Hot composting with chicken bedding and garden waste

[aart]

I had worms a few years ago.....worked pretty well for a while. Now it is mostly the two of us here and the scraps are spread pretty thin with the chickens and the two composts. Well, only the compost tumbler right now.....won't be seeing the compost that is on the ground until the snow thaws.Hopefully that is very soon.

Ditto^^ well almost.......once the chickens came along there wasn't enough for a worm bin.

Wonders if worms will eat chicken poop? ......or is it too hot for them?
Run the scraps thru the chickens first, then feed the worms....lol!!!

 

[hennible]

Vehve:  Where's your sense of adventure.  Hide one under the bed.  I bet she wouldn't find it for at least a couple of weeks!  As much fun as you're having with your compost, you'd double your pleasure with vermiposting.  

Do it Felix!

Ditto^^ well almost.......once the chickens came along there wasn't enough for a worm bin.

Wonders if worms will eat chicken poop? ......or is it too hot for them?
Run the scraps thru the chickens first, then feed the worms....lol!!!

Ha ha
I may throw a few chicken poos in and find out.

 

[vehve]

I'll save the worm bin as a future project... maybe next winter. Right now, it's bunnies. We started on a bunny tractor today, this thing is going to be awesome. And, it utilizes compost cage elements.

 

[aart]

Quote: Please do.....add some poo.....and let us know how they do do...with it.
Oh gawd I'm so tired I'm 'punchy' as my mother would have said.

 

[hennible]

Lol
Will do add poo!

 

[scottcaddy]

Lol
Will do add poo!

Sounds like an line from a advert!

Scott

 

[scottcaddy]

I'll save the worm bin as a future project... maybe next winter. Right now, it's bunnies. We started on a bunny tractor today, this thing is going to be awesome. And, it utilizes compost cage elements.

And what happened to the in progress pic's of this wondrous cage?
Wondering minds want to see what your up to!
Scott

 

[lazy gardener]

I'll save the worm bin as a future project... maybe next winter. Right now, it's bunnies. We started on a bunny tractor today, this thing is going to be awesome. And, it utilizes compost cage elements.

OOOHHHH!! Bunnies. Would these be the kind that you invite to dinner? My sister would dis-own me if I did that. She'll hardly speak to me b/c I raise chickens for the table. All this said, while she's mowing the bbq chicken at the summer picnic! But, if you have bunnies, you must have a worm bin. Bunny poo and worms go together like carrots and peas. Just ask... who is it that does worms and bunnies???

 

[RichnSteph]

Oh I'd love to have bunnies for multiple reasons! Table, fodder for the compost bin, cuteness, feed for the BSF larvae..... did I mention table? LOL! Our bunny endeavor will have to wait. The darling wife let me know tonight that after our garden is up and running she wants quail. Who can argue with that?

 

[HennyPennyCO]

Do it Felix!
Ha ha
I may throw a few chicken poos in and find out.

The worm bin will be a great project for next winter, Felix. Mine is in a Rubbermaid tub too, and it sits on top of the compost bins in the kitchen, so it doesn't take up any extra room in the kitchen. Even with finding healthy treats for the chickens, I still have enough stuff for the worms. They don't mind if the veggies are slimy & past their prime (like those strange sludgy green things in bags at the back of the crisper drawer). I wouldn't feed those things to the chickens. On general principles I won't put chicken poop in the bin for the worms to eat, but let me know how your bin fares (please).
There is NEVER any smell from the worm bin. The contents are covered with cotton cloth or layers of newspapers (to keep moisture level even) and there is a lid on the bin. The bin sits on a larger lid from a defunct plastic container and I do check regularly for possible escapees.
My task tonight was to redo the bin as they've eaten practically all of their bedding. I really need to do some research to find an easier way of separating out the worms from the castings/old bedding to put in the new bedding. It is a TEDIOUS job. I gave up at 650 worms (had to get dinner ready and my back was giving out), but will continue tomorrow. On the 3 previous times I've done this I've been ignorant of looking for worm eggs. This time I've learned what the eggs look like and have now been quite surprised as to how many eggs I've found. (I mentally apologized to the 3 previous batches of eggs that I must have missed and thus let die.)
On my compost front:
Remember Paco-the-chicken-killing-dog and his hunt for mice under the compost heap? Well, in the lovely warm weather we had this past week, Paco found the nest of mice and dispatched them very efficiently. Poor little mice. In so doing he destroyed the compost heap! He even dragged off the bin surround to get a better approach. I haven't had time to put the heap together again, and tonight we are (at last) having a decent snow storm, so it will stay scattered for several days more.
Penny