Such an amazing system.. I hope you are very successful. All of your videos have been so inspirational to me. I come from the suburbs but started working on a farm a few years ago and my life has completely changed. I'm 22 years old and now all I want to do is work naturally with the land and just make it abundant and plentiful. I've enjoyed your videos so much, especially the one about hand digging irrigation ditches. I found it sooo natural and awesome. I would love to some day come out to your farm and do some work for you for a few days and learn a few things in the process.
Thanks Alex. It's been a great adventure exploring and learning as we go. Lots of labor, but nothing special beyond doing things and then watching and learning and then doing more. Sounds like an exciting path you are on, I wish you all the best! If you know you'll be aiming towards the Finger Lakes area of NYS give a holler!
I tried this method after watching this video and unfortunately my chicken died from eating the composting food 🥺🥺 she developed bacterial infection in her crop
I am two weeks away to moving in to my homestead and my new chickens, I have learnt a lot from your videos and I am taking notes to start using your knowledge and advice. Thank you so much for posting all these amazing videos and material 😊
Ok I’ve just got to stop this video...I’ve watched several of yours already...and I need to just thank you...you live the concept of Oneness and sharing the gifts and knowledge you have gained...there is a wealth of information on your site that will immensely help us to live better and sustain ourselves on our new land...and all of nature will benefit from all that we can glean here...I honor you for this 🙏
this is by far the best video I have seen for feeding chicken. please post more and more videos, let us know how many chicken you can feed with the amount of compost you generate?
Exactly what I had been looking for. Instead of building a compost bin that would have to be taken apart, I wondered how much food waste a large garden with chickens could handle as the chickens work their beautiful ways scratching, digging and pecking. The information in this video with your hands-on example, shows a lot of what is possible. Thanks so much.
Sean Reed .... hi there I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s parade however this idea useing chickens isn’t new, Paul gautschi on UA-cam his videos on (back to Eden ) look it up , he produces amazingly beautiful gardens from his chickens , he calls them chicken tractors lol and they are , I do the same all my veg scraps and grasses etc go into the chickens then from there to my gardens and wow do they grow.
@@fishmut, great to hear. Totally understand. I could have been more clear I guess. I was only sharing information from what I had seen in other videos, i.e. Richard Perkins, as well as others, and wondering if chickens could be used in any situation like that. Chicken tractors! yes, for sure. I will look at Paul's videos. Thanks for replying.
You have no idea how useful this was to me. I help my boss with his garden and also trying to find ways to put chicken manure to good use and I think what you've done is perfect for what he has on his property
I have only recently started with chickens while researching their needs I saw this video and other ones about composting like this and it really resonated with me. I built their enclosures around my composting arrangement and I am delighted to see them foraging and keeping occupied and I am amazed that even my little flock clearly speed up the composting process. Thank you!
We used to do this as kids in East Texas and believe me folks it works. Plus the chickens eggs are 100% better than what you get in the grocery store. Of course it doesn't hurt that this guy is super nice looking to watch. Oh, and additionally I noticed that he has some b homes on the side of his garage everybody needs those to encourage bees which pollen at your yard and flowers
How nice is it to see animals and people working together. Or people working with animals letting them do what they want to do. I've noticed chickens are intensely curious about whenever I dig. It's like I'm a big chicken helping them scratch. I've also noticed that they're intensely destructive of the garden, if you don't have proper fencing in place to keep them contained to the composting area / out of the garden. Looks like you might've planted a few things for the chickens but protected them so they don't destroy the plant. I'm working on my fencing to set up a system like this.
Good luck with the chickens, you'll do great! We had no game plan initially and just puttered along each year and learned as we went. The chickens were super patient, ha!
What a great idea. I don't have chickens right now but will definitely look to emulate what you are doing. Seems to both give the chickens food as well as providing nutrient-rich soil for the garden.
Also ignore what people say about chicks dying a lot. I bought extra to account for deaths since it's my first time. Over a month and they are all still kicking. Now I have 21 chickens 😂
How practical. Thank you. I have 10 hens and will certainly employ a lot of these systems. I'm a cattle panel fan and the chicken compost cattle panel hut will be a special spring project. My chicken run is approximately 35' X 40', so I plan to attach the panel quonset-hut to one side of the run with a gate at the other end, closest to the garden. Yours is one of the most practical and 'friendly' sites for a would-be homesteader.
I just love this tumble down the hill composting! I'm trying to incorporate my chickens in my garden this year. It started as a solution to having to weed between my beds, but each day I'm learning more great things that will come from this small change. Plus working in the garden is just more fun with feathered friends to keep me company.
