Pets With Benefits

[amh]

I was inspired by this thread to make this post.

 

Today I cleaned out my main chicken coop. I've mention before that I compost my paper waste using chicken manure for a nitrogen source. 

First I arranged some cinder blocks into a square. I then empty a bag or two of shredded paper, old napkins, tissues, torn paper, etc into my wheelbarrow and add some chicken/coop waste and mix; dump in into the square. Repeat until the coop is cleaned, then add water. Tomorrow I'll add some oak leaves and kitchen scraps, then mix. 

 

As the temperatures warm, the soldier flies will become active and I'll add more cardboard to the pile. The soldierfly larva will eat cardboad in very little time and provide free treats for the chickens and wildlife. I'll add to this thread with the progression of the composting process.

I have found this is a great method to get many cubic yards of compost per year, while cutting the amount of trash that I create. Chickens are a wonderful asset to the garden that consume pest, create manure and provide eggs.

[amh]

It has been wet and cool, so things aren't composting as fast, but progress is being made. I decided not to add oak leaves because there is a shortage this year, and I have left the leaves to become soil. I'll place some cardboard on top to coerce the soldier fly larvae to the top for a future picture.

[teddytn]

Our 2 big dogs had puppies last year. We kept a brother and sister, and found homes for the rest. The pups love being outside. The boy Taniel wanted to help me water plants the other day! 

[amh]

15 hours ago, teddytn said:

Our 2 big dogs had puppies last year. We kept a brother and sister, and found homes for the rest. The pups love being outside. The boy Taniel wanted to help me water plants the other day! 

Good boy.

I need to get a dog again; I used to have a German Short Hair that would "help" with tools.

[amh]

The soldier fly larvae doing their thing. I've composted hundreds of pounds of cardboard and paper this summer.

[edbrown_III]

[amh]

It's time to start a new pile. The soldier flies are basically done for the season and the earthworms and micros will finish off this pile. I was able to compost at least 12 trash bags full of shredded paper this year along with a lot of cardboard. That is a significant amount of paper products that will not end up in a landfill. 

I also did a quick semi-compost of some cedar and hardwood mulch that I am currently putting around my fruit trees.

 

Raise chickens, they eat bugs and weeds, provide you with manure, give you eggs, and act as a security system.

[happypalms]

Way to go good to see try looking into biodynamics well worth reading about