OSU Composting System

[lenapesadie]

I’ve been eyeballing this simple composting system

http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-2070/BAE-1729web.pdf

I think it would make a good starter system. AKA cheap and easy to set up and easy to dismantle if upgrading in the future. Realistically I could pull the t posts to make the finished compost end easier to get to if needed.

I’ll have stall and run cleanings from two horses to put in here. I intend to bed on pellets.

My tractor does not have a FEL. But I can borrow my dad’s on occasion.

Anyone used this system?

[Simkie]

Neat idea. I’d not consider anything but a FEL to deal with it, though. Can you get your dad’s often enough? How big is the tractor? Size of the structure would really depend on the tractor’s ability to push the wet, heavy manure. I have 4 horses–with a 30 foot bin, by the time I’m removing finished compost from the back, my 24 HP tractor wouldn’t have enough ooomph to push the remainder of the pile back into the vacant space. It takes about 6 months from start to finish to produce done compost here, and in six months, my horses produce about ehhhh, call it 250 cu ft of waste (filling two bins that are 8 ft x 16 ft each.)

I’d also make it with something sturdier than wire, or you’ll probably shred it with the tractor. Pallets can slip over t posts and provide more structure for not much $$$, and you can still have a system that will be easy to remove.

Do consider placement. You’ll need access from both sides for this–definitely a bigger footprint than access from the front only.

[lenapesadie]

I immediately thought of pallets as well! I have basically unlimited access to “quality” pallets through Mr. LS’s work for free. And free beats the price of the wire panels.

Based on the diagram it looks like OSU anticipates removing the wire panels before removing the compost. I was thinking I might could pull the t posts if I had to as well. Not that pulling t posts is my favorite activity but it’s doable.

I’m thinking I’ll be stuck either hand shoveling up the pile as I dump or Mr LS thinks he can scooch it up a bit with a scoop or blade on the 3 pt hitch of our little tractor. Not too much obviously but maybe enough to keep a 4ft tall pile halfway tidy. Possibly we can use the little 3 pt scoop to move away the “finished” compost as well. I’m thinking I might could make two of these things pretty easily if needed. It’s a small upgrade to just having little piles everywhere lol.

Dad’s tractor is a 45 hp if I recall correctly. It’s a bigger one. He bought it to pick up all the oak trees that fell during Sally. The problem is how often I can get it over here. I think realistically maybe once a quarter is likely. Gotta have the big truck and trailer etc etc. I’d either need to expand the recommended size or pull the t posts for Dad’s tractor to work it.

It’s not ideal but for such a low cost to set up; I’ll probably give it a whirl. I’m anticipating using the resulting compost to amend some bare earth areas, fill some low spots, mulch the flowering trees, garden beds and possibly spread on paddocks pending I can snag a spreader. I’d have to coordinate filling the spreader with dad’s tractor until we upgrade to a tractor with FEL.

If needed, I can borrow dad’s dump trailer and tractor and just haul off manure on a semi annual basis or something. I’d rather have some compost though.

Placement is pretty straight forward either behind or the off side of the barn. Behind would be a southern exposure which might be preferable for compost. I’d cover with a tarp to control moisture. Rains a bunch here. Water access in both locations if needed.

[Simkie]

Oh, I obviously missed that the bin is filled from the other end once you remove the cured compost. I thought you took what you needed from the back, pushed everything in, and continued to add from the front.

The one thing about swapping the “front” is that you really do miss a good deal of aerating. With a three bin system, you work just a ton of air into the pile when you move it around. You’d get some of that aeration with this IF you pushed everything back after removing your finished stuff from the end. But just leaving your fresher stuff in place, you do miss out on that. Might not be a deal killer, but something to consider.

I have a big “deal with the poop pile” day about once a quarter, when one bin is full and moves to another bin. BUT there is fairly frequent quick use of the tractor to stand up the pile. If you’re just dumping on the ground from your wheelbarrow, you’ll quickly run out of ground space, and will need to either shovel it up manually to create a taller pile or use the tractor. Or have A LOT more ground space to dedicate. Definitely make your bin wide enough to accommodate the width of the tractor bucket (plus some wiggle room!)

I use compost nearly 100% to fill in low spots and create more flat space by building out slopes and it’s totally awesome for that. I’d spread more with another FEL tractor–loading the spreader with the machine you pull it with is a hassle.

(For comparison, I have a 3 bin system that’s 16 x 24, so 3 bins that are 8 ft wide and 16 ft deep. My four horses are in overnight on pellets, and hay is netted, so very little hay waste. One bin takes about 3 months to fill, but does need addressed several times over those months to push it back and up in the bin. The entire set up holds about a year of waste.)

[lenapesadie]

Thank you for all those good details!

Yes this system will not have the benefit of air via frequent turning with a FEL. Since I don’t have regular access to a FEL and not nearly enough land to try and spread raw manure, I’m hoping this will be a bit of a stop gag measure to get us started. I might experiment and do a traditional pile as well and see which works better for us with our limited equipment.

On the air front, I’ve suspected previously that the odd layer of straw in a muck pile would trap air and benefit the composting process. But straw takes up a lot of room so I’ll stick to pellets.

I use a Porta Grazer currently for hay and plan to continue that so there should be minimal hay in the stall cleanings. Your dead on about having to shovel the manure up by hand or waiting til the big tractor is here to push it up. Mr LS is convinced he can do some pushing up with a scoop on the 3 pt hitch; I guess we are about to find out lol! If he can operate that with the same skill he can back up and park a school bus we will be golden lol

Thanks for the description of the space used for your manure bins and about how long they take to fill!

We anticipate purchasing a bigger tractor w FEL in the future and hopefully our current tractor can be the spreader hauler once we get to that time and place.