@@rhondaborders3452 it wasn't a problem. I just put little cages around the base of the plants and they were fine. I actually got much more then past years because I didn't constantly lose plants to insect pressure
Great video on composting I would never thought of that using it as a conveyor box system as one section too the next to the finished product that's a beautiful arrangement thanks for showing me that
@@edibleacres I was wondering if you revised from your winter setup for some reason? I watched the Feb 2017 video where you had piles of leaves. Would you elaborate? Or is this the summer setup and the leaves work well in winter?
YES it is excellent, I hope you have also checked out some of Geoff Lawton's compost styles there are a number of them I went to permaculture school with him in Australia a genius at the production of food & land renewal.
Hippies got it going on, I just started a garden and we are getting some chickens after we build the coop starting hopefully this weekend. Literally just put tiller to dirt today lol. Found this very informative thank you.
Hi there Shaun, I am currently working on the implementation of a composting system that was totally inspired by yours. My setting is a little different and slightly smaller scale, but I believe it will produce an abundance of fertility for our veggie garden and budding food forest. One adaptation that I have made is that I designed in three long straight zone 1 garden beds. Us humans will use two beds for growing veggies and the third will be for the chickens and ducks. Then, once a veggie bed comes out of production we can switch the chickens over and prepare the bed they were just in for planting!
Your comment (in the video) that "Maybe we could do it better; we're novices," makes me think of Geoff Lawton saying something to the effect of, Because people (in general, in conventional food production and housing design systems) pay so little attention to flow of energy and material and connection between system elements, that, if you try to design intelligently with these things, you can't help but do better - it doesn't have to be perfect. Of course, interacting and observing and improving is part of an "evolution" design strategy of testing what works better.
Nicely stated here. Starting with the understanding that all things relate and connect is critical I find. Refining how you understand and facilitate the connection and flow is the real magic of it all, and it really takes time!
Absolutely ingenious! Recently moved from a big city to a rural area and LOVE it. I've been wondering how to get more from chickens for less $$ than just eggs (don't know if I'll be able to kill them) and your idea has turned them into a compost factory!! Thank you. New Subscriber!!
Thank you so much for this inspiration! Came across you on youtube by accident lol! Love your ideas! Am beyond impressed that you have such a wealth of creativity in the garden despite being next to a busy road, amaaazing, Congratulations! I am going to definitely put something like this in place for my little flock as I could certainly use the compost for the veggie garden. Thank you again!
Thanks! I will be giving this a go this summer. Makes sense, makes use of the weed seeds and makes use of the chickens never ending scratching. I have always been equally horrified and impressed at how quickly and thoroughly a small group of chickens can turn over an unattended garden.
Hi , going to my daughters tomorrow , 3 x chickens at the moment , we can’t wait to start composting , Thankyou for the inspiration , great ideas and as you said , the chickens need a job lol , thanks Sean 🇦🇺🌺
Thanks for sharing the 3 years of experience in this! i got some chicks this past March and am now getting eggs and have a similar system in the works! Looking forward to getting the compost from there work! i have been adding horse manure to the system, as there are pieces of hay, and bugs in it. Best wishes! Having chickens is joyful journey!
Wonderful video! It is my full intention to use my chickens this way! This is the very best system I have seen for doing this! Thank you so much for sharing!
I've been trying to replicate a simplified version w/ our setup. May try the Locust boards this year. I also started a worm farm this Winter and hope to produce enough worms to add some extra protein to their diet. Love your videos!
Hello, we have started a composting system on a much smaller scale thanks to your inspiration. What is funny is our 10 barred rocks don’t seem interested in the worms. They do love the sprouts though. Have you ever seen this?
I haven't, but also it seems there is maybe a cultural shift in a flock that can take time with new aspects. What you see in this old video is still very much how we do things, it's never moved away from a 'standard' way of doing chicken stuff so it's all they've ever known!
@@edibleacres thank you, this was my first time watching your videos. After watching a few more I learned about chicken TV lol. Chicken tv should be a real TV show!
Good idea turning it to reveal the sprouts, putting the birds to work deseeding for you. I just started this spring with a different method. The run is deep mulched with arborist chips. Then we have a heap back there, continually adding to build up at least 2 yards. This heap isn’t turned except to dig into the core to dump kitchen scraps and other gross things for the worms, which are safe at the center of the heap. The best scraps we save to toss to the chickens. The basic idea is a no-turn worm compost heap, which I have found to be very effective as far as producing worms and compost with minimal work. Also there’s the chicken manure input from them climbing up on the heap. A key part of my set up is separating out stuff with mature seeds while weeding, deadheading etc. and using elsewhere. Because I mainly want the chicken compost for the veggie garden. I think a benefit of this over turning, other than getting “harvestable” worms and saving labor, is that the fungal threads aren’t disturbed nearly as much, most of them not at all. I’m curious to see what they will do to the pile once we restrict the chickens grain, though. I might put pallets around the base so they can still climb on it but can’t ruin the pile.
