Chicken Composting System - Fall Update
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 พ.ย. 2023
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Happy growing!
MANY of our hens are almost ELEVEN years old! Our youngest is 5 1/2!
Get out! Fantastic
That's pretty amazing for sure - do they still lay at all or just look pretty :)
Wow, I've got two that are 10 1/2, no eggs tho. They get by on their looks- a buff orpington and a wyendotte 😊
In a few minutes I will go down to road to my community's annual Harvest Supper in the Community Center. I think these hens are having their daily Harvest Supper. If I were a hen, I am approaching the "ragged" age. I wish I had a Sean and a Sasha to treat me so tenderly every day.
For " Old Ladies " they look exceptionally healthy ! You may have them for quite awhile yet Sean 🙂
Love the chicken compost system updates and reviews as the years go on :) Thank you!
A fantastic channel, Sean! Thank you! I love the chicken/composting/biocharring ideas and system you’ve set up. Congrats to you both on your little girl. And greetings from Perth, Western Australia.
Just love how kind you are to all beings, and it makes me super happy to see you turn over a forkful and have the old girls grab worms. Everyone's happy! ❤
Don't feel too much pressure, do your best to unwind and enjoy your season off.
I always enjoy the chicken videos. Thanks for sharing.
This system is awesome. It shows the love & care you have for earth & her creatures. 😊
yay happy Sunday morning and I LOVE chicken composting updates!
Thanks for the update! Hope you all are sleeping well!
Life is grand at the EA Chicken Retirement Village!
From 🇷🇺 with ❤!
Sean I’ve always loved your language. “Our live has been very full in many many ways” it’s so poetic. You two just had Baby I’m sure it’s a little chaotic and a bit crazy at times. Love your channel and super happy for the three of you. Congrats again.
I really admire your chicken set up! Our first ever chickens (raised from chicks and nearing point of lay now) fight over food quite frequently. I would love to give them a stress-free environment where they can always be busy scratching and foraging, rather than chasing each other away from the food dishes. Like you, we also intend to let our ladies live their full lives. They provide so much joy, even when eggs aren't forthcoming!
I could tell life was getting “full” by the look on your face before you said anything. Hang in there. My youngest kid is 8 and actually helps out in the farm. You’ll get there
Just curious. With all the grain and food that you put on the ground, how do you deal with rats? We’ve had a rat problem in the past and found them very difficult to get rid of.
Thanks.
Love your channel.
They exist but have only been helpful in aerating hard to reach aspects of the compost system...
I was just searching for your winter compost system video when you posted this! Hooray! I'm trying to implement a new chicken compost system on our new property. Questions:
1. I didn't get an idea of the compost space you have. How big and what shape is it?
2. Other than the sprouts you sow with your chicken feed, and the high carbon leaves in your walkways, how do you add to your compost system and also move it through the space? I saw lots of food in varying stages of consumption and breakdown but don't have a good idea of how it makes it to the end or becomes mature compost in place.
3. Do you have an idea of a chicken#/compost work balance? I am urban and can only have 5 chickens on my property and don't want to give them too much "work" they can't keep up with.
EDIT: Oops I just found your entire chicken compost Playlist 😅😊. I would love to know if you've made any recent updates or if you have urban tips for this
Thank you so much!!
Awesome setup as always. I replace half my flock each year and half go in the freezer. Each hen has two years of egg production. It’s a bit cold hearted but it’s very much a dispassionate decision made for the benefit of my family. Definitely wanting to get an incubator to close that loop and do some breeding. Do you think you might do any breeding work with some of your favorite plants or is it enough for you to get them into peoples yards and spread the good life?
Thanks for update
I love your chicken videos, your old ladies have such a great retirement home 🥰
Great update as usual.. Thank You
I love the sound of chickens 👍🤠❤️
So interesting, thank you!
I have started a similar system in my polytunnel for this fall and winter. If the rain ever stops I will get some more material in there. I have seen a pretty good jump in wigglers in the green material areas of the piles already. Will have to get some soaked grains sowed in and see how that goes for adding to the soil and the entertainment of my girls.
It's such an easy addition with the grain going in, highly recommended :)
This time of year always seems strange to me. You're up north already starting to bundle up for the winter. I'm down here in the south and I still haven't turned my air conditioner off yet. I had a great year with my pineapple patches. I managed to get over two dozen in a ultra tiny suburban lot. Next year should bring even more. Each plant only fruits once in its life, but it makes several replacements for itself (generally speaking anyway). If you ever put in a tropical greenhouse give me a holler and maybe we can trade some plants. Good luck to you and the girls(wife included).
