DIY Composting

[smilingcat]

Way to keep it simple. Makes me want to try. I also have 3 chickens and I would think that the shredded pine litter with the droppings would be OK to add to the pile. Another thing I would really like to know; we too now live in Southern California and are plannign to move (hopefully next year) to beautiful British Columbia. Looks like just what you did. How are you handling the weather change?

We like the weather. I don't mind the rain or the long dark winter days. Some people can't take it, others have no problem with PNW weather. If you move to the shadow of Olympic mountain range e.g. Sequim or Port Angeles, its actually pretty dry with less than 50 inches of rain while other areas will be getting nearly 300 inches of rain. So pick your place carefully. Oh just noticed that you are going th BC. Not sure about the weather up there. But it is pretty. If you get seasonal depression, you need to get yourself artificial daylight in your house. That helps a lot of people.

People here are really nice.

Pine litter and droppings are perfect for the compost. Just add kitchen waste and you're there. Citrus peel, avocado skins take a long time to break down. But they will. Egg shells, avocado seed, died out annuals all go into the pile.

 

[Javafan]

You got me convinced, I always feel that I could do more with all these peels and stuff. My chickens are very picky (got them at 28-30 weeks) and will only eat a few things and I am putting a lot of stuff in the green can. Is there still some kind of ratio I should keep?

Thanks for the reply about the move. I am originally from Switzerland so I can do rain, hubby is from Michigan, so basically a pro in the field. I like that you highlighted that the people are really nice. I need "nice".

We are moving to one of the Gulf Islands. So we are expecting less rain than, say Portland or even Seattle. We will also have to adjust to island everything. The place is so beautiful, cannot wait. We have a half renovated circa 1914 cottage that we had barged on the lot.

I hope I am not out of line, but I would be very interested to hear more about your experience. I do have quite a few people who look at me like I am insane to move to a rainy area. That sometimes gives me the willies a little and makes me think that maybe it's me, not "them"

Can we do personal message on this, or does it defeat the purpose?

 

[HEChicken]

We have a gardener for the lawn, and he takes the grass clipping away...

Please tell him to stop that nonsense! The best way to get a healthy lawn is to mulch those clippings and leave them right where they are. The mulch will help the grass to retain moisture so it won't need as much watering, while the nutrients will be returned to the soil instead of being hauled off and put in the trash. If your gardener doesn't have a mulching lawnmower, its time to switch gardeners.

I don't use lawn clippings in my compost because I mulch it all when I cut (per above). Instead I gather bags of leaves that people have raked up and put out to the curb for collection, and use these as my "brown" layers. For the "green" layers, I use my own chicken and horse poop. I also bag those (into feed bags) when cleaning out my horse's run or the coop. To start a new pile, I haul all of these bags to the compost and alternate a bag of leaves with a bag of manure. I set up a pallet compost system that contains three bins 4x4 each. Once I have a pile going in one, I start in the next bin. I do add kitchen waste to the top but there is very little of that, since the chooks eat most of it. The only kitchen waste going on the pile is coffee grounds, avocado and banana peels, and citrus rinds.

 

[dancingflower68]

Thanks for that HEChicken!! I'll see if I can get him to do that. We are renters here, and the owner has been using this guy forever now, so switching isn't a possibility, but maybe he will save them for me or something! Still trying to figure out where I am going to put them. I was thinking of using trash cans with holes, but I'm not sure how many holes I should drill. Also, does anyone know how long I can just keep the chicken poo around, Like in a bag, until I have enough materials to start the first pile?

 

[mrsjohnston]

Looking forward to composting this coming season! We did the deep bedding method (this is our 1st chicken year) and its retaining the heat quite nicely and composting
So far I've been transfering 40% out every other month (we live in Alberta so roughly 10/12 months freeze) and put it against our fencing. To make a ridge to protect from the coyotes and foxes. it's looking great and minimal smell (we had a sheep and goat living in the coop during the cold snaps, so there's a bit of ammonia)
But come end of April, beginning of may I'll be testing out the 3-4 pallet method. Thanks a lot!