I would encourage you to consider the primary goal to feed and nourish your chickens, and the secondary to make compost. If they can have access to the fungal and worm life in what you are making they would be really super happy and healthy for it... Later, in the garden, the fungal and worm life can really take off. At least that is the mind set we work with.
For sure! We will feed them most of the worms later, I just can’t have them depiling it until it’s done or it will take too much water. It is crazy dry here in summer. A regular turned heap doesn’t compare to the worm heap method at all as far as producing worms go... It is unreal how many there are. I’m operating under the assumption that it is better to “convert” at least half of our scraps to worms before feeding to chickens since they don’t need that much vegetable matter.
I liked the idea of putting biochar in there and having multiple input streams. I always wondered after you start no till how to get biochar in the soil
This is absolutely brilliant. I am redesigning my garden into a productive space. At the bottom of the garden, across a patio underneath a large sycamore (that belongs to the school and church the other side of the wall at the bottom of my garden), I was planning to have chickens and compost bin system. Now I'm going to have chickens and a chicken compost system - absolutely perfect! I don't suppose it will matter the various stages of compost will be on top of patio rather than soil?
Glad you are excited to do this! Should work on a patio space, easier to move that way. You may want to introduce worms and such to help with the soil life that can't get to the material.
Thank you very much. This is useful information. I've been trying to work out a systematic conveyor system before making a headache. But I too have a question regarding the larger rougher pieces (such as corn cobs) building up over time since they don't break down nearly as quickly as the rest.
Sure. I need to do a follow up video. But basically the corncobs, the woodchips, the sticks, etc., all get sifted out by the hayfork and go into a more standard looking compost ring to decompose there for a few months, then that is opened up and they work it over again.
This is a great system! Going to try an implement a version of this, this spring. Can I ask what you do in the winter time? We free range our birds all year, but obviously not a whole lot of bugs for them in the snow covered ground. We have 50 birds and our feed bill is up the wazoo all winter!
ua-cam.com/play/PLihFHKqj6Jeog3qoYlmhOPt_eElEhNMpH.html - Our chicken playlist. A whole lot to trudge through, but there are a number of videos about our 'winter run' you can search for either in the playlist or our main video list. We have a 4 panel cattle panel high tunnel we have dedicated to compost for them in the winter. It works incredibly well.
This is amazing! It solves two of my main issues… the expense of chicken feed and the difficulty of turning a large bin of compost! I’m so impressed with the amount of good soil you get every week! Awesome Question…do you use the finished soil right away or separate it from the chickens before using in your garden? Isn’t it still too hot?
Somehow they haven't been an issue here, but we also have chicken wire around the entire perimeter and really dense plantings all around to protect the area, I would thing that could help
It's composting not rotting. If you're adding the right amount of materials, if your ratios are right, you won't have a bad smell. Rats are drawn to filth, i.e. rotting organics, not composting. Trust the science and trust your nose. If it smells bad to you, fix it quick cause it'll be smelling good to the rats.
Awsome. How often do you add material? How much of which materials do you incorporate for these 25 chickens? So you have a chicken coop by the compost area and thats where you give them water? What about during the winter?
Yes, we provide water all the time, with a heater for the winter...We add as much compost as we can get generally, sometimes as much as 50-100 gallons of food scraps a week if we can.
How long does this process take. How often are you turning over and moving down the line. very clever. Really want to get chickens and the the flow thru let nature to it's thing with minimal in put. How
I really enjoyed this video and found it very informative. Just a quick question, what does it smell like? I am in an urban setting and would love to increase the manure side but my neighbors might freak if it smells like I know chickens sometimes can.
It is absolutely possible for things to get smelly in a system like this... BUT if you have a large amount of carbon (wood chips, sawdust, etc) it is quite possible to manage things to have just about 0 smell. It is all about technique and quite doable.
I will only have 5 chickens. That's all me and the wife will need. I'm thinking that a 3 pile system may work for me. Thanks for the info. Looking forward to trying it this coming spring. PS I have watch many of your chicken videos and will watch the rest over the winter.
The issue is I only have a 8ft X16ft area to keep them in. How many do you think could be in that space? I have to many fox and eagles around the let them out of a covered space.
Hi, how many chickens do you have in this system, and do you have them enclosed with what kind of fence, also when do you turn the areas, and what happens if it rains a lot?
Desperate for advice this morn. I am making raised beds. I have a leaf bale with tons of acorns growing out of it. I would like to use the leaves for organic material in my Hugelkulter raised beds. If..... the acorns are over foot deep will they die or thrive? I need them to die. Anxiously waiting your opinion. Of course it’s last minute question. Hope you’re available!! Thanks. Love your show.
Even buried in Hugelkutur you would likely end up with many oak trees:) If you really don't want them to grow I would set them aside for wildlife to eat/plant! Good luck!
