Chickens and Composting

[JordantheRooster1]

I have tried composting with chickens but it never seems to go well. Has anybody had success with this and what were the designs of the composter?

 

[EddieSalita]

I do. They are excellent at it. Though it's probably more of an enriched soil manufacturing system than just compost.

I use a 3 bay system. Each bay is essentially a 3x3x0.5 metre area like a raised garden bed. I used old logs, but you could use garden sleepers. The idea is the border retains the compost allowing you to pile it up deeper and to prevent the chickens spreading it out too widely. This ultimately enables the compost to heat and makes the chickens dig in it rather than just flick it everywhere.

The grass clippings, expended bedding full of chook poo, wood chips, weeds, expended garden plants, kitchen scraps etc... go into bay one. I may turn it over with a fork every week or two, sprinkle some whole grain on it to keep the chickens interested if they need it. Usually they don't.

After a month it gets turned over into the next adjoining bay. Where it sits for a month also. Occasionally turning it over if need be. This helps uncover sprouts. Also helps any seeds left in it to sprout by getting a turn near the surface.

After another month it gets turned over into bay 3. This is the finishing pile. It could sit here a month or 3 depending on when I need to use it. By this time the volume is a quarter or less of what it was in bay 1. So letting it accumulate here for a while, occasionally turning it is viable.

I also have an overhead sprinker which I put on if I think the compost is getting a bit dry. By put on i mean really waterlog the compost. Not just moisten it. The wetter it is, the more the chickens seem to like it and dig in it. I guess it creates more insect and worm activity.

The resulting compost is just wonderful. The occasional seed gets through. But it's for raised beds so they easy to pull.

The compost system is mostly at or near the base of a couple small trees. This gives them shade so they can forage in it in the heat of the day. Also helps prevent excessive moisture loss from the direct sun. And my lime tree is quite happy to play host to a wet rich compost pile.

When I let the girls out in the morning they bolt for the compost. To see what interesting things have appeared overnight. They love it.

 

[Farkha Laziza]

Do your chickens also dig around in bays 2 and 3?

 

[Cammo77]

I do. They are excellent at it. Though it's probably more of an enriched soil manufacturing system than just compost.

I use a 3 bay system. Each bay is essentially a 3x3x0.5 metre area like a raised garden bed. I used old logs, but you could use garden sleepers. The idea is the border retains the compost allowing you to pile it up deeper and to prevent the chickens spreading it out too widely. This ultimately enables the compost to heat and makes the chickens dig in it rather than just flick it everywhere.

The grass clippings, expended bedding full of chook poo, wood chips, weeds, expended garden plants, kitchen scraps etc... go into bay one. I may turn it over with a fork every week or two, sprinkle some whole grain on it to keep the chickens interested if they need it. Usually they don't.

After a month it gets turned over into the next adjoining bay. Where it sits for a month also. Occasionally turning it over if need be. This helps uncover sprouts. Also helps any seeds left in it to sprout by getting a turn near the surface.

After another month it gets turned over into bay 3. This is the finishing pile. It could sit here a month or 3 depending on when I need to use it. By this time the volume is a quarter or less of what it was in bay 1. So letting it accumulate here for a while, occasionally turning it is viable.

I also have an overhead sprinker which I put on if I think the compost is getting a bit dry. By put on i mean really waterlog the compost. Not just moisten it. The wetter it is, the more the chickens seem to like it and dig in it. I guess it creates more insect and worm activity.

The resulting compost is just wonderful. The occasional seed gets through. But it's for raised beds so they easy to pull.

The compost system is mostly at or near the base of a couple small trees. This gives them shade so they can forage in it in the heat of the day. Also helps prevent excessive moisture loss from the direct sun. And my lime tree is quite happy to play host to a wet rich compost pile.

When I let the girls out in the morning they bolt for the compost. To see what interesting things have appeared overnight. They love it.

This is the system I just started to use but I only have room for 2 bays.

 

[EddieSalita]

2 bays will work fine i reckon. Chooks are soil making machines.