Ps: BC IS STUNNING! Especially the islands!

 

[acemario]

I'm looking to make a compost bin this year, but it needs to be aesthetically pleasing... I've read a bit about making a box out of pallets and chicken wire... Any other ideas? or ways to make the pallets easy on they eye?

 

[ScottnLydia]

I always make compost bins from pallets. I guess you could paint them, just use ones that are in good shape, not all busted up. I also use 3 inch screws to hold them together.

A good amount of chicken bedding (I do deep litter with straw), and some bags of leaves that I collect from the neighborhood in the fall, plus some sheep poo...PRESTO! Hotsy-Totsy. Cooks up toasty brown in no time. Can't even get near it on a warm day, it's so hot!

I was thinking of getting some food -grade steel barrels, the ones with the snap on lids, to make tumbling composters. Thought I'd cut a 3 inch or so hole in the lid and bottom, load the compostables in, and lock the lid on. Squirt a little water in the hole if needed, then just roll the barrel on it's side back and forth every couple of days 'til it's done. Might have to stick something through it to keep stuff from just sliding while it rolls. Just like to see if it would work.

 

[erinszoo]

I'm looking to make a compost bin this year, but it needs to be aesthetically pleasing... I've read a bit about making a box out of pallets and chicken wire... Any other ideas? or ways to make the pallets easy on they eye?

We made ours out of pallets. We sunk t-posts in at the corners and just wired the pallets together at the top and bottom, that way they swing open to get in and move the compost around. My dad used to make ones out of chicken wire every year. He would take 36" wire and make a 2 foot diameter circle with it and zip tie the ends together. He always put them behind forsythia bushes so we didn't see them from the house or street. When one would fill up, he would build another one. They worked great.

 

[ktmikal]

I always make compost bins from pallets. I guess you could paint them, just use ones that are in good shape, not all busted up. I also use 3 inch screws to hold them together.

A good amount of chicken bedding (I do deep litter with straw), and some bags of leaves that I collect from the neighborhood in the fall, plus some sheep poo...PRESTO! Hotsy-Totsy. Cooks up toasty brown in no time. Can't even get near it on a warm day, it's so hot!

I was thinking of getting some food -grade steel barrels, the ones with the snap on lids, to make tumbling composters. Thought I'd cut a 3 inch or so hole in the lid and bottom, load the compostables in, and lock the lid on. Squirt a little water in the hole if needed, then just roll the barrel on it's side back and forth every couple of days 'til it's done. Might have to stick something through it to keep stuff from just sliding while it rolls. Just like to see if it would work.

We made ours out of pallets. We sunk t-posts in at the corners and just wired the pallets together at the top and bottom, that way they swing open to get in and move the compost around. My dad used to make ones out of chicken wire every year. He would take 36" wire and make a 2 foot diameter circle with it and zip tie the ends together. He always put them behind forsythia bushes so we didn't see them from the house or street. When one would fill up, he would build another one. They worked great.

Do either of you have pictures of your pallet composting area? I'm looking to get one started and need some ideas. Also did you have any issues with the pallet wood decaying?

 

[ScottnLydia]

I don't have any photos, and the batteries in my camera died. All I do is line up 4 same sized pallets so that they make a square. I use a drill with a screw driver bit to drive in 3 inch screws from one pallet to the next so that they stay together. 2 is all I need per corner. They are easy to take out when the compost is done.

I suppose the wood can decompose eventually, but it doesn't in one or two seasons. The outside of the bin is dryer, so less bacterial action occurs to the wood, I suppose.

I just noticed that you live in Colo Spgs, Dryness will be your challenge. While it will help preserve the pallets, you will need to be vigilant that your compost doesn't.

I know it would 'work' quicker if I turned it every 2 weeks, but I just don't want to.