What do y'all do with the dirty shavings from your coop?

[HHandbasket]

We just started composting about a year ago. The most surprising part for me is the fact that it does not smell at all. I was really worried that it would stink up the whole back yard & that the neighbors would be upset. I use kitchen scraps, garden scraps (well, USED to use garden scraps--those go to the chickens now LOL), lawn clippings, and we wet it and stir it about once a week, more frequently during this time of year when we're adding a lot to it. We have some REALLY rich yummy compost at the bottom that we are digging out and using that we started a year ago. It's surprisingly fully of fat, juicy, crawly worms (which I occasionally pick out and feed here and there to my chickadees).

Anxious to see how much richer next year's compost is with the chicken stuff added to it!

 

[Penturner]

add them to your cheerios, it gives them flavor.

 

[NewHen]

I bought one of those rotating composting bins. Unfortunately, nothing seems to be composting. It still looks like dry pine shavings and dried chicken poop. I added some dirt and green stuff. It doesn't smell but it's really dusty. Does anyone have a "recipe," for the composting bin and shavings and chicken poo?

 

[mamabigbird]

Quote:
Compost needs water to help "cook it". Soak it occassionally and if possible let it sit where the sun will heat up the composter. Heat and water and air is the recipe. Mine is all piling up in an unused paddock next to the pile of horse manure. We'll probably scoop it up with the tractor and stir it into the horse manure eventually. Luckily we are on 3+ acres so smell and/or unsightlyness are not an issue. The hens are always working over both piles.

 

[mamabigbird]

Quote:
MMMMMM Nutty crunch and high fibre too.

 

[mgw]

We compost

 

[nuts4chickens]

Last year we started spreading it over the garden nice and even in the winter and stopped around March. We then till it and plant around May. For the spring and summer we bought some compost bins from home depot that are working out great so far. By the time fall is here the compost bins will be ready to be spread on the garden too. My garden is awesome this year. Just planted last month and I have corn that is over 4 feet tall and tomatoes almost as high. Even my cantaloup and watermelon are doing great, which I never seem to have luck with. It looks like a jungle!

 

[ScaredOfShadows]

Quote:
Add some water in there once a week, enough to wet stuff down decently on top then just rotate it a couple times and let it sit in the heat for a few days, turn it a few more times let it sit for a couple days then add water to it again (bout a week apart).

I have a huge outdoor compost pile, its not so big right now thankfully since just yesterday the neighbors took some to add to one of their flower spots. Between a bunch of free range chickens, a neighbor with a tractor and tiller and rain barrels of water (irrigated out there for easy use!) I have a great compost pile with little smell (smells more of that bitter sweet smell that green decay gets to) and its not too unsightly seeing as its in the back corner of my yard and unless you go out there by the trees and sheds you cant see it from the road though its by the neighbor's back corner drive (they live BEHIND me) they insisted thats where it should go (now I know why

they wanted to share with ease without getting near my nutso dogs- lol )

 

[Zoomom]

Great tips and hints on composting!
It totally makes sense that people with chickens also garden and to get free compost of the highest quality makes it all the better.

 

[SundownWaterfowl]

Compost them.