Chicken manure!!!!!

[dtabor]

Your climate is similar to mine. You could continue with your current method, and get a couple of bales of hay to layer up with your poo. Poo by it'self is too high in nitrogen, and too wet. It will get stinky, and maybe even go anaerobic. It needs some nice loose high carbon materials added to it. How big is your compost bin? Generally, a compost doesn't cook well unless it is a minimum of 3' x 3' x 3'. Do you have room in your yard to build a couple of large bins? Some folks even build a bin out of hay bales. That helps to insulate the pile so it continues to cook later into the year. In very cold climates, the pile will freeze up, but once weather warms a bit, it will quickly start cooking again.

It's really a matter of personal preference. Some folks do well with a poop board, and like that method. And they like using shavings.

I prefer not to use shavings b/c they take forever to break down. So, have gone to DLM. Besides, the materials are FREE! And they break down to give me TONS of wonderful compost for the garden.

I could just scoop the droppings onto the shavings floor and stir in. They are frozen nuggets in the morning this time of year so wouldnt be to hard to stir in. The girls seem to break down the shavings into almost sawdust in the main traffic area of the coop so that helps the breakdown I suppose.

 

[pintail_drake2004]

Our coop is 8x12 with an attached 600sqft run for 24 chickens. We have a poop board, but also do DL. I scrape the poop board 1x a week into an empty feed sack and add to the compost pile. What's on the floor, or that misses the bag, gets stirred in along with another load of hay 1x a week. Back in October, I spread (5) extra 30# bags of chicken manure on my garden and tilled it in, it will break down enough in 6 months to not be so hot.

 

[dtabor]

Our coop is 8x12 with an attached 600sqft run for 24 chickens. We have a poop board, but also do DL. I scrape the poop board 1x a week into an empty feed sack and add to the compost pile. What's on the floor, or that misses the bag, gets stirred in along with another load of hay 1x a week. Back in October, I spread (5) extra 30# bags of chicken manure on my garden and tilled it in, it will break down enough in 6 months to not be so hot.

You are basically doing what I do except I scrape every morning. When I scrape, I am getting 1/4 to 1/3 of a 5 gallon pail a day. Its snowy and cold so they are spending alot of time on the perches right now. I have 3 commercial square plastic compost bins that are now full! I cant do anything with them until spring thaw now and that is months away!

 

[RUNuts]

Get 4 pallets. Zip tie them together and start another compost pile. What do you have for carbon? Boxes, hay, wood chips? The boxes I used went quick. Pull the amazon tape off, the fiberglass threads are terrible.

I like the idea of storing it frozen in old feed bags and waiting for spring. I'd still add some absorbent. Spread it on the lawn before a spring rain so the dogs won't have a chance at it.

Know anyone who gardens who needs some compost amendments?

 

[aart]

My full poop buckets go to an egg customer that has a 3 bin compost system.
We swap out the full and empty buckets when they buy eggs.
Win-Win!

 

[RiverOtter]

Ok, here's your problem ...

....in compost bins but they are full .... Maybe Im just doing it all wrong?

Yes, that, that right there is the problem. That's what you're doing wrong. Get you 3 pallets and build a PROPER compost bin, because I've no idea what you've got going on, but I can tell you it takes me all winter to fill one of those from a chicken coop, a 3-goat shed, a small pigpen and whatever the horse left near the house.

And if I really go all out and get 3 more pallets for a 3 bin system, I've not filled one yet. I've come close, but not quite. And if I did .... I'd make it bigger

 

[dtabor]

Ok, here's your problem ...



Yes, that, that right there is the problem. That's what you're doing wrong. Get you 3 pallets and build a PROPER compost bin, because I've no idea what you've got going on, but I can tell you it takes me all winter to fill one of those from a chicken coop, a 3-goat shed, a small pigpen and whatever the horse left near the house.

And if I really go all out and get 3 more pallets for a 3 bin system, I've not filled one yet. I've come close, but not quite. And if I did .... I'd make it bigger

The bins I have are the "commercial" ones that our local transfer station sells at a discount. Black recycled plastic.

I will get some pallets and make a couple more bins for storage/composting.

 

[chickengeorgeto]

So Ive read some posts here on what people do with all the droppings.... Its also almost all manure so no other compost ingredients... I have two Labs who love to find “frozen chicken treats” (ewwwww). Any other ideas?...

Chicken poop sickles are great for teaching silly people to not let their pooches lick their dinner plates clean. Chicken manure is also a great fertilizer but a word to the wise, a little goes a looooong way.

 

[RiverOtter]

The bins I have are the "commercial" ones that our local transfer station sells at a discount. Black recycled plastic.

When we first start composting, we look at those and think "Wow, great! This is awesome. But how will I ever fill it?"

A year, a garden and a few hens later "Haaahahahahahahaaahaha! It's so cute and wittle!!"

We've all done it!

 

[RUNuts]

Now, everyone usually starts small and works their way to the size that suits them. I've had a couple endeavors that went awry. What gets me is that a lot of people use them. How experienced are they? What are they using them for? Intended purpose or other? I'll buy stuff, smile at the person thinking they know what I'm using it for and keep on trucking. They didn't ask.

I need to get a recycled plastic compost bin. I'll stick it in an empty feed sack to hold it open while I load wood chips into it for the litter. Slide it out of the full bag and on to the next. Works very well.

BTW - pallet compost bins look huge! Until you start spreading the finished stuff on the garden. Then you run out amazingly fast.