You just need a combination of browns (C=carbons) to greens (N=nitrogen). People will tell you 30:1 C:N but that means very little to me. What I do is mix it all up with water. If it doesn't heat up after a day or two it needs N, if it heats up but starts smelling bad it needs more C.

Items 1 through 4 are "greens"
Items 5 and 6 are "browns" (well the needles can be a green but I think if yours have been raked from the ground, where they naturally fell off the tree, they are more brown than green)

A good rule of thumb is to have 3 times more browns than greens.

Are you sure it's hay and not straw? Hay (and horse manure) is loaded with weeds seeds. You'll have a real weed problem on your hand if your compost doesn't get hot enough to kill the weed seeds.

I would definitely make sure to shred the cardboard, removing all tape and stickers, before mixing. I've never composted many pine needles, but do know that they can be resistant to decay. I would go ahead and make a pile by layering what you have. If it starts to smell, turn it and add more browns. Someone with more experience will surely come along and give better advice than I can offer.

Your list will work but will smell as it is way too "green". ;) I agree that you'll need more browns. The cardboard alone won't be near enough. Fall leaves, straw (not more hay), shredded newspaper, etc. 3 parts "browns" to 1 part "green stuff" so scrounge up some more browns - 1 bale of straw will go along way if you can get one and since you have horses, straw should be available.

Dave

I'd suggest a 4'x4'x2'high bin; easier to turn and I find the heat retention is better. When folks say 3'x3'x3'; that is a min. size, not the optimal size. My seven mesh bins are 4 feet in diameter and 24" high.

I think you need to sit back and plan a bit more before making a bin.

1) Do you want a have a cold or hot pile?
2) How finely is the cardboard and other materials shredded?
If you are willing to wait a year or two for compost it doesn't matter. If you want compost in four months, it does.

The ratio of greens to browns is more important than exactly what materials are being used. I like shredded leaves over paper, they don't seem to clump up as much.

The simplest way to build up a compost pile is to mix in 3 parts of vegetable waste for each part of animal waste. One your list 1 is animal waste and the rest is vegetable waste so a 6 inch pile of stuff from 2, 3, 4, 5, or 6, lightly moistened, and coverered with 2 inches of 1 will be a good mix.

Ak-Grown asked"

"Any suggestion on how much of each one I should use?"

Your size of a bin is a very good start (you could go larger if need be, but smaller is not advised IMO). That being said, I can only agree with what most have said as it relates to the need for more carbon (browns) for your pile. If you can, by the time you are ready to build your pile, get your hands on other sources of carbon you should be good to go. As stated, some other sources of browns are leaves, straw, sawdust, or wood chips/bark.

Keep in mind that the glue used on cardboard is also a nitrogen (green) source as well. This is important as it relates to controlling the odor that may emit from the pile. This is one of the reasons some of the members are warning about your list and lack of more carbon sources.

Congratulations on your decision to start composting, I trust your adventure will be as pleasurable as mine has proved to beÂ

Blutranes

A good source of browns, that everyone has is junk mail. I use a paper shredder - so it doesn't get clumpy. Shredded junk mail makes a great brown.