I want to start composting. At the moment I make leaf mulch but that it is about it. We have a green bin and grass cuttings etc go into that for recycling. Meat based waste ends up in labrador tummies and green veg/fruit waste goes to the chooks.

From the kitchen we usually have spare - potato/brussels peelings, bread and odd dinner leftovers from a toddler.
From the house we have plenty of newspaper (some used for chooks), and wipey towel sheets (although these have detergent on them).
From the chooks - I have poop on straw. Nest boxes full of woodshavings.

There are a couple of ponios (not mine) in the field behind us, so I have access to manure.

I can't make an open composter as such as we have to really be uber careful about rats. Do you think I could use one of those barrel type composters with this type of waste and turn it etc? Should I use all that I have mentioned above? Can anyone recommend a particularly good composter that maybe Father Christmas might pop down the chimney?

Sorry if this sounds all a bit obvious but I am not too sure where to start. The chicken poop takes a year to break down doesn't it ???and the pony poop longer? - would I shove all this in the same composter.....

Thanks all

Hi Moola - I'm no expert but it sounds like you are trying to do several different kinds of composting. Reading through recommendations on the vine, leaves are composted on their own in a wire container and can take up to a year to rot down.
Your green bin will take layers of grass cuttings, kitchen veg waste (no meat or cooked food) and I add horse poo, (I only get small bags of stable manure) shredded paper and annual weeds, trimmings etc as and when. If it is all rotting a bit slowly the chicken poop will speed it up (I get the pelleted stuff). I give mine a mix around with the garden fork whenever I remember and it is usually ready in 6 months. The tumble composter is a bit too expensive for me and looks like it takes up a lot of room which I don't have here at home. And you have to leave mixing room so it is not filled to the top. I have big wooden slatted compost bins on the lottie - I do the same thing as my green bin, and they have 'compost bin duvets' on the top to speed the rotting process.
It sounds like you could do with either a bokashi or a wormery for your food waste - but I know nothing about these! Hope this helps

ok so it sounds like I have the leaf mulch done correctly (got a few batches on the go - masses of tree around us). a 'normal' composter would take care of veg/garden/chicken poo waste plus some papers. then I need something for the food waste ....will take a peek at options online. Mr M is a bit sceptical about it all saying why don't i just buy in compost? ....but with all this excess I'm thinking why should i?

I agree with you Moola - and it is much greener!

FYI:
Chicken, pigeon, and other bird manure is good for seeds, flowers and fruits, because their manure is rich in phosphorus. Chicken manure, which is sticky, wet, and odorous, is hard to compost. It is best made into a liquid compost by mixing it into ten parts water and letting it ferment in a barrel (stir regularly for 6-8 weeks).

Moola the chicken poo can be added to your composter to speed everything up. You need a certain amount of brown waste - screwd up and shredded paper, cardboard to add to the green.

You can add cooked food to a tumbler because rats won't be able to get in. I have one but I find it a bit tricky to empty when it's full. It most certainly does not make beautiful crumbly brown stuff in 21 days.

Originally Posted by moola

Mr M is a bit sceptical about it all saying why don't i just buy in compost? ....but with all this excess I'm thinking why should i?

I agree & when you get your first batch of crumbly stuff, it will be like growing your first veg. I compost almost everything I can get my hands on except meats, fish, oils etc. The fastest materials I have found to compost so far is shredded branches, they get so hot.

Originally Posted by OllieMartin

FYI:
Chicken, pigeon, and other bird manure is good for seeds, flowers and fruits, because their manure is rich in phosphorus. Chicken manure, which is sticky, wet, and odorous, is hard to compost. It is best made into a liquid compost by mixing it into ten parts water and letting it ferment in a barrel (stir regularly for 6-8 weeks).

Ohh yummy!

So could I use some of this on my fruiting chillies instead of buying tomato fertilizer?

CRIKEY! BM - that is some serious tumbler - well done !!! looks ace.
I've been reading stuff all afternoon and I think a tumbler is definately my best option simply due to our rat issues. We don't have rats now but we have had and they have demolished part of our cob outhouse as well as parts of our own - so we have to do as much as poss to avoid attracting them. The daleks are much much cheaper but the thought of warm, fermenting stuff on the ground and ickle rodents...nope - I just can't do it.
I'm not so worried about how fast stuff takes (i'm not that organised a gardener )so I guess I should be ok with it.
as for the chicken poo Ollie........eeeewwwww - what about the stench? surely you're knocked out as soon as the lid comes off!

I had a look at a bokashi - they look good but relatively expensive to run if you have to buy in the bran every few months. I guess if I can shove the food in the barrel thingy as EC mentions then p'haps I won't need one.

Thanks everyone - I reckon I'm sorted. Now the next question is whether I play father Christmas myself or rely on Mr M whose not overly keen on the whole idea.....(hmmmmmm)
guess I'll be growing myself a white beard then!

Originally Posted by Llamas

Ohh yummy!

So could I use some of this on my fruiting chillies instead of buying tomato fertilizer?

Originally Posted by moola

as for the chicken poo Ollie........eeeewwwww - what about the stench? surely you're knocked out as soon as the lid comes off!

Got to be honest folks, that wasn't personal knowledge or experience, I just googled it.
It probably will smell, but then so does nettle tea which I've made, but if you put it in a corner somewhere it doesn't bother you.

Originally Posted by moola

as for the chicken poo Ollie........eeeewwwww - what about the stench? surely you're knocked out as soon as the lid comes off!

I've found an old plastic beer barrel that OH used to use when he was into beermaking. It has a tap on it so it could be good for the fermented chicken poo stuff. Pour it in ,put on lid , let it ferment away and then you've a tap to get it out with. Just an idea perhaps it'd work.

Originally Posted by moola

CRIKEY! BM - that is some serious tumbler - well done !!! looks ace.
I've been reading stuff all afternoon and I think a tumbler is definately my best option simply due to our rat issues. We don't have rats now but we have had and they have demolished part of our cob outhouse as well as parts of our own - so we have to do as much as poss to avoid attracting them. The daleks are much much cheaper but the thought of warm, fermenting stuff on the ground and ickle rodents...nope - I just can't do it.

Thanks a lot Moola,
Just to save you a lot of work with the tumbler, I am a little confused about the connection between compost making & rats. I have 3 bins going & no sign of any rats. So long as you only compost vegetation , I would think you would be fine with daleks.

Originally Posted by Eco-Chic

You can add cooked food to a tumbler because rats won't be able to get in.

What do you mean by Cooked food?.............Cabbage or Chicken?.........

Originally Posted by Bigmallly

So long as you only compost vegetation , I would think you would be fine with daleks.

Yes, and keep the heaps on the damp side: then rodents won't try and nest in them. If they are dry and cosy, they will

Originally Posted by Two_Sheds

Yes, and keep the heaps on the damp side: then rodents won't try and nest in them. If they are dry and cosy, they will

Cheers TS, that was the connection I was looking for.......I automatically thought of food not nesting..........I need to think outside the box.