Single hen

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

I am a bit confused about composting chicken waste. I am getting a 330l compost bin:

 

http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/buy_a_bin/scheme_authorities/medway_council.html

it's the the second one - £20 330l - in the pics you can scroll through)

 

But then I found this about chickens in the FAQs:

http://www.recyclenow.com/home_composting/get_advice/setting_up_your_bin_faqs/we_are_in_the.html

 

Which suggests chickens and compost don't mix.

 

Why is this?

 

I use pet wood chippings on newspaper in my coop and wondered if I can recycle these with chicken poo in the compost bin.

 

I use these ones:

http://www.wilkinsonplus.com/invt/0070464

 

Confused! Any advice would be welcome.

 

Anna x

[eggalp]

i have newspaper in the poo tray and every day i empty it into my compost bin. It goes in there with the old straw from the nest and any spare kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s (which arent fed to the hens) and any compostable stuff from my garden, it makes great compost.

[Ain't Nobody Here]

I put all our shredded paper and newspaper from the poo tray straight into a compost bin just like that one.

 

Are they not just saying you shouldn't let the chickens get at the compost if it's in an open compost heap?

 

Not sure about the shavings, but I don't see why they wouldn't compost.

[MadMitch]

I think it is to do with the new Defra regs. which came in after the foot and mouth outbreak.

If you have chickens then any composting you do which contains kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s (which may have come into contact with meat products) has to be in a closed container so they cannot get to it.

 

Also you are not allowed to home compost at all if you have something like a pig.

 

If you are just composting your chicken waste I don't believe its a problem.

[The Dogmother]

I use Aubiose in the eglu and run; it composts like a dream. Chicken poo actually accelerates the composting process, so is very good to use. I'd avoid putting any kitchen waste on it though as it can attract rats - get a wormery instead and put it in that.

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

I love the idea of a wormery but they are gulptastic prices. The cheapest one I've seen is about £70. It's a box with some worms in it! Crazy money! The worm juice though is very good. I got given a bottle once.

 

Anna x

[chickenanne]

Totally agree with everyone else: don't let the chickens rummage about the compost bin (they'll only end up eating all the worms, anyway!). Chicken poo is a great fertilizer, once rotted down, as is Hemcore!

[chickencam]

We use our 3 bins in rotation, when one has rotted down we empty it onto the garden and the chickens do pick through it but we only ever put veg and fruit peelings in the compost with the contents of the Eglu poo tray and it stays put for at least 6 months.

[Tara.F]

the defra rules are, as somebody mentioned, a knee jerk reaction to foot and mouth so no need to worry there

I compost our chicken poop along with general garden waste and kitchen s"Ooops, word censored!"s (though not meat, dairy, fish or cooked foods) I also bung in the hemcore from the run and shredded paper. The result is a fantastic rich compost

 

If you grow runner beans now is a good time to start 'trenching' for next year.

dig your bean trench and over the winter, fill with uncomposted poop etc topping each layer with a layer of soil. By the time the trench is filled you will have the perfect medium for growing strong and prolific beans (and no expensive compost bins required)

[A chickychickychick-ENN!!]

I've got a 24-strong mega tub veg garden. It's just rows of big deep pots. And I have no compost yet, but will try layering them up as suggested over the winter.

 

I LOVE your bouncy animated pic Tara!

 

Anna x

[Tiggy]

I use Aubiose in the eglu and run; it composts like a dream. Chicken poo actually accelerates the composting process, so is very good to use. I'd avoid putting any kitchen waste on it though as it can attract rats - get a wormery instead and put it in that.

 

 

I have just used composting worms in an ordinary composter, it works really well, kitchen wast in the top & compost out at the bottom - no liquid fertiliser though, I wish I had know that you wanted one when you OH was putting up my run, I have an old wormery that Im not using

 

edited - sorry Claret I've just realised it was chickychickchick who was suprised by the cost of comercial wormeries, offer still stands though if you or OH are in my area again

[The Dogmother]

I use Aubiose in the eglu and run; it composts like a dream. Chicken poo actually accelerates the composting process, so is very good to use. I'd avoid putting any kitchen waste on it though as it can attract rats - get a wormery instead and put it in that.

 

 

I have just used composting worms in an ordinary composter, it works really well, kitchen wast in the top & compost out at the bottom - no liquid fertiliser though, I wish I had know that you wanted one when you OH was putting up my run, I have an old wormery that Im not using

 

edited - sorry Claret I've just realised it was chickychickchick who was suprised by the cost of comercial wormeries, offer still stands though if you or OH are in my area again

 

If it's going spare Tiggy, then I'd love it. We'd have to collect over the Christmas break though as we're booked solid until then - is that OK? You'll have to PM me your addy again though and I will be in touch to sort a date.

[Tiggy]

no problem, it is an old version of the wiggly wiggles waste juggler, it needs a new tap but otherwise is fine, I'm at home all next week, & in Ludlow christmas day & boxing day but just give me a ring when you want to collect - I'd better get that jet wash out again

[The Dogmother]

That would be great Tiggy as our current can-o-worms has run out of space. Please don't worry about jetwashing it!

 

I have answered your PM