I compost in a pile near each of the coops and also right in the planting beds.
After many years of learning to garden in red clay (at three locations in this county) I found myself on our current property. It has many different soil types, depending on where you dig, but where the house is built is sandy. I have had to re-learn how to deal with soil that must be amended to be productive. When I say sandy, I don't mean sandy soil, I mean beach sand. You can dig yourself out of sight with a teaspoon.
I am slowly creating foundation beds around the house and the easiest way I have found is to compost in the planting bed. I outline where I want the bed, cover the grass/weeds that are already there with cardboard, and start piling organic material on top. I use raked leaves, grass clippings, chicken litter, paper from the shredder, newspaper, finished compost, whatever I have on hand. I have been known to swipe curbed bags of leaves, and to ask DH to cut the grass just for clippings. I pile it all on in the summer and fall, as high as I can, and then I cover it with pine straw mulch for the winter. If I managed to put enough raw material in, I can plant it in the spring after turning it in. It will break down to less than 1/4 of where it started. Sometimes I have to turn it in and start layering material on again.
