Spilled Grain and Animal Feed

Use It In The Compost

I found out pretty much by accident about using spoiled grain and chick scratch, alfalfa pellets and other animal feed by layering it into my compost pile, just to get rid of it.

Spilled Grain and Animal Feed

I was shocked and amazed at how much heat the compost gave off, even in really cold temperatures. Find out more about hot compost and how to make it here.

If your local feed store has a big warehouse, I guarantee that once in a while they get a bag breaking, spilling the alfalfa pellets or chicken feed all over; someone has to sweep it up, and then get rid of it.

If you can make friends with the owner and workers there, you might be able to pick up a few bags or buckets of spoiled or spilled feed to use as a compost accelerator in your compost. These kinds of activators can revive a slow compost.

Rancid flour of any type or kind will create the same effect - avoid whole grains because they'll sprout.

Kill them first by heating them in the oven, or cover them with water in a bucket and let them sprout before putting them deep into a hot compost.

The trick is to not use too much in one place - large clumps of it will make a big hard clod, or dry out and could possibly catch on fire, so sprinkle it lightly, then water the whole pile when you're finished layering it.

Keep in mind that this type of addition to the compost could attract mice and even worse, rats.

Within a day or so, the steam will be unbelievable.

I layer spoiled feed or old flour with leaves and other carbon rich materials; horse manure is renowned for the weed seeds it can carry, so heating it up to hot enough to cook the seeds makes it almost sterile, while allowing the beneficial microorganisms to thrive.



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