I made a mess of composting

[blue skys]

Thanks VFEM!!!!!

 

[digitS']

. . . Don't feel bad.... you are doing a great job by not giving up... the earth thanks you! :coolsun

ditto

Steve

 

[keljonma]

You could feed the maggots to your flock.

 

[blue skys]

You could feed the maggots to your flock.

I was worried about botulism (I've read horror stories), so I just dumped in out, some of them squiggled around and died, and some buried themselves back in - I guess once they mature they will fly off and do their thing. I just hopw there are no more when it's time to turn it... I guess we'll see.

 

[noobiechickenlady]

Botulism? From feeding maggots to chickens? Eek! Mine eat maggots.
Tell me more.
Did the chickens themselves get botulism or did the people that ate the chickens get it?
ETA: Got it, limberneck disease. Researching now. Thanks!

 

[Mackay]

Here's a little article on maggots and botulism and wild bird populations. Seems the key to creating this kind of mess is conditions that are too wet and animal carcass....composted meat leftovers?

www.tws-west.org/transactions/Clark%20'70.pdf

Gee I don't know why this page won't open on this forum. I can put it in my search bar and open it so you might have to do that too.

 

[blue skys]

Here's a little article on maggots and botulism and wild bird populations. Seems the key to creating this kind of mess is conditions that are too wet and animal carcass....composted meat leftovers?

www.tws-west.org/transactions/Clark%20'70.pdf

Gee I don't know why this page won't open on this forum. I can put it in my search bar and open it so you might have to do that too.

My conditions were a bit too wet, but no animal carcasses or meat to my knowledge - so I'm still at a loss as to what they were feeding on???? Maybe something was put in there by hubby??? I wouldn't think he would "go against orders" but stranger things have happened. That's another reason why I didn't let the chickens have them, mystery contents...

noobie - I don't know much, I have just read some info about it on BYC. An ounce of prevention, right?

 

[obsessed]

I've gotten maggots on my compost pail when I failed to dump it out after a few days (ok maybe it was more than a few). I think you need need to add more stuff to the pile like not just veggies but also some brown material.

I have a large pile of compost. I started buy buying some cheap bags of soil for Home depot and then added what ever I find. Grass, Kitchen bunny poop. I just pile turn water pile turn water. And I am generally pretty lax.

Hope this helps.

 

[blue skys]

I've gotten maggots on my compost pail when I failed to dump it out after a few days (ok maybe it was more than a few). I think you need need to add more stuff to the pile like not just veggies but also some brown material.

I have a large pile of compost. I started buy buying some cheap bags of soil for Home depot and then added what ever I find. Grass, Kitchen bunny poop. I just pile turn water pile turn water. And I am generally pretty lax.

Hope this helps.

I've been adding more "brown" now. It seems to be doing ok - I will not turn it for a while so that it can heat up and kill whatever nasties may be there. Hopefull the chicken poo will help get it nice and hot. And if I have lots of "green" I will be sure to add more "brown" to prevent such nastiness.

Thanks for the support ya'll!!

 

[vfem]

I add shredded newspaper occasionally... the pine mixed with chicken poo occasionally... and grass clippings. The rest is all scraps from the house and trimmings from my plants. No meats, fats, ect....

So far so good... but I still get bugs and flies in it!