Lucas Delgado
Chickens are natural composters, and their poop is rich in nitrogen, making it a great addition to your compost pile. By scratching in a compost pile, chickens provide oxygen to the microbes that cause the pile to decompose. They will also eat any bugs and larvae in the compost, which are a great source of protein and calcium. However, they may also eat any kitchen scraps in the compost, which could be poisonous to them, and they will scatter the compost everywhere. To start a compost pile in a chicken run, you will need to assemble your compost pile and let it heat up before letting the chickens loose on it. You can also add manure directly to the pile.
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What You'll Learn
Using pallets to contain the compost
Using pallets to contain compost in a chicken run is a great way to let your chickens do the work of turning your waste into compost. Chickens are natural composters and will scratch and peck at a compost pile, turning the soil and providing oxygen to the microbes that cause the pile to decompose. They will also eat some of the compostable material as well as any bugs in the pile, saving on feed costs.
To get started, source some pallets from your local hardware store. You can then rig up a bin by joining the pallets together, using your fence as a back wall if that works for the location you've chosen. Make sure the bin is big enough for your flock—a 4' x 4' bin should be sufficient for a small flock of 6 chickens.
Once your bin is set up, add your compost materials. You can put in kitchen scraps such as onion peels, stale bread, carrot scrapings, coffee grounds, and desiccated oranges, as well as garden waste like grass clippings, leaves, and weeds. Just be aware that chickens will eat some things and not others, so you may need to have a separate compost pile for anything they won't eat. You can also add chicken manure to your compost bin, which is rich in nitrogen and will help balance the carbon in materials like leaves and straw.
As your compost pile heats up and starts to decompose, your chickens will show more interest in it. They will scratch and peck at the pile, turning it into compost. You can also confine your chickens around a pile of mulch or compost if you want them to spread it for you.
Using pallets to contain compost in a chicken run is a simple and low-maintenance way to create compost, with the chickens doing much of the work for you.
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Chicken poop and carbon materials
Chicken manure is very rich in nitrogen, with a carbon-to-nitrogen (C:N) ratio of 10:1. To make great compost, you need a C:N ratio of about 30:1. This means that chicken manure is an excellent additive to your compost pile, but you won't need much of it to balance with carbon-rich materials. Carbon materials like leaves, hay, or straw have much higher C:N ratios, so for every pound of chicken manure, you can use 45 pounds of leaves!
Chicken manure can be harvested and stored in a leach-proof container until you're ready to build your compost pile. Alternatively, you can mix the manure with your carbon material as you go. It's important to note that chicken manure is not suitable for feeding to chickens, so if you're adding it to a compost pile that your chickens have access to, be sure to mix it thoroughly with carbon materials first.
When creating a compost pile for your chicken run, it's essential to give it time to heat up and start decomposing before allowing your chickens access. This is because chickens are less likely to be interested in fresh ingredients. Once the pile has warmed up and started to decompose, it will be teeming with life that will attract your chickens. During this initial heating stage, it's a good idea to have ""walls" around your compost pile to prevent your chickens from spreading it out before it has fully heated.
In addition to chicken manure, you can add various other ingredients to your compost pile, including food scraps, weeds, grass clippings, and dead leaves. It's important to note that certain food scraps, such as meat and dairy products, are not suitable for chicken consumption and should be avoided. However, chickens will happily eat bugs and larvae that grow in the compost pile, providing them with a protein-rich food source.
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Pros and cons of chickens in the run
Chickens can be a great addition to your compost pile, but there are some potential drawbacks to consider.
Pros
Chickens can help turn and spread your compost, speeding up the composting process. They do this through their natural tendency to scratch and peck, which provides oxygen to the microbes in the compost pile and helps to break down the material. Chicken manure is also very rich in nitrogen, an essential component of compost, and their droppings can add nitrogen and oxygen to your compost pile. Additionally, chickens can eat some of the compostable material, as well as bugs in the pile, which can save on feed costs.
