Composting chicken run

[gtaus]

.. to make it more bowed, therefore stronger against snow load. Am I right so far?...

I have been reading articles and watching YouTube videos on using cattle panels for greenhouse/chicken run. Obviously, where you live will factor in to how much bracing you would need for estimated snow load. The more bowed the cattle panel, the less surface area on top of the dome and more chance for snow to slide off. But then you also have less usable area under the dome for the chickens. The YouTube videos I have watched seem to indicate a maxime span of 8 feet for a nice bowed dome, but if you live in snow country, then you would also need a 2x4 beam brace on the top so the dome does not collapse in a wet/heavy snow.

The picture I saw of the cattle panel across a 10 foot dog kennel is way too flat for where I live. It would need lots of bracing and at some point you would have to say to yourself there must be a better option. I am still interested in using cattle panels for a chicken run, but like you, snow load is my main concern.

 

[gtaus]

Keep hearing of cardboard and junk mail with no talk of glues and the plastic windows in some junk mail.

I shred my junk mail and throw it into the chicken run and/or coop. I remove the plastic windows if I have time and shed the envelope. If I don't have time to remove the plastic windows from the envelopes, then I toss it into our recycle bin. I don't want my chickens to accidently eat plastics.

I'm not sure about glues for chickens, but I hear that many people put down cardboard on the ground because the glue in the cardboard attracts worms. Evidently, they love it.

I don't put glossies in either. Don't trust the gloss chemicals.

It would be great if someone actually knew if today's glossy inks are safe for composting and could post a response. I called my local newspaper and asked them about their products, and they stated all their papers used soy based environmentally friendly inks which were perfectly fine for composting. I don't know if this is a local situation, a state law, or federal concern but our local paper only uses soy based inks. FWIW, I will not shred colored magazines for composting or for use with the chickens. They get recycled. But I think we would all be better off if more products were compost friendly and less toxic to our environment.

 

[333113]

I don't put anything but cardboard in the litter and that's just because of the fodder I grow in it for them. I use only boxes that were meant for fresh organic food, like the broccoli and fruit boxes and trays. I worked part-time in a big-box grocery, and I know how the canned goods and other non-edibles in storage and in transit are sprayed for bugs.

And, like Sorce, I don't know what's in most of those paper goods. But I don't go out of my way to put metal in. I figure that with the wire fencing, there's probably enough metal leaching into the soil.

Keep hearing of cardboard and junk mail with no talk of glues and the plastic windows in some junk mail.

I make sure to toss that stuff in the recycle bin. After it's torn from the compostable parts of course.

Be sure to use cardboard q-tips and the entire bathroom bin can usually be tossed in the pile. Minus Band-Aids and the occasional feminine products packaging.

I don't put glossies in either. Don't trust the gloss chemicals.

Add rusties for Iron.

Sorce

 

[sorce]

I shred my junk mail and throw it into the chicken run and/or coop. I remove the plastic windows if I have time and shed the envelope. If I don't have time to remove the plastic windows from the envelopes, then I toss it into our recycle bin. I don't want my chickens to accidently eat plastics.

I'm not sure about glues for chickens, but I hear that many people put down cardboard on the ground because the glue in the cardboard attracts worms. Evidently, they love it.



It would be great if someone actually knew if today's glossy inks are safe for composting and could post a response. I called my local newspaper and asked them about their products, and they stated all their papers used soy based environmentally friendly inks which were perfectly fine for composting. I don't know if this is a local situation, a state law, or federal concern but our local paper only uses soy based inks. FWIW, I will not shred colored magazines for composting or for use with the chickens. They get recycled. But I think we would all be better off if more products were compost friendly and less toxic to our environment.

Amen! Thanks for that extra info!

Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't be worried but....better safe than sorry and I put my faith in the recycling man!

Sorce

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Amen! Thanks for that extra info!

Sometimes I feel like I shouldn't be worried but....better safe than sorry and I put my faith in the recycling man!

Sorce

Agree it’d be great to know for sure what’s in the ink/gloss.

I am a big fan of recycling, but don’t share your faith in the system.

The way I see it, if I compost paper, I can be 100% certain of the outcome. If I throw paper in my recycle bin, all bets are off...keeping that paper dry and clean now depends on everyone else on the route, the sanitation engineers, and the processing plant doing what they need to do.

 

[aart]

I am a big fan of recycling, but don’t share your faith in the system.

Especially now we can't sell it to china.
I'd bet 90% of what we 'recycle' goes straight to the landfill.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Especially now we can't sell it to china.
I'd bet 90% of what we 'recycle' goes straight to the landfill.

I toured my local landfill last weekend (I know...do I know how to party or what?!) and it’s not quite that bad *IF* you follow the rules.

Paper, though is SO easily contaminated, compared to metal, plastic, etc that I think that handling its disposal “ultra local” is best!

 

[aart]

I toured my local landfill last weekend (I know...do I know how to party or what?!) and it’s not quite that bad *IF* you follow the rules.

Thing is, many don't even know the 'rules' and one bad polystyrene tray or unrinsed can of chili con carne(I exaggerate) can ruin a whole dumpster.
I'm an old crunchy earth mother type, been recycling since the 70's.
My ideals have been crushed, despite of all the 'new' fad movement of saving the earth from climate change.

 

[333113]

I really miss the old local recycling center where I could separate the items myself, instead of throwing everything into a single stream box.

Kirkwood, Missouri made a lot of money frim that recycle center, back in the day.

Thing is, many don't even know the 'rules' and one bad polystyrene tray or unrinsed can of chili con carne(I exaggerate) can ruin a whole dumpster.
I'm an old crunchy earth mother type, been recycling since the 70's.
My ideals have been crushed, despite of all the 'new' fad movement of saving the earth from climate change.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Thing is, many don't even know the 'rules' and one bad polystyrene tray or unrinsed can of chili con carne(I exaggerate) can ruin a whole dumpster.
I'm an old crunchy earth mother type, been recycling since the 70's.
My ideals have been crushed, despite of all the 'new' fad movement of saving the earth from climate change.

Don't give up the good fight...that's how the bad people win!

I figure this whole China thing is a opportunity to right some wrongs and get back to doing things the right away.

In the meantime, I compost what I can and hope that for every 100 pounds of recycling I create, 25 actually gets recycled. That's better than 0%!