Putting compost bin in chicken run

[Bryce Thomas]

I have a question, can I put the compost bin in my chickien run? Sometimes I put whole fruits and vegetables like leftover salad, apples and more into it. Only thing is, it gets all moldy and fuzzy after some time. Im afraid of the girls eating some of the mold or eating some of the compost and getting sick or even dying. Is it a good idea to do that? Should I start a new bin and never put a lid on and leave it in the run? Thanks for any advice!

 

[Chicks in VA]

i think if you want to put it in the coop you would need a lid because the mold can cause sickness maybe even death
why do you want you bin in the run and why no top

 

[NatJ]

I have a question, can I put the compost bin in my chickien run? Sometimes I put whole fruits and vegetables like leftover salad, apples and more into it. Only thing is, it gets all moldy and fuzzy after some time. Im afraid of the girls eating some of the mold or eating some of the compost and getting sick or even dying. Is it a good idea to do that? Should I start a new bin and never put a lid on and leave it in the run? Thanks for any advice!

I would not move already-moldy things into the run.
But a new bin in the chicken run should be fine, if that's what you want.

Personally, I like to skip the bin and just toss everything in the chicken run. The chickens pick out and eat what they want, and they keep it stirred up with their scratching. The stuff is usually spread all over, not piled up, and it generally does not get moldy.

For things like salad and apples, the chickens may eat them up. That will help them compost even faster: it only takes a day to turn into chicken droppings, which then break down faster than the original plant matter would!

 

[Acre4Me]

Sounds like your current bin has a lid, so the warmth and humidity inside cause mold.

In your run, there would be no lid. It is less likely to get moldy. Any good bits you put in there will be devoured quickly by the girls, unless you have few chickens with A LOT of compost ales.

You are listed as AZ, so warm to hot with low humidity. Not ideal for mold. Your issue could be that the compost will dry out quicker and not decompose as quickly.

The only other thing to be aware of is attracting rodents. You may be giving them a reason to move in.

 

[Bryce Thomas]

The only other thing to be aware of is attracting rodents. You may be giving them a reason to move in.

As someone who has dealt with rat-in-the-run and coop before, that is 100% worth remembering

 

[Bryce Thomas]

i think if you want to put it in the coop you would need a lid because the mold can cause sickness maybe even death
why do you want you bin in the run and why no top

I have heard some chicken owners say having a composter in the run can make it go faster and the chickens can peck and dig through it, never really considered it until now, no top is so low humidity so therefor no mold

 

[Chicks in VA]

if no mold it should be fine