compost S T I N K S

[TheAlrightyGina]

Yeah, this sounds like a moisture issue. If you have the right ratio of green and brown, heat shouldn't be a problem. It should be damp, but not so wet that if you were to pick some up and squeeze, liquid would come out.

 

[Tonyroo]

Since your using a tote, dig up some earth and some earthworms, both will improve your tote compost. Layering all materials help.

Your tote needs drainage holes to remove excess water. And you only need to water it once a week.

 

[Ascholten]

worms love cardboard, it will also help soak up and dissipate excess moisture too.

Aaron

 

[JacinLarkwell]

worms love cardboard, it will also help soak up and dissipate excess moisture too.

Aaron

And some chickens will eat any that you have extra or escape

 

[Sally PB]

Potting soil is sterilized, as someone said. You need the living stuff (some is microscopic) to get the compost going.

If you don't have enough to make a pile/bin of a big enough size, look into worm composting. You can do that in containers. Here's a link:
https://rodaleinstitute.org/science/articles/vermicomposting-for-beginners/

 

[Cazook]

mine doesn't smell. it is mostly chopped straw + chicken manure from the coop. against a wall, so it's pretty dry except when it rains. breaks down fast though and the chickens love looking through it for bugs.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Whether you call it composting, rotting, or breaking down, it's the same process. Microbes eat the stuff. For those microbes to live and reproduce they need some browns (carbon), some greens (nitrogen), and water.

What you want for the microbes are the aerobic microbes, the ones that breathe air. These give you a nice earthy smell and a better quality of compost. If the compost pile is too wet the aerobic microbes can't breathe so they die. The anaerobic types take over, these die if air gets to them. These stink, often with a strong ammonia smell. The compost becomes a sticky slimy mess that can strain stuff black. The compost will still rot but the quality is not as good as the compost produced buy the aerobic bacteria. Your compost needs to be slightly damp, not wet. The example I've seen is to soak a sponge then wring as much moisture out of it as you can. No matter how hard you squeeze you can't get another drop out. That's the dampness level you want your compost to be.

If your compost stinks it attracts flies which lay eggs in it. That smell is like rotting meat. The eggs hatch and you get maggots in your compost. Those maggots can live in that too-wet compost and you can get a fly explosion.

If your greens content is too high or you get layers of pure greens that tends to cause problems. When they are thick, greens tend to not dry out so you get the problems with the anaerobic bacteria. You say you turn yours every three days so the greens should not be that clumped but mixing in more browns might be a good idea.

If you were composting on the ground the microbes you need would show up from the ground. Since you are composting in a bin it's a good idea to put some soil in there from your garden or yard. Your soil has those microbes in it. If your conditions are right they will explode in number.

This is the same process that happens when your run gets wet and stays wet for a few days. The microbes eating the poop go anaerobic and stink. That's why a dry coop and run are good.