COMPOSTING

[SlowQueen]

I'm new to composting and chickens and could really use some advice. We built a wood, three bin composter and so far we are just putting kitchen and yard waste in there. We have 6 chicks and are using pine shavings in the brooder but I'm worried that the pine will take too long to compost down so I haven't been throwing in the composter," what would BYC'ers do"?
Also, I have an Eglu Cube coop and am wondering, for composting purposes should I line the plastic 'poop catch trays' with news paper, keep using pine shavings or just empty the trays right into the bin? Last question, once I'm ready to move my chicks out back and add the run onto the coop what is the best thing to use on the ground in the run that will make for good compost?

Here's our composter:

 

[vehve]

I went out to turn the compost pile last night, I just have a spot on the ground where I drop the yard trimmings and kitchen waste and then cover it with dead leaves, and was surprised to find several types of animals and things in it. I had a nice trail of Harvester Ants who were busy hauling away little pieces of the greens in there. Then there were several black ants that are 1.25" long (biggest **** ant I've ever seen) and they were apparently hunting the numerous little black roaches in the pile. The ants I don't mind much, the roaches have to go. So since I'm not going to spray the pile with a pesticide I grabbed one of my soon-to-be-garden-boxes and after a modification or two it is now sitting on the ground with my compost pile in it and a lid on it. The box is roughly 44"x40" and 24" tall. I'm hoping that with it being covered it'll start to cook a little and hopefully drive out or cook the critters that are in there. I really need to get a handle on this soon because I've got an acre of leaves to get raked, piled and composted before this fall when the process starts all over again.

Ants are a sign of a too dry compost pile. You should keep it wet enough for the ants to stay away, but not so wet that it starts to smell bad. With a big enough pile, it will start 'burning' in the middle, making the process a lot quicker. I compost in an insulated box, and keep it nice and wet. This of course speeds up the process, but with a big enough pile the same thing will happen in the middle of the pile. I just added some spent hemp bedding to the accumulating side, so I got a nice before and after shot of it. The left side looked like the right side three weeks ago.

 

[RichnSteph]

Yeah I've been a little lazy about watering it since it was just a pile out in the back yard. With it in the container now I'll be sure and water it a couple times a week and turn it once a week as well.

 

[vehve]

Yeah I've been a little lazy about watering it since it was just a pile out in the back yard. With it in the container now I'll be sure and water it a couple times a week and turn it once a week as well.

Or then you'll go crazy and do it several times a day like I do

 

[RichnSteph]

Or then you'll go crazy and do it several times a day like I do

Well your method (madness?

) seems to be working very well if you are turning raw materials into compost in just a few weeks. I don't think I'll need an insulated box since we're sitting at just under 100 degrees here and the box is in the sun for the hottest 3 hours of the day. I'm anxious to get home and open it to see if anything has happened yet.

 

[vehve]

Well your method (madness?

) seems to be working very well if you are turning raw materials into compost in just a few weeks. I don't think I'll need an insulated box since we're sitting at just under 100 degrees here and the box is in the sun for the hottest 3 hours of the day. I'm anxious to get home and open it to see if anything has happened yet.

It would help the heat go up, A compost can reach almost 80C (175F). But I mostly insulted due to our cold winters.

 

[3forfree]

I always have a rain gauge in my garden to see if we get an inch of rain each week. That's usually enough for the garden. I also use that gauge for my compost, and add water as needed. I turn mine every saturday, and feel what the stuff is like, usually it's quite warm, sometimes dry, sometimes wet, there's no scientific way to determine how much water is needed. Your nose will tell you. Don't let it smell like mold. It needs to smell like dirt. Take care of the pile and you will be rewarded with the finest dirt you can find.

 

[RichnSteph]

I've had my compost bin covered for the last week and have watered it and turned it 3 times. When I came home last night I opened the box to check it and all the ants are gone. There were still a few little black roaches in there but they were high on the sides of the box and not in the compost. Once I stuck my hand into the pile I figured out why, it's dang hot in there! I've got way more green in there than brown so I've got to rake some leaves after work to put in there, then tomorrow I mow the lawn and add that, then more leaves...... I'm going to need a second bin at some point I think.

 

[vehve]

I've had my compost bin covered for the last week and have watered it and turned it 3 times. When I came home last night I opened the box to check it and all the ants are gone. There were still a few little black roaches in there but they were high on the sides of the box and not in the compost. Once I stuck my hand into the pile I figured out why, it's dang hot in there! I've got way more green in there than brown so I've got to rake some leaves after work to put in there, then tomorrow I mow the lawn and add that, then more leaves...... I'm going to need a second bin at some point I think.

And so your addiction to composting begins...

 

[MamaFreeRange]

I know this is an old post, but, wanted to say that I definitely recommend vermicomposting. I have my own worm bin, right on my kitchen counter. They get coffee, tea and all fruit and veggie scraps (aside from citrus, onions and garlic), you can even crush up egg shells for them. My worm castings are soft and rich. A deep brown and smells very earthy. For carbon, I lay moist newsprint on top of all the nitrogen. I never have a problem with fruit flies or other pests. I love my worm bin! I will, however, start an outside compost pile as well, so that my chickens can help the process and have a nice treat whenever they want. I think everyone should have their own worm composting system!!