Deep Litter Method and gardening?

[wmcdow]

Hey all! I have a 15 x 20 foot chicken run with layers of pine shavings on top of dirt. I add new shavings every week or two. I built the chicken run about 2 months ago. I'd like to keep adding shavings and do the deep litter method for 1 year and use the compost in my garden. Here's what I need clarification on:

Let's fast forward to next March. The fresh shavings I have in there right now will then be completely broken down. What about the shavings I will have recently added in February? They won't be broken down yet. Do I just add those to my raised beds? Do I take the compost straight from the chicken run and put them in the raised beds? How do I know the compost will be ready? Won't the fresh chicken poo burn my plants? Thanks!

 

[RustyHen]

Our climate is very dry and I have some shavings that have not broken down in 5 yrs, I gave up the idea of using it for compost.

 

[Ridgerunner]

Why not put the compost in the beds in the fall. By springtime it will have broken down and won’t burn your plants.

 

[wmcdow]

Genius! Problem solved. Thanks!!!!

 

[Ridgerunner]

Not really genius, pretty standard practice for thousands of years on small farms.

 

[aggiemae]

Hey all! I have a 15 x 20 foot chicken run with layers of pine shavings on top of dirt. I add new shavings every week or two. I built the chicken run about 2 months ago. I'd like to keep adding shavings and do the deep litter method for 1 year and use the compost in my garden. Here's what I need clarification on:

Let's fast forward to next March. The fresh shavings I have in there right now will then be completely broken down. What about the shavings I will have recently added in February? They won't be broken down yet. Do I just add those to my raised beds? Do I take the compost straight from the chicken run and put them in the raised beds? How do I know the compost will be ready? Won't the fresh chicken poo burn my plants? Thanks!

How fast it breaks down it really depends on what kind of shavings you use. Ceder thats a long time. Saw dust if fasted but you have to be sure that there isn't any composite lumber, pressure treated (or other wise treated) wood.in it.

We have the trimmings of our landscaping trees and bushes fine chipped by the landscaping company. Usually about 2 cubic yards (laurel grows fast) I rake up everything from two summers ago in 1/3 of the yard and pay new base mulch. I add grass broad leaf weeds and veggie waste all summer. I throw scratch and fallen fruit into this area only to motivated the hens to keep scratching and turning. When I rake the top layer goes into the passive compost, the bottom more broken down layer goes into the tumblers. Along with some green grass a gallon or two of chicken poo that I scoop out of the sand that I use in the coop plus a 1/2 gallon of wood ash because as we have hih acid (low pH) trees. I add a few gallons of warm water the the poop.then mix it all in the tumblers. This compost gets very hot. I turn the tumblers once (or if I remember twice) every day.I check to make sure its damp once a week. Sometimes I do need to add water. It cools down after a few weeks and takes 3-4 week to turn into 15=20 (dry) gallons of rich black compost.

It really is much easier than it sounds! And for the work I get a run with hardly any dust or flies and about 60 gallons of finished compost during the summer and if I turn it and keep it aerated another 40-60 more from the passive compost pile in the spring... I am considering putting the passive compost bins into the chicken coop and letting the hens turn them for me.