Cons
One of the main drawbacks of having chickens in the compost pile is that they may eat things that are not suitable for them. While chickens are generally smart enough to avoid eating something that is bad for them, there are certain things you would add to a compost pile that you wouldn't want your chickens to eat. This means you would have to be careful about what you put into the pile or find another place to compost certain materials.
Another potential issue is that chickens will distribute the compost material around the area. This means you may not have a neat pile anymore, but instead, compost everywhere. This could make it difficult to contain the compost and control the moisture levels, potentially leading to dried-up detritus laying about.
Overall, while chickens can be helpful in creating compost, they may also require more management and supervision than a traditional compost pile.
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What to feed chickens from the compost
Chickens can be great helpers when creating compost for your garden. They can turn and spread compost by scratching and pecking, which also provides oxygen to the microbes that cause the pile to decompose. Chicken manure is also very rich in nitrogen, which is an essential component of compost.
Chickens can also eat some of the compostable material, such as food scraps and bugs, which can save money on feed costs. However, there are some things that can be added to compost piles that are not suitable for chickens to eat, so these will need to be added to a separate compost pile.
Some examples of food scraps that can be fed to chickens from the compost pile include:
- Vegetable scraps
- Fruit scraps
- Orange peels
- Banana peels
- Carrot peels
- Celery ends
- Apple cores (minus the seeds)
- Watermelon rinds
- Cantaloupe rinds
- Onion ends and skins
It is important to note that chickens will not eat things that are harmful to them, but they will enjoy eating the bugs and worms that compost attracts. It is also important to ensure that the compost pile is well-aerated to reduce risks associated with anaerobic breakdown.
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Preparing the compost for chickens
Preparing compost for chickens requires a few key considerations and steps. Firstly, it's important to note that chickens can help create, turn, and spread compost, but they may also eat some of the compostable material and bugs in the pile. This can save on feed costs, but it's crucial to ensure that only suitable items are accessible to them.
To prepare the compost for chickens, start by assembling a diverse pile of compostable materials. This can include food scraps, weeds, and garden waste such as grass clippings, leaves, and spent plants. Avoid adding grass clippings directly to the chicken run as they tend to clump up and get moldy; instead, mix them with other compost materials. You can also add chicken manure to the pile, which is rich in nitrogen and beneficial for the composting process. Aim for a carbon-to-nitrogen ratio of about 30:1. Regularly harvest and store chicken manure in a leach-proof container until you're ready to build your pile.
Protect your compost pile while it heats up and starts to decompose. You can use a protective bin, temporary fencing, or a cover to keep it contained. This initial heating stage is crucial for the growth of microbes, which chickens will then peck at and scratch, providing oxygen to further aid decomposition.
Once the pile has warmed up and started to decompose, introduce your chickens to it. They will be attracted to the live biota in the pile and will begin turning the compost for you. Chickens can also help spread the finished compost; simply confine them around a pile of mulch or compost, and they will do the work for you.
It's important to note that chickens may not be interested in fresh ingredients, so allowing the pile to heat up and decompose first is essential. Additionally, be mindful of any regulations or guidelines regarding kitchen scraps and other compostable materials that may be poisonous to poultry. Overall, by following these steps, you can effectively prepare compost for chickens, benefiting from their natural tendencies to create rich and valuable compost for your garden.
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Frequently asked questions
Chickens are natural composters. They scratch and peck at the compost pile, turning the soil and providing oxygen to the microbes that cause the pile to decompose. Chicken manure is very rich in nitrogen, which is essential for good compost.
Food scraps and weeds can be thrown in the pile. Orange peels, banana peels, carrot peels, celery ends, apple cores (minus the seeds), watermelon rinds, cantaloupe rinds, onion ends and skins, and grass clippings are all good options.
Yes, chickens will eat the worms and bugs in the compost pile, which may not be suitable for them. They will also scatter the compost everywhere, and you will need to be careful about adding anything poisonous to poultry.
You need to have "walls" to put all your compost ingredients inside. Pallets can be used to enclose the sides. This is important because you want the pile to stay together so it can heat up and decompose quickly.
Chickens can help turn and spread the compost, but you may also need to turn the pile yourself. Regularly adding water to the compost will help things decompose.
