Composting chicken run

[Cryss]

@paintedChix " https://photos.app.goo.gl/fgKYkhxNAXBnH6B36 "

Looking at your pictures of hoops. I am considering placing a 16ftx50inch cattle panel hoop across a 10 foot wide chain link fence and covering with a tarp for some winter weather. Will it handle a snow load and wind without any additional bracing?

 

[jreardon1918]

I am kind of lazy. I just take the yard waste dump it in the run. Chicken poop is added when I scoop the boards. The chickens mix it up. Next spring. Black gold for the gardens. Here area few pictures from the grass, leaves, pine needle cleanup done this morning.

Note that we don't use chemicals on the lawn.

 

[paintedChix]

@paintedChix " https://photos.app.goo.gl/fgKYkhxNAXBnH6B36 "

Looking at your pictures of hoops. I am considering placing a 16ftx50inch cattle panel hoop across a 10 foot wide chain link fence and covering with a tarp for some winter weather. Will it handle a snow load and wind without any additional bracing?

Maybe & Maybe not. Depends on your snow load's, wet/heavy vs dry etc. I've seen it work fine and I have on seen on you tube where it's collapsed. However, the one showing where it had collapsed had a LOT of WET snow and there were many shops, gas stations and homes that also had roofs collapse.

I would use 2 CPs. That should give you better/safer coverage from front to back. I would join the two together and then center them so that they come down the same distance on each side. They will not extend all the way to the front of the 10x10 dog pen. It won't come quite all the way to the front of the pen (or the back? depending on which way you put it in). Of course, you could get a third one, cut it the size you need and then allow for some over lap, too, for strength?

I just, today, redid the dog pen we have. Originally, we had it with the "roof" it came with - Hurricane Michael destroyed that (bent the poles & broke two of the attaching joints) and the tarp. So Larry hooped it with CP a year ago, but he attached one end at the top of the dog pen, gave it a bit of "hoop" and then attached the other side so that it ran down to the ground. Then on the 2nd one, he reversed it (do.not.ask.me.why... was probably one of our most heated arguments, not pretty. I gave up and left him to do what he wanted...). The hoop in front almost immediately dropped down and developed a dip the opposite of what we should have had. It never got fixed. Surprisingly, the in-expensive tarp lasted through the winter, several freezes/ice storms and quite a number of heavy rain/wind storms (the one hurricane thus far this year was light compared to other, unnamed storms). But the tarp ripped/shredded about a month ago (after Hurricane Dorian). I was not able to redo the hoops myself - I've had the flu and I'd done one of the chicken coops out in the pasture, too, but wanted to get something done before the major rain/storm event we are expecting tonight/tomorrow. My SIL (also sick) and daughter helped and we were able to get it done. Needed at least a 10x12' tarp, I had 3 - 8x10's. Used one and we are either picking up a larger one OR will order one.

The two panels we removed are bent in such a way as to be difficult to reuse. Wouldn't be easy for me (or us?) to get them straightened due to the way/degree that they are bent. But I will figure it out! They'd make a nice rectangular pen...

We used two panels. We wrangled them into the pen (also 10x10) 1 at a time, going over the top. We then joined them in the center (not overlapped) w/ many crossed, heavy duty zip ties. May go back out and wrap with either wire or paracord so it lasts a good loooonnnggg time. Then we did an "eyeball" line up and took two of us (me & daughter, Skye) to struggle to keep it held up/together while SIL, Justin, then zip tied the panels to the dog pen. We pushed it to the back of the pen - as that is where the dogs had been preferring to cuddle up and sleep in their straw hut. Both sides are even - we have 4 rows of squares hanging down below the top bar and it is zip tied to that top bar and to the 2 posts that it comes into contact with. It is also zip tied to the chain link.

I was very happy when I looked out at it and it looks nice and is balanced now (I'd have to dig thru pics to see if I have one that shows that gosh awful dip). I didn't get pics as we were trying to beat the rain and get done. Will be happy to take pics tomorrow and post them here (w/ some close ups to show you how we attached it), if this tropical depression/storm doesn't drown us. It's not fancy, but for us it works great!