Wow man!!! You are very knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics and plants!! I watch all the videos you and Sasha post and thought I should give you some feedback. First I want to say thank you for your videos! Next, I greatly enjoy all the knowledge that you present (long form or not) I watch them all; I never know what I might learn or a new technique that might be useful! Lastly I want to let you know that I will be ordering from your website soon ! But not sure which trees/shrubs I should purchase. Living in Texas you and I have much different climates.
Thanks kindly for all this. Excited to send you some great plants this fall if you figure out what you would like to order. Feel free to email with questions, contact page on the website.
This system is awsome! Just got a new place and I want to start my garden. I have new chickens. My question is at what point do I add the seeds? And how often do you turn each bed? Sorry I'm very new to all this. But I love ur system.
Don't over think it! Rough idea is seeds/compost go at the 'beginning' of where you want to dump incoming material, mixing with 'browns' of some sort of carbon you can get for free, and pilling up and letting them kick apart, moving it down towards a 'finishing' area. This can be tried out on a small scale, changed, rearranged, etc., over time. Just try, adjust and learn!
At the time of this video .1 acres and roughly 25-30 hens. Now it is the original area plus an additional large open run in the sun attached and 90 or so hens. Still works very nicely
I wouldn't say I can commit to that statement now, but it certainly can leave the chicken area and be used as a very rich and nourishing mulch after 30-ish days
Love the video and your system it would be possable to use this same system with pigs they would root deeper but if chickens followed the pigs they would do a lot to level it back out
I WANT TO SEE YOUR COMPOST UNDER A MICROSCOPE SO BADLY! You have all the right ingredients for literally "perfect" compost. I want to seeeeeeee it!!!!
Such an amazing system.. I hope you are very successful. All of your videos have been so inspirational to me. I come from the suburbs but started working on a farm a few years ago and my life has completely changed. I'm 22 years old and now all I want to do is work naturally with the land and just make it abundant and plentiful. I've enjoyed your videos so much, especially the one about hand digging irrigation ditches. I found it sooo natural and awesome. I would love to some day come out to your farm and do some work for you for a few days and learn a few things in the process.
Thanks Alex. It's been a great adventure exploring and learning as we go. Lots of labor, but nothing special beyond doing things and then watching and learning and then doing more.
Sounds like an exciting path you are on, I wish you all the best! If you know you'll be aiming towards the Finger Lakes area of NYS give a holler!
Wonderful system. As a new chicken owner and gardener this in very inspiring!
I tried this method after watching this video and unfortunately my chicken died from eating the composting food 🥺🥺 she developed bacterial infection in her crop
I am two weeks away to moving in to my homestead and my new chickens, I have learnt a lot from your videos and I am taking notes to start using your knowledge and advice. Thank you so much for posting all these amazing videos and material 😊
Cool
Ok I’ve just got to stop this video...I’ve watched several of yours already...and I need to just thank you...you live the concept of Oneness and sharing the gifts and knowledge you have gained...there is a wealth of information on your site that will immensely help us to live better and sustain ourselves on our new land...and all of nature will benefit from all that we can glean here...I honor you for this 🙏
Thank you for such kind words. We're just sharing what we're learning as we go, and really happy when folks resonate with it.
@@edibleacres I thank you for that, man.
My words are not as fancy, though.
Peace and love
@@edibleacres You have a lot of good common sense that was lost (by only for profit) farmers. I wish you good luck and a good fortune in your future.
this is by far the best video I have seen for feeding chicken. please post more and more videos, let us know how many chicken you can feed with the amount of compost you generate?
I've smacked my head several times at how elegant some of your systems are. Why didn't I think of that?!
Exactly what I had been looking for. Instead of building a compost bin that would have to be taken apart, I wondered how much food waste a large garden with chickens could handle as the chickens work their beautiful ways scratching, digging and pecking. The information in this video with your hands-on example, shows a lot of what is possible. Thanks so much.
Sean Reed .... hi there I’m not trying to rain on anyone’s parade however this idea useing chickens isn’t new, Paul gautschi on UA-cam his videos on (back to Eden ) look it up , he produces amazingly beautiful gardens from his chickens , he calls them chicken tractors lol and they are , I do the same all my veg scraps and grasses etc go into the chickens then from there to my gardens and wow do they grow.
@@fishmut, great to hear. Totally understand. I could have been more clear I guess. I was only sharing information from what I had seen in other videos, i.e. Richard Perkins, as well as others, and wondering if chickens could be used in any situation like that. Chicken tractors! yes, for sure. I will look at Paul's videos. Thanks for replying.
You have no idea how useful this was to me. I help my boss with his garden and also trying to find ways to put chicken manure to good use and I think what you've done is perfect for what he has on his property
I have only recently started with chickens while researching their needs I saw this video and other ones about composting like this and it really resonated with me. I built their enclosures around my composting arrangement and I am delighted to see them foraging and keeping occupied and I am amazed that even my little flock clearly speed up the composting process.
Thank you!
