I plan on composting the soiled bedding from my coop, but I have read that the LAST thing you want to put in your compost bin is wood shavings--it takes way too long to compost. So now I'm trying to decide whether to switch to straw--which I know is not the optimum bedding. Has anyone had any experience with this issue?
If you've got plenty of manure mixed into those shavings they'll compost pretty fast. As I recall the perfect mix is about a 40:1 carbon:nitrogen ratio. I don't compost bedding myself. It either goes straight into the garden and is turned under or is used around perennial plantings. If there is plenty of manure and it's turned under those shaving disappear pretty fast.
As long as you have enough nitogen like chicken poop it will compost. If you want it to compost faster you can put it in a compost tumbler or a black platic garbage can with holes in it. The extra heat will speed up the composting even faster.
I use All Purpose Sand/ Builders Sand. Don't use play sand it is much to fine and will pack to much in the garden. I like it a lot better than wood shavings and straw and it works great in the garden. The other plus side is that it is a lot cheaper (at around $2.60 for 50 lbs) than shavings or straw... http://www.lowes.com/pd_98545-286-1...ngId=-1&langId=-1&storeId=10151&storeId=10151 Chris
