Composting Help

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winc564

winc564

Chirping
Apr 6, 2015
189
8
81
Washington, PA
Hello. I know that there is a really great composting thread on here, but I have lost it. I do not currently compost, but here is my situation:

We have a small hobby farm where I am raising chickens, pigs, and quail. We also have horses and a pet rabbit. Essentially, I have a gold mine of various types of poop!

How should I compost when there is waste from different types of animals?
 
No need to over think this. Just find a convenient place that isn't an eyesore and pile it up. You can make it as scientific or not as you want to adding greens and water to speed up the process. Giving your chickens access to the pile will hasten breakdown, keep bug larvae down and provide limitless entertainment.
 
I would keep dog and cat poop out but everything else is fair game. Chickens and farm animals have a perfect symbiotic relationship. Your chickens will allow you to farm pesticide free and they will recycle unprocessed feed as well as breaking the compost into finer particles.

When i'm cleaning pens, i'll dump a wheelbarrow of poop in the run for a treat.
 
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Poop shouldn't smell after it dries but I wouldn't be dumping a load in the run if it's close to the house. If you pile stinks, it's too wet and rotting not decomposing. Can you free range your chickens? How far are they from the garden? What's your coop routine? Are you trying deep litter?
 
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If you pile stinks, it's too wet and rotting not decomposing. I haven't actually started a compost pile, so this is good to know.

Can you free range your chickens? This gets a little sticky. I was free ranging them, but they got too comfortable and started wandering to the neighbor's garden.

How far are they from the garden? Pretty close to my garden. It's a short walk.

What's your coop routine? Are you trying deep litter? I have just had the chickens for a little over the year. I like deep litter so far. I saw that a lot that I have removed was quite broken down. I've always thrown my grass clipping and such into the run because they love to play around in it.

I became mostly interested because of the addition of the horses and the pigs. We suddenly have a lot more manure.
 
You will have a compost pile by the garden because you will generate a certain amount there. You can fence them out of your garden with poultry hot netting that you take down after the growing season. Having them "help" while you prep the soil will go a long way to reducing the bugs later. I used to loose my garden by September every year to grasshoppers but now it lasts until the first hard freeze. You've g to keep them while thr plants arr tender.
Are you planning on spreading poop on your fields? Are you planning to pick the pasture and pens, compost than spread, spread hot or just harrow? Mostly depend upon stocking rate and fallow land.
 

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