We used to do this as kids in East Texas and believe me folks it works. Plus the chickens eggs are 100% better than what you get in the grocery store. Of course it doesn't hurt that this guy is super nice looking to watch. Oh, and additionally I noticed that he has some b homes on the side of his garage everybody needs those to encourage bees which pollen at your yard and flowers
Aren't they insect hotels??? When I purchased mine that's how they were listed on Amazon
How nice is it to see animals and people working together. Or people working with animals letting them do what they want to do. I've noticed chickens are intensely curious about whenever I dig. It's like I'm a big chicken helping them scratch. I've also noticed that they're intensely destructive of the garden, if you don't have proper fencing in place to keep them contained to the composting area / out of the garden. Looks like you might've planted a few things for the chickens but protected them so they don't destroy the plant. I'm working on my fencing to set up a system like this.
Getting ready to start with chickens in spring- re-watching these. Still helpful and integrating some of these ideas. So grateful for your work.
Good luck with the chickens, you'll do great! We had no game plan initially and just puttered along each year and learned as we went. The chickens were super patient, ha!
Excellent elaboration & demonstration here... Thank you for spending your time to produce this video for us to enjoy.
My pleasure
@@edibleacres You're my hero. man
@@edibleacres I knew i was getting chicken for composting more than for eggs. You will shortcut my learning period. Thanks
What a great idea. I don't have chickens right now but will definitely look to emulate what you are doing. Seems to both give the chickens food as well as providing nutrient-rich soil for the garden.
Also ignore what people say about chicks dying a lot. I bought extra to account for deaths since it's my first time. Over a month and they are all still kicking. Now I have 21 chickens 😂
How practical. Thank you. I have 10 hens and will certainly employ a lot of these systems. I'm a cattle panel fan and the chicken compost cattle panel hut will be a special spring project. My chicken run is approximately 35' X 40', so I plan to attach the panel quonset-hut to one side of the run with a gate at the other end, closest to the garden.
Yours is one of the most practical and 'friendly' sites for a would-be homesteader.
Some of the,healthiest looking chickens I've ever seen. Hello from Ireland 🇮🇪
So glad you think so!
I just love this tumble down the hill composting! I'm trying to incorporate my chickens in my garden this year. It started as a solution to having to weed between my beds, but each day I'm learning more great things that will come from this small change. Plus working in the garden is just more fun with feathered friends to keep me company.
You do know they will pick at the vegetables
@@rhondaborders3452 it wasn't a problem. I just put little cages around the base of the plants and they were fine. I actually got much more then past years because I didn't constantly lose plants to insect pressure
Those hens look happy and healthy. OMG. Thank you for your help.
Great video on composting I would never thought of that using it as a conveyor box system as one section too the next to the finished product that's a beautiful arrangement thanks for showing me that
Always room to evolve and improve it but so far it's been working nicely.
@@edibleacres I was wondering if you revised from your winter setup for some reason? I watched the Feb 2017 video where you had piles of leaves. Would you elaborate? Or is this the summer setup and the leaves work well in winter?
Really great system. You start to realise that simple things can be the most effective. Thanks for sharing.
Very happy to share
Thanks!
Thanks so much Kathryn!
Wow. Most informative and efficient turning and use of compost that I've yet seen! Thank you! Moreover, you are most considerate of your girls ^ ^.
YES it is excellent, I hope you have also checked out some of Geoff Lawton's compost styles there are a number of them I went to permaculture school with him in Australia a genius at the production of food & land renewal.
World's most happiest chickens,!! Just wonderful to see!! God bless you!!
I love your system and can't tell you how many times I have watched this specific video! I will utillize this system as well.
Hippies got it going on, I just started a garden and we are getting some chickens after we build the coop starting hopefully this weekend. Literally just put tiller to dirt today lol. Found this very informative thank you.
Hi there Shaun, I am currently working on the implementation of a composting system that was totally inspired by yours.
My setting is a little different and slightly smaller scale, but I believe it will produce an abundance of fertility for our veggie garden and budding food forest. One adaptation that I have made is that I designed in three long straight zone 1 garden beds. Us humans will use two beds for growing veggies and the third will be for the chickens and ducks. Then, once a veggie bed comes out of production we can switch the chickens over and prepare the bed they were just in for planting!
Sounds like a great design, I hope it works wonderfully for you!
Your comment (in the video) that "Maybe we could do it better; we're novices," makes me think of Geoff Lawton saying something to the effect of, Because people (in general, in conventional food production and housing design systems) pay so little attention to flow of energy and material and connection between system elements, that, if you try to design intelligently with these things, you can't help but do better - it doesn't have to be perfect.
Of course, interacting and observing and improving is part of an "evolution" design strategy of testing what works better.
Nicely stated here. Starting with the understanding that all things relate and connect is critical I find. Refining how you understand and facilitate the connection and flow is the real magic of it all, and it really takes time!
