tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post8507385112843718776..comments2024-03-29T21:11:37.724+10:00Comments on down to earth: Compost - let your chickens do the workUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-60311259356187126842009-08-13T10:20:25.903+10:002009-08-13T10:20:25.903+10:00I am making my chooks work very hard at the moment...I am making my chooks work very hard at the moment, and they are enjoying it :) I've opened the gates to the veggie garden and they are cleaning it up for me, ready to start planting in a few months... I love my chickens!!<br /><br />In the summer I have lots of water for them and as they usually free range, they tend to stay in the shade under our trees most of the day. Before we had water restrictions I used to spray them a bit with the hose on really hot days....Joy McDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16392722318912109764noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-70724171125707968752009-08-12T21:18:48.705+10:002009-08-12T21:18:48.705+10:00I have probably posted before about it, but we use...I have probably posted before about it, but we use a chook dome system which means the compost is created on the spot it is needed in. Our girls are in the dome during autumn and spring. This winter, they've been improving the ground under the lemon tree by eating or scratching up the grass there.<br />In summertime, we let them free-range so that they can find shade when they need it (as well as eating all the bugs and weeds in the more robust parts of the garden). We leave water in various places, but preferably in the shade as they don't like warm water. I have noticed that in winter they dust-bathe in the sun but in summer they look for a coolish dampish spot.Chookiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07230973711859964063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-38879247883739886612009-08-12T15:10:04.032+10:002009-08-12T15:10:04.032+10:00Living in the desert we have many days well over 1...Living in the desert we have many days well over 110f (a chicken's internal temp is 103f anything over that will cause death). We keep a temperature sensor in with the chickens to monitor the temp where they are and the temp. read out where we are. <br /><br />We have two portable day pens that are pulled across our back lawn, one houses our two old girls, both 7, one still lays an egg every other day, and one houses our pullets. Both pens are 4'w x 8'l x 6'h. On the crosspiece at the top and center of each cage we have attached a portable outdoor misting system attached to a garden hose with a Y-feed to each pen. Each misting system came with 5 misting heads and little clips to attach it to patios, pet or garden areas. We have replaced 3 of the misting heads with blanks and have 2 working heads aimed in opposite directions. This gives great coverage in the pens. Our girls are damp but cool and comfortable!<br />I don't know who came up with that saying- "madder then a wet hen" <br />Ours are quite content :> When we had temps reaching 117f last week, I also put a juice bottle filled with frozen water in the pen with our older girls. The plastic bottles are flat on two sides and our girls stand on them to "cool their heels". <br /><br />Chickens are a lot smarter then we give them credit for and learn to stand on the bottles once they get over their fear of something new in their pen. The frozen bottles work especially well with high temps and humidity, which is a serious killer. Hope this helps keep your girls cool and happy (<;<br /><br />Julie in ArizonaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-22267490297277267132009-08-11T11:19:03.241+10:002009-08-11T11:19:03.241+10:00About maggots... I read on another site how they p...About maggots... I read on another site how they put the meat scraps in a bucket over the chicken yard. Thy flies do what they do and when the maggots mature they leave the bucket, falling to the ground and the chickens eat them up.Ryanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14977832744110795028noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-91995572388034743732009-08-11T07:45:19.055+10:002009-08-11T07:45:19.055+10:00I can't wait to have chickens. I'm waitin...I can't wait to have chickens. I'm waiting for my girls to outgrow their playhouse and I have plans to turn it into a small chicken coop. It's still against the city bylaws in my city, but I'm hoping they'll overturn that soon. I may just ask the immediate neighbours if they mind and do it anyway. <br /><br />I'll keep the composting in mind. 6 weeks is very fast for compost and I'd make good use of it.Evelyn in Canadahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16273654056979750579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-18002697732200393162009-08-11T00:50:22.113+10:002009-08-11T00:50:22.113+10:00That