A Compost Arena & My New Hampshires...

[Defjam]

Eventually, the flock of NH are going to outgrow the brooder. I know for sure they're outgrowing the first brooder because I'm already in the process of doubling its size! They're getting feathered and fully-feathered won't come soon enough! At least at that point I can put them in the coop-mahal and out of the house!



Anyway, I've got a yard clippings "compost" arena that will be fenced in (for security) shortly that I hoped to allow my birds to scratch through and enjoy. But, I've read some negative things about compost piles, diseases, etc. I don't treat my lawn with chemicals and we don't have a mold problem in the grass that is piled there now.

Would you please bring me up to speed with the dangers of having them forage (free range) in yard clipping waste?

Thank you,

Dj

 

[cnj-tx50]

ours do - all the weeds we pull, garden clippings and fruit/veggies that we did not get picked and stuff that I have grown for them along with whatever else out of the yard into. It does not stay in a pile so we have it in a cinder block framed area that contains what they scratch around. They do the work of "mixing" and we just spray water on it from time to time and then we have wonderful stuff to put back into the garden each fall. I also add the manure and shavings from the coops into it. So far it has not bothered anyone but I do know some say it can do harm. I have been doing this now for about 5 years. But we don't use chemicals either.

 

[nellynelly]

ours have access to an area that we compost food waste from 3 restaurants. we have not had any issues. the one annoying thing, each restaurant makes fresh squeezed OJ, so we have allot of citrus. which the chickens dont touch, and composts slowly.