compost

[nvchickenmom]

Hi so I have just started a compost pile. Does anyone know if feathers are ok to put in the pile? Also does anyone know if chicken poo should be composted prior to it being mixed in the soil? Thanks in advance for your help!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Chicken poop should be composted before it is used. Fresh chicken poop can damage plants if it is not used very carefully. I've killed tomato plants with it before.

Feathers are fine to go in.

 

[nvchickenmom]

THANK YOU!

 

[Henry&Friends]

Feathers should be fine to go in, but they might not decompose all the way. Chicken poop should always go through compost before being used as fertilizer.

 

[dannygirl1]

No the subject of compost, I plan to put the bedding from the coop floor into a compost heap. The poop is mixed with saw dust and some shavings from the nest boxes, do I need to add anything else to the heap, or will this do ok on its own, and be ready for next spring ?

 

[deepbluesea]

You'll need to add some water to get it cooking. It should be like a wrung-out sponge.

 

[Ridgerunner]

No the subject of compost, I plan to put the bedding from the coop floor into a compost heap. The poop is mixed with saw dust and some shavings from the nest boxes, do I need to add anything else to the heap, or will this do ok on its own, and be ready for next spring ?

You want the compost heap damp enough so the microbes and bugs that eat it can live and reproduce. As mentioned the optimum moisture level is a wrung-out sponge, but rain will affect that. On the Emerald Isle you probably don't won't need to add much water.

It sometimes helps to seed the compost pile with the right organisms to get to started. You can buy anything, I sometimes see advertisements for those microbes. But an easy cheap way to do that is to take a couple of shovelfuls of dirt and toss it in there. That dirt has the microbes in it. No need to buy anything. Those microbes will show up anyway but it sometimes helps to start the process.

Neither of those are that big a deal normally though if you lived where it is really dry like a desert it could be. Those microbes will eventually show up anyway.

The possible issue is that to compost you need a balance of greens (nitrogen) and browns (carbon). The closer you are to the ideal balance the faster the process but the balance doesn't have to be that close to ideal.

From your list the bedding sawdust and shavings are all browns. The only greens is the poop. You probably do not have an good balance of greens to browns, adding some greens would probably be a good idea. Some greens are vegetables and fruit peelings or scraps, manure like chicken poop, and any green plants like fresh grass clippings. If the grass clippings dry out and turn brown they are considered browns so get them while they are fresh.

A lot of this stuff has both browns and greens in it so it's hard to get a good ratio unless you are a professional. I'm sure not. Even if you pile up a bunch of almost ll browns and it stays damp it will still break down, it just might take a while.

You might find this interesting, the local master gardeners put this together to show just how easy it can be to make compost. I love the ladies' dance moves.

 

[dannygirl1]

If I start the heap on bare soil ( which I plan to do ) would I still need to toss in some dirt ? And yes plenty irrigation here , but I wonder would too much be as bad as too little

 

[Ridgerunner]

You don't have to throw on a shovelful of dirt if it is on the ground. The bugs will get there.

The problem with too much wet is that the microbes you want are aerobic (breathe oxygen). That makes the best quality mulch. If it stays too wet for too long the anaerobic (no oxygen) microbes take over. The quality of the compost form them drops plus it can get slimy and stinky. If you don't disturb it the smell isn't usually that bad but disturb it and you will notice.

Mine is outside so it gets wet and stays wet occasionally, especially in the spring. It drains reasonably well, having plenty of browns helps with that. Good compost has a nice earthy smell. If it starts to stink you might want to cover it until it dries out.

 

[IamRainey]

The remarkable thing about compost is: if you make a pile it will happen. My particular perspective is the bigger the pile the better. Generates more of the heat that disinfects everything. Directly on the soil is excellent! You'll get composting both above and below the ground level.

Everyone has told you the basics: greens (nitrogens) & browns (carbons), aerobic v anaerobic (both are part of the process), damp is best, turning distributes the microorganisms and speeds things up. The closer you get to the ideals, the faster your pile will work. But, rest assured, it's gonna happen! Turn it if you've a mind to, or don't. Be sure to add those garden clippings and kitchen waste to it. Give it time and then you will dig some beautiful, rich, dark soil from the bottom of the pile.

It's "done" when you no longer see the feathers, bedding or any other identifiable elements in it.