With a snow load?? Well, I usually post links to "Blooey's" Wyoming hooped run. Theirs was not strapped up to a structure but attached to posts in the ground like the 4x8's in my front yard. She states that she felt it held up so well in their winds and even the snow as it was able to flex & give somewhat. They were able to easily knock the snow off.

Our router isn't working correctly and I'm having issues with search parameters. I'm surprised I'm online here at BYC. I REALLY hope this long post goes up when I hit "post reply"...

A couple of other people have attached the CP to a 10x10 dog pen and have stated that it's worked. I don't know how they attached the CP. You might also check out Aart's run - it's a little different and that may work better, not sure.

I actually have reached the conclusion that my back to back, hooped chicken coops, need to come out. Replacing the tarps on on coops 2 & 3 today was ... difficult when you can't get up and around them - almost impossible. When I take the 3 coops I've already built out, we will then invest in much heavier tarps (the 8x10's fit well), for the line of coops (4) that we have. Instead, we'll just do a fenced in area using CP panel and wire. If we need to cover the top(s), may just cover it in bird netting? Haven't decided yet... Just need to be able to get to our 8x8 coops - front & back - when re-tarping them. OR if invest in the tarps may never need to retarp them again... again, don't know yet.

 

[Cryss]

Maybe & Maybe not. Depends on your snow load's, wet/heavy vs dry etc. I've seen it work fine and I have on seen on you tube where it's collapsed. However, the one showing where it had collapsed had a LOT of WET snow and there were many shops, gas stations and homes that also had roofs collapse.

I would use 2 CPs. That should give you better/safer coverage from front to back. I would join the two together and then center them so that they come down the same distance on each side. They will not extend all the way to the front of the 10x10 dog pen. It won't come quite all the way to the front of the pen (or the back? depending on which way you put it in). Of course, you could get a third one, cut it the size you need and then allow for some over lap, too, for strength?

I just, today, redid the dog pen we have. Originally, we had it with the "roof" it came with - Hurricane Michael destroyed that (bent the poles & broke two of the attaching joints) and the tarp. So Larry hooped it with CP a year ago, but he attached one end at the top of the dog pen, gave it a bit of "hoop" and then attached the other side so that it ran down to the ground. Then on the 2nd one, he reversed it (do.not.ask.me.why... was probably one of our most heated arguments, not pretty. I gave up and left him to do what he wanted...). The hoop in front almost immediately dropped down and developed a dip the opposite of what we should have had. It never got fixed. Surprisingly, the in-expensive tarp lasted through the winter, several freezes/ice storms and quite a number of heavy rain/wind storms (the one hurricane thus far this year was light compared to other, unnamed storms). But the tarp ripped/shredded about a month ago (after Hurricane Dorian). I was not able to redo the hoops myself - I've had the flu and I'd done one of the chicken coops out in the pasture, too, but wanted to get something done before the major rain/storm event we are expecting tonight/tomorrow. My SIL (also sick) and daughter helped and we were able to get it done. Needed at least a 10x12' tarp, I had 3 - 8x10's. Used one and we are either picking up a larger one OR will order one.

The two panels we removed are bent in such a way as to be difficult to reuse. Wouldn't be easy for me (or us?) to get them straightened due to the way/degree that they are bent. But I will figure it out! They'd make a nice rectangular pen...

We used two panels. We wrangled them into the pen (also 10x10) 1 at a time, going over the top. We then joined them in the center (not overlapped) w/ many crossed, heavy duty zip ties. May go back out and wrap with either wire or paracord so it lasts a good loooonnnggg time. Then we did an "eyeball" line up and took two of us (me & daughter, Skye) to struggle to keep it held up/together while SIL, Justin, then zip tied the panels to the dog pen. We pushed it to the back of the pen - as that is where the dogs had been preferring to cuddle up and sleep in their straw hut. Both sides are even - we have 4 rows of squares hanging down below the top bar and it is zip tied to that top bar and to the 2 posts that it comes into contact with. It is also zip tied to the chain link.

