My compost pile

[Southern Gardener]

Before

After

I about wore myself out trying to mix all this up! It was dry so I watered it and put a tarp around it. I also added fresh cut grass clippings. I'll put this in the garden this fall.

 

[digitS']

Very neatly done, Joan .

I'd never get away with using wire around my compost. This may be an old story: There was a neighbor here that used a wire bin. Then he elevated it a foot or 2 above ground. I don't know what he was thinking.

He had preserved compostables. Dry as toast, this "pile" lasted for years, and years, and years. Finally, the bin fell down on the ground and, I suppose, the stuff finally decomposed.

Heck, there are cow chips not far from here that are supposed to be over 100 years old . The locals not only value something like this, theyll go out and look at em .

My compost is partially subterranean and in a monolithic concrete block set-up, uuuglyy! I wish it looked as tidy as yours.

Steve

 

[Southern Gardener]

Mine was also dry as toast on the outside - I'm surprised it didn't crumble when I took the wire off - the very middle was somewhat moist - I hope the tarp helps!

 

[headred]

My compost pile is now getting "duck poo straw" as I call it. I'm pretty excited about that! You can see my website to understand what I mean. I have new ducks!

 

[desertgirl]

OK-that is very dangerous. You totally have made me want ducks (which would be unfair to them, and would make my DH quite literally have a fit!).

Thanks for the great pics! I get excited everytime I throw my poopie chicken straw in my composter (we are a starnge bunch, huh?).

 

[Southern Gardener]

Well, the tarp REALLY helped! I checked the pile last night and it was steaming!

 

[headred]

OK-that is very dangerous. You totally have made me want ducks (which would be unfair to them, and would make my DH quite literally have a fit!).

Thanks for the great pics! I get excited everytime I throw my poopie chicken straw in my composter (we are a starnge bunch, huh?).

HAHAHA, doesn't everyone get excited about poop in the compost!!? And BTW, ducks are TOO much fun, poop and all!

 

[cookiesdaddy]

OK ... tell me about the "fun" part with duck. I have 4 hens and a bunch of rabbits at this time, but tempting to add some ducks

The chickens follow me all around. Do ducks do the same? I need a pond. And some kind of duck-run so they don't poop all over my yard. Do ducks lay egg? How often? taste good? What do they eat? I don't recall seeing duck food at my local feed store.

 

[obsessed]

1. Do ducks do the same (follow you)? If you handle them when young and offer lots of treats

2. need a pond? No nessasarily. They need to be able to dunk thier heads. I use a small dog pool from petsmart and have also used one of the concert pans from Home depot.

3. And some kind of duck-run so they don't poop all over my yard? I let mine free range. They haven't done too much damage. The poop hasn't hurt the lawn. They do tend to dig in the lawn where water collects looking for bugs. So great for bug control.

4. Do ducks lay egg? How often? taste good? Yes. Depends on the ducks. Mine are hybrid layers from McMurry's. They are supposed to lay an egg a day for a while. Also duck stay in production longer than a chicken. As in they will lay for more years than a chicken. Their eggs are bigger and richer. If you like yolk try an overeasy egg on toast then pop the yolk and let it drizzle on the toast. Yummy. My favorite. They are also good for backing. Why not sure but the cakes came out better and so did the egg bread.

4. What do they eat? I feed my Non- Medicated chick starter. From there I will go to layer pellets Non Medicated. I don't have access to special waterfowl food. I occasionally give cracked corn. They don't eat much though and prefer to forage on the lawn.

The only other thing I can say is they require less in housing than a chickens. And I love mine. Even the ones I had to eat.

 

[cookiesdaddy]

Hmm ... that sounds tempting, although my wife cringes at the idea. I will have to set up some kind of run for it though, or just let them share the chicken run. When I let my chicken free-range they keep hanging around the rear patio waiting for treat, and make a mess there all the times.

So just feed them the same layer pellets huh? That makes it easy. Thanks for taking time to answer my questions.

Now - you eat your own ducks? My kids would never let me! I tried the idea with our over populated rabbits and they screamed. I don't have the gut to butcher my own pets though