Composting Chicken Poo and straw

[vfem]

I do the same! I compost it right in with everything else. However, I also put a pile aside to make "tea" with. I use a huge container to move it in when I need it, fill with water, and after 24 hours start using the water to feed the plants. Its fabulous for my potted stuff as well.

It time for me to clean the coop again, so gotta start a freeze bin... as soon as everything thaws this weekend.

I also make chicky poop tea, but I'm curious.. How often do you give it to your plants?

Weekly in the big plots and probably twice a week with the potted plants. Some of it runs out during watering, and I don't think they get enough right away.

 

[CJW]

I have a pile of straw and poo from my girls (and little dude), and I have been trying to keep it piled, but the girls keep going over and kicking it around, flattening it out. Every time I take straw out of the coop, I pile it back up there. Then the girls find it and have a field day. I try to throw my kitchen scraps out there (chicken friendly-no uncooked spuds) to decompose, but they find all of them! Composting kitchen scraps is a hopeless cause here.

Will I be able to use it in my garden this year?? Should I stop adding to it at one point, so it doesn't burn everything? Should I dig or till it in?

I am new to most of this, so thanks in advance for your advice!

 

[vfem]

You're going to want it to break down some. By piling it up and getting it 'hot' you are going to cook your compost. You'll need to turn or rotate your pile to get the middle to cook through, and then get other areas to start to cook. You want it to break down well.

When you get a chance, try to get the fresh stuff turned to the bottom of the pile to start breaking that down.

I don't think you're getting your pile very hot right now with the temps and it being winter, but you could try to cover it with a black or dark colored tarp?

You should look through some of the old composting threads, there is a lot of great step by step stuff.