Calling all composters...

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

The problem I've always had with the "tumbler" composters is that they tend to freeze solid in winter and generally aren't big enough to get "hot" enough to work with any real speed.

When you read about composting, you tend to hear you need a minimum of a yard of material to really make it "work". Most tumblers don't hold that.

That being said, even if they don't work "fast", stuff still rots.

@eaking - you may want to just sift out the unrotted materials from your "almost done" composter and add the un-decomposed chunks to your "almost full" composter, and use the rest and start filling up that empty composter.

 

[eaking]

Thank you!

 

[Flockincrazy]

Good afternoon chicken lover friends,

We have been wanting to start composting for a while, and now that we've got the peeps it makes perfect sense to fire it up! We've done read some research, but would super appreciate any practical advice you all might have to offer! To give you an idea, we have six clucky ladies and currently our coop + run situation have vinyl floors with sand. We live in a cold, dry climate! Some of the topics we are wondering about...

• Pile V.S. Barrel?​
• Will the sand remnants be okay in the compost?​
• What's a good location for the compost? Is it okay close to the coop or will it smell/bother the ladies/attract detrimental pests?​
• Any general basic advice?​

Thanks for reading! We look forward to your thoughts/suggestions. Have a lovely day

I have a rotating barrel and love it. If you live in a cold dry climate why not use straw in your coop it makes for a better compost and warmer for the ladies. A good spot for it is close to your coop but not right on top of it it does smell and attracts flies get worms red wigglers are best and I believe it makes the best in the garden oh and get a compost tea maker its great to spray on your flowers and vegetables mine pumps right into my sprayers in my greenhouse my crop loves it

 

[Brandy2512]

You've probably researched this some more but stop turning it. The pile needs to heat up (cook) to kill pathogens and start decomposition. Turn it once a month.

Everyone has their way to compost. It depends on climate, space, materials available, livestock, time, tools (tractor)... As long as it eventually breaks down without smell and attracting pests, it's a success.
To the OP, go small and simple to start. Just dump your waste in the run. Let the chickens work through the waste. They will eat what they can and break and stir up the rest. Until the bears hibernate, keep any kitchen scraps out. No reason to draw them to the coop even if it's secure. A compost pile will provide productive entertainment for the long winter months.

I did stop turning it actually. Mostly due to heat+laziness, lol. The only time I really “turn it” is to just bury some of the new green stuff that I don’t want my dog to try to steal.

 

[littledog]

This is really helpful.

I am clearly the city slicker, here. We live in LA and have a relatively small yard (which is pretty much dominated by our chickens - and I'm fine with that). Around the side of the house we have a run with stones and I have two side by side "spinning" compost bins. While one is "cooking" I fill the other.

We're in this weird period right now, where one is almost ready to be used for fertilizer and the other is at maximum capacity so most of my food waste is actually being wasted - which sucks. I wish I could give it to the girls, but they're so picky. They like three things right now: crickets, mealworms and watermelon. I'm hoping eventually that'll change.

In the almost ready pile, there are a few things that aren't breaking down (just too stubborn, I guess). Some egg shells, a lime or lemon that we didn't cut up.. My question is, do you just pick those out and get a move on or wait for every single thing to decompose?

I've never used a regular compost pile but I have to say that I really like the ones I'm using. They're easy to fill and empty and there's virtually no smell.

I wonder if adding mealworms to a composter like that would work? Probably not?

You could always build a screen, just a simple wooden frame with a sheet of hardware cloth attached to it, whatever size fits over the container you empty your tumbler into. The big chunks that get screened out, dump back in the now-empty tumbler, and you can use the rest.

 

[Acre4Me]

Here is my compost pile as of today. We don't have enough space to just leave a random "pile" and spouse wants it to look "nice" as much as compost can look nice. This faces into our yard, but is close to the border with neighbor, so they only see wood slats. We used the middle and right sides as chicken pens recently due to males creating stress. They had a plywood cover and screened in front gate, so plenty of light and ventilation. Now some chickens were sold, and this was returned to compost bins. Fresh compost (garden waste, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags ripped open, and chicken coop waste) added on far left. Partially finished in the middle - and this one looks great as it is pretty much one color now, but still chunky, then next year we should have finished compost on the far right. The slats between bins are just siting there, and can be removed for easier transport between bins. Each bin is 4'wide and 6'deep.

 

[Sequel]

Here is my compost pile as of today. We don't have enough space to just leave a random "pile" and spouse wants it to look "nice" as much as compost can look nice. This faces into our yard, but is close to the border with neighbor, so they only see wood slats. We used the middle and right sides as chicken pens recently due to males creating stress. They had a plywood cover and screened in front gate, so plenty of light and ventilation. Now some chickens were sold, and this was returned to compost bins. Fresh compost (garden waste, egg shells, coffee grounds, tea bags ripped open, and chicken coop waste) added on far left. Partially finished in the middle - and this one looks great as it is pretty much one color now, but still chunky, then next year we should have finished compost on the far right. The slats between bins are just siting there, and can be removed for easier transport between bins. Each bin is 4'wide and 6'deep. View attachment 2283576

That is the classic compost setup of my dreams!

 

[QChickieMama]

I use the easiest method ever for composting: I drilled holes in the bottom & sides of 3 plastic trash bins and fill them with all the organic material from kitchen and yard. Every spring we dump them into the garden and till it into the soil. It's hot and wet in NC summer, so the current bin is full of worms doing their job.

 

[Sally PB]

This summer I became a "turner" convert, as I got chickens in the spring and had lots of "hot" fertilizer-to-be. I used to do the "dump it all in, use it in the spring" method, but my piles got really big this year. Plus I needed to get something into my garden soil, and I have a big garden.

With the turning method, I saw a lot of improvements to my compost and my soil. Here's what I do.

I have three bins side by side like Acre4Me. The right hand one is my collection bin. Used bedding and poop (I use pine shavings but will switch to hemp soon), garden waste, kitchen waste, grass clippings, whatever. As I build it, it is already in layers of carbon rich/nitrogen rich.

When I have a big enough pile, which is roughly 3x4x4 feet, I pitchfork it into the middle bin, where it sits for a few days. I water it thoroughly with the hose to get it to the "like a damp sponge" stage that everyone says is ideal.

First turning, it goes into the left hand bin. A couple days later, back into the middle bin. Back and forth, getting mixed up and aerated, and building up some really impressive (to me) arm muscles. It sure heats up, I can say that! I have seen steam rising as I turn it on a warm, humid morning. It's done after about 3-4 weeks.

Yes, it IS a LOT of labor. But I have never had such great looking compost. Or arm muscles.

 

[CindyinSD]

I've tried using pallets for compost bins, but the chickens scratch it all out as soon as I put it in. Any suggestions to keep it contained while still allowing them access?