When I clean out my chicken coop, I place the poop-ridden hay in the compost. I clean the coop at least every 2-3 weeks and the compost hasn't been breaking down like it did prior to placing the hay in the compost pile. Before, I never placed hay in the compost and heat rose from the compost pile at every turn. Now, I have to really dig deep in the compost pile in order to see/feel the effects of the soil breaking down.
So, when this bale of hay runs out I am thinking I want to use wood chips for the chicken coop instead of hay. Do you think hay or wood chips are better for a compost pile?
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I enjoyed reading that article. Thank you. Looks like I'll be cleaning out the coop less.
Thankfully there is an abundance of Urea that comes from the dog, my boyfriend and his buddies. He, he, he.
I concur with Chris & Bethany--in addition, obviously the higher the lignin or cellulose content (wood chips), the longer it will likely take to break down. The wood products in decent amounts will eventually lead to a higher (and slightly more acidic) fungi culture ratio. Retains more moisture in the soil. Ken Singh will promote this all day long. And no real threat to bring termites. (Ref: Dr. Linda Chalker-Scott). Good for your ammonium-loving perennials, shrubs & trees...But your annuals & short-term veggies prefer a little more nitrate (which bacteria produce from a higher ratio of nitrogen-filled greens).
You will likely also have to add more frequent moisture to the hay, as Bethany states.
Nitrogen can come from any safe source; alfalfa, which is relatively high in nitrogen (any fresh green source) has another chemical that is believed to contribute to rapid breakdown. Just note that if you are buying some cheap alfalfa feed pellets, there may be other chemical additives in the pellets...
The main thing I wanted to add is you might find it of interest to peruse "Mycelium Running" by Paul Stamets...one of the best sustainability-related books written, IMO. Straw and Hay piles (they break down slowly) are referenced in the book in areas where they cultivate fungi...these breakdowns do take time...
I think the issue with hay in the compost is that it's more difficult to keep it adequately moist. That's my experience anyway. The hay should be pretty well broken up by the time your chickens scratch through it...perhaps you could try doing more of a deep litter method with the bedding in your coop instead of cleaning it out so frequently. That way it's getting more broken down while still in the coop area.
All things being equal I find that hay breaks down faster in the compost than wood chips...but like I said, I think it's more difficult keeping hay adequately moist in the pile.
Can you elaborate on the "deep litter method?" I'm a newbie and haven't quite caught on to the lingo, yet.
Thank you.