Can feathers go into the COMPOST with my chicken poop?????

[keeko]

Hey everyone!

Strange question...and I wasn't sure where exactly to put it. But here's my question: what happens to chicken feathers in the compost? Do they break down eventually? Or do they just get soggy?

My situation is this: I have drop-boards so collecting pure chicken poop is pretty easy. I dump the droppings straight into a tumbling composter. Lots of little fluffy downy feathers (and some big ones) stick to the poop and get tossed in the compost. It's gross and too time-consuming to pluck each feather out of the poop...so what happens to them? Is it bad to put feathers in the compost??

 

[math ace]

YES - they can go in the compost.

They are a source of protein and other things. HAIR - Human HAIR - is suppose to be good in the compost too.

 

[River Rats]

I had heard that they are really good for your compost pile.

 

[keeko]

Awesome!!! I wouldn't have guessed they'd be good for it! Do they take any longer to break down than pine shavings or hair?

 

[math ace]

I had some chicken manure - - - -SMELLLLLLY VERY SMELLLLY OMG - I will never do it again - - - from a commercial set up given to me. It had some feathers in it too. It all went in my compost pile with some mulch and it broke down with everything else.

I do compost my own chicken manure - - - BUT I WILL NEVER do the commerical farm manure. It was sooooo strong - - I hope my neighbors never figured out where the obnoxious odor was coming from. We have been composted for YEARS and have never had an odor issue - - - BUT OMG that stuff was NASTY ! !

Go ahead and compost the feathers - - - they should be fine !

 

[Happy Chooks]

What everyone else said. It's good for compost.

 

[LeezyBeezy]

Quote:
The farmer next door buys "hen" manure to spread on the fields every year. I grew up on a farm, with chicken houses nearby, thought it would ne much the same... WRONG. Commercial manure isVILE. It smelled like a dead animal, not the typical "manure" smell. Thank goodness is rained two days later. ugh.

 

[merlotmudpies]

There is no chicken question I can't find the answer to on here! Hooray for composting feathers! And yes everyone said if regret chickens because they stink. But they dot at all. My kids fight to pick up their poop. LOL that was NOT the case with our cat box, let me tell you. I'm finding a lot of the horror stories I had as predictions are really mostly bogus and from folks who don't have first hand experience. Having chickens is the most satisfying animal experience I've ever had.

 

[donrae]

There is no chicken question I can't find the answer to on here! Hooray for composting feathers! And yes everyone said if regret chickens because they stink. But they dot at all. My kids fight to pick up their poop. LOL that was NOT the case with our cat box, let me tell you. I'm finding a lot of the horror stories I had as predictions are really mostly bogus and from folks who don't have first hand experience. Having chickens is the most satisfying animal experience I've ever had.

I'm so glad you're enjoying your birds so much!

I can't imaging having birds that stink--makes me wonder how those folks are managing their birds! I understand huge commercial operations, but in a backyard setting---come on! None of my other animals stink, why should chickens? Just take care of them and they're fine. Plus---eggs!

 

[AlineD]

I had the same question! Just did a google search and found your thread. Thanks, glad I'm not the only one with weird questions.