A compost bin has to be turned and watered regularly. If you use a compost bin vs a pile, the container also needs to be cleaned out and washed. Some people check the temperature of their pile frequently, but I never have. Composting is not an overwhelming job. However, it is added work when you already have too much on your plate.
I used to keep compost piles and bins so I could be a good steward of our leftover organic material even though it added more to my to-do list.
I gave away my barrel composter and stopped composting in a pile. I now toss everything into the chicken coop and let the chickens turn it over. They are very happy to do it too!
My chicken coop is very large. It use to be 40 x 20. I use to have peafowl in that pen and they needed the room. I have since cut that in half to 20 x 20. (I have so many chickens now that I may have to open it back up.) I use to keep straw for the litter in the coop to keep the chickens and their eggs cleaner. I don't do that anymore either.
Now, I take all of my organic matter including torn cardboard, and throw that into the coop as litter. The chickens turn it over and it breaks down much faster than it did when I was trying to compost it myself.
This has saved me time by reducing my workload by a few chores. It has cut my chicken feed costs because the chickens eat what they can. It draws insects to their coop which they gobble up immediately which further lowers my feed expense. I also save because I no longer buy litter. It has also saved room in the yard, and I don't have to mow around the pile or bins.
Whenever I need soil, I pull the top layer over and collect the soil I need from underneath. I am happier and the chickens are happier.
I still use one big bin I keep in one of my fenced gardens. I work to fill it all winter. When summer comes, I grow a heavy feeder, like a tomato plant, in it.