Thank you for the update
Such happy chickens❣️☮️🕊️
What a pleasant young man.
Bravo.
I always love your chicken compost videos
It seems, now days, that if you're in an area that even borders a rural setting, everyone's cousin, brother, aunt and mother has a flock of chickens. Which is good. But when you wish to have a fairly sizeable flock of hens, who's main job is compost, the large production of eggs can actually become less a blessing and more a source of stress. I am a huge fan of older birds. Fewer eggs, yes, but pretty much the same work output on the compost side.
Lovely to see the happy hens (and little banty rooster!) enjoying their hungry morning. I trust that Sasha and the baby are well.
Sash and Zelda are really doing great, connecting in wonderful ways. Zelda has felt consistently like a very easy going and lovely little person, we're thrilled beyond words with her!
@@edibleacres ❤❤❤You have an easy baby! I had only one child but she was an easy baby and a delightful daughter, with scarcely any truly difficult points. What a blessing - I was so lucky. Enjoy every moment that you can. The wonderful moments keep us sustained for the hardships - loss of sleep, crying spells, and so forth. I'm so happy for you!
we have old hens as well and a few old roosters...nice presentation
Nice video, thank you!
Love what You Do...🐣🐥🐔
If you look at joel salatins system he claims the corn that he adds to the barn compost for his pigs and cows (its layered in like lasagna when he sets it up, so hay/straw- whole corn, hay/corn etc) and he says bc its set up like that it that the corn actually ferments in there? So if thats true (i dont know) then maybe your cooked grains do something similar? Then even though they aren't sprouting, if they fermented then thats really beneficial to them as well. Thats actually what we do here in fove gallon buckets. I fill them up with grain, then water, and then each day when I empty one I fill it back up and set it at the end. the ferments sit for two to three days. The hens love it and you can do it with whole grain, cracked or even pellets and crumbles.
I was telling a friend of mine who keeps chickens about your method, I’ll send them the link to the update
Those look like happy chickens!
Love the chickenTV❤
It's a Hen's Life! Happy Healthy Geriatric Hens doing the work/play. They are molting and they look great! Blessings!
Who else checked their phone for a text at 8:12 ? Lol😂 great video as always!
Yeah I need to figure out turning that off when filming :)
I didn’t no chickens lay eggs at that old age after 3 years I really have to do some research on layers
i'm curious about how the chicken run is doing, it's cool to track how the introduction of a species changes an area
how many chickens do you have, and how many eggs do they lay? i guess it doesnt matter since they are used as workers for your compost system and you probobly give away extra eggs all the time. this is my favorite channel for this. been subscribed for a while.
It's one of my favorite channels too! I've heard Sean say they have anywhere from 50 to 60 hens, that the egg production is okay, and when it drops and they have a need, they will find younger hens to introduce.
We have dwindled down to roughly 50-60 hens, QUITE old at this point, and we are seeing 8-10 eggs a day, pretty much only from the younger hens. We would do well to hit a reset this winter and bring in fresh hens for the spring, we'll see if it happens :)
Ah feeding the hens soaked seed is a nice idea.
After all we have more benefits from seed that have sprouted.
Still I wouldn't have thought of doing the same thing with our animals...
Thank you for the inspiration !
I need to do something like this
Enjoy chicken time! I need to try sprouting some grain for my ladies. Hope little Zelda and all are doing well.
She's great thanks for asking :)
Sprouting is so so simple and so worth adding into a system like this!
It always amazes me the kinds of things you can grow. Here on the Canadian prairies it goes down to -40 in the winter. I have not been able to get red wrigglers to establish. Do you have any suggestions for using local worms?
I'm not sure how best to advise, but very deep mulches could help. Perhaps roundbales of hay could be brought in late summer/early fall to mulch super deeply before the cold sets in?
Shawn, don't you have issues with rats, mice and voles with such a lot of food and sprouts laying around? With my 4 chickens I feel that half of the food is eaten by someone else at night...
They are certainly around but it seems like there is enough for everyone here
Hey friend, you mentioned retiring your IBC tote rain water system in the winter. Could you make a video explaining when you stop using it and drain it? Is it a set time of year, or a set temperature for a set time duration? I have one IBC tote that I use for rain water irrigation, and I know I can get through a few early freezes with out a problem. I think sub-freezing temps for a long enough time wouId be the right way to time it, but I haven't had the system up for long enough to figure it out exactly when. I wonder how late I can use it before I really should drain it. Anyway, thank you for your videos, I really enjoy them.
Good topic, it's in my mind to share notes!!!
