Composting and Chicken Runs

[sunrunner719]

Someone suggested that I might put the compost pile in the same area as the chicken run. Is this a bad idea?

Thanks in advance!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Several people do it. The chickens really love scratching and digging through it. Mine really enjoyed the compost pile when they free ranged but unfortunately they can’t get to the compost anymore. Too many people abandon dogs out here. I got tired of losing a bunch at a time and finally went with electric netting.

The only possible problem I see is that they scratch a lot. Unless you have it contained they will scatter it everywhere so you can’t get much use out of it. Depending on what your run looks like, you may need some pretty good sides around it to contain it.

Some people may warn you about putting something in the compost they should not eat. I threw all kinds of stuff on mine when they could get to it. They knew what to eat and what to leave alone. But if you are nervous about that, you might want a second compost pile.

 

[Reurra]

My compost consists of old chicken poop and used shavings. the occasional broken egg and plant matter from dinner scraps. is it safe to let the ladies out there to scratch or will that old poop make them sick?

 

[Ridgerunner]

It will not hurt them at all, assuming it is theirs. Chickens eat each other's poop all the time. There are a lot of partially digested nutrients concentrated in there. They also transfer any bugs that they have living inside them this way. It's how they build flock immunities and share probiotics.

If the poop is coming from another flock, there may be some bugs in there that they have not developed an immunity to. I'd suggest you do not do that. But if it is their own, no problems at all.

 

[Reurra]

Yeah its theirs. I always chase them away from it because i dont want them getting sick, or pick up somehting from a rotten vegetable, like botulism, but if it wont hurt them, they should enjoy the creepy crawlies in there!

 

[Jaxemae]

I'm in Pensacola, FL and a landscaper so I have a HUGE compost area/pile in my chicken yard. (I know what's on the grass from my customers and only bring home the "good" grass and leaves) my question is...Is anyone having a problem with Ants? Every shovel seems to bring up a colony of them and my girls won't eat them! LOL I am going to try DE earth on it, like I use in my coop but any other suggestions? Looking forward to hearing from others on this.

 

[Reurra]

DE does not kill ants, sadly...Ive tried it on the little black sugar ants. They just come up somewhere else

 

[Jaxemae]

Yeah its theirs.  I always chase them away from it because i dont want them getting sick, or pick up somehting from a rotten vegetable, like botulism, but if it wont hurt them, they should enjoy the creepy crawlies in there!

I was informed that chickens are smart enough to not anything that will hurt them. Man I hope this is true!

 

[aggiemae]

My chickens come running when I get anywhere near the compost just in case I am going to turn it. They especially love it when we get a larva infestation.

The only thing I don't put in the compose it any part of an avocado as (according to my vet) avocados are known to be toxic to all birds. I put the skins and any over ripe fruit into my worm bin, the worms love.

 

[Nutcase]

My chickens come running when I get anywhere near the compost just in case I am going to turn it. They especially love it when we get a larva infestation. 

 The only thing I don't put in the compose it any part of an avocado as (according to my vet) avocados are known to be toxic to all birds. I put the skins and any over ripe fruit into my worm bin, the worms love.

I have a chicken run and compost bin. Chicken-friendly scraps go to the chooks and the rest (which isn't much) goes in the compost bin, along with old hay and egg cartons. Every once in a while I chuck a couple of chooks in the compost bin and they go wild!