Small Scale Composting

[jthornton]

I've been reading on here that some of you have composting areas inside the run. And as I understand it's a safe thing to do. I have 10 chickens and scrap the poop boards every morning and get mostly poop and a few pine chips. I have at the moment and unlimited amount of oak and hickory leaves on the ground as well as a bale of straw. The current pile that I started in April with the first chickens has been added to weekly but never turned.

Is a 3 sided box better maybe make it easier to turn? I have some 3'-4' 2x6 pieces left over I could start one. In what order would you add the fixings? After you dump the poop bucket on the pile do you cover it up?

JT

 

[henless]

I don't worry about putting it in a bin inside the run. I just throw it in there & let the chickens scratch through it. That way, I don't have to turn it. They do. When I need some compost, I take my wheel barrow & my screener into the run & get out what I need.

What I take out is a fine, black compost. The rough/too large stuff gets tossed back on the ground for further composting.



Anything you can put in a compost, goes in my runs. Leaves, pine straw, kitchen leftovers, grass clippings and garden leftovers. It all just disappears into the ground. It never turns into a slimy, stinky mess when it rains. As you walk on it, it has a "spongy" feel to the ground.

 

[Sunshine Flock]

I don't worry about putting it in a bin inside the run. I just throw it in there & let the chickens scratch through it. That way, I don't have to turn it. They do. When I need some compost, I take my wheel barrow & my screener into the run & get out what I need.

What I take out is a fine, black compost. The rough/too large stuff gets tossed back on the ground for further composting.

View attachment 1193457 View attachment 1193458

Anything you can put in a compost, goes in my runs. Leaves, pine straw, kitchen leftovers, grass clippings and garden leftovers. It all just disappears into the ground. It never turns into a slimy, stinky mess when it rains. As you walk on it, it has a "spongy" feel to the ground.

I keep the compost separate and back further from the chicken run, but only because it came first and then the chickens arrived. We used to have a black compost bin that came with the house when we bought our property. A bear leveled it, so I didn't bother with a proper container anymore and created a compost heap instead.

Are there concerns with critters getting into the run for the compost? I use pine needles and leaves and just filled it up the other day. They love it, but it'd be awesome to put everything in there for them to compost for me.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

I keep the compost separate and back further from the chicken run, but only because it came first and then the chickens arrived. We used to have a black compost bin that came with the house when we bought our property. A bear leveled it, so I didn't bother with a proper container anymore and created a compost heap instead.

Are there concerns with critters getting into the run for the compost? I use pine needles and leaves and just filled it up the other day. They love it, but it'd be awesome to put everything in there for them to compost for me.

I think a critter would want into your run for a chicken before it would want the compost..... so, if your chickies are safe, so is your compost!

We have just recently started a DLM in our run... and we love it. We've tossed in grass clippings, whole dry leaves, mulched leaves and sawdust. We have some bales of straw coming in from a Thanksgiving decoration... and some mini pumpkins.

As our run is slightly sloped, we have to rake the run about once every week or two to respread the stuff, as it tends to gather up in one corner when it rains. Other than that, no smell, no mud even after a heavy rain, and this will be awesome for our spring garden!!!

 

[henless]

Are there concerns with critters getting into the run for the compost? I use pine needles and leaves and just filled it up the other day. They love it, but it'd be awesome to put everything in there for them to compost for me.

I have 1/2" hardware cloth for my runs and coop. I have the same over the roof of my runs. I have a 2' apron of 1x2" welded wire around the parameter of the runs/coops. So far, the only thing that has gotten in is mice. I don't think anything can keep them out. I found one squeezing through a square of the 1/2" hardware cloth. Freaky.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

I have 1/2" hardware cloth for my runs and coop. I have the same over the roof of my runs. I have a 2' apron of 1x2" welded wire around the parameter of the runs/coops. So far, the only thing that has gotten in is mice. I don't think anything can keep them out. I found one squeezing through a square of the 1/2" hardware cloth. Freaky.

No worries. Extra protein for the chickies!

 

[CapricornFarm]

Have you ever seen a hen eat a toad? Man, i don't know how they stand it. Toads taste terrible!

 

[Smuvers Farm]

Have you ever seen a hen eat a toad? Man, i don't know how they stand it. Toads taste terrible!

Exactly HOW do you know this Cappy?!?!?!?

 

[CapricornFarm]

Well.. i HAD this boyfriend when i was young and gullible.

 

[Smuvers Farm]

@jthornton doing the entire run as a composter, I think it would make it easier to use your upside down boxes to grow grasses and sprouts.