Compost pile

[jerseychicken]

When I clean my coop out can I put the pine shavings into my compost pile?

 

[Chadsky]

I do, not sure if your supposed to or not, ill also spread it somewhere to dry then rake it up and put around my trees.

 

[WoodlandWoman]

Yes, you can.

 

[cybrchick]

I dont use pine but hay (bc thats just what we happen to have). I keep a separate compost pile so its richer I guess for my garden. But I have heard pine is ok for compost.

 

[CedarAcres]

I do. It breaks down fine.

 

[nellynelly]

compost happens. pile organics up, and you will end up with compost. if you want to speed things along, make sure you have a balance between browns (carbon rich) and greens (nitrogen rich), and turn often.

 

[jerseychicken]

Great! That's a big help! Thanks!

 

[Binababy]

Anyone here? I'm new to this but noticed today a ton of little dark crickets in a partial few month old round hay bale and I know they are the babies of the big dark crickets which my chickens love! I want to put it near my coop and run for when I do let them out to free range during the day I have began moving the hay hopefully with lots of little ones to grow big for my chickies and have added fallen live oak leaves and acorns and left over chicken poor and feed and will be adding horse and rabbit poor soon, is this the right way to make a compost pile for them to hunt food in? If anyone could give me advice I would gladly appreciate it

 

[lazy gardener]

Just pile it up. You want more carbon rich stuff than you do high nitrogen stuff. Your pile needs to be at least 3' x 3', and hopefully that high as well. I'm in Zone 4, so not sure about the specifics re: composting in Fla. I know that your soil is sandy, so your garden is particularly benefitted by increased compost. And your temp is warmer, so the stuff will compost quicker. You want it to be about as moist as a wrung out sponge. If you have the mix right, the steam will roll out of it when you dig into the pile. Do some googling on line for Composting, Black soldier fly larvae. The chickens will turn the stuff for you, and add their own little nitrogen bombs to the mix. The compost will attract lots of bugs which the chickens will enjoy. Now, I'm not sure about the issue of snakes around mulch or compost piles... you'll have to research that one! Personally, I prefer to keep my garden under a permanent layer of 6" of hay or straw to suppress weeds and provide moisture.

 

[Binababy]

Its about 4-5 by 4-5 and 2-3 tall mostly hay now and more dry, will get it wet tomorrow yeah I'm already thinking of abandoning this and pooring some gas and lighting it up after seeing that huge brown spider earlier!! I would have a fit if I seen a snake, pin it to the ground with the pitch fork and gas on it and light it up alive, I hate them! Oh and I did kill the spider too thank God I had on rubber boots thanks for the tips I will google nitrogen carbon high materials and the bugs but I don't know if I handle them I can barely stand the field crickets haha this may not be for me I may not be as tough as I thought haha