Hot composting with chicken bedding and garden waste

[aart]

(drooling) Oh do I ever want a compost setup like that one. I think I'm going to ask for someone to build it for me for Christmas.

Currently I use 10' lengths of 4' tall rabbit-proof (?) fencing wire formed into circles. (It's the stuff with the closer mesh at the bottom.) I line it with cardboard to stop the contents spilling out and to keep the moisture in. Works great for the actual composting, but it's horrible for turning the compost as you have to reach down inside the circle - a killer for the aging, aching back.

I use the fencing cylinders, lined with feed bags too....but I set it up so I can unhook the fencing and open it up to shovel out.

You could line the chain link too?

 

[aart]

Coop bedding compost up to 120F on day 3....and boyoboy does it stink!

 

[lazy gardener]

(drooling) Oh do I ever want a compost setup like that one. I think I'm going to ask for someone to build it for me for Christmas.

Currently I use 10' lengths of 4' tall rabbit-proof (?) fencing wire formed into circles. (It's the stuff with the closer mesh at the bottom.) I line it with cardboard to stop the contents spilling out and to keep the moisture in. Works great for the actual composting, but it's horrible for turning the compost as you have to reach down inside the circle - a killer for the aging, aching back.
I made an open-front concrete block compost bin for finishing the compost but have no room to have three of them in a row (too many large bushes along the back fence, and now the chicken run is there). I would sacrifice a bush to fit in the pictured compost setup.

At the school-based community garden that I spend my other life at (I'm garden leader) we have the three-bin setup made of chain-link fencing. It works beautifully for compost turning & rotation except that the mesh of the chain-link wire is too wide to hold the contents neatly (spills out the back into the common area of the school playground). Also lets the compost contents dry out too much in our dry Colorado climate.

Both at home and the community garden I cover the compost heaps with black plastic trash bags to keep the contents warm and moist.

Right now it's the season for collecting autumn leaves (carbon/browns), shredding them and storing for layering purposes for the compost heaps. We had our first frost last week (getting later each year probably due to global warming) (hooray!) and I have a large quantity of frost-bitten tomatoes, etc., to use for nitrogen/greens input, along with the coffee grounds, chicken coop debris & kitchen scraps. I don't/can't turn the heaps over the winter, just keep layering until spring and the thaw comes.

Cheers to all,
Penny
PS My compost heaps DO NOT smell!

Could you line the back of the chain link bins with cardboard? It would hopefully hold the stuff in, hold in moisture, and eventually become one with the compost.

 

[HennyPennyCO]

Could you line the back of the chain link bins with cardboard? It would hopefully hold the stuff in, hold in moisture, and eventually become one with the compost.

Ah, herein lies the problem. We are technically not allowed to compost at the school-based garden yet. After 2+ years the school district is STILL working out its guidelines, sigh. (Don't you just love a bureaucracy!)
We snuck in under the radar over the summer (yes, we're a bunch of gardening rebels) and composted merrily & productively, being as unnoticeable & discreet as possible. Finally, someone actually read the 36 pages of school district rules and realized what we were doing. Bummer!
I bagged up the contents of the two most mature of the three bins & took the bags home for the time being. Left the newest contents in place - and no-one in authority has noticed or said a word. It's turned to good compost now, BTW.
I've offered to have our community garden be a pilot garden to show what good composting should be like, but the powers-that-be can't find a policy for even that.
Since cardboard in general would be unacceptable per school district guidelines, I've been using large but nice, flat lids from old storage containers to line the backs & sides of the bins. They looked pretty good and kept the contents where they needed to be.
If I'm reading the signals right, the authorities won't mind if we compost again next summer when school is not in session.
Another very strict rule is that we can't introduce any manure into the garden, so even if the composting goes ahead, I won't be able to add chicken poop to warm things up.
Penny

 

[Bugseye]

Hmm, well, do you have a gardening association there, Hennypenny? Sounds like something where they could make a contribution to the community by way of educating them about the ins and outs.

 

[lazy gardener]

Henny, there are plenty of other ways to heat up a compost pile without adding the dreaded manure! There are lots of liquid sources of nitrogen: Ammonia! You could also add a high nitrogen fertilizer, even dog food, or urea. I believe urea is 46% nitrogen. Then there's an all natural liquid nitrogen product. PM for more details.

 

[scottcaddy]

Henny, there are plenty of other ways to heat up a compost pile without adding the dreaded manure! There are lots of liquid sources of nitrogen: Ammonia! You could also add a high nitrogen fertilizer, even dog food, or urea. I believe urea is 46% nitrogen. Then there's an all natural liquid nitrogen product. PM for more details.

If your not talking about the yellow liquid that all of us produce on a regular biases, then please let me know also.
Thanks!
Scott

 

[lazy gardener]

Golden miracle tonic for the garden.

Repels varmints, gets those compost piles cooking. Folks who are shy about such things can just make a dilute solution of ammonia (don't get the scented kind) and water.

 

[scottcaddy]

I thought that you might be referring to 'that' fluid, but wanted to be sure.
It helps to have a Grandson who is young enough to think it's great fun to go outdoors.
Thanks!
Scott

 

[Kusanar]

Well, I've been a bad compost owner, the time changed so it's hard for me to even see my compost pile in the light of day right now, so it hadn't been turned in a while, it was dry and cold, so I turned it and doused it down with some manure water I've had steeping... I have a 50 gallon water tub the horses won't drink out of, so I toss some manure in it every now and then, the rain keeps it topped off with water, so I just dip it out with a bucket to give the pile a little nitrogen rich moisture when needed... I guess we'll see if it's warmed up any when I go back today.