Winter waste (droppings and shavings)

[OwensMom]

The bad smell in your compost pile comes from anaerobic breakdown. All you have to do is turn your pile and add air. You may have to do this a number of times to improve the problem. This time of year it is impossible(difficult at best) to raise the temp. of the pile and so it just sits there and does nothing much. If you have a year or two to wait for compost, this is actually a method of composting. Always remember that if your compost has an off smell all that you need to do is add aeration(turn the pile) for aerobic breakdown!

 

[Mac in Wisco]

I just keep building it up in layers throughout the winter. It's a pile of manure, dead birds, eggs, and straw. I try to layer it the best I can. Add a little manure cover it with straw... Add a dead bird, cover it with manure and straw... Dump in a bunch of bad eggs, add a layer of straw... When the weather warms up it should start heating again.

 

[OwensMom]

Mac, technically a good compost heap is not layered but completely mixed. Practically, your pile should work just fine but you may run a danger of bad odors if you do not turn the pile. I would not recommend that anyone put dead birds or bad eggs in a compost pile in suburbia. You run the risk of not only bad odors but rodents(rats etc.). Meat, cheese and fat will eventually decompose but the pile will need much more of your attention. It may also attract unwanted attention from the local HOA or neighbors. As a practical matter, you can just pile things up and let nature take it course if you are not worried about getting finished compost in a couple of months. It may take as long as 2 years with this method out here(in Colorado). Check with your local Master Gardeners at the Extension office for help with your compost piles.

 

[Mac in Wisco]

Quote:
That's fine if you build a pile all at once and then let it do it's thing, but we add to it everyday. It's not feasible to completely mix it every time. The layers also help to gauge how much material is being added, e.g., a few inches of manure get six inches of straw.

We live on a farm so the air isn't always spring fresh. The nature of bird droppings makes them very hard to compost without generating ammonia anyway. The nitrogen rich urea surrounding the fecal matter tends to generate ammonia no matter how well you mix it with other materials.