Thanks a lot for the update, just finished my first compost load in my chicken yard in Andalucía, Spain which I did in a pile getting up to 65°C in just 1 day. Next to it I am trying out your system of dumping and just turning and I keep wondering what you think about temperatures not rising as high if you have only pathways and not the so said "necessary" 1m3 pile for a thermophilic process...I am dumping everything in like plants from the garden maybe with diseases or seeds of things I prefer not to have germinating from my finished compost. What is your opinion on the temperature in your system? Thanks
Drove and got my order from Erik @BCF&N. We chatted a bit about you all😊
Impressed with the ability to over winter red wigglers outdoors in upstate NY. How thick is your main "dump" area where the majority of the worms reside?
At least 24 inches? Have you ever used a temp probe in the winter?
There is a pretty immense amount of material around in this system, and thats what coasts it for the winter... I'd say 18"-24" or more is about right in the main areas that we know they are in. I try to dump a deep 6" or more of mulch over those areas before the hardest time of winter...
❤❤❤❤❤❤
Oh….little sticks! That’s a clever concept. Got lots of those falling with my leaves. Do you use wood ash from your wood stove anywhere? I found my rabbits love eating the freshly fallen oak leaves - lots of nutrients in those leaves and no danger of sprays. 👍🏻 Bought some buckwheat seeds today. Would it make sense to sprout them indoors for my hens? Also found 2 types of millet seeds for next summer as well as radish seeds. Hope to grow the radishes outdoors thru the winter here in NC, zone 7b. Curious if the hens will eat that forage. Lots to learn in your videos….thank you! Are you and Sasha getting enough sleep with that new baby girl ? ❤❤❤
Little sticks can be super helpful in mulching and protecting soil from being kicked apart, super recommended to explore...
Sure, try to sprout buckwheat, why not!
We are resting well enough, I get good sleep and Sasha can nap in the day, it seems to be working just fine (so far :)
Thank you! @@edibleacres
Great Composting method, great when you can get the chicken food nearly free, well at low cost that continues to reproduce feed.🇦🇺
Hi there! Do actively water your compost in the fall if weather is dry?
Does the large scale composing create major rodent issues?
I wouldn’t think so, also because chickens are known to eat mice if they can 😅
do chickens eat massive rats as well superwoman? @@TheFunctionalForce
We see other creatures in there to be sure, but over the 8+ years with this system I wouldn't call any of it an 'issue'... (yet?)
How do you not have a rodent problem?! I tried a similar setup and was invaded by mice, chipmunks, possums etc.
We have more than enough to support a pretty wide range of characters beyond just the hens
The rooster is beautiful. I'm sure the ladies don't mind having him around.
hi xx so love watching all the chicken videos... we have a small flock of 12 which I supply a compost area for in the run... would love to do sprouts for them... but have a rat problem... what do you do about rats? very best wishes and thank you xxx from the UK X niCOLA X
Rats have been helpful in aerating compost...
thanks xxx I hate dealing with them but here in the uk you have to... love the videos xx very best wishes Nicola x@@edibleacres
Not surprised you wouldn't eat those hens and replace with younger ones, and keep worms in compost, to apply and benefit plants; whereas mealworms can be cultured to feed layers, but this is what I'd do.
And another one for Zelda.
Might you let a few eggs come to term?
Hit the like button 👍👍
do you have pest problems? ie rats if so how do you deal with the pest?
Hi. Are you still interested in doing consultations?
I was thinking about that, too. I liked watching those.
Yes! I'll let folks know when I'm ready to take them again this winter... Should be once things get cold around here... Thanks so much for the interest!
Your hens don't look like they are molting?
From where you get your waste food? Thank you
th-cam.com/video/Y5qyJcr6WJs/w-d-xo.html - This video shares notes on how we source a variety of foods for our hens, and the comments have a nice wealth of additional ideas as well!
Is the rooster a bantam?
Yep, sweet little man there...
I thought chickens are not supposed to eat night shade? I know my grandfather gives his tomatoes as well is it just the greens they are not supposed to eat.
not the leaves but the ripe fruit is fine :)
Ripe tomatoes are a favorite of our hens. Not saying everyone should do it, but it works great for us
are the chickens breeding? if not, why not? seems they could be multiplying rather easily
Support comment.
Chicken trenches and doomsday bunkers when?
I like this idea, but how do you control the rodent population this would attract? Even with bringing in the animal feed nightly, this seems to be an ongoing issue for us without throwing food and grain out.
boi. u shud smoke less marijuana. get rid of old chooks. get fresh.
vo. zajebis. u keep dem videyos flowing yes. u upload more bout chooks.