Composting with chickens?

[Kezs]

I would like to start composting, (I've never done it before) but it seems like between the chickens, dogs, and guinea pigs there's nothing left to compost! The 7 chickens eat all the veggies, the 2 guinea pigs eat all the citrus and vitamin C veggies that the chickens don't eat, and the dogs eat the meat unless it's in a casserole, then it's trash. things like grapes, obviously , go in the trash because they aren't healthy for any of the animals. There's very little trash left over, which is awesome.

However, how do you compost when it seems like there's nothing left? I could do just the grass clippings and things like the tomato vines in the fall, but it seems like I should be adding more stuff to make compost. Can anyone give me some pointers? I have no idea what I'm doing.

Thanks!

 

[DustyDivas]

My compost bin is mostly chicken poop & coop bedding mixed with kitchen scraps (we can't give the chickens scraps in the UK). In the summer all of the non edible plant bits from the garden go in there too.
I give the chickens the grass clippings to have a good scratch though

 

[CluckerFamily]

Chicken poop is great to add to the compost.
Coffee grounds, egg shells, grass, leaves, any trimmings you make on plants.

 

[Artichoke Lover]

I compost the bedding from the chicken coop and any leftover fall leaves and grass clippings.

 

[Red-Stars-in-RI]

Compost and chickens are a great pair! Even with limited food scraps it can work great with items people mentioned above, plus shredded paper or cardboard.

I mix the food waste in and give the chickens access to it...they eat what the want, the rest composts, and they turn it far more than a human ever would!

 

[333113]

Well-composted chicken manure is the black gold of this gardener's world.

 

[Sally PB]

Leaves, pine needles, grass clippings, weeds from the garden, spent garden plants/vines, any fruit or vegetable food scraps, chicken bedding and chicken poop. Dump in a pile or make a Martha Stewart worthy compost bin. Mix. Wait.

Recipe for fantastic compost.

Chicken poop is VERY high in nitrogen and needs to either sit for 4-6 months, or compost and work its magic on breaking down brown (high carbon) plant material. Look up the Berkely method of composting; you can turn chicken poop and plant material into ready for the garden compost in about 4 weeks. (Caveat: it's a lot of physical labor.) I had the BEST compost ever last summer, my first year with chickens. And lots of it too.

 

[rosemarythyme]

things like grapes, obviously , go in the trash because they aren't healthy for any of the animals.

However, how do you compost when it seems like there's nothing left? I could do just the grass clippings and things like the tomato vines in the fall, but it seems like I should be adding more stuff to make compost. Can anyone give me some pointers? I have no idea what I'm doing.

Chickens can have grapes just fine.

Chicken poop is one of the top things you should be adding to your compost. Egg shells are another big one for me. Coffee grounds, tea, random garden trimmings, etc. I also save all my dried leaves in fall for use in compost and in my deep litter.

 

[Kezs]

Thanks everyone! I will give it a try and see what happens.

 

[333113]

Thanks everyone! I will give it a try and see what happens.

One more thing...

If you find you really don't have enough ingredients to make a compost "bin" you might want to try composting directly into the garden. I have several small areas sectioned off, topped the dirt with a layer of compostable stuff, then covered it with a layer of cardboard and a couple of black plastic garbage bags, cut open. I put bricks on the corners and edges. By spring, it will be ready for planting.

You can use paper feedbags or newspaper instead of the cardboard, and any plastic bags or tarp instead of black plastic garbage bags.