Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Poultry and Pets => The Hen House => Topic started by: meriad on May 15, 2019, 09:55

Title: Diatomaceous earth, the compost bin and allotment
Post by: meriad on May 15, 2019, 09:55

My quest for chickens is hopefully going to come true in July...  the run has been ordered; I'm close to ordering the coop and I've been doing loads of research on all sorts of other things.   

On another forum (FB page) someone was asking what people did with their chicken droppings / bedding and nearly all replies said to compost.   However one person said you can't (or rather shouldn't) add the droppings / bedding mix if it has been treated with diatomaceous earth as apparently it can affect the bacteria in the compost bin?

I was wondering what your thoughts were on that, given that (I assume) everyone on this particular board is a gardener and chicken owner ?

Thanks!

Title: Re: Diatomaceous earth, the compost bin and allotment
Post by: New shoot on May 15, 2019, 10:45

DE does kill bugs by shredding through the waxy outer layers of insects so they dehydrate and die.  I really don't know if bacteria would be affected or not.

Maybe you could use an open compost bin (no lid) so rain washes through it and then add it to your main compost bin after a few months.

Title: Re: Diatomaceous earth, the compost bin and allotment
Post by: meriad on May 15, 2019, 14:28

Thank you; in the hope that the DE won't be needed (ie no mites) I should be fine generally but will defintely do as you suggest if I have DE treated bedding etc.  Good idea!

Title: Re: Diatomaceous earth, the compost bin and allotment
Post by: snowdrops on May 15, 2019, 16:33

Hmm I hadn’t considered this, but I think the very small quantity of DE that I sprinkle in the nest boxes, that then gets tipped into the droppings tray, that then gets poo picked every day into a bucket that then gets emptied when full in to bay 1 of the compost bin, then gets turned into bay 2 & 3 &4 & 5. I think it’ll be ok.