looks like WONDERFUL compost! :D We won't...That looks like WONDERFUL compost! :D We won't be able to have chickens, but my father-in-law has plenty of cow manure for us to use, so I guess that will do! It's so nice to see pictures of your life; like little windows! :D <br />Courtneybookflutterbyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12426712911284917236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-64077674247676910482009-08-10T18:24:54.925+10:002009-08-10T18:24:54.925+10:00I always wondered about chicken compost ever since...I always wondered about chicken compost ever since you mentioned it in passing a few months ago. <br /><br />What about the danger of flies and maggots on the rotting food stuff? Is there a problem with them eating the maggots?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-30661974864290656582009-08-10T16:56:36.512+10:002009-08-10T16:56:36.512+10:00We were really worried about our chooks during sum...We were really worried about our chooks during summer last year, as they seemed to be panting all the time, but apparently they do this? Anyway, we put up an old piece of material over their yard to give them some shade, and watered the ground and roof of their pen when they had to be locked in (if we were going to be out). This year, we are growing some vines over both the shed and the yard, which will hopefully keep them a lot cooler.Rinellehttp://tirtairngire.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-32797892861440028772009-08-10T12:29:16.605+10:002009-08-10T12:29:16.605+10:00Hello Rhonda,
Great post. My chooks perform the s...Hello Rhonda, <br />Great post. My chooks perform the same task with our compost. Just today I used it around the blueberry bushes. <br />I had a rooster that once overheated and was staggering. I swooped him up and held him in the water bowl and several minutes later he was fine. On really hot days I will turn the hose to make a puddle in the shade and they will all gather in the puddle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-18052269108002358052009-08-10T11:32:00.275+10:002009-08-10T11:32:00.275+10:00Hi -- thanks as always for an informative and inte...Hi -- thanks as always for an informative and interesting post. We are new chicken owners (started with a flock of 25 chicks in April), and I am always interested to read the advice of seasoned owners like yourself and many other readers!<br /><br />I especially appreciate the info on keeping them cool, as we have had an extended heat wave (90-100F) in the last few weeks in our area (NE Oregon state, US).<br /><br />One thing I have noticed already about owning chickens is that they really keep the bugs down! We let ours out to free-range around the yard and garden (and a bit of the orchard) in the evenings, and they earnestly pursue any bugs--even to wasps, which have been a problem for us in past years. <br /><br />Anyway, thanks again for your comments -- I am thinking seriously of setting up a chicken compost corner at one end of our run.<br /><br />Kristin @ The Cherry Tree FarmThe Cherry Tree Farmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13561834372312713466noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-10673775851239027712009-08-10T10:40:50.494+10:002009-08-10T10:40:50.494+10:00We have just sectioned off an area for our chooks ...We have just sectioned off an area for our chooks last week- timely post! (Its on my blog it if anyone wants to have a peek, and avoid our mistakes!)<br />They had eaten every scrap of grass in our garden so no lawn clippings for a long time here :(<br /><br />Their corner has earth floor which I covered thickly with straw, I am thinking that over time it will be similar in that I will just scoop it all out when it has rotted down - hoping this would be a few months away though?? <br />Rhonda- I am cautious of putting food scraps in the pen though, it seems to be attracting rats/mice (veg/fruit scraps only) if the chooks don't eat it that day, (they are picky eaters!) <br />Do you think the straw and chook poo is enough to make compost and any idea how long it might last before I have to replace it all?<br />I have compost bins for food which work well so might just keep doing that. <br /><br />Enjoying you blog every day! <br /><br />:)mountainwildlifehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05697065701317854063noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-19570185301712389442009-08-10T09:59:51.411+10:002009-08-10T09:59:51.411+10:00Our girls (chickens) love to help in the compost b...Our girls (chickens) love to help in the compost bin. Unfortunately they were a little too over zealous in their gardening help and had to be fenced out.