There are people on the gardenweb composting forum who decompose entire animals in their compost, but they have a very hot pile. I live with the "all things in moderation" philosophy. Figure as long as I don't overdose the pile, it won't matter.

>> "all things in moderation"

That's also my philosophy for soil, compost, and most things in life. Some of everything, few things in excess.

Yes, I compost with a flip bin system and I try not to put meats and oils in but if I have meat fat scraps too many days away from garbage pick-up, I have cut them small and thrown them in. Usually at the same time I try to add more dry brown shread (leaves or corrigated), a cou[;e of worms, and I never waste an eggshell! I have not had critter problems and the compost is really good.

>> Usually at the same time I try to add more dry brown

That sounds smart, but I didn't have much of anything but coffee grounds. I would have expected some slime and smell from the excess nitrogen, but may have been saved by the pile being so small and loose and cold (therefore well-aerated).

It might have also helped that it's been dry for a while - this is our dry season, and the hose doesn't reach that far. I just put out an empty laundry detergent jug that I can fill when watering raised beds, and at least give it a sip.

I have lots of leaves and foliage that I let dry on the brick patio but my kitchen post is usually wet because I am vegetarian mostly so I keep tons of produce and have lots of things like melon rinds, veggie peelings or seed centers, and things that get soft too fast to eat. When I add 'wet stuff' I try to balance that with dry leaves or shredded cardboard. Some decisions are based on PH too. I like to stay neutral to acid because my soil is too alkaline, so every week or so I stick my PH meter in there and add things like spagnum as needed (all coffee grounds go in already of course).

I collect a lot of fall leaves. Beside my own, 2 neighbors who have big trees deliver all their leaves to me. If I run out, I use straw as the carbon.

Karen

People with trees, large yards, and vegetarian tendencies have an advantage when it comes to feeding the compost heap!

"Cincinnati" doesn't sound very rural, but country-folk have an edge, also!

(You know, I think that's the first time in my life that I had spell "Cincinnati".)

Yes, but I never feed it yard waste that has any insect issues or is invasive, those things get burned. Okay to add some of the ash though.

In some places peoples don't add meat or dairy to their compost cuz it attracts rats

But you outlawed rats Dahlia.

We don't have rats here but they are HUGE ones in southern BC. I darens't put meat or dairy in my composts there. Also would attract hoards of racoons there.

I understand not putting out extra-tasty treats for pests, or at least burying it so deeply they can't smell it. (Although they would aerate the pile if they had to tunnel in a few feet to reach the good stuff!)

I think I'll continue putting in only tiny amounts of meat I would otherwise throw away.

I haven't seen any rats or mice, but have been told there are some in the area. We do have squirrles,m and cats who consider anything with loose soil to be their personal cat box.

If they found anything they liked in my compost heap, they put everything back the way it was after raiding it. Maybe the coffee grounds drowned out any "meat" smell.

When I first moved in, my cat was intimidated by the other cats in the new neighbrohood, though they seem even more sedentary than he is. Anyway, he stopped bringing in mice as he had at my last place, so I teased him about it.

The next morning there was quite a big dead rat on the living room rug! Now I don't tease him about his hunting habits.

Ugh! I'd move.

I've had mice in my compost, and once a snake...

Karen

Well, I have not had any critter problem. I use 2 recycling bins so one with a little larger lip covers the other. Both have small drainage holes in the bottom which provide some air. I set them on bricks for drainage (I'm thinking to get a big pan of some kind to collect the tea but haven't yet). I pick them up together and shake them then flip them upside down once a day so the compost gets circulated (I also keep a big ladle on top so I can stir it up or pull some out when I want to use it). No obvious critters yet!

>> (I'm thinking to get a big pan of some kind to collect the tea but haven't yet).

I lean my little compost heap aginst my "hill of clay" so the drippings soften and enrich the clay.

Yep. I keep them sitting now in a slightly raised bed that only some things will grow in. Can't figure out why (I've ammended that soil many times and) bulbs and herbs do well there but other perennials have not liked it. It gets sun from about noon through early evening so the compost bakes nicely, I am hoping the tea that drains there might help too.

A good addition of builders sand might help loosen your clay. I'm surprised you have clay there.

Clay is slowly spreading out to dominant the world

Great info! So, as far as a location for a compost pile, full sun, part sun/shade, or shade?

In hot weather/hot climate it's helpful to have it in shade. If you're working (like flipping the pile) or playing with your compost in hot weather you'll be grateful for a little shade. In a cool climate, it probably doesn't matter.

In really it doesn't matter a whole lot in the process itself. Whatever makes you happy. Compost will happen anywhere. The real heat in compost comes from the action of microorganisms, not much from the sun. On the other hand, hot sun can cook you.

Karen

then you become part of the compost!!!

Seriously, I keep my bin(s)combo on the west side of an east garage. It doesn't get sun until noonish. Then it gets pretty intense sun until the sun goes beyond the trees on the west side early evening. I typically flip it once in the AM and again in the evening at dawg potty times.