What do i do with all the poo?

[patandchickens]

The biggest two things for avoiding stink are

a) don't let the pile get soggy-wet (it needs to be damp to 'work', but if it turns into a swamp it will be Nasty)

and even more important

b) be careful and thoughtful about your carbon-to-nitrogen ratio. In the case of chicken poo this means ensuring there is enough bedding mixed in with the poo (if you get more-or-less straight poo from droppings boards or a droppings pit, you MUST mix something mostly-carbonaceous in with it, or it will stench somethin' awful). High-carbon materials are things like wood shavings, straw, non-fresh hay, old dried leaves, or shredded newspaper.

Alternatively you might be able to put ads on freecycle, craigslist, local bulletinboards, etc or just put word out 'round the neighborhood to find gardeners who would like to take your chicken poo home to their own compost piles.

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[FractalFarmer]

Quote:
What does the DE do? Wouldn't it kill off the earthworms & other bugs that are breaking down the compost?

 

[greathorse]

Why is manure not just manure. Poo sounds like what we call the stuff that comes out of a baby's diaper.

Composting is what you do to keep your chicken waste from smelling. It is why some folks use deep litter in the coop and throw corn or scratch in the pen. If the hens stir the litter and the manure it begins to break down and keeps the smell down. The same works for pig pens. that is in effect composting

composting is not a smelly thing. Read up on it a bit and it will be the perfect way for you to get rid of your chicken MANURE.

 

[Roosterboy]

Thanks! I am going to a class tomorrow and may buy a composter

 

[hatchaholic]

I'm glad I found this thread. We are planning to start a compost pile, and thanks for the helpful link.

Does anyone just bury the manure/shavings in the garden? We have chicken and pig manure, and was wondering if we just bury it, would it work. I think the article called it the "trenching" method. We've got 3 large gardens, and this sounds like it'd be the easiest way to do.

 

[cajunlizz]

Quote:
ANYONE have any answers or suggestions ?

 

[Capt. Crusoe]

We are planning to start a compost pile too. Does the compost pile need to be in direct sunlight to work or can it be in the shade of a tree?

 

[Reinbeau]

Quote:
What does the DE do? Wouldn't it kill off the earthworms & other bugs that are breaking down the compost?

I wouldn't sprinkle DE out there for the reasons you mention, FF. You want the worms, etc. to break down the manure.

 

[FractalFarmer]

Quote:
ANYONE have any answers or suggestions ?

if you are doing this in a container I would add some "worm starter", maybe you could relocate some worms you find in the garden. But if you're working on the ground I'm sure that nature will take its course the worms will come as long as there is food there and it is kept moist. I have an old compost pile and the worms are so thick at times it looks like spaghetti. I didn't do anything special to encourage them, just gave them all the kitchen & garden scraps and watered from time to time. I've been adding the manure since I got the chickens 3 months ago, and now the chickens aerate the pile (I never did!).

I'm thinking of starting a worm bin in an enclosed container for those scraps that might be harmful to the chickens. I don't have an enclosed compost bin so I worry about just tossing out stuff like potato peels, spoiled stuff, etc... on to the "compost buffet". I plan to just add leaves to the bin, some finished compost with the worms, and then the food scraps as they come. If I get around to it.

 

[Promiselandfarm]

If you are worried about the smell and don't want to hurt the worms use lime the powdered kind. It will cut the smell and also cut the acid of the compost without hurting the worms. You can also got to a bait shop and get a live worm bait(earthworms) and just make a spot and dump them in. They love corrugated cardboard so that cut up would help attract them, along with the other stuff. Be careful that you do not put too much green compost near your plants because all plants are not nitrogen lovers....tomato plants however LOVE them still ya have to be careful not to burn your plants....