<br /><br />When it is hot, we allow the girls to go into the barn to dust bathe in the cool dirt. I also will bring them chilled watermelon or cantaloupe rinds or cucumber slices. The high water content helps to keep them hydrated.Lindahttp://gardeningnotebook.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-8136415318344644542009-08-10T09:58:07.843+10:002009-08-10T09:58:07.843+10:00Debbie, we've never kept ducks here. We have ...Debbie, we've never kept ducks here. We have wild ducks visit us occasionally, but none of them stay. I think duck droppings would be fine in the compost. I see no reason why they'd be any different to the chicken droppings.Rhonda Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00175785349529109084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-47317479521143150332009-08-10T09:56:13.130+10:002009-08-10T09:56:13.130+10:00Our girls (chickens) love to help in the compost b...Our girls (chickens) love to help in the compost bin. Unfortunately they were a little too over zealous in their gardening help and had to be fenced out.<br /><br />When it is hot, we allow the girls to go into the barn to dust bathe in the cool dirt. I also will bring them chilled watermelon or cantaloupe rinds or cucumber slices. The high water content helps to keep them hydrated.Lindahttp://gardeningnotebook.com/blognoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-10052479391528737292009-08-10T09:29:07.115+10:002009-08-10T09:29:07.115+10:00Great post Rhonda but I have a question for you. ...Great post Rhonda but I have a question for you. We have ducks (the first time), can we use the duck droppings for compost? I am not sure if you would know or not but thought I would ask! :)<br /><br />Have a great day.Debbiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08919793216222224648noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-13567525359510458602009-08-10T09:15:59.300+10:002009-08-10T09:15:59.300+10:00This is a timely comment for me. I've noticed ...This is a timely comment for me. I've noticed over the past couple of weeks that the two chickens from behind us who seem to have decided they like scratching around at the back of our yard have turned piles of grass clipping thrown up there into some rather nice looking dirt/compost. I'll have to keep putting the law clippings up there! The chooks seem to love it - just a pity that they go home to lay their eggs!!Michelle Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11159365904128355951noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-81055686902771552342009-08-10T08:46:10.905+10:002009-08-10T08:46:10.905+10:00As soon as I let my chickens out to roam each morn...As soon as I let my chickens out to roam each morning, I spray a big area under a crepe myrtle and let it puddle up. It keeps the bush well watered and gives the chickens a place to return to when they are ready to cool off. Very interesting about the compost. Thanks. Pat/TexasPatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-43098674713408904232009-08-10T08:29:50.285+10:002009-08-10T08:29:50.285+10:00We just started doing this too, we just dump stuff...We just started doing this too, we just dump stuff in one corner of their coop. I love the idea of fencing a little area off, but we just haven't done it yet. Like you guys, it's been very hot here, and I've been putting it off haha :)Ericahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01588446434293186676noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-42976578107890271092009-08-10T08:17:39.856+10:002009-08-10T08:17:39.856+10:00Hello Rois. Our chooks make holes and sit in them...Hello Rois. Our chooks make holes and sit in them too. Like you, we keep them sprayed with water so they're a bit cooler when they sit in them. I think roosters tend to suffer in the heat because they're trying to look after the hens, and they fuss over them. Lucky you could help your boy.Rhonda Jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00175785349529109084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-89604177676512842022009-08-10T08:06:44.740+10:002009-08-10T08:06:44.740+10:00This was a great posting for us today.We are re do...This was a great posting for us today.We are re doing our chicken coop this week.While the chickens yard fence is down I will be sure to scoop out some of the composted soil for the garden.I had wondered about this before.<br />Also concerning Chickens and the heat,we almost lost our rooster during a heat wave we had here and had to completely dunk him in a water bucket.He's fine now.But something I noticed our girls doing is making wallows/shallow holes in the soil where we had sprayed their yard with water.These spots seemed to help them keep cool.I know dogs do this too when its hot.The girls spent their afternoons in their holes under the tree napping till it cooled down later.<br /> RoisRoishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14960233101785516144noreply@blogger.com