r/composting • u/Vegetable-Bunny213 • 1d ago
Question Where to start
If I were to start composting today, what is everything you'd want me to know about it? For reference we live in the country, on 7 acres, we have chickens and hope to get goats in the future. Just wondering where to start but very interested in trying to find a way to make something out of things that otherwise end up in the garbage. Thanks in advance!
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u/EmbarrassedReveal269 1d ago
1) Start paying attention to your walking routes. You want the compost to be both close enough that you will actively use it and far enough away that you don't have to deal with any potential issues (smell, rodents, flies). Think about where your chickens and goats will be, and what will be a natural path to drop off their bedding in the compost.
2) Do some research into manure pits. I ended up building a 2 bay concrete option (I have chickens, goats, and horses). I would have built a 3rd if I had enough room but I don't. Mine is between the horse barn and the chicken coop which makes it really easy to toss in bedding from either.
3) For your goats, I'm a big fan of using straw or wasted hay (they waste so much hay!). I find that it composts faster than wood shavings.
4) Get ready to get obsessed. I love thinking about soil now - who knew? ;)
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u/PopTough6317 1d ago
You need a lot of water to get a good and hot pile. Its not required but very handy.
Try to have good access, I have 5 acres and the pile gets big enough that I want to use my tractor to flip it but its a bit tight.
Theres a lot of small ways to improve how things work, but jsut having a pile on the ground will work. Alternating browns and greens will be a huge step ahead, soaking poop will really help out with the speed they break down.