Composting in the chicken run?

[sepaditty1]

Alright you gardeners. I need tips because I'm so very new to even the word COMPOST. I always toss grass clippings, food scraps, etc in my run for my girls. I have been doing it more to give them treats than to get compost, but it works both ways.

This spring I am putting in my garden for the first time. Do I just dig a layer of soil from my run to mix with what was already in the garden plot? And then do I add more dirt to the run to replace it?

I'm very confused. Maybe over thinking it. Never gardened before.

 

[Dumb Kluck]

Best to compost chicken run material outside the run for 1 year prior to use in garden, reduces pathogen probability. Turn frequently to aerate, keep moist but not soggy. I sometimes compost directly in a future garden bed when I can let it lie fallow for a minimum of one year. For best results use 50% fresh/green & 50% dry/brown.

 

[Sill]

My compost bins are made of pallet wood and located in my chicken run.

New materiel is added to a bin and when there is a good half bin full I'll start it cooking by wetting the materiel. Since we live in the desert it will not start to break down until I wet it down. I can add or subtract slats on the front of the bins according to how full they are and so it gives the chickens easier access to the composting materiel. As I pile materiel up one side or the other of a bin the chickens get it leveled by the next day and help it get well aired so the compost "cooks" hotter. They love their compost tilling duties and leave the bins with black feet and beaks!

My red sex-links working one of the compost bins.

 

[RichnSteph]

Sill I really really like that set up you have there! Nice and compact and it looks nice.

 

[Sill]

Sill I really really like that set up you have there! Nice and compact and it looks nice.

Thanks! If we had it to do over again we would have made them out of block instead. The pallets were free but took forever to get apart and a lot of wood was broken and wasted. Plus the wood will break down and need replacing were the block will last for years.

 

[KlingKlan]

Ok, so here's my issue... we have enough "compostable" stuff behind our shed (been there for 3 wks to 10 mos), if we rotate, putting the older stuff on top and newer stuff on the bottom, can we line the run with the older stuff? It is mostly dirt in the run right now becaue we cleared out an overgrown flower bed for the run. We just need something to cover the floor of the run until all the weeds and what have you take over for "foraging" and there are plenty of bugs, worms and grubs in the compost pile to keep them entertained and well fed. We don't have the chickens yet, but we're looking to get some girls this coming week when everything is finished. We are on an extremely tight budget, however we do have a 20lb bag of food, waterers and treats. I don't want them to get sick, of course, but I don't want them to have any health issues due to the amount of "wet" soil in the run as of right now... meaning I want to cover it with something while I also consider their delicate health issues, and don't know what else to do.

So, in a nut shell, can I line the run with some 10 mo old composte material and not have it negatively impact their health?!

 

[Sill]

Ok, so here's my issue... we have enough "compostable" stuff behind our shed (been there for 3 wks to 10 mos), if we rotate, putting the older stuff on top and newer stuff on the bottom, can we line the run with the older stuff? It is mostly dirt in the run right now becaue we cleared out an overgrown flower bed for the run. We just need something to cover the floor of the run until all the weeds and what have you take over for "foraging" and there are plenty of bugs, worms and grubs in the compost pile to keep them entertained and well fed. We don't have the chickens yet, but we're looking to get some girls this coming week when everything is finished. We are on an extremely tight budget, however we do have a 20lb bag of food, waterers and treats. I don't want them to get sick, of course, but I don't want them to have any health issues due to the amount of "wet" soil in the run as of right now... meaning I want to cover it with something while I also consider their delicate health issues, and don't know what else to do.

So, in a nut shell, can I line the run with some 10 mo old composte material and not have it negatively impact their health?!

The compost should be fine even if its not "finished". Mine seem to actually eat the compost as well as the bugs! The wet run might be a concern if there is no place for them to be dry if they so desire. Maybe bank a little sand covered soil in an area or two for them to stand on dry ground? Working sand into the existing soil can also help with drainage issues plus sand can be eaten as a source of grit for the chickens' gizzards.

 

[KlingKlan]

Thanks Sill (I have family living in Tempe and we want to move back out to AZ in a few years, just a side note )! I do have much drier areas in the run, under the coo being one of them and I foresee that being the dust bath area lol. We also are going to tarp the top of the run an that should help with future conditions. It's just that the very center of the run hasn't completely dried out from the torrential downpours we had at the end of last week, so we caught a potential problem before hand and I was hoping I was on the right track with my thought process.

Soooo, thanks for the input and validation

!!

 

[carnivore]

I have a pygmy goat, and I was wondering about composting the hay he spreads out all over his pen. I have to periodically rake it out because it gets smelly. Can the chickens help out with that or should I keep it away from them because of the goat pee? Maybe I could just let them hang out in his pen. I'd love to have compost to build a pet garden (all Doc's favorite weeds, a nice place for the chickens to play and scratch in). I don't do vegetable gardens because I have bad luck with it. But I can probably grow ragweed and stuff like that.

To build a good compost, you need to balance the nitrogen containing compounds (goat poop, goat pee, and hay) with carbon containing compounds, like leaves, wood chips, non-crop plant parts, etc. By itself, hay with animal byproducts will quickly become anaerobic and a slimy, smelly mess.

 

[Mama Chicky]

I am new to chickens and composting. My current run is about 8ft by 8ft and uncovered. I have 2 questions:
1. If I just cover the entire run with the compost pile, instead of having a designated section for it, will it still be "hot" enough over that big of space to actually compost? I only have 6 chickens right now.
2. My run is currently not covered. I live in northeast WA and we get some rain and a few feet of snow in the winter. Will I need to build a roof or some kind of cover over the run if I compost in there?