Your chickens look so healthy and happy.
Thank you!
Very cool way to make compost and your chickens are so healthy.
I can't see this video in your chicken compost playlist, believe it should be there
I just discovered your videos and found them both informational and inspiring. I am looking forward viewing your others. Thank you
Thank you, this is wonderful! I love how your chickens follow you around
Absolutely ingenious!
Recently moved from a big city to a rural area and LOVE it. I've been wondering how to get more from chickens for less $$ than just eggs (don't know if I'll be able to kill them) and your idea has turned them into a compost factory!! Thank you.
New Subscriber!!
give them a job as gardeners 😂
Thank you so much for this inspiration! Came across you on youtube by accident lol! Love your ideas! Am beyond impressed that you have such a wealth of creativity in the garden despite being next to a busy road, amaaazing, Congratulations! I am going to definitely put something like this in place for my little flock as I could certainly use the compost for the veggie garden. Thank you again!
Thanks! I will be giving this a go this summer. Makes sense, makes use of the weed seeds and makes use of the chickens never ending scratching. I have always been equally horrified and impressed at how quickly and thoroughly a small group of chickens can turn over an unattended garden.
Exactly. Thats why this design works so well. They LOVE to do this work so why not give them a life full of it!
This is a very innovative idea of compost for garden and also feed for Chickens. Best wishes from a Chicken enthusiast.
Thanks kindly!
Hi , going to my daughters tomorrow , 3 x chickens at the moment , we can’t wait to start composting , Thankyou for the inspiration , great ideas and as you said , the chickens need a job lol , thanks Sean 🇦🇺🌺
So glad!
Thanks for sharing the 3 years of experience in this! i got some chicks this past March and am now getting eggs and have a similar system in the works! Looking forward to getting the compost from there work!
i have been adding horse manure to the system, as there are pieces of hay, and bugs in it. Best wishes! Having chickens is joyful journey!
Finally a system explained that I was looking for. Perfectly demonstrated. Thank you. 😁
Glad it helped!
A very good systematic approach in feeding chickens and abundant composting. I will try this definitely. Maraming salamat Po (thank you very much).
Wonderful video! It is my full intention to use my chickens this way! This is the very best system I have seen for doing this! Thank you so much for sharing!
I've been trying to replicate a simplified version w/ our setup. May try the Locust boards this year. I also started a worm farm this Winter and hope to produce enough worms to add some extra protein to their diet. Love your videos!
So great! Happy evolving and exploring, I'm sure your hens adore every new thing you are trying, because NEW!!!
How often do you turn the soil? This is a neat and interesting idea that I may try it out myself once I get my acreage purchased…
Hello, we have started a composting system on a much smaller scale thanks to your inspiration. What is funny is our 10 barred rocks don’t seem interested in the worms. They do love the sprouts though. Have you ever seen this?
I haven't, but also it seems there is maybe a cultural shift in a flock that can take time with new aspects. What you see in this old video is still very much how we do things, it's never moved away from a 'standard' way of doing chicken stuff so it's all they've ever known!
I could watch the chickens looking for food all day long. Please give me more chicken time!
Can do... There is a whole playlist on our channel for chickens if ya need it, and we plan to make more videos about them soon.
@@edibleacres thank you, this was my first time watching your videos. After watching a few more I learned about chicken TV lol. Chicken tv should be a real TV show!
very useful. how often do you turn everything? do u even need to feed ur chickens anything extra?
Good idea turning it to reveal the sprouts, putting the birds to work deseeding for you. I just started this spring with a different method. The run is deep mulched with arborist chips. Then we have a heap back there, continually adding to build up at least 2 yards. This heap isn’t turned except to dig into the core to dump kitchen scraps and other gross things for the worms, which are safe at the center of the heap. The best scraps we save to toss to the chickens. The basic idea is a no-turn worm compost heap, which I have found to be very effective as far as producing worms and compost with minimal work. Also there’s the chicken manure input from them climbing up on the heap. A key part of my set up is separating out stuff with mature seeds while weeding, deadheading etc. and using elsewhere. Because I mainly want the chicken compost for the veggie garden. I think a benefit of this over turning, other than getting “harvestable” worms and saving labor, is that the fungal threads aren’t disturbed nearly as much, most of them not at all. I’m curious to see what they will do to the pile once we restrict the chickens grain, though. I might put pallets around the base so they can still climb on it but can’t ruin the pile.
I would encourage you to consider the primary goal to feed and nourish your chickens, and the secondary to make compost. If they can have access to the fungal and worm life in what you are making they would be really super happy and healthy for it... Later, in the garden, the fungal and worm life can really take off. At least that is the mind set we work with.
