The Front Porch Swing

[enola]

This is how I compost - I throw all available organic material on a heap. Then I water the heap. After a week or so I use my pitchfork to turn the heap over. If it is not "working" yet I add a couple of shovel fulls of manure and a couple of shovel fulls of dirt. If it seems dry to me I water it again. Adding red wigglers will also help. I throw leaves, twigs, old flower blooms, weeds from the garden, grass clippings and any house hold scraps that I don't feed to the dogs or chickens on the heap. I try to turn it every couple of weeks.

In order to keep it 'working' there has to be at least some moisture in the heap. If you are having a dry season adding some water will speed things up. It gets so dry here in SC that I put a tarp over my compost pile to keep the moisture from evaporating. But I am not really sure that is necessary.

 

[LindaB220]

Do you just start throwing stuff in a pile in the yard or is there a science to it?

This is one of the best ideas I've come across. Drunken compost.

Reagan71 has a ton of great ideas on gardening, composting etc. What do you think?

 

[Blooie]

--Bee, must you talk about Blooie that way????

--Now Bee, you have told us time and again to be cheap, frugal, and natural. What could be more natural than me???

Guess what Ms. Jellybean, you have now been initiated. Welcome to the club!

You are no longer a newbie!

On composting, I take the shavings out of the coop, put it in a chicken wire bin. I throw my vegetable/fruit peelings, etc on top. Come Spring or Fall when I do my gardening, I put what is in there on the garden.

Lisa

I want my frosted butterfly back!

 

[Triple Willow]

Ms Jellybean, Deb, Bee... I have been there too! I have a huge problem with know-it-alls (even if they are right) and bullies. I have got myself in hot water many times with those kinds of people and not only on BYC - AND I'm sure I will get myself in hot water with those kind of people many more times in my life. Oh well, whateva...? lol

 

[Triple Willow]

I want my frosted butterfly back!

Frosted butterfly...? Is it chocolate frosting??? Yum! LOL

 

[Beekissed]

Blooie is it getting a little too warm out your way? No more frosting on your butterfly? We had frost here this morning. One of the meat chicks was out this morning...again. They don't seem to care about cold weather at all...I never see them getting under the heating pad to warm up during the day, though I think they sleep under the edge of it at night...even when it's not turned on. I'll probably just let them out of that brooder today...they will be 2 wks old on Monday anyway.

Well...the new dog is fine with the chickens. He was loose this morning and acting like chickens are nothing to him at all. What chickens? I doubt I'll be able to contain this big bear of a dog on my current system so not sure of his future here...I've turned that issue over to God because I can't do much about it right now. Both dogs are worn to a nubbin' from establishing who is boss...so far Jake still rules but I can see the desperation in his face. This new guy's mouth would cover Jake's whole head without difficulty, so not sure where it will all go.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday! I'll be listening to sermons, so will be back here later on today.

 

[Triple Willow]

This is one of the best ideas I've come across.  Drunken compost.

Reagan71 has a ton of great ideas on gardening, composting   etc.     What do you think?   

I like! What if you do that in a chicken coop...?

 

[Blooie]

Frosted butterfly...? Is it chocolate frosting??? Yum! LOL

Blooie is it getting a little too warm out your way? No more frosting on your butterfly? We had frost here this morning. One of the meat chicks was out this morning...again. They don't seem to care about cold weather at all...I never see them getting under the heating pad to warm up during the day, though I think they sleep under the edge of it at night...even when it's not turned on. I'll probably just let them out of that brooder today...they will be 2 wks old on Monday anyway.

Well...the new dog is fine with the chickens. He was loose this morning and acting like chickens are nothing to him at all. What chickens? I doubt I'll be able to contain this big bear of a dog on my current system so not sure of his future here...I've turned that issue over to God because I can't do much about it right now. Both dogs are worn to a nubbin' from establishing who is boss...so far Jake still rules but I can see the desperation in his face. This new guy's mouth would cover Jake's whole head without difficulty, so not sure where it will all go.

I hope everyone has a wonderful Sunday! I'll be listening to sermons, so will be back here later on today.

Nope, no chocolate frosting - it was a peace offering for Lisa, but the "peace" part must have melted off. Gee, and I kept her roses so nice too.

Bee, stoopid question - will a seed starting pad work in place of a heating pad for brooding chicks? No, I'm not getting any more for quite some time, but I was curious.

 

[Beekissed]

This is one of the best ideas I've come across. Drunken compost.

Reagan71 has a ton of great ideas on gardening, composting etc. What do you think?

Wow! Going to try this!!!

Sounds much like our deep litter except our chickens provide the ammonia, the FF provides the good yeasts, and the layering of the litter with the feces is similar to what he is doing. The only thing missing is the garbage scraps.

 

[Triple Willow]

@Bee... well that's a start, he's not a chicken killer. Thank goodness. Who knows, he may turn out good. Or you might find him a home with chickens and a fence to keep him in.