Hot composting with chicken bedding and garden waste

[vehve]

Pests aren't really a problem, the way I've built my box keeps them away. We had some mice in the feed cabinet (about 15 feet from the compost), but after I got a mouse trap and caught 3 of them, I haven't seen any more mouse poop accumulating anywhere. The smell isn't a problem that often either, it depends on how moist the pile is. As you say, avoiding food in the compost would eliminate that issue completely, but as the point of my compost is to not only be a way to get rid of spent bedding, but also to be a way of not having to send something I could process at home to a landfill, I won't be switching to just garden waste. Also, the foodstuffs in the compost make the process a lot quicker, and probably add a lot of nutrients to the soil.

What I see as my main issue at the moment is that the bottom parts of the pile are subject to anaerobic breakdown. That means it's not completely processed by the time I empty the box, and it does get a bit smelly. If I were to build a new compost today, I would make it with at least three compartments, possibly even four, and then I would adapt a system where I would dump the decomposing stuff through all compartments, starting at one end, and then emptying at the other end, playing musical compost compartments every time the first box is full. That way I would get the bottom parts on top a couple of times through the cycle, and it would break down more evenly. It would also allow the resting stuff to leach heat off of the hotter piles.

 

[Bugseye]

Musical compost, eh? Love it. I know I've got the same anaerobics going at the bottom of mine, but that part is just going to have to wait its turn (double meaning). I believe this fall I'll be looking at ways to turn more stuff into the soil to decompose over the winter. I think if I begin mulching with straw now, it should all work out.I suspect my pH, P and K levels are still off but haven't gotten back to my soil test kit, which I find a bit of a challenge to work.

 

[aart]

Maybe 3 or 4 perforated pipes(2"- 5cm dia) in the bottoms of boxes get some air in there?
Perforations facing up into compost, both open ends of pipes exposed to air outside box?
Might drain out any excess liquid too.

 

[Bugseye]

Aart, I'm too lazy for that project. Maybe Felix?

 

[vehve]

I already have perforated pipe in place, it's not helping enough. I would need to get it turned for the bottom layer to break down as quickly as the top.

 

[aart]

I already have perforated pipe in place, it's not helping enough. I would need to get it turned for the bottom layer to break down as quickly as the top.

Is the pipe at the bottom of pile?
I guess there's no substitution for complete turning of pile.

 

[vehve]

It's near the bottom, it's the parts below it that are the main issue. Either they stay too dry, and don't decompose, or then they get too wet, and they break down anaerobically. Getting those parts mixed with the rest of the stuff would help as you would get both air and moisture into the bottom parts as well. What I could also do, and I've tried it a couple of times, is to first empty the cooked stuff, and then move the stuff in the other partition into the newly freed compartment, getting it turned completely upside down in the process. It sort of works, but as there's usually some pretty fresh stuff in there as well it's not that easy to turn. Using chopped straw instead of the full length stuff in the run and bunny pen might make it easier, but at one euro per bale the long stuff is pretty much a no-brainer. It breaks down just as well. It just makes the turning a bit harder before it's started to soften. Karin's battle with the peeing bunny babies isn't making things easier either, she keeps trying to train the babies to pee in a designated toilet area, and removes soiled straw in large quantities daily, my bin isn't really ready for being filled that much.

 

[scottcaddy]

Time to build a Bigger and Better Bin?
Scott

 

[vehve]

Yeah, but where?

 

[vehve]

I've been a bit busy with my new job, hence the lack of updates. But have no fear, the compost is functioning even without writing about it constantly. I've managed to keep it at about 43C (110F) for a week now, and the core is even hotter. It's finally going down a bit, and it really seems that the only way I can keep it composting really efficiently is by turning it at least every other day. I've had to add some stuff to the left side that was left to cook because I ran out of space, so it's going to be a while still before I can empty it (It's a vicious circle), but in a week or two I'm hoping to get another load out of there. I've been wetting pretty often too, as Karin keeps adding spent bedding from the bunny toilets every day.