For sure! We will feed them most of the worms later, I just can’t have them depiling it until it’s done or it will take too much water. It is crazy dry here in summer. A regular turned heap doesn’t compare to the worm heap method at all as far as producing worms go... It is unreal how many there are. I’m operating under the assumption that it is better to “convert” at least half of our scraps to worms before feeding to chickens since they don’t need that much vegetable matter.
I very much appreciate the articulated blog. I will be placing an order soon.
Thank you for sharing.
That's a neat system! And in a surprisingly small area.
I liked the idea of putting biochar in there and having multiple input streams. I always wondered after you start no till how to get biochar in the soil
That fork is a ripper! I want one. Excellent system, thanks for sharing.
Yeah, 5 tine or 6 tine and nice and sturdy is a perfect tool for this system I've found. Costs about $30 new.
great - would you have some pictures in bird perspektive?
This is absolutely brilliant. I am redesigning my garden into a productive space. At the bottom of the garden, across a patio underneath a large sycamore (that belongs to the school and church the other side of the wall at the bottom of my garden), I was planning to have chickens and compost bin system. Now I'm going to have chickens and a chicken compost system - absolutely perfect! I don't suppose it will matter the various stages of compost will be on top of patio rather than soil?
Glad you are excited to do this! Should work on a patio space, easier to move that way. You may want to introduce worms and such to help with the soil life that can't get to the material.
So beautiful, ingenious way and so peaceful
Thank you very much. This is useful information. I've been trying to work out a systematic conveyor system before making a headache. But I too have a question regarding the larger rougher pieces (such as corn cobs) building up over time since they don't break down nearly as quickly as the rest.
Sure. I need to do a follow up video. But basically the corncobs, the woodchips, the sticks, etc., all get sifted out by the hayfork and go into a more standard looking compost ring to decompose there for a few months, then that is opened up and they work it over again.
Yes. Two of my favorite things chickens and compost
They go so beautifully together!
So much of practical stuffs to learn from you...Thank You..I m glad I came across your channel 🎉
Optimum utilization of resources in best possible way. Thanks a lot.
You are most welcome
Wonderful way of integrating compost and feeding system. But how do you address the flies ?
I love how you use chickens in a circle of food chain from eggs to vegetables :)
So cool...so are the sprouted grain is just to feed the chickens better nutrients? Or just easy way of feeding
Yes and yes... Soaked and sprouted is much more nutrient per food input. Not a lot of effort for much higher quality feed (and less of it!)
Beautiful process. You remind me of Helen and Scott Nearing and what they did in Vermont. My hat off to you..
Those are some healthy looking chickens!
this channel really is so great, we have been inspired so much by these videos.
Sean, this is great! I'm going to think about how this could be worked into my system. Thank you so much for sharing!
Thats great Ben!
Great system and great video. I’m getting ready to build a chicken/ sustainable garden and I’ll incorporate your ideas here. Thanks very much
Thank you. I have seen the light re: chickens - to have them or not - and is it worth it? Yes.
We think they are incredibly worth having for sure.
Brilliant information
Love your setup
Thank you so very much for this video- your system is simple, yet brilliant.
Glad it was helpful!
Excellent. Thanks for reviewing your system.
Nice explanation. Wish I could give your 100 thumbs-up. Very informative. Hope to implement this when I have chickens in a year or two.
Thrilled to share notes with folks that are interested in trying and evolving the ideas.
A simple and common sense approach. Thank you for sharing. New subscriber😀
This is a great system! Going to try an implement a version of this, this spring. Can I ask what you do in the winter time? We free range our birds all year, but obviously not a whole lot of bugs for them in the snow covered ground. We have 50 birds and our feed bill is up the wazoo all winter!
ua-cam.com/play/PLihFHKqj6Jeog3qoYlmhOPt_eElEhNMpH.html - Our chicken playlist. A whole lot to trudge through, but there are a number of videos about our 'winter run' you can search for either in the playlist or our main video list. We have a 4 panel cattle panel high tunnel we have dedicated to compost for them in the winter. It works incredibly well.
This is amazing! It solves two of my main issues… the expense of chicken feed and the difficulty of turning a large bin of compost!
I’m so impressed with the amount of good soil you get every week!
Awesome
Question…do you use the finished soil right away or separate it from the chickens before using in your garden? Isn’t it still too hot?
Hope some aspects of this system work well for your needs!
Fantastic, thanks for sharing. Why have two waste streams? Why not combine the weeds/lawn clippings etc with the food scraps?
Thanks collin parrel for very useful videos..
How do you keep the rougher piles from becoming a rat farm at night when the chickens are asleep?
Joan Smith cats in my experience are an essential addition.
yes I believe that would be the answer!
Joan Smith it's worked for us for 11 years now. Two are best, but don't always get along.
Somehow they haven't been an issue here, but we also have chicken wire around the entire perimeter and really dense plantings all around to protect the area, I would thing that could help
It's composting not rotting. If you're adding the right amount of materials, if your ratios are right, you won't have a bad smell. Rats are drawn to filth, i.e. rotting organics, not composting. Trust the science and trust your nose. If it smells bad to you, fix it quick cause it'll be smelling good to the rats.
