What do you do with the bedding?

[FrenchHen]

Bwaaak! :

Eh... Ive been using straw and husband says it wont break down in compost bins sooooo.... Ive been having to bag the straw and poop into garbage bags and set out on the curb for garbage guy. Im now down to just a tiny bit of straw in their house and that I am just going to put in compost bins.

So is it better to use shavings or straw?

It may not compost down to nothing, but properly aged, it will make a great mulch for the garden.​

 

[Lach Cnoc Farm]

we have 2 pigs and they've turned their area into a gigantic mud hole!! it sounds kibnda gross but we toss the old bedding into their pen along with a couple bales of straw every few weeks to help with the moisture.

it works out good and well, the pigs smell bad enough so we dont have to worry about the smell....we also live on a large farm and the closest neighbor is around half a mile away.

 

[spottedtail]

Old straw litter is better than wood shavings.
It's C to N ratio is much lower.
Also, the hens break straw into smaller pieces if you use the deep litter method. And that is helpful for making faster compost.

spot

 

[augustmomx2]

We had a large pile of leaves, that usually my dh will throw downed tree-limbs into and make it a big fire-pit. However, this year, the large pile of leaves now is my compost pile and I throw in pine shavings, poo, coffee grounds,etc into. It seems to be working great. I keep it moist and many worms are abound!

My pile has been shrinking, even though I keep adding more items...this makes me feel like I'm doing something right

Also, it doesn't stink at all...if you notice a smell throw some additional carbon items in (paper, dry leaves, cardboard) and it will help reduce the odor. HTH!

 

[briznian]

You will want to increase the Carbon levels to offset the Nitrogen in the Chicken manure. Add any organic matter (leaves, sawdust, dried lawn clippings) and mix it well. Turn it several times throughout the composting process to keep Oxygen getting into the pile. When the pile runs out of Oxygen the microbes turn to anaerobic decomposition and it will begin to smell. Add a small amount of moisture to help the decomposition process as well. A properly maintained compost pile will not have a malodorous smell to it at all and some might even describe the smell it does have as 'earthy'.

 

[Eggie and Me]

Quote:
We are picky about the food scraps. IF there is something that will spoil if left uneaten at the end of the day we bury it. Don't know

that may be a tad obsessive??

We just want to avoid the stink and any potential neighbor complaints. Granted we've only been doing this for 5 weeks now so we're still very much in the learning stages w/this.. Best of Luck

 

[Bwaaak!]

I think I will let my girls have their straw. Thanks for the suggestions.

And thanks for enlightening me on how the straw breaks down. I thought it was supposed to "disappear" when it was composed. I can see how the pieces left would be good for a garden.

They did seem a bit sad when I cleaned out their henhouse and didnt lay down fresh straw. Ohhhh they will be so happy tomorrow!

Barb

 

[orchard endeavors]

Hi there folks- new to the forum, new to chickens - could use some wisdom:
What are thoughts and experiences on shredded newspaper bedding and compostability?
Thanks!

 

[kristen2678]

Thanks for all the good info. Another question. Does anyone find their compost pile brings in skunks and raccoons?

 

[bethandjoeync]

I would compost it. if you have the right ratio of brown/green material with the other then there shouldn't be a smell. compost piles only smell when those ratios are off, and it could just be rotting instead. I would compost it, do a few inches of leaves and grass shavings, then a few inches of the bedding, and so on until you are done. don't forget to turn it once a week, because compost piles need good air flow to do their magic. run out of leaves and grass shavings??? you said you have neighbors right, ask them for theirs..... I am sure if you tell them why you need them they will be happy to give them to you. and for the critter problem... I think if it doesn't smell you won't have AS MUCH of an issue, but I won't say that you won't have any issues with them.