Please help me plan my compost pile...

[Augustmomx2]

This year I am making some changes around our house, first I acquired some chickens (they are almost 2wks old) and next I'm planning a compost pile. I luckily have a dh who goes along w/all my "tree-hugging" (the term everyone uses around me) ideas.

We live on approximately an acre of land w/lots of trees, a 20x20 garden and our chickens will be using pine shavings (not the deep litter method). So we have lots of leaves, garden extras and chicken poo. We also have a large field behind us, that brings mice our way every so often.

So, I need some expert help in planning this compost pile. Should I have my dh build an area to border the compost pile, like a box or something? Should I just have a pile w/fencing around it? I was going to try vermicomposting, but after reading things on this board, I'm afraid the chicken poo will be too hot and kill them. Also, I plan on feeding my girls all the extra kitchen scraps that they are able to eat (we're supposed to have 12 girls). So I nixed that idea, now I don't even know where to start! Any tips or questions if you need more details, would be greatly appreciated! Thanks

 

[digitS']

Augustmomx2, here's a guide from Ohio State University on composting. There are some drawings of simple structures to store the compost.

I live in an arid part of the West. Compost would take infinitely longer for me to make if I was using a wire bin. I use concrete blocks.

A nearby neighbor made a wire bin and elevated the pile a foot or 2 above the ground. Of course here, it just dried out completely. I think he must have been trying to preserve the material - mummified compostables . That material was there for at least 10 years before the entire structure collapsed onto the ground - where it probably began to finally decompose. You probably don't have such dry conditions thru your growing (& composting) season.

One thing you need to look in the guide is the carbon to nitrogen ratio of your pine shavings. Then realize that, "A C:N ratio of 30:1 is ideal for the activity of compost microbes."

You might want to weigh a bag of shavings now while they are nice and clean and before the chicks spend any time in them.

Then, realize that an adult laying hen produces about 1 pound of manure each week. If you clean your coop often, and just use the litter of shavings and manure, the material in your bin will have insufficient nitrogen for composting quickly. It will probably take years to make compost. What will you do to increase the nitrogen level of your compost pile?

Steve

 

[Augustmomx2]

Augustmomx2, here's a guide from Ohio State University on composting. There are some drawings of simple structures to store the compost.

I live in an arid part of the West. Compost would take infinitely longer for me to make if I was using a wire bin. I use concrete blocks.

A nearby neighbor made a wire bin and elevated the pile a foot or 2 above the ground. Of course here, it just dried out completely. I think he must have been trying to preserve the material - mummified compostables . That material was there for at least 10 years before the entire structure collapsed onto the ground - where it probably began to finally decompose. You probably don't have such dry conditions thru your growing (& composting) season.

One thing you need to look in the guide is the carbon to nitrogen ratio of your pine shavings. Then realize that, "A C:N ratio of 30:1 is ideal for the activity of compost microbes."

You might want to weigh a bag of shavings now while they are nice and clean and before the chicks spend any time in them.

Then, realize that an adult laying hen produces about 1 pound of manure each week. If you clean your coop often, and just use the litter of shavings and manure, the material in your bin will have insufficient nitrogen for composting quickly. It will probably take years to make compost. What will you do to increase the nitrogen level of your compost pile?

Steve

Thanks for the great link! I have checked it out already & know what I'm going to do I have a large stack of leftover bricks and will just build the enclosure w/those. I love the fact I don't have to use cement. Waaay easy & free

The tips on the Nitrogen levels are great. I'll definitely look into some other items that will increase the level. Funny story about your neighbor I definitely don't have the drying out problem, I'm just fearful the mice will decide to set-up their homes in there, since it will be nice and warm...now, I'm going to have to get a cat!

 

[patandchickens]

IMO the best arrangement to enable you to use chicken poo in the compost pile in a controlled and semi optimal way is to use a droppings board under the roost. You scrape the poo off it every morning with an old dustpan or wallpaper scraper or the like (just snowplow it off into with a bucket you move along using your other hand, takes literally 10 seconds) and then you have PURE chicken manure to mix with however much 'browns' you desire. As opposed to using pooey bedding which as Steve says will almost inevitably contain way too much shavings and way too little poo to compost well.

