Composting question

[Julieschicks]

If you compost your manure and shavings, where do you have your compost pile? I was thinking of going the kind of permaculture type route and keeping our compost pile in our chicken run for them to scratch through and pick at and what not. Is this something people do? Can I throw all our compost items in there all together or is there any reason to keep a separate pile away from the chickens?

 

[sroy]

I've been thinking about doing the same thing. Good question!

 

[RUNuts]

My compost pile is near the run. I cleaned the bedding from the chick brooder and added it to my backyard pile that heated up QUICK with all the nitrogen. 4 pallets and zip ties. QED.

Yes. I am now throwing kitchen scraps into the run along with yard waste and wood chips from the collection point. Lots of nitrogen coming out of the birds, so LOTS of wood chips to soak it all up. Cardboard boxes, grass, leaves, sticks, twigs, chips, logs and such.

Some people just scrape the bottom of the coop out into the run and let the chickens mix and composting happen there. Rinse, dry and add fresh absorbent to the coop. Repeat as needed.

There are several lists of poisons to chickens that you can search for. Pothos is the one at the top of my mind that is poisonous to everything and invasive. Pothos should be burned and buried. Pretty houseplant. Don't let it outside after midnight...

I keep a separate pile for paper composting. Don't really have a good reason. Just don't want the paper blowing around the coop. Recycle what we can.

 

[RUNuts]

Go to the gardening section for detailed discussions.

 

[nminusyplusm]

My main compost pile is the deep litter run. I only use my rotating compost bin for things they shouldn't eat like citrus peels, etc. Everything else goes in the run, fruit and vegetable scraps, clean up from the garden, pine needles and cones, leaves, straw, twigs, wood shavings. I even throw coffee grinds and filters in the run. I am getting finished compost from the bottom layer.

 

[RUNuts]

I throw citrus in. The will clean the inside of the peel and leave the peel itself. Same with Avocados. I thought they would clean a pumpkin out, but ate the whole thing to the stem. Loved the spaghetti squash skin/shell. Crunchy like chips.

 

[nminusyplusm]

I throw citrus in. The will clean the inside of the peel and leave the peel itself. Same with Avocados. I thought they would clean a pumpkin out, but ate the whole thing to the stem. Loved the spaghetti squash skin/shell. Crunchy like chips.

I'll try that, thanks!

 

[Julieschicks]

Thanks! This is very helpful!

 

[lomine]

I don't have a run as mine just free range all day. I use the deep litter method in the coop so sometimes I toss fruit or veggie scraps in there. I also have a compost pile near the coop door. I put most of my composting items on this just because; no particular reason. One thing I put on my compost pile that I wouldn't put in the coop would be the left over whey from cheese making or the raw milk that hasn't been used in time.

I also thought chickens shouldn't eat citrus but had some clementine that got hard. I quartered them (for faster breakdown) and tossed them in the compost. I found orange peels in the coop.

 

[olivialewis]

great questions.