken manure was in the mixture. I am not trying to dodge the question; just trying to think it through.
My gut-feeling is that you have nothing to worry about. In the back of my mind, the aspergillus fungus lurks. Here is a quote from an authority on the subject in reply to a question about the fungus.

Microbiologist Elaine Ingham, PhD, Associate professor at Oregon State University replied:

"A Only if you have respiratory problems, are weakened from some other disease, or encounter high numbers of the spores, is this fungus ever a problem. It is common in bird manure, so chicken manure is high in this fungus. Pigeon droppings are a prime place for these fungi to grow, so people who spend time around statues in parks have a higher probability of showing signs of this disease. If you have a bird in a cage, and don't clean the cage properly, the fungus can reach high levels, and sporulate, resulting in aspergillosis, which is a fungal infection of the lungs and sometimes heart muscle tissue."

This is not meant to frighten you; just so that you might be aware and prepare.