The simplest way I know to get started is with the proverbial 3 pallet bin - scrounge 3 pallets, wire them together to form a 'stall' arrangement, put it in some convenient spot, and start piling up compostibles. I wouldn't put it inside a chicken coop because they will just scatter it everywhere. The whole process is really pretty easy. Pile it up, it rots.

Even after turning you need to be sure there are three things in place in your compost to encourage the bacteria that will generate the heat to get to work digesting what is left, Moisture (enough bit not too much), Nitrogen (enough but not too much), and air and in a 3 x 3 pile that will not be a problem and you need not add anything to "aerate" your compost pile. As with the original stack of material how it heats up depends on the ratio of C:N and the moisture and one of the reasons compost piles do not always reach the highest temperture after being turned is because that ratio is no longer there.

Congratulations on your big compost pile. Those tillers work wonders in helping make it, don't they? With a pile that big, you could pile half of it up on the other half, kinda like I have done in the picture that I linked on down in this thread, and start a new pile where you have cleared it out. It will go ahead finishing and breaking down. As mentioned above, if it is to a point where you are satisfied with it, to put it on your garden would allow any leacing to go into the soil where it would be of benefit. I like to till mine in some and usually add it when I mow and mulch knee high greens and add a layer of shredded oak leaves and aged horse manure. I usually turn all that under with my moldboard plow which flops it over upside down with some dirt on top of it. I let that set awhile through a few rains and hopefully freezes before bedding it up to make my rows for next spring. It is hard to make a bad choice with good compost, what ever you do, it will continue to break down and become plant food that the plants can use. Good luck with your choice. Just my .02 Bill P.

Hey, congratulations on your pile, nativemel! A lot of "greens" in an anaerobic situation yields terrible stink. You will soon get the feel for mixing "greens" and "browns." Then your pile will smell earthy and not putrid. In a nutshell, leaves and paper are considered browns, grass clippings and kitchen waste are greens. Keep an eye open for these materials in your neighborhood. My neighbors and friends contribute their grass clippings, and I'm always on the lookout for bagged leaves. To those I add our shredded paper, kitchen scraps, coffee grounds, any spoiled grains or pet food, etc. Stuff will add up pretty fast once you have a trained eye and get in the habit. The rains will keep it moist, and turning is optional, but will speed the process. If you add manure, make sure your pile truly has gotten hot for a period of time before adding it to a veggie garden. I choose to add aged manure straight to non-edibles beds, cuz I can't rely on enough heat in my piles. I just can't get enough volume at once to be sure it heats up enough. Hang out at the soil,compost and mulch forum and you will learn quickly how to keep your pile fresh and stench-free. Have fun! Anna