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Update on Filling Raised Beds with Chicken Run CompostAll my pallet wood raised beds are using the hügelkultur method of filling logs in the bottom half of the raised bed, then an organic layer of stuff, topped off with a topsoil and chicken run compost mixed 1:1 for the final 6-8 inches. That system works great for me.
Every year, I have to add maybe 1-2 inches of new topsoil/compost to the raised beds due to the settling of the soil and probably some decomposition of the wood logs and branches in the raised bed. For me, this is a benefit of the hügelkultur design because I am adding fresh compost to the top of the beds while the logs underneath are breaking down and feeding the soil from beneath. The soil is being improved both on top and on the bottom every year.
Anyways, today I harvested some chicken run compost to mix with my topsoil for some raised bed top offs. The bulk of my chicken run compost is leaves and grass clippings. Add to that, I toss all my old coop litter out into the run for composting. The chickens scratch and peck in the run compost all day long, looking for tasty bugs and juicy worms to eat. They break down the run litter much better and faster than I could by turning compost piles.
Here is a picture of some of the black gold compost I harvest this afternoon from the chicken run. This wagon holds about 10 cubic feet of compost...
This compost was really finished and was very heavy. The wagon was full with about 10 cubic feet of that heavy compost and I was glad I had four wheels on my cart. At the gate of my chicken run, I have about a 12-inch drop from the height of the chicken run compost litter to the ground level outside the run.
In order to get that wagon in and out of the chicken run, I had to build a small ramp out of pallet wood...
That cart, when full, would be too heavy for me to work with without that ramp.When I say that I was harvesting black gold compost, I don't know if you can really see how rich and black that compost actually is in that picture. For comparison, here is the cart with newly harvested compost alongside the rejects from previous compost sifting...
One final picture of some of my new topsoil/compost mix being added to the top of a raised bed. You can see how good my new compost looks on top of the bed. I bet my plants will love it...
Ref: Update on Filling Raised Beds with Chicken Run Compost from the Hügelkultur Raised Beds thread here on BYC forums. I think this post applies here as well. Appreciate any comments.
Maybe you have a good life insurance policy? If she buys you some new guns with a hair trigger, that's when I would really be concerned!
I mentioned weeks ago that we are fighting a real problem with squirrels this year. They are getting into just about all our planters and raised beds, digging around, eating seeds, and pulling out the young plants leaving them to die.
Unfortunately, the squirrels got into the bed and started digging up the bean plants. Instead of 9 plants per square, I had maybe 7 or 6 left. It is hard to imagine how much damage those squirrels can do overnight. Anyways, I knew I had to reseed the missing spots.
My real disappointment is that the squirrels dug out and killed all 8 of the bitter melon plants I started for Dear Wife months ago. Every one of the plants was either eaten or killed. I have tried to start some new seeds, but I fear it's far too late in the year for bitter melon to grow. We had such a good crop of bitter melon last year that I was really looking forward to more success this year. The squirrels had other ideas.
Next year I will be covering my 4X4 foot raised beds with 4X4 foot pallet wood protective covers topped with chicken wire. Probably with additional extensions as well. I just cannot imagine putting all the work into starting my plants months before transplanting in our house only to see them dug out and killed in a few days from our squirrel problem once I transplant them in the raised beds.
Yeah, it's been a really tough year for us with the squirrels. I checked my peppers and tomatoes this morning when I fed and let the chickens out of the coop. Found another 3 plants dug out and tossed to the side.
I, too, had consider laying down wire on the top of the soil to preventing the squirrels from digging in the garden beds. But I ended up rejecting that idea for a number of reasons. 1) It would not stop any birds or squirrels from digging between the wires, so they might still find and eat the seeds. 2) You would have to put the wire down first and then plant your seed in between the wire, so when it grows up it is not growing into the wire. But if I can get my fingers in that wire to plant the seed, I imagine any bird or squirrel would be able to pick it out just as easy. 3) The wire on the soil would have to stay there for the season because you don't want to pull up any plants by removing it after the plants have grown up a bit. I like to occasionally work my soil between the plants during the summer.