Awsome.
How often do you add material? How much of which materials do you incorporate for these 25 chickens?
So you have a chicken coop by the compost area and thats where you give them water? What about during the winter?
Yes, we provide water all the time, with a heater for the winter...We add as much compost as we can get generally, sometimes as much as 50-100 gallons of food scraps a week if we can.
How long does this process take. How often are you turning over and moving down the line. very clever. Really want to get chickens and the the flow thru let nature to it's thing with minimal in put. How
We tend to do at least some turning every day... Not the whole system but parts get interacted with sometimes once sometimes up to 3 times a day!
obviously it's working for you awesomely! Loving the idea.. I'm just wondering, does it gets rained on a lot?
Yes it does but it works just fine
I really enjoyed this video and found it very informative. Just a quick question, what does it smell like? I am in an urban setting and would love to increase the manure side but my neighbors might freak if it smells like I know chickens sometimes can.
It is absolutely possible for things to get smelly in a system like this... BUT if you have a large amount of carbon (wood chips, sawdust, etc) it is quite possible to manage things to have just about 0 smell. It is all about technique and quite doable.
@@edibleacres thanks for the great feedback 👍
I will only have 5 chickens. That's all me and the wife will need. I'm thinking that a 3 pile system may work for me. Thanks for the info. Looking forward to trying it this coming spring. PS I have watch many of your chicken videos and will watch the rest over the winter.
I would hope to talk you into more chickens! Same work and energy for 15-20 chickens as it is for 5!
The issue is I only have a 8ft X16ft area to keep them in. How many do you think could be in that space? I have to many fox and eagles around the let them out of a covered space.
Hi, how many chickens do you have in this system, and do you have them enclosed with what kind of fence, also when do you turn the areas, and what happens if it rains a lot?
I grow microgreens and have been composting my soil every week but this will work even better!
Thank you for the video! Do you have any issues with flies?
No, if they show it it means fly larvae a few days later which the chickens adore!
Desperate for advice this morn. I am making raised beds. I have a leaf bale with tons of acorns growing out of it. I would like to use the leaves for organic material in my Hugelkulter raised beds. If..... the acorns are over foot deep will they die or thrive? I need them to die. Anxiously waiting your opinion. Of course it’s last minute question. Hope you’re available!! Thanks. Love your show.
Even buried in Hugelkutur you would likely end up with many oak trees:) If you really don't want them to grow I would set them aside for wildlife to eat/plant! Good luck!
EdibleAcres thank you for your prompt reply!! I’m on it!!
Wow man!!! You are very knowledgeable on a wide variety of topics and plants!! I watch all the videos you and Sasha post and thought I should give you some feedback. First I want to say thank you for your videos! Next, I greatly enjoy all the knowledge that you present (long form or not) I watch them all; I never know what I might learn or a new technique that might be useful! Lastly I want to let you know that I will be ordering from your website soon ! But not sure which trees/shrubs I should purchase. Living in Texas you and I have much different climates.
Thanks kindly for all this. Excited to send you some great plants this fall if you figure out what you would like to order. Feel free to email with questions, contact page on the website.
Thanks for the explanation. What type of soil do you have to
Start with?
I think this would and could work in most/all soil conditions
i'm wondering whether this would work the same with turkey, runner ducks or goose?
This is an awesome system! Thank you for sharing it.
This is a really cool set up
This system is awsome! Just got a new place and I want to start my garden. I have new chickens. My question is at what point do I add the seeds? And how often do you turn each bed? Sorry I'm very new to all this. But I love ur system.
Don't over think it! Rough idea is seeds/compost go at the 'beginning' of where you want to dump incoming material, mixing with 'browns' of some sort of carbon you can get for free, and pilling up and letting them kick apart, moving it down towards a 'finishing' area.
This can be tried out on a small scale, changed, rearranged, etc., over time. Just try, adjust and learn!
Very impressive and simple concepts - very inspiring
Very good video and system. Do you have worms in you compost as well?
We try to! The chickens make it hard!
What a great system! How much space and how many chickens?
At the time of this video .1 acres and roughly 25-30 hens. Now it is the original area plus an additional large open run in the sun attached and 90 or so hens. Still works very nicely
Thanks for the info, I use to put a lot of dead leaves in my chicken run no flies no smell.
NICE!! So after only 1 month, is safe to use it in the garden for seeds? Thank you
I wouldn't say I can commit to that statement now, but it certainly can leave the chicken area and be used as a very rich and nourishing mulch after 30-ish days
Love the video and your system it would be possable to use this same system with pigs they would root deeper but if chickens followed the pigs they would do a lot to level it back out
I bet that would be a great combo.