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I started my hotbin three weeks ago, following the instructions, except that I used chicken bedding (hay, wood chip and chicken poo) as the bulking agent. I have fed it regularly. The temp has got up to nearly 40c, but then drops. I decided to drain the leachate yesterday and got nearly two pints. The bin isn't smelling and I have upped the amount of shredded paper I have added. Am I expecting too much, too soon?
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Hi Jenny - based on what I've read and my own experience in getting my new (1 week) hotbin started - I would suggest that you need to add quite a lot of shredded paper and/or shredded cardboard. (Corrugated is best). My bin was behaving similarly to yours so, today, I added a fair amount of both plus some blood, fish and bone. The latter to introduce a fast acting nitrogen source. You have already got chicken poo in your mix and so shouldn't need the extra nitrogen. However, you don't mention putting in card or paper which is essential. The fact that you have so much leachate supports this. I'd actually incorporated quite a lot but, perhaps, not enough. Certainly my bin tonight is a good ten degrees hotter than at any previous time. -
Update about 23 hours later. This morning the bin had dropped to 38C on the external thermometer. However, it has steadily climbed back to 50C by mid afternoon. I've just opened it to pop some waste in and took the internal temperature. It was a heartening 60C with the outside thermometer reading 50C. I'm very pleased as it was just one week ago this afternoon that I set the bin up.Comment
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