What do I do with all the chicken poo?

[valschicksrus]

Thank you for your service! God bless America, the Land of the free, because of the Brave.

I second that!!! God Bless Pngzv

 

[dragonlair]

I mix the chicken poo and litter with the horse and goat poo from the barn and then dump it in a bin made of pallets. I have very little smell coming from it.

 

[QueenBeeMom]

I have closed compost bins. One is a very large square unit and one is a set of two smaller rollers. Since the ladies came into our lives it hasn't smelled because we add the poo and bits of pine shavings and hay that are used in the hen house and run (shavings in hen house, hay in run). That seems to provide enough carbon matter for a pretty well balanced compost.
I clean out my hen house each morning, taking just poo and replacing some of the lost shavings from the process. I replace all shavings about once a week or every 10 days. It's a really clean set up, but bear in mind I only have 7 hens and so the coop is pretty small making it an easy, and zen-like task for me.
My compost is also rather dry. Sometimes I have to add water! When I left it open to the rain one night (by mistake) I had quite the stink for a day or two. Adding a cover will help with the water regulation and also can potentially raise the internal heat (my cover is black), making for faster processing!
My only downside with the covered bins is that the ladies don't have access to the compost.

 

[blondiebee181]

I gotta say having a welded wire bottom in the coop with a pull-out poop drawer is the best. I've been using wood pellets (the kind you would burn in a stove) to line the drawer and they keep the smell down really well. I also tried some leftover cat litter last week too and that works great. I only have 5 hens and I can go a month without cleaning the drawer. The run is all sand/dirt so I never really have to clean it, it just turns over when they scratch and dust in there. When I do change the litter, I have been piling it in the yard and will probably spread some of it next year after it winters over.

 

[ducklucky]

That is an awesome idea, and a great design! Wow, wish we had thought of that, you should market it! Does it still work in sub-freezing temps just as well?

 

[blondiebee181]

That is an awesome idea, and a great design! Wow, wish we had thought of that, you should market it! Does it still work in sub-freezing temps just as well?

Well I know Boise gets pretty cold in winter, but probably not like Maine! This is my first year of chickens so we shall see! But yeah, it works great! My uncle built me the coop, he's a contractor....I told him he could probably make some good extra money selling chicken houses!

 

[crista1025]

I have only 2 chickens and I do what they call the "deep litter method" It has been working great. Basicly, you put in like a 9 inch layer of hay or wood chips ( I use Hay) and when it starts to get stinky you add another 6 or so inches ( about once every 2 or so months) and it composts in place and compacts down. All the poo falls through the fresh hay to the bottom. You clean it out about once a year. Rake off the top layer of loose hay and push it to the side and then shovel out the bottom stuff, about 6 inches or more down to where the earth is hard packed. Put the loose hay back down when you are done and top off with another layer of fresh hay. I put mine straight into my garden beds, mixed it in with the existing soil and waited a week and then planted and my veggies grew great. Or you can add it to your compost pile if you are worried about burning your veggies. Google it for exact details.

 

[crista1025]

also, I live in CA, where it stays pretty dry so I'm not sure how this method would work if it rained frequently..... might be a whole lot stinkier!

 

[sunshine ducky]

put the poo im the dumpster were it bealongs

 

[clucky3255]

put the poo im the dumpster were it bealongs

poo does not belong in the dumpsterr!!!! it belongs in the compost pile so you can recycle it and use it as good fertelizer! that is the green way to do it sunshine ducky! LOL