Compost pile thread!!!

[lazy gardener]

A good place to get piles of coffee grounds is your local church. Last week, I brought home 4 huge Folgers cans full.

 

[papaclark]

I Compost almost everything. I use newspaper as bedding in my vermiposter, and tear-up all the corrugated cardboard into leaf-size pieces (2-3 inches square), regular cardboard packaging (like cereal boxes, soda cartons, etc,) I tear into smaller pieces, (about 1-2 inches). The smaller the pieces, the quicker it breaks down. I used to soak it all in water before adding it the compost pile, but when turning it, I found large chunks of paper products still clumped together, so now I spread it out then wet it down. Most inks used these days are "soy" based, not petroleum, so I don't worry too much about that. Some of the glues used in the corrugated cardboard may have undesirable contents, I don't really know, but I'm not marketing anything, so "Certified Organic" doesn't matter to me. I just eat or give away what I grow. Chickens are new to me.... so far I just add the shavings, poo, bedding, right to the pile with everything else. My compost piles don't seem to get very hot. I don't have a thermometer to check. The only thing that really seems to heat it up are fresh grass clippings. Got a truckload coming today from a landscaper buddy. Good luck and happy gardening.

 

[quailtrail]

We have always been good about composting before chickens. ..now that this spring we have them AND their poop (we did the deep litter method for the winter) its amazing how much better the garden is already!!

 

[katatonic123]

I started my compost pile today!

 

[chicken farmer]

Congrats! It's a great idea and remember it needs mixed/flipped every once and a while and able to get moisture..and let your chickens scratch through it when there older

 

[katatonic123]

Yup that's the plan.

 

[Percheron chick]

These are some of my garden helpers. This was a big mountain of garden waste last fall and they have reduced it to nothing. I have always composted and piles can sit for years not doing much. Toss in a few chickens and they have it worked down to rich soil in a few months with no additional labor on your part. You really don't have to do anything fancy to compost with chickens. Just dump it on the ground where they can get to it and they'll do the rest.

 

[K9Dave]

I started a couple piles but am not sure I'm doing it right. How much water, when to turn and how to add my scraps? My chickens do a lot of sorting through it that's for sure. Even the small chicks can grind hay and straw up pretty efficiently.

 

[Percheron chick]

That much long stem dry matter (straw and hay) won't break down very quickly. You can run over it with the lawn mower and chop it into smaller pieces that will decompose faster. Once you strip the coop and start mowing the lawn you will add enough N to kick start the pile. Green lawn clippings are about the best. They have lots of water and all that fertilizer that they dump on it is in the grass they throw out. I cruise the neighborhood Sat afternoon and steal a few bags of grass when I need some. Just dump the kitchen waste on top. Let the chickens pick through the good stuff. They will stir and shake the pile. You can add 1" water to start. You can flip it if you want. The only time I flip my piles is when i move one pile over to start a new one. I will drive PVC pipe into the pile to aerate it but other than that I try to be a minimalist. You can also cover it with a piece of black plastic to help heat it up and get it cooking.

 

[K9Dave]

I've been watering mine everyday as it's very dry here in Az. I wasn't sure but when I turned it today the bottom was all black dirt and didn't look too wet. Does it need manure? I don't have lawn clippings at the moment as there's no lawn to mow but I appreciate the advice and am going to use that idea as soon as I see some. I have access to coffee grounds, are they good to add?