Help! Springtime Stink in the Run

[TalkALittle]

something I didn't mention in my last long post, our county has 6 or 8 'convenience centers' where they have all the dumpsters and recycle bins for people who live in the county. They also allow people to bring up to 3" limbs, and when the pile is big enough they chip them. The chips are free to whomever wants to come load them. In times past I've hauled load after load out of there. Will be doing it again if I can't get the tree company to bring me more.

Our center only takes small stuff like leaves, clippings, and small brush--no tree limbs and no chipping. Even if they did, I'd have no way to get them home. We loaded our trailer with junk to take to the center last fall but never made it there. Now the full trailer is sunk in the mud and it'll be at least a month before the ground is firm enough to get it out.

 

[PapaChaz]

Our center only takes small stuff like leaves, clippings, and small brush--no tree limbs and no chipping. Even if they did, I'd have no way to get them home. We loaded our trailer with junk to take to the center last fall but never made it there. Now the full trailer is sunk in the mud and it'll be at least a month before the ground is firm enough to get it out.

my yard sounds like your yard.

I went to the son in law/daughters place this evening and we loaded my trailer with horse manure. I backed it as close as I could get to my garden spot, it's out there now buried to the axles. I had to unhook and leave it, because I needed my truck to hook to the lawnmower so my wife could pull me on the lawn mower out of the spot I got IT stuck in today while cutting the grass.

We just bought this place back in November, we didn't have a real wet winter. I knew the yard was contoured funny and has some low spots, but even the HIGH spots are soft and mushy right now and we haven't had any rain in a week, I still have water standing in a few spots. We obviously have a really high water table too.

I still have about half of the load of chips I got the tree company to dump. I plan to move about half of that into the chicken run, the other half into the garden spot. The next load of chips I hope to get the tree company to come in from the back side and get as close as they can to the garden spot to dump them, I'll push them into the garden spot with the blade on the tractor and then plow it all under. I may be a little later than I like this year gettting my garden in, but I do plan on putting every leaf and wood chip I can get ahold of that doesn't go into the chicken run, into the garden spot. My dad used to do this and he always had the richest blackest garden dirt of any I plowed for anyone anywhere

 

[aart]

Here's another update for anyone who might care.

Here's how things look in the run:
The birds continue to LOVE the side with the litter and just pass through the side with the sand to get to the side with the litter.
The side with the litter continues to smell nice. The litter is staying dry since it is raised off the ground up on pallets.
The additional boards I put around the base of the coop are not high enough to keep the birds from flinging the litter out through the welded wire fencing. I will have to add more or just give up trying to keep it neat looking around the outside of the run. Right now I rake it up daily and put it back in the run. Yes, it is an exercise in futility but I am compelled to do it.
The sand side is staying surprisingly dry. I honestly expected with all the snow melt that I would have standing water in the run. As it turns out, the run is dryer and more solid than the entire rest of my yard. It still stinks, but the sand was good for something at least.

Since the sand side seems to drain pretty well, I've decided that I will try the deep litter in the run without raising the elevation of the run. March and April are the wettest months, and while we still have plenty of spring rain ahead, I think the run drains well enough that I won't have the problem of excess water that I was worried about. If it turns out that I'm wrong, I can always clear all the litter out and raise the run later.

So, with that being the plan, I ordered up some wood chips. I had to pay for them as I couldn't find anyone looking to unload them for free. Not too bad though, only $50 for a truckload. They got delivered today and I must say, there is nothing like the smell of fresh wood chips, especially after a long winter. I hope to put them in the run tomorrow. I'll be putting in 6-8" of the chips to start and then I'll spread the existing litter (shavings, straw, hay, leaves) over the top of that. I don't want to go thicker until I can put another row of boards around the bottom to keep them from flinging it all out.

I'll update again at the end of April.

I'd try to mix them together......a mix of sizes, shapes, materials will make for better decomposition.
I think Bee mentions that in her video, and it just makes plain sense.... like a lot of things Bee says.
Might also want to start with less depth, easier to add more than have to move a too deep, non functioning mass.

Just read story yesterday about someone with 8" of wood chip mulch that was packed down and anaerobic underneath.

 

[RonP]

Just read story yesterday about someone with 8" of wood chip mulch that was packed down and anaerobic underneath.

Could you share this?

My current litter mass exceeds 20".

I have not "disturbed" it in over 6 years. I have only added more to it as it degrades, and is filtered out of the run by the birds.

My birds love digging their craters, but I have never seen anything but rich compost pits, much less an anaerobic situation.

My thoughts are someone also added excessive amounts of nitrogen rich materials in their litter, and insufficient amounts of carbon rich (wood chips).

 

[aart]

Quote: I miss quoted the depth, they didn't give it or much other info, but here's the thread.

 

[TalkALittle]

I'd try to mix them together......a mix of sizes, shapes, materials will make for better decomposition.
I think Bee mentions that in her video, and it just makes plain sense.... like a lot of things Bee says.
Might also want to start with less depth, easier to add more than have to move a too deep, non functioning mass. 

Just read story yesterday about someone with 8" of wood chip mulch that was packed down and anaerobic underneath.

I figured the birds would do a good job of mixing it up but an extra stirring wouldn't hurt.

I too read that thread. For a second or two I worried a bit but figured that I already had a strong stink so things can't get worse.

 

[TalkALittle]

My current litter mass exceeds 20".

If I made it that deep I'd be hitting my head on the run roof!

 

[RonP]

If I made it that deep I'd be hitting my head on the run roof!

The idea is to have more than enough carbon mass to offset the nitrogen rich manure.

Cold composting.

My personal goal is to create massive amounts of compost, not just have an odor, fly, and mud free run...

 

[aart]

Great post and update....Thanks and congrats!

 

[yellowchicks]

Glad that DLM worked out for you. Thanks for the update and sharing the lessons learned with everyone.