How Do I Handle Animal Waste?

“Hi, I’ve started keeping a few backyard chickens here in New Hampshire. It’s been great so far, but I’m starting to worry about how to manage all the waste they produce. The coop seems to be filling up quickly, and I want to make sure I’m handling everything properly to avoid smells and flies, and maybe even make some good compost for my garden. What’s the best approach?” Thanks, Annette, Concord, USA.

How Do I Handle Animal Waste in My Backyard Farm?

Managing animal waste in your backyard can feel a bit overwhelming at first, especially when you’re dealing with chickens, as Annette is. However, with careful planning and some basic techniques, it can not only be manageable but also beneficial for your garden. Let’s walk through the best practices for handling animal waste, from daily maintenance to long-term composting solutions.

Understanding the Importance of Proper Waste Management

Proper animal waste management is more than just keeping your backyard clean. It’s a cornerstone for successful backyard farming. Poor waste management can lead to a host of issues, including:

• Unpleasant Odors: Decomposing waste can cause the entire yard to smell, making your backyard farm less enjoyable.
• Fly Infestation: Flies and other pests are attracted to animal waste, which can quickly become a serious problem for you and your animals.
• Potential Disease Spread: Waste can harbor pathogens, leading to health issues in both humans and animals.
• Environmental Impact: Runoff from untreated waste can contaminate local water sources, affecting plants, wildlife, and potentially your drinking water.

Understanding these risks makes it obvious why managing waste effectively is vital. But the good news is, when handled properly, animal waste can essentially be “black gold” for your garden, providing rich nutrients necessary for healthy plant growth.

Part 1: Daily Maintenance – Keeping It Manageable

First things first, daily maintenance is key to keeping waste from piling up and becoming an issue. For chickens, as Annette mentioned, coop cleanliness is vital.

1. Spot Cleaning: Each day, take a few minutes to remove any visible manure from the chicken coop. This keeps the bedding clean and dry, reducing smells and deterring pests. A quick scoop with a small rake or shovel is usually all that’s needed.

2. Rotate Bedding: Throw some fresh bedding material (like straw or wood shavings) where you’ve removed waste. This helps absorb moisture and further mask odors. Rotating bedding regularly also keeps the chickens happier and healthier.

3. Deep Litter Method: Consider using the deep litter method for managing coop bedding. This technique involves allowing the bedding and manure to build up and compost in place. You sprinkle a new layer of bedding as needed and only clean it out fully every six months or so. Over time, the material decomposes, producing rich compost. However, frequent turning and aeration are needed to keep the process aerobic and odor-free.

Part 2: Composting Animal Waste – Turning Waste into Fertilizer

One of the best ways to handle animal waste in a backyard farm is through composting. Whether you’re dealing with chicken manure like Annette or waste from other small livestock like rabbits or goats, composting can transform it into valuable fertilizer for your plants.

Why Composting Works

Animal manure is high in nitrogen, a vital nutrient for plant growth. Combined with carbon-rich materials like straw, leaves, or cardboard, the composting process breaks the waste down into a nutrient-rich, soil-like material that you can spread in your garden beds. When done properly, composting renders the manure safe by killing off harmful bacteria and parasites through the generated heat.

Getting Started with Composting

Here’s how you can start composting your animal waste:

• Build or Buy a Compost Bin: It’s helpful to have a dedicated space for composting, like a bin or a heap. Make sure it’s large enough to hold your waste but allows for easy turning and aeration. It should be at least 3×3 feet to maintain a critical mass that will generate enough heat.
• Layering: Start with a layer of carbon-rich materials, then layer the animal waste on top. Continue alternating layers, ensuring the pile is always covered with carbon materials. You want a ratio of approximately 30 parts carbon to 1 part nitrogen (manure).
• Turning Your Pile: Regular turning introduces oxygen, which is necessary for the breakdown process. Aim to turn your compost every 1-2 weeks during the warmer months (less frequently if it’s cold) to keep the process aerobic and control odors.
• Moisture Levels: Ensure the pile stays damp, but not too wet. It should feel like a wrung-out sponge. Too much moisture can create anaerobic conditions, leading to foul smells and a slower composting process.
• Patience Pays Off: Good composting takes time. In 4-6 months, you’ll have dark, crumbly compost ready to enrich your garden.

Part 3: Specific Considerations for Different Animals

Different animals produce different kinds of waste, so techniques might vary slightly based on what you’re dealing with.