Unless you are in a very dry climate, I don't think it matters hugely what if anything you build. Something like a box-type enclosure made of pallets will give you a little bit more efficient thorough composting (more well-composted inside-the-pile stuff, less uncomposted outside part) but if you are very lazy and can afford to wait, or very industrious and turn the pile regularly, this doesn't really matter. A box-type enclosure also reduces sprawl, might be relevant if your yard is limited.

But really, you do not need to *plan* a compost pile unless you just plain enjoy planning. You can just *do* it and it will work fine

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

 

[Augustmomx2]

IMO the best arrangement to enable you to use chicken poo in the compost pile in a controlled and semi optimal way is to use a droppings board under the roost. You scrape the poo off it every morning with an old dustpan or wallpaper scraper or the like (just snowplow it off into with a bucket you move along using your other hand, takes literally 10 seconds) and then you have PURE chicken manure to mix with however much 'browns' you desire. As opposed to using pooey bedding which as Steve says will almost inevitably contain way too much shavings and way too little poo to compost well.

Unless you are in a very dry climate, I don't think it matters hugely what if anything you build. Something like a box-type enclosure made of pallets will give you a little bit more efficient thorough composting (more well-composted inside-the-pile stuff, less uncomposted outside part) but if you are very lazy and can afford to wait, or very industrious and turn the pile regularly, this doesn't really matter. A box-type enclosure also reduces sprawl, might be relevant if your yard is limited.

But really, you do not need to *plan* a compost pile unless you just plain enjoy planning. You can just *do* it and it will work fine

Good luck, have fun,

Pat

Right on, I was going to do the droppings board once my girls started roosting...I figured it would be an easier way of dealing w/the poo, now its going to help my compost pile as well I need to stop over-analyzing things & just do it!

 

[momofdrew]

to help with the nitrogen level I use grass clippings along with the chicken poo... as for the mice do not put meat scraps of any kind in the pile you will have more than a mouse problem if you do.... I have read on BYC that chickens will eat mice so invite your chickens into the compost pile when you decide to turn it and let them have a treat...

 

[Augustmomx2]

to help with the nitrogen level I use grass clippings along with the chicken poo... as for the mice do not put meat scraps of any kind in the pile you will have more than a mouse problem if you do.... I have read on BYC that chickens will eat mice so invite your chickens into the compost pile when you decide to turn it and let them have a treat...

Well, we have lots of grass clippings and our neighbor even bags his, so maybe I'll trade him some clippings for some eggs

Good idea about the chickens...I HATE mice and will be more than happy to see my girls have them as a treat

 

[muddler6]

WHat I do is make a pile outside the chicken run with shavings, straw, poo mixture and when I mow the lawn (I have a bagger on my mower, I dump a bag of grass clippings and then a bucket of the poo mix and whatever else I have to throw in for kitchen scraps, egg shells, coffee grounds, etc. There is some wood shavings that don't compost the whole way in the spring, but I add them to the garden anyways and they finish decomposing in the ground. I had my best garden yet last year, it was so over grown with veggies I had a hard time getting in to harvest them all without stepping on plants and veggies. I throw leaves grass clippings and chicken poo mix right in the garden rows that finish early, like my peas last year, when my bins filled up. I threw an old black tarp over it to help heat it up and keep moisture in (I know not a recommeded method, but it does work) If you can get some active compost from somewhere else it helps get things going a little quicker.

 

[Ridgerunner]

If you can get some active compost from somewhere else it helps get things going a little quicker.

If you don't have active compost, just use garden soil or regular yard dirt to help give it start. Not as good as compost, but better than nothing.

 

[digitS']

Not as good as compost, but better than nothing.

I'm not sure if it isn't quite a bit better than nothing, Ridgerunner. In fact, fertile garden soil is better than some of this junk they sell as compost, IMO .

I'm a firm believer in good soil in the compost. I like to layer it in just before it turns hot but especially "cap" the pile with soil at the end of the season. There are only 2 problems to doing this that come to my mind: you've got to have some free soil available and you are moving around heavy soil and a heavier finished compost.

Even so, my pile decomposes much more quickly with the soil in it and I've got a better product when it comes time to put it on the beds .

Fresh green grass clippings would be an excellent addition to coop litter with lots of shavings in it. For many years, I used ammonium sulfate fertilizer in my compost to raise nitrogen levels. I even continued that approach after my veggie gardens went entirely organic using my compost in the ornamentals and buying organic fertilizer for the veggies. There's never enuf compost to go all the way around . . .

Steve