I was very happy when I looked out at it and it looks nice and is balanced now (I'd have to dig thru pics to see if I have one that shows that gosh awful dip). I didn't get pics as we were trying to beat the rain and get done. Will be happy to take pics tomorrow and post them here (w/ some close ups to show you how we attached it), if this tropical depression/storm doesn't drown us. It's not fancy, but for us it works great!

With a snow load?? Well, I usually post links to "Blooey's" Wyoming hooped run. Theirs was not strapped up to a structure but attached to posts in the ground like the 4x8's in my front yard. She states that she felt it held up so well in their winds and even the snow as it was able to flex & give somewhat. They were able to easily knock the snow off.

Our router isn't working correctly and I'm having issues with search parameters. I'm surprised I'm online here at BYC. I REALLY hope this long post goes up when I hit "post reply"...

A couple of other people have attached the CP to a 10x10 dog pen and have stated that it's worked. I don't know how they attached the CP. You might also check out Aart's run - it's a little different and that may work better, not sure.

I actually have reached the conclusion that my back to back, hooped chicken coops, need to come out. Replacing the tarps on on coops 2 & 3 today was ... difficult when you can't get up and around them - almost impossible. When I take the 3 coops I've already built out, we will then invest in much heavier tarps (the 8x10's fit well), for the line of coops (4) that we have. Instead, we'll just do a fenced in area using CP panel and wire. If we need to cover the top(s), may just cover it in bird netting? Haven't decided yet... Just need to be able to get to our 8x8 coops - front & back - when re-tarping them. OR if invest in the tarps may never need to retarp them again... again, don't know yet.

Wow, thanks for all the info! I've sern @aart 's set but can't remember the details of the top. Gotta go check it out.

 

[aart]

Wow, thanks for all the info! I've sern @aart 's set but can't remember the details of the top. Gotta go check it out.

Adding braces and/or using hog panel instead of cattle panel will make it much stiffer and better able to handle snow load. You still may need to remove the snow with a plastic roof rake. IME cattle panel is much weaker and will bow without bracing and/or snow removal.

 

[Cryss]

I was kinda hoping to use the spare piece of cattle panel I have on hand. Hmmm.....I guess I'll look into hog panels.

 

[RLynch]

To answer your question, yes you can. Chickens do a great job turning compost. I started with wood chips I had delivered from our electric utility company and their tree trimming contractor ( I use it for mulch and garden as well) for free. I put in about 12 inches deep 12'x18' area. That was enough carbon/brown base to handle our 4 chickens. Let them do their thing, add whatever you normally would toss out in the garbage to their run and they will eat what they like and bury by scratching what they don't (onion peels, ect.). I have even started putting the junk mail in there as well. About once every week or two I rake it into a pile and water it. In the fall, I rake, shovel and sift the compost into a yard cart and spread on our garden beds to finish over the winter. Chickens can make the difference between a good garden and a great one if you let them do the work. Let them in the garden to roam, scratch and graze after your garden is finished in the late fall through about january. That still gives time for their hot manure to mellow before spring comes. Of coarse you want to add any and all yard waste to the run as well, especially the fall leaves. I have not needed to add any wood chips to the run and this is the third year. No smells, flys or varments problems in my experience. Don't fall for all the science of composting and special ratios, compost happens in nature, with chickens it just happens sooner!

 

[aart]

I was kinda hoping to use the spare piece of cattle panel I have on hand. Hmmm.....I guess I'll look into hog panels.

You can use the cattle panel.....just brace it well.
With just one panel, doing both ends should suffice.
I had a 2 cattle panel hoop out back for a couple years.
Only ends were braced, it sagged with like a foot of wet snow on it, but did not bend.
Bounced right back after snow was removed.
It's sitting on a trailer with a big ramp.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Don't fall for all the science of composting and special ratios, compost happens in nature, with chickens it just happens sooner!

It’s a good point. A sizable amount of humanities effort goes to making things NOT decompose (food, homes, etc.)

Rotting is the natural state for any non-living organic matter!

 

[Cryss]

Rotting is the natural state for any non-living organic matter!

Yes, but the trick is to not let it be the slimy or stinky type. You don't need to measure compost ingredients but you do need to make sure you remember to add BOTH brown and green.