Should I feed the chicken or throw to the compost pile?

[cookiesdaddy]

I have a chicken run with 4 hens and about 10 rabbits right now. All kitchen scrap have been going to the chicken run. Whatever the hens refuse the rabbits will eat them up. Occasionally throwing some grass clipping in there. And hay. The problem is doing this I have nothing to feed the compost pile, except for old leaves and small branches and the occasional chicken poo collected from the coop.

I remember reading from Nifty saying that the dirt in the chicken run is like black gold. Is this true? Couple months ago I borrowed a tiller to till up the chicken run and used the dirt to fill part of my garden beds. Things seem to grow OK although not exceptional. I used the same dirt to when transplanting a small lime tree, but I noticed the lime leaves are yellowing (shortage of nitrogen I think).

So ... the questions are: is dirt from chicken run generally good for soil? (mine is also filled with dry rabbit poos). Secondly, is it more beneficial to feed kitchen scrap to the chicken or to throw to the compost pile?

 

[lesa]

I notice I have less for the compost, now that I have chickens. I say, free, nutritious food for the animals, is better than the compost...Just my opinion...I am sure the dirt from the run is great- except it may still be too hot for the garden, if you are not letting it cook/compost at least a little... The rabbit poop is good to go, but the chicken poop is hot, hot, hot. My understanding is that chicken poop is very high in nitrogen- I doubt you have a shortage? Good luck!

 

[Augustmomx2]

From the various things I have read on this board & BYC, I have learned that bunny poo can be used directly in a garden. Chicken poo is much too high in nitrogen and must be composted first before adding to your garden. I too have a compost pile, but find that a compost pile needs much more carbon (leaves, cardboard) than nitrogen (chick poo, food scraps). So the excessive amount of leaves that I have and the chcken poo seem to work well

I much rather feed my girls all of our leftover goodies that they LOVE than add it to my compost pile. Its waaaaay funner to watch than an ol' compost pile anyways HTH!

 

[vfem]

My compost gets what my compost gets... but scraps for the chickens is more cost effective first and foremost!!! They are eating food I know is good for them, and its less pellets I have to buy for the layers.... even the chicks out in the coop like fruit and whatever else they can get rather then chick feed.

Not to mention how much the ducks eat! WOW!

My compost will fill slightly... occasionally some melon rinds... coffee grounds.... chicken poo.... come fall I'll have some.... maybe more come next spring when I really need it again.

 

[cookiesdaddy]

The counter argument is that feeding the scraps to the compost pile I'll have more worms. Right now with the chickens and rabbits, I have absolutely nothing left for the worms - even melon rings and orange peels. I don't know if the scraps help reduce consumption of pellets. My chickens are always hungry it's amazing!!!

Anyone here used dirt from chicken run to grow vegetables before?

 

[Hattie the Hen]

Hi there!
YES I do, but be careful as it is often very weedy!

I bury mine at root level (where it does the most good anyway) & I also mulch round the veg a lot. Try to keep a note of where you bury it for the following years -- it will remind you of where you need to mulch against weeds. I have a little note book, with a pencil that I take out into the garden as otherwise I know I will forget by the end of the day, let alone next year!

Don't use it for root veg the first year otherwise they will be mishaped etc but you can in the 2nd year.


Hope this helps.


:rose Hattie :rose

 

[patandchickens]

I tend to throw things to the chickens, on the theory that most of it gets recaptured either as eggs or as other compostables (i.e. poo and used bedding). I realize that part of the energy in the food is lost from the system b/c of being metabolized by the chickens. But given the usefulness of eggs and the fairly high quality (IMO, because of weed free -ness)) of stuff composted from the coop, I feel that's a price well worth paying.

So, stuff like onion skins and banana peels still go directly to the compost, but most else gets run through the chickens first

JMHO,

Pat

 

[Texan]

I can verify that chicken droppings must be composted first. I didnt do that and on my first garden bed I put the chicken poop directly in and burned a lot of plants. That section of garden is just now recovering and am going to ad dirt and till it a few times in order to make it healthy for fall planting.

I to feed the chickens the greens. I have a bagger for grass clippings that I use on the compost piles.

 

[me&thegals]

Mine ALL goes to the chickens. Those wonderful gals turn it into meat or eggs, and whatever is wasted goes back into their deep litter. We have a fresh litter pile (not usable) and last year's manure pile, which has been turned through the year and used in spring. It's sure doing a great job growing fruits and veggies for us!

OTOH, I had a compost pile, but it was in an awkward spot and never actually got turned or used. So, in this way, I'm finally using my kitchen scraps for the garden. Maybe you will find it more practical to use compost instead of poo.

 

[desertgirl]

I was just thinking about this-I have plenty for the chicks,worms, and compost pile (I'm a vegetarian, so there is always a ton of produce around), but my chicks are still little. When they get bigger something will have to give. It will probably be the compost pile that has to go without treats.:/