DIY Composting

[ktmikal]

Oh nice! I was thinking that maybe you were pulling the pallets apart and nailing the boards back together or something. I like your idea though! i think I'm drawing a good picture in my head. lol

I'm going to try and do a more of a shallow compost heap so that my chickens can get in there and sift and help me out by breaking down foods....so no need to turn. I've never composted before, but do you think it would be effective if it's roughly 1ft to 1 1/2ft deep? I think I'm really still trying to work out the details.

I'll take any advice you have to offer

 

[ScottnLydia]

My chickens are just nutballs! they just scatter EVERYTHING, EVERYWHERE!!!

Personally, I think 1 to 1 1/2 feet deep is too shallow, and in our climate, it will dry out in a day or 2. There also will not be enough 'mass' for it to heat up very much.

When I set up the pallets, they are, perhaps, 40 inches or so per side (I don't know, I've never measured them). Anyway, as I said, I mix neighborhood leaves and lots of poo (chicken and sheep bedding), and wet it down good. I'll fill the pallet 'cube' to overflowing, and by weeks end it will have shrunk to maybe 6 inches below the top. When it's done, it will only be about a foot or so deep in there. About 1/4 of the original volume.

It does need mass to retain heat and moisture in our climate. Don't be afraid to think big when it comes to compost! You'll be amazed at how little there is when it's done!

 

[wyoDreamer]

ScottnLydia - your barrel idea just needs a little tweak or two - bolt an angle bracket or two to the side of the barrell so when you roll the barrel the compost will actually turn over and mix instead of sliding around in a lump. Also drill some small holes in the sides to allow for more air infiltration. A solid barrel will encourage your compost to go an-aerobic - not good composting. Some screening glued over teh holes on the ends will keep the compost in.

 

[ktmikal]

ScottnLydia,

Thank you so much! Good call on the mass of the compost. Do you let your chickens get in there and scratch around at all? One thing that didn't dawn on me until now is if I'm tossing poo in and they a pooing as they scratch, are they still able to eat the scraps that are in there? Do they run the risk of infection?

 

[ScottnLydia]

ScottnLydia - your barrel idea just needs a little tweak or two - bolt an angle bracket or two to the side of the barrell so when you roll the barrel the compost will actually turn over and mix instead of sliding around in a lump. Also drill some small holes in the sides to allow for more air infiltration. A solid barrel will encourage your compost to go an-aerobic - not good composting. Some screening glued over teh holes on the ends will keep the compost in.

Great idea with the angle iron! I was thinking of something like a piece of rebar run from end to end like 2 inches or so from the side. I like the angle iron better.

I had thought that the 3 inch holes in the ends would allow enough air, but perhaps not. I am a bit nervous about holes in the sides, though, since I would roll it , and tiny bits could fall out.

I made a very big pile several years ago after I had picked up about 5 truckloads of leaves, all in black plastic bags. On a cold, snowy day, I started tossing the bags in the bin I had built out of pallets. 4 pallets long by 1 wide. I, in my 'great' wisdom, decided to put the bags in first, then cut them open. What a mess. To sum up, when I got to turning the pile, I also got to finding bags that hadn't been emptied. Yes indeed, I know about an-aerobic compost! And the 'special' smell, thereof!

 

[ScottnLydia]

ScottnLydia,

Thank you so much! Good call on the mass of the compost. Do you let your chickens get in there and scratch around at all? One thing that didn't dawn on me until now is if I'm tossing poo in and they a pooing as they scratch, are they still able to eat the scraps that are in there? Do they run the risk of infection?

As to the first question, no, they never seem to want in the bins. As soon as I take the bins apart, though, and they are all over it!

The second question I'm not sure I understand. Are you concerned about intestinal type infections, or external, like feet?

Whichever, I never have any problems. I don't know for sure, but perhaps it's because they don't actually eat the poo, but pick out bits of seeds and the like. Lots of animals can eat horrific things with no ill effects. Dogs are famous for eating rotiing garbage and, yes. even poo. Perhaps chickens have the same sort of immunity, or perhaps they are just that darn accurate with their pecking, who knows?

 

[ScottnLydia]

As a followup to the above, consider this; everyone knows that you can be poisoned by e-coli, and everyone knows that e-coli lives in your colon. So why aren't you constantly sick from the e-coli naturally in your own colon?

When I asked my doctor this, he was wise enough to say, "Eh,...hmmm.....well.....I don't really know."

 

[ktmikal]

Yeah, that makes sense. Maybe it's just because I feel like it's gross to pick out food from around poo! Ha

I tried to explain that concept to someone about feeding dogs a raw diet. I used to feed my dog raw chicken backs and various other raw meat. People always tried to warn me that he would get salmonella poisoning, but dogs are built to eat raw meat and are immune to it. I guess the same thing applies here!

Thanks!

 

[wyoDreamer]

I didn't see that you are in Southern Colorado - oops. You are right, a solid barrel would probably do good in southern Colorado. I have a ComposTumbler and I need to empty it out and seal the seams to try to keep it moister inside. When I add water, it runs right out. The three holes will probably be enough air - yo ucan always add another hole later if you need it.

My ComposTumbler worked wonderfully in northern Wisconsin, all the gaps and holes let in air and the humidity was high enough that it didn't dry out so bad. But here in Wyoming, it is a different environment and I am still trying to adjust.

 

[ScottnLydia]

Anybody hear of "killer compost"? I thought my whole garden died last year because of the early record heat we had, but I just got my latest issue of Mother Earth News and there is an article about 'killer compost'!

It seems that when manure is used (like I do), if the animals are fed hay (like mine are), and you don't know the grower (like I don't), it may have been sprayed with a 'peristant herbacide'. Aminopyralid, to be exact. Extension offices are recommending this crap for weeds like spiny amaranth. Brand names like Grazon imply that it's safe for grazing animals. They eat it, it goes through their poop, and stays, forYEARS!!!

I'm going to be doing some quick germination testing on the compost and garden soil that I have. If I'm lucky, it was last years heat that killed everything. If not, I've got a lot of work ahead of me!