anyone ever try anything like this?

[FnWeirdo]

compost water heater

i was thinking about running some pipe with water nipple in a few places in the coop. was thinking could put coop waste to use to heat the water and maybe even have a few heated low to ground perches.
from what i read the above set up should take about a week to start cooking and should maintain a steady heat for around 3 weeks then would taper off. of course would have to make sure that its not scalding at drink points and perches. i like the idea of useing my winter waste to create some beautiful compost. next year planning on building some green houses as well and was thinking trying a mobile small scale would prepare me for heating a greenhouse.

if anyone has experience with compost heating would love to hear some real life practical info and " thoughts on the process" so to speak

 

[FnWeirdo]

i should add that with the above picture you don't turn the compost in this method according to what I've read

 

[FeatheredFriends&Horses2]

This is so interesting, I've never seen anything like it. What a neat idea!

 

[mixedbreeds]

I haven’t done anything like heating water but that is exactly how I set up my compost bins except for the news paper. I do have a long thermometer I use and the temp gets to 160 degrees.

 

[FnWeirdo]

I haven’t done anything like heating water but that is exactly how I set up my compost bins except for the news paper. I do have a long thermometer I use and the temp gets to 160 degrees.

do you turn yours or just aerate it with the pvc? and yah i read about 145 which makes sense without having to warm up water it would get up that high

 

[mixedbreeds]

do you turn yours or just aerate it with the pvc? and yah i read about 145 which makes sense without having to warm up water it would get up that high

Once it gets that hot witch is between 1 and 2 weeks I start turning it. I also add one more layer or layers. I go to a couple of grocery stores and ask for there old produce. I chop that up and include that as another layer.

 

[aart]

This is what my little first hand experience with hot compost,
and reading about many others' attempts, taught me:

-It won't stay hot unless you turn it...specially in da u p winter.
-You'll need more mass/volume to even get it heated up for a few days let alone 3 weeks.
-As you circulate the 'hot' water to where you need it, it will lose heat quickly.

Did wherever you got that pretty pic(got a link?) tell you how to circulate the water?

Here the only successful 'compost heated waterer' for chickens I've ever seen:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/alternate-method-to-prevent-water-freezing.73180/

 

[FnWeirdo]

This is what my little first hand experience with hot compost,
and reading about many others' attempts, taught me:

-It won't stay hot unless you turn it...specially in da u p winter.
-You'll need more mass/volume to even get it heated up for a few days let alone 3 weeks.
-As you circulate the 'hot' water to where you need it, it will lose heat quickly.

Did wherever you got that pretty pic(got a link?) tell you how to circulate the water?

Here the only successful 'compost heated waterer' for chickens I've ever seen:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/articles/alternate-method-to-prevent-water-freezing.73180/

the coldness up here i was definitely worried about. i only saved the pic not the link but i believe it does come up in google search if you search pic title.

i was very skeptical of the " no turn" hense why I'm asking on a forum that is for the specific purpose I'm looking to use it.

I'm looking to use the concept to give me compost for my green houses i will build, heat those green houses and to heat my chicken coops water. as i plan on building multiple green houses and coops next to those green houses.

i have little experience on compost but using its energy highly appeals to my recent life of trying to be self reliant. it seems a great synergy. i need the compost and chickens provide chicken poop while they provide me with eggs. that i sell. green houses provide feed for animals and household as well as food for the compost pile.

i figured a small mobile set up would allow me to play around and feel out the process in order to apply it on a bigger scale in future years
was thinking that maybee welding together some metal in the shape of a dumpster parking it next to the green house 2 bin style.

or maybe burying a metal garabage can.

 

[aart]

i was very skeptical of the " no turn" hense why I'm asking on a forum that is for the specific purpose I'm looking to use it.

Composting is tricky to do well...both a science and an art.
A balance of materials, air, water, and turning.

You might find something/someone in the BYC gardening forum here:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/forums/gardening.16176/

This guy has a good truly composting deep litter set up:
https://www.backyardchickens.com/threads/disposing-of-old-shavings.1201566/page-2#post-19035555

There was a video posted recently about composting deep litter in a chicken coop that was very good. Can't find it now, think it was in an old thread...and it was in Guatemala, so not a good climate match.