Building a compost pile in run area?

[KnightsMist]

Is there any benefit/advantage of building a 3-sided compost bin in the area I plan to enclose for my future chicken run? I have some pallets that I want to use to build a couple compost bins and have been trying to figure out where to build them. I have read that chickens love to scratch through compost, so wondering if it might just make sense to let them have at it all the time? Or would this just make for a giant, constant mess?
Edit- for context, the fenced run will probably be approx 20x25', so the compost bins I'm planning would not take up a significant amount of space relative to the rest of the run.

 

[Trimurtisan]

@Compost King might be able to help you out on this.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Many people give their chickens access to a compost bin or compost pile, either in a run as you are considering or when they let the chickens free range. Chickens love to scratch in there, looking for bits they can eat or for bugs or other critters. When I let mine free range they visited the compost bins a couple of times a day.

Some people turn their entire coop or their entire run into a compost pile. Some people restrict what they put in the compost to bedding and a few such things afraid the chicken will eat something they should not (people can have different ideas as to what they shouldn't eat also, widely varying ideas) while some of us, including me, dump all kinds of kitchen wastes and garden wastes in there. There are all kinds of different ways to do it.

Different people can have different ideas on what is a mess. If you build a three sided bin and want to contain the compostables to that bin you'll probably be disappointed. They love to scratch in compost and will scatter it all over. To keep things neat you'll need a fourth wall. You can make it removable so it is easier to clean out the compost bin once it's ready.

 

[jreardon1918]

We have pretty much what you describe. 3 sided in a 20 x 50' fenced area. The hens scratch it out and I occasionally rake it back in. They also perch on the rails of the bin much of the day. And yes, a mess is in the eye of the beholder.

 

[speedy2020]

Here is a plan that I came up few years ago, and going to proceed this coming summer. I am replacing the rotten wooden coop with plastic playhouse coop. It is very flexible with gate on each side open/close as need.

 

[jthornton]

This is what I started with but the chickens kept pulling everything out.


Then I made this one and have it divided up into 3 compartments. I keep the active one with any poop in it covered up so I can keep the chickens out and control the moisture.


Once it's done the chickens are free to look for worms and other tasty morsels.


JT

 

[KnightsMist]

JT thanks for sharing! Nice set up

 

[NikkiW17]

We have two stalls set up inside of our coop/run area. We muck out their actual coop and place it in one of the stalls. My ducks and chickens both love it when the compost pile is freshly raked and in a tall pile. They love to play king of the mountain!! All edible kitchen scraps go onto the pile as does their scratch since they LOVE to scratch for all of it. Having it in a stall like setting has kept it as neat as compost can be and accessible to my birds...it’s been win win.

 

[Arbutus Peregrine]

The youtube channel, edible acres, has my very favorite chicken compost videos! I'm doing a small scale version of what they do. Very informational if you take the time to watch some of their videos!

 

[gtaus]

Is there any benefit/advantage of building a 3-sided compost bin in the area I plan to enclose for my future chicken run? I have some pallets that I want to use to build a couple compost bins and have been trying to figure out where to build them. I have read that chickens love to scratch through compost, so wondering if it might just make sense to let them have at it all the time? Or would this just make for a giant, constant mess?

I made something similar to what you are thinking about. I had some extra pallets and decided to build a pallet compost bin in the chicken run. What I did is make it three sides, as normal, but the forth side (front) was cut in half. So, half the pallet was used for the front. The other half I cut off from the front pallet was placed on top of the compost bin. Now the chickens have an easier time jumping into the compost bin and the half pallet on top of the compost bin provides them with an excellent place to sit in the sun.

I wanted that half pallet in the front to keep the chickens from scratching everything out of the compost bin - which I believe would take no time at all if you only had a 3-sided compost bin. Having that forth half side on the compost bin kept all the compost contained in the bin and there was no mess. The chickens love scratching in the compost and I tried to add something new to the bin everyday (kitchen scraps, grass clippings, garden weeds, chicken scratch, etc....).

That 3-1/2 sided compost bin worked really well for me for a long time. However, the chickens have scratched up all the grass in the chicken run and I am now dumping grass clippings, leaves, etc.... into the run itself. So everything in the run is now basically composting. This coming summer I hope to move the chicken run on to fresh green grass so the idea of the 3-1/2 compost bin might be the answer once again.