Brand new old compost pile, and chicken manure on the lawn

[lesa]

Sounds like you've got a good plan going! Keep us posted on your progress!

 

[wifezilla]

I don't have chickens but I have quail and ducks. I put poopy bedding all over the garden plots in fall and by spring I am good to go. Between that and spreading some oyster shells around, I got some huge tomato plants this season.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Dont know why Im so amazed at this whole "composting thing" . . .
But I am!

I turned 3 of my piles today, and the tho it was all leaves and lawn last weekend, its already breaking down and looking like soil.
The heat from the middle of my pile was incredible, some bits of wood I picked out were actually HOT to the touch!

When I filled these bins last weekend, I mixed in lots of the poop from all my animals, it really seems to be working.

The outside of my piles smelled like good fresh earth, the inner part of the pile smelled like a bag of chicken manure from the store after you first spread it.
There is even a hint of rabbit droppings, but it was wafting.

So at this rate, Ill have plenty of fresh soil for my lawn/pasture/garden next year.
But I think I will wait at least a full week between turnings again, I think these piles were still going, not sure if its good or bad to turn so soon . . .

I guess once each bin is pretty much done, I will start storing it all in one large pile that will be covered so it dont get rained on.
I am even gonna offer some to my neighbor for his garden and for putting up with my chickens and such.

I never thought making dirt could be so much fun!
It makes me feel good about myself at the very least . . .

 

[boggybranch]

You better watch out......composting can be addictive.....in an OCD kind of way.

Believe me....I KNOW.

 

[Smiles Jr.]

Composting can be lots of fun. It looks like you're doing fine. Sometimes oak leaves take a while to break down and that may be what you were experiencing at first with your pile.

As you can see here in this thread, some folks just "do it" and some folks enjoy analyzing it too.

I have a little different opinion on using the pine shavings . . .
weather it is completely composted or not I like to spread it into my garden soil. The consistency of the shavings add to the soil's ability to stay loose and not clump or become hard as concrete.

To me gardening should be fun and relaxing - don't over-think it.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Sometimes oak leaves take a while to break down and that may be what you were experiencing at first with your pile.



I have a little different opinion on using the pine shavings . . .
weather it is completely composted or not I like to spread it into my garden soil. The consistency of the shavings add to the soil's ability to stay loose and not clump or become hard as concrete.

To me gardening should be fun and relaxing - don't over-think it.

Once I contained the heaps and payed a bit more attention to what was going in them and started turning, there was a huge difference.
Even oak leaves cant stand up to my piles . . .

The shavings dont really seem to be faring much better.
Maybe they just turning dirt-colored brown or maybe they getting eaten away too, but they are definately not noticeable as wood shavings in the piles anymore . . .
And your description fits my current soil conditions right now- concrete-like- so the shavings will actually be useful in there broken down or not!

I hope I am not over-thinking it, but just a bit of thinking is really payin off for me.

You better watch out......composting can be addictive.....in an OCD kind of way.

Believe me....I KNOW.

To me, buying stuff specifically to compost constitutes over-thinking and OCD . . .
The whole point of this is for me NOT to spend money to fix up my lawn, grow food for my animals and me, and thusly having healthy organic-ish animals to eat.


I am totally having fun with this, and like I said it makes me feel pretty good about myself for being able to be a bit more self-sufficient.
Im really gonna feel good next season when all this workpays off with some fresh good food and a beautiful lawn, and hopefully a backyard full of hay, all from some wastes !!!

 

[chickenwhisperer]

 

[hoodat]

WOW! That's really cooking. No wonder you're getting such fast results.

 

[chickenwhisperer]

Lol!!!
That was pretty funny

 

[RickF]

That is pretty toasty! I think the highest any of my piles have ever been was about 145F..