Question about Compost in run

[sdjohnny]

Hi this is my first post, I have 5 hens and a small compost pile in my backyard. The run is just a fenced off part of my back and side yard. Ive heard that having the compost there in the run is fine because the chickens help break down and "turn" the pile but is it sanitary to also add a weeks worth of their manure from the droppings pit to the compost pile?? along with the regular food scraps and dry straw?
Thanks,
John

 

[emys]

I think in that case, I might put the droppings and straw off to one side of the pile and put veggies and other scraps closer to the where the chickens can reach, but you know they will be over on the droppings side eventually and it won't really hurt them, as it is their poop anyhow. I just wouldn't ever give them any access to poop from a quarantined bird or birds.

 

[sdjohnny]

I was thinking about maybe burying it a little?

 

[CoyoteMagic]

I don't have a composter anymore. These days I just throw everything in the chicken yard. I dump bags of old leaves, grass clipping. Once a year (usually in the fall) I go out and let the girls out to run for the day and take the tiller through the run. I end up with 6-8 wheelbarrows full of lovely black gold. I take it and dump it in my garden to break down even more over winter. Come planting season I'm ready to go.


That is if it ever rains!

 

[emys]

I think burying it would be a waste of effort since they will dig anywhere they see you digging and/or anywhere the soil has been disturbed.