Building a "digester"

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Ontario Chick
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Re: Building a "digester"

Post by Ontario Chick » Tue Apr 10, 2018 5:47 pm

The bins stopped working once the temperature dropped bellow 10 C, by that time the first one was reduced by about one third.
Nothing will happen now until or if ever, the temperature will rise above 10 C again.
I would never use poultry compost before it was 2 years old, but I will continue to try to process the droppings this way.
It's my all out effort at a smaller footprint and we are definitely producing too much and piles were getting a bit worrisome.
I will have 5 bins in total and depending how fast the contents decompose, will probably continue combining them in the garden compost piles to "finish".
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labradors
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Re: Building a "digester"

Post by labradors » Fri Apr 13, 2018 12:18 pm

Thanks very much for the info :). It sounds as if you have it all figured out!

I have to ask you "Why two years?" I know you are taking an abundance of caution, and I don't blame you for that in the least, but I couldn't find anything online to support waiting two whole years for finished compost and I'm really hoping that one year will be enough.

Linda
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Ontario Chick
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Re: Building a "digester"

Post by Ontario Chick » Fri Apr 13, 2018 4:34 pm

It's a personal preference, I want the compost to be completely decomposed, so I don't have to dig it in.
Organic gardeners are required to compost for 3 years, so I am hoping two years is long enough to destroy all pathogens and weed seed, and still retain large amount of the soil nutrients I am after.
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Killerbunny
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Re: Building a "digester"

Post by Killerbunny » Fri Apr 13, 2018 5:18 pm

Now our "farmer" neighbour says our heap attracts coyotes! It is close to his feed lot where the cow manure run off is now flowing onto our property. Oh boy!
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Ontario Chick
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Re: Building a "digester"

Post by Ontario Chick » Sat Apr 14, 2018 10:44 am

Can't imagine why your compost would attract coyotes, unless you put meat in there which I am sure you don't.
Composting meat requires a completely different system and I am definitely not getting in to that, we couldn't keep raccoons out of the raccoon proof Green Bins provided by the city.
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labradors
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Re: Building a "digester"

Post by labradors » Sat Apr 14, 2018 11:11 am

Thanks OC for your perspective on the compost :).

WRT coyotes being attracted to a heap, I wonder if it's the smell of fresh chicken poop that does it? My dogs like to sniff around the coop and the run, in the hopes of finding some fresh manure to scarf down. Disgusting, I know, but that's what canids do. I am nervous about keeping fresh poop around in case of attracting them, but they can probably sniff out the chickens anyway and hopefully, the smell of my dogs keeps them from coming too close.

Linda
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Killerbunny
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Re: Building a "digester"

Post by Killerbunny » Sat Apr 14, 2018 12:45 pm

No, it's an ongoing thing with an unpleasant neighbour! His wife has been pissy ever since she informed me that as real farmers she knew that turkeys didn't breed on their own or fly. I swear the sight of 30 baby turkeys running around with parents in the white pines drove her to drink!
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:iheartpto:
Beltsville Small White turkeys.
Mutt chickens for eggs
RIP Stephen the BSW Tom and my coffee companion.
RIP Lucky the Very Brave Splash Wyandotte rooster.
RIP little Muppet the rescue cat.
:turkey:

:bat:

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Ontario Chick
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Re: Building a "digester"

Post by Ontario Chick » Tue Apr 24, 2018 7:18 pm

Very proud of my composting efforts today.
Third (and last) of the compost bins arrived, so emptied the "night soil" bins from under the roosts in to it, it was heaping full, watered it, stuck a thermometer in to it, and was going to give it few days, but not being the most patient person, couldn't resisted and peeked,
well, in less then 24 hours, it has heated up to 135 F, and is at least 8" below the brim of the composter.
Compost 24hrs, 135F.jpg
Compst 24 hrs settled.jpg
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labradors
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Re: Building a "digester"

Post by labradors » Tue Apr 24, 2018 7:43 pm

Cool beans!!!!

Gotta get another composter and empty my full one so that I can save MORE "stuff" from the coop to ferment for my garden :)

Linda
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Re: Building a "digester"

Post by Ontario Chick » Sun Jul 29, 2018 6:02 pm

3 month later, very happy with the results, the bin contents shrunk down to about half,
at least one of the bins has a worm population, it looks so good I will probably leave it for another month and then in to the garden after harvest is completed in some of the beds, hopefully it will finish composting right in the garden and save me one extra step.
I like @labradors idea of covering with tarp, or will just dig a ditch and burry it :)
Compost digester after 3 month.jpg
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