? for those garden savvy types out there...

[Catalina]

My entire backyard (75' x 50') garden is laid out in raised beds.
I use the coop shavings between the beds. It looks nice and uniform and the shavings breakdown very quickly.
I've never had any problems with flies.

Three years ago (before I had chickens) my neighbors complained about a compost pile of grass clippings I had in my backyard.

Now I use very small compost piles in different places around my yard.
My theory is -If they can't see it. They can't complain about it.

So far so good. The shavings spread between the beds look like wood chip mulch. So no complaints.

Oh, yeah, also I have a 6' high fence around my property.
And very nosy neighbors.

 

[Alleychick]

How do you know if its to hot? Ive been using the deep litter method but i cant tell if its "done" So last fall i just burnt all of it?

 

[patandchickens]

It seems silly to turn something valuable into something harmful that way (burning manure)

It is best to let the poo-laden litter sit somewhere for a few months before putting it on the garden. Just pile it in a heap somewhere out of the way, it is really not rocket science

You can sometimes put fresh coop-cleanings on your garden without problem but it depends on a bunch of factors like how much poo in the litter, how long it's been in the coop, how damp, what your soil is like, what plants you have, etc etc.

Really, just piling it somewehre and ignoring it for a few months is pretty no-brain. May as well do it

Have fun,

Pat

 

[Alleychick]

Ok one more question if you do the "deep litter" method can you put ur shavings and all on ur garden before the spring?

 

[MsM]

Everyone has their own opinions...

here's mine on composting....


two types.. "direct" and "indirect"

Direct... you dump all the good stuff on top of your garden... I direct compost with some grass clippings or chopped leaves during the summer... I direct compost all winter... I clean out the poop from bunnies, goats, and chickens and dump in on top of the garden...I'll till all that into the ground in two months and then plant in April. I add lime when I clean areas too.. this helps break down the poop a little faster...I usually "direct" in places that I will till the dirt at some point..

Indirect... it goes in the compost pile. The trick to a good compost pile with less smell is air flow.. I have a three sided wire enclosure with PVC pipes standing in the middle.. there are lots of holes drilled in the pipes.. In the summer with the heating, I try to turn the pile every week or so. I use a pitch fork and lift out the stuff and replace it in reverse order... rotating the stock, if you will....

my thoughts on composting... : )

 

[n2h20]

To help prevent smell from the compost,, watch the amount of water your pile has... to much moisture you will get rotting compost and it will stink. Also the bigger the pile the more heat it can generate and the faster it will break down. Compost should be around 170 degrees (i think) to properly break everything down and sterilize the goods. My pile now is, 3'l x 4' w x 5'h and is warm to the touch, we have had some rain (surprise!!!) and cool temps so i have a heavy rubber liner over it,, this helps regulate the moisture and keep the heat in,, a good compost pile should steam on a cold day.

 

[GardenerGal]

What you have is "pre-compost" and probably not all that desireable as a Craig's List giveaway just yet.

It needs to be composted. Could you get one of those compost tumbler bins? They don't take up a lot of space, and pay for themselves in a short time with great compost.

I'd say it could be used as a sort of mulch as-is, but the problem is the bit of chicken feed mixed in. That's sure to bring in rats and other varmints you don't want, so I don't recommend spreading it on the ground without composting it at least partially.

Also, the uncomposted wood shavings will take out too much nitrogen from the soil (the soil microbes -- microscopic bacteria, fungi, etc. -- use it to break down the wood tissues). Having poop mixed in helps equalize that by providing nitrogen to replace what the soil microbes take.


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