Chicken Waste

As Annette mentioned, chickens are common backyard animals and produce a considerable amount of manure. Chicken manure is “hot,” meaning it needs time to break down before being applied directly to plants, or it can burn them. However, once composted, it’s incredibly rich in nitrogen, making it an excellent fertilizer.

• Composting Chicken Waste: Chicken manure should always be composted before use. The bacteria in raw manure can be harmful when fresh and harmful to plants. A coop-sized compost bin can be built nearby to facilitate easy waste transfer and composting.
• Chicken Bedding: Straw and wood shavings are popular bedding choices. Straw is particularly good because it adds bulk to the compost pile and balances the nitrogen from the manure.

Rabbit Waste

Rabbits produce pellet-like droppings, which are great for the garden right away because they’re not as “hot” as chicken manure. You can sprinkle rabbit droppings directly on garden beds or work them into the soil. Additionally, the hay and straw that serves as rabbit bedding can be composted alongside the droppings.

• Composting Rabbit Waste: If not using it directly, rabbit manure can be cold-composted, meaning you don’t need to worry much about turning the pile or monitoring temperature. Just mix it with other organic materials and let it break down gradually.
• Consider Urine Management: Rabbit urine can be strong and might need to be diluted or managed more carefully. A mix of sawdust or wood chips in the bedding helps with odor control and can be composted as well.

Goat Waste

Goats are another common animal in backyard farms. Goat droppings are small, dry, and easy to collect. Like rabbit manure, they can be directly added to the garden. However, the true challenge with goats is dealing with the bedding, which includes hay that has not been eaten, mixed with manure.

• Composting Goat Waste: Composting goat manure and bedding is similar to chicken or rabbit composting. The large volume of bedding may require a bigger compost bin or pile. Be prepared to add extra carbon to balance the nitrogen from goat manure.
• Managing Hay Waste: Since goats can be picky eaters, you might find a lot of uneaten hay mixed in with the manure. Composting this is perfectly fine, but it can take a bit longer to break down. To speed up the process, consider shredding or cutting the hay before adding it to the compost pile.

Part 4: Advanced Insights—Composting Troubleshooting

Even with the best laid composting plans, sometimes things don’t go as expected. If you find your compost pile is causing more issues than it’s solving, don’t fret. Here are some common problems and solutions.

• Pile Isn’t Heating Up: A cold compost pile usually means it’s not decomposing properly. This could be due to an improper balance of carbon and nitrogen, too much moisture, or too little aeration. Try adding more “green” materials (like fresh manure or grass clippings) or turning the pile more frequently. Ensure it’s also not too dry.
• Odors: If your compost pile starts to stink, chances are it’s gone anaerobic (lacking oxygen). This could be due to excess moisture or too little turning. Mix in more dry materials like straw, and turn the pile more often to aerate it.
• Pests in the Compost: If you’re attracting rodents or flies, it could be because you’re not covering fresh manure with enough carbon-rich material. Always make sure to top off a layer of manure with straw, leaves, or other “browns.”
• Compost Not Breaking Down: Manure that takes too long to break down might indicate that your mix is too dry, too small, or lacks nitrogen. Ensuring that the pile receives some moisture and possibly expanding its size may solve this.

Part 5: Alternative Approaches to Handling Animal Waste

If composting is not something you’re keen on doing or it’s not an option for you, there are other methods to manage animal waste effectively. Let’s explore a couple of alternatives.

Bokashi Composting

Bokashi is a fermentation method that can handle food waste, including animal waste, by fermenting it in an anaerobic (oxygen-free) environment. Bokashi buckets can be used to ferment animal waste in a relatively quick period. After fermentation, the waste is less likely to smell and can be buried directly in the garden soil, where it will finish breaking down.

Mulching

If you live in a colder climate, where composting might take a bit longer, mulching can be a good alternative. It involves spreading manure directly onto the soil surface, where it serves as a fertilizer. However, this is only appropriate for certain types of waste and is often better used with straw or wood-chipping mulches rather than pure manure.

Whichever method you choose, timing is everything. The type of waste, climate, and your intended use will inform how quickly you must act to keep your backyard farm in good shape.

Final Thoughts…

Annette, managing your backyard chicken waste doesn’t have to be a hassle. With a little daily maintenance, a strategy for composting, and an understanding of your specific situation, you can turn what seems like a chore into a benefit for your garden. Thank you for reaching out with your question—your flock and garden will undoubtedly thrive with a little bit of care and effort!