Composting bedding

[southernmama47]

Quote:
This is what I was thinking of getting. Glad to hear it's worked out for you.

I thought about a simple wire compost pile, but doesn't it get fly and stink problems?

 

[Gallo del Cielo]

Quote:
This is what I was thinking of getting. Glad to hear it's worked out for you.

I thought about a simple wire compost pile, but doesn't it get fly and stink problems?

Flies will get into whatever kind of bin you get, a good compost bin will have ventilation holes; consequently, flies will be able to get in. Wire bins are cheep. Get 2' high hardware cloth, cut a piece about 8' long, connect the ends and you have a free-standing bin nearly 3' in diameter. I use something like this to store my curing and finishing compost, but I line them with landscaping cloth to reduce the rate of moisture loss.

 

[operator16]

Southernmama,

I have a corner in my garden where I put up 4 steel fence posts. I stretched hardware cloth around three sides and tied them on with some sturdy wire. I left the last part a little long so I could just wrap that side around after I work with the compost - like a door. It's about 6x6. I get great ventilation with all the wire! I stir everyday. And, when I'm out doing some hand watering in the garden, I always give the pile a sprinkle. I put the straw and pine pellets from the coop, all the chicken poop on them, along with all lawn clippings, garden waste, weeds, paper towels, shredded junk mail (not the shiny kind), kitchen vegie scraps, etc... I have never had this pile smell like anything other than fresh dirt. I don't see too many files. There are a few. The garden/compost pile is about 100 feet from my back deck so I don't really notice. I think the key is to make sure you have great ventilation, enough moisture, and the right materials. You wouldn't want to put meat or other greasy stuff in there. The only supplemental thing I've ever added to the pile was one container of night crawlers in late spring.

Composting is such a rewarding, and eco-wise activity. You'll get hooked in no time. You'll find yourself hollering at family members when you see they've thrown away an apple core...

I don't know what it's like to have a winter garden, living in Colorado we're lucky if we can get a summer garden without snow or hail tearing it up!

For our climate, I work the compost beginning in spring, through summer, and after our first frost I put it out onto into the garden and till it in. It will sit all winter and by the time it's time to plant in spring again the soil will be GREAT and not too nitrogen rich from the chicken poo to burn my plants! You can compost all winter too. Even in cold weather, if you keep your pile stirred and wet, it will do it's own thing for you!!!

Best wishes! Have fun!

 

[mcostas]

Quote:
I use a wire bin as well. I used to use a small one like in the link but I have found that I get more and quicker compost with one about 10 ft in diameter. The only reason I use wire at all is to keep my doggies out when I put kitchen scraps in it.

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

I have a chicken wire enclosed compost, and I compost all of the chicken poo, goat poop, bedding, kitchen scraps, plants and everything else that chickens won't eat.

Usually by the time is gets to the compost it is dry so it doesn't smell, but if it is wet I just do a thin layer of dirt, or grass clippings.

I have thermophilic compost heap, when I last turned it is was smoking! so things compost really fast (like 3 weeks for grass clippings to turn into dirt)

 

[Hollywood Chickens]

Quote:
I use a wire bin as well. I used to use a small one like in the link but I have found that I get more and quicker compost with one about 10 ft in diameter. The only reason I use wire at all is to keep my doggies out when I put kitchen scraps in it.

I found that to many thing fell out the sides with that type of wire, making it very messy.

 

[hudsonhousechicks]

Whoa, Hollywood Chick! I would be absolutely giddy if my comnmpost heap was a-smokin'! What's thermophilic? How do you do that?

 

[Birdy_Buddy]

I use a 2" x 4" welded wire ring too. I like it to be about 5 feet in diameter and about four feet high. My chickens when I had them live in an enclosed run that I keep a thick layer of straw in. The chickens constantly get garden waste and kitchen scraps that make a really rich substrate for compost making. About twice a year I rake out the whole coop and run and build a compost pile. The contents by then has more than a bale of straw that has been scratched and pecked for months. The secret is to build the pile in layers while wetting each layer a little to get the composting process going. A giant pile retains heat better and will be cooking in about three days. I turn the pile with a stable fork into another wire ring right next to the other one. I love the smell of steaming compost. It kills all the weed seeds too. when I build the pile I just rake the perimeter and throw the stuff on top and the stuff stays just fine inside the wire. It takes about three weeks to have some really nice compost.

 

[woodmort]

Quote:
I do about the same thing only wait until spring--I like to keep as much stuff in the coop over the winter as it does give off heat.

 

[sunflowerenvy]

chicken poop is gold to framers