New to composting.... sort of

[Ridgerunner]

I have been doing it wrong!! I dump the stall cleanings from the barn into the chicken pen - they level a heaping wheel barrow load in less than an hour... but there is nothing left to take back out.. just the same old dirt floor chicken yard. I should dump INSIDE the coop! View attachment 17859

You could try that or if your run is big enough, make a composting bin in your run. One problem I had was that the chickens scratched the stuff everywhere, spreading it out so much I could not collect it when it was ready, so I put a 4th wall on mine. That solved that problem. It's also a good place top toss your garden wastes and kitchen wastes so they can pick through them and keep it stirred.

You may have so much with the horses they can't keep up, so maybe two or more bins would work. Fill one then just let it work until it's ready. Just build them out of something the chickens can't scratch the dirt through.

 

[henless]

I have been doing it wrong!! I dump the stall cleanings from the barn into the chicken pen - they level a heaping wheel barrow load in less than an hour... but there is nothing left to take back out.. just the same old dirt floor chicken yard. I should dump INSIDE the coop! View attachment 17859

The run is where I do my composting. In the spring, I clean out the coops and put it all in the run. My kitchen leftovers get tossed in the run along with grass, leaves, pine straw & garden leftovers. When I need some compost, I rake back any loose litter/leaves/whatever and use a shovel to dig up the first couple inches of "soil". It's rich & dark while the native soil is more of a lighter brown color.

 

[thistlebloom]

That's how I do it too Henless. Except the coop cleanings go out on the manure pile. I give them leaves and kitchen scraps and weeds to go through. When the run is wet and mucky I'll pop a bale of straw, or dump a bag of leaves if I have some hoarded, in there so it's not such a mess for me to walk through. That gets scattered and breaks down nicely.

In the fall I dig 3 or 4" of that dirt out and dump it on the beds to overwinter and weather. All of that poo and "extras" does look just like dirt in a few months, but I know it's compost. The soil height gets higher through spring and summer until I dig it down again.

 

[ChickenMomma91]

i'm very careful what I give my chickens. I know that they can't have uncooked beans or anything related to alums, they don't like celery the picky lil brats. plus my DH wants to keep the yard 'looking clean' since we live in town. I could try to make a bin in the coop with step or something for them to get into it and back out

 

[Beekissed]

I have been doing it wrong!! I dump the stall cleanings from the barn into the chicken pen - they level a heaping wheel barrow load in less than an hour... but there is nothing left to take back out.. just the same old dirt floor chicken yard. I should dump INSIDE the coop! View attachment 17859

I don't know about that...you wouldn't want bedding in the coop that already has its fair share of manure. Too moist and already enough nitrogen in it, so it would kind of defeat the purpose of putting it into the coop...where it will get moisture and manure aplenty.

I'd dump that horse manure into a big ol' bin and let the chickens feast on what comes to it, dig through it, pretty much work it all up for you. But for the coop you'll want just carbonaceous materials alone to mix with your nitrogenous manure deposited there.

 

[majorcatfish]

I don't know about that...you wouldn't want bedding in the coop that already has its fair share of manure. Too moist and already enough nitrogen in it, so it would kind of defeat the purpose of putting it into the coop...where it will get moisture and manure aplenty.

I'd dump that horse manure into a big ol' bin and let the chickens feast on what comes to it, dig through it, pretty much work it all up for you. But for the coop you'll want just carbonaceous materials alone to mix with your nitrogenous manure deposited there.

one of these days need to drive up to your place so can visit you...will bring note book and muck boots...

 

[thistlebloom]

one of these days need to drive up to your place so can visit you...will bring note book and muck boots...

Well don't forget your hoes too Major! I know Bee can show you where to give them a workout.

 

[henless]

In the fall I dig 3 or 4" of that dirt out and dump it on the beds to overwinter and weather. All of that poo and "extras" does look just like dirt in a few months, but I know it's compost. The soil height gets higher through spring and summer until I dig it down again.

I didn't think I had any compost until I dug down about 2" into the soil. Once you started digging, you could tell the compost from the dirt. The top layer was really dark compared to underneath it.

 

[Beekissed]

one of these days need to drive up to your place so can visit you...will bring note book and muck boots...

You kiddin'???? I'll be the one driving to your place to see how you grow those absolutely fabulous gardens with all that perfect produce!!! Ain't nothing I can teach you about soils and growing anything, that's for sure.

 

[majorcatfish]

@Beekissed do you mean like this?

12/23 tonight they are calling for rain so decided to uncover everyone so they get a fresh breath of air, of course a drink of rain water. the next 5 days is suppose to be in the low 40's at night, might leave them uncover...