managing manure/litter

[dfvellone]

I use a deep litter method in my coop turning the bedding every several days, and occasionally removing a bit and adding some fresh bedding (pine shavings.)
Once in the Fall and once again in the Spring I empty all the bedding from the coop, clean up and replace with fresh bedding. It works very well (as long as the birds have adequate square ft.)

My question is what is the best way to manage the manure once I remove it from the coop? I have a sizable garden that I add it to after it's sat a year.
I've left it piled high uncovered and it becomes a stinking mess that is difficult to turn or otherwise dig up.

Should I be keeping it covered?

I'd like to create the optimal conditions for it to break down, discourage flies, and compost efficiently. I do not add my household compost - this goes in to a separate compost for crops that do want manure compost (fruit trees)

I'm nearing the Spring cleanup and could really use some sound and experienced input. Thanks!

 

[patandchickens]

If your piles have been turning into a stinking mess, either there is too much poo in relation to the amount of bedding -- only likely if you are mainly just scraping droppings boards and putting hardly *any* bedding into the pile -- or it is getting waaaay too wet.

So operating on the theory that it's getting too wet, I would suggest two things. First, put it on a good-draining base. A thick bed of twigs, very coarse weeds (like, last fall's goldenrod canes or cornstalks or sunflower stalks), or brush, works well. Because this reduces ground contact you may wish to spread a shovelful of Actual Garden Dirt over the pile from time to time as you accumulate it, to jumpstart its acquisition of composting microorganisms... you don't *have* to do that but it does make it go faster if you lack firm ground contact.

(Oh, and make sure the pile is not sitting in a naturally-wet part of the landscape... if it's sitting somewhere that rainwater naturally tends to pool, it can wick up into the pile and make it much nastier than it should be)

And second, cover the pile with an old piece of carpeting or something like that, so that excessive rain runs off. You can even use a tarp or old plywood or roof tin (properly weighted or tied down of course) but if you use impermeable materials like that you are likely to sometimes have to remove them to LET the pile get rained on, and this requires more attention and management. Whereas carpet is a bit more self-regulating. Still worth checking periodically though.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[AllTheseCreatures]

A pile too big to turn is probably going anaerobic. There isn't enough oxygen available and that could be from too much moisture or the material is just too dense and compacted. Covering it would help a lot with the smell and the bugs. If you're using wood shavings for bedding, be prepared for it to take a while to break down! You may need to make more than one pile.

Air is necessary for high temperature, rapid and odor-free composting.

 

[dfvellone]

Thanks for the replies.

The bedding composts quite a bit while it's in the coop due to the deep litter management so I think that the moisture issues once piled outside must be the main factor.
It's never smelly in the coop, but once outside it's another story.

I'd like to build a small composting shed with separate bays where I can separate the litter into smaller piles for easier turning. I don't mind the extra attention so possibly a roof would help me out considerably.

 

[Newbie in Screamer Al]

We have been puttin our poop from 13 birds in a 55 gal. old pickle barrel that seals. I add oak leaves, paper, coffee grinds, water when needed,and kitchen scraps,(no meat or grease). every few days, I tighten the lid, and roll it around to stir it up. When I open it after that, you can see the steam risin. If it starts to smell, I just add more leaves, and alittle water. Will be great for tillin in next years garden. A neighbor uses some pelletized lime occasionally too. I am going to try that. Supposed to kick it up a notch.

 

[PapaChaz]

like pat said you probably need to add some just plain ole dirt! when DW empties/changes her flower pots, she always dumps them in our compost bin, our's gets turned every couple of months, i have a 3 bin set up on the back of the garden shed. we put in any table scraps that are not meat or greasy, shredded paper, the coffee filter right out of the coffee pot, leaves, SOME grass clippings but not a lot and of course the litter from the coop. i turn it every couple of months, and when spring gets here, i aim my shredder output at the garden spot, bring the contents of the third compost bin over in the yard cart and shred it even finer into the garden, till it all under and 'voila'. i learned this from my dad, who always had one of the absolute BEST gardens in the area every year