Poultry Talk Ontario (pto.ca)

We have a compost pile (in addition to the manure pile) that is about 5 times that size. the chickens turn the top, the dog eats the stuff that comes out, and every spring the bottom goes into the garden, the top becomes the bottom, and the chickens then turn the top, the dog eats...well, you get the gist of it. LOL. if you find it's not "cooking" you need to make it damper, with more nitrogen. if you find it's cooking too fast (fire is bad, so is smoke) you have too much green wet stuff. i have found that aeration of the lower levels is important....even just stabbing a pry bar through to the bottom here and there is better than nothing.......

also, as it cooks sometimes it will make a void in the middle from losing bulk - manure piles are classic for this - then it can't cook anymore, until it either gets squished together, or collapses in on itself....so if it's not cooking (and it's not below freezing-where small piles don't cook anymore) try stabbing it and seeing if there's pockets inside, if there is, smush it all together again. removable boards are awesome...the bottom board on mine can be unscrewed to allow me to shovel out the bottom as it finishes without getting uncomposted stuff at the top.

Sandy, if you're new to composting, straw is your friend. The hollow tubes help keep the pile breathing (non stinky) and it breaks down much faster than tougher ingredients like pine shavings.

Nice idea OC

Spring must be in the air, noticed the compost pile is shrinking, with all this freeze and thaw it should be ready to use by April!