Our compost piles have been colonized by redworms, a member of the earthworm family.  These worms are popular in home- and industrial-scale vermicomposting.  They can be ordered online, but they seem to find our compost piles on their own.  Although the piles froze this winter, they didn’t freeze completely as in previous years, so the worms started growing earlier in the season than usual.  The chickens were thrilled to discover them, gorging themselves on the earthworms that shook loose with each scoop I took.

I don’t obsess over compost pile management (balancing carbon vs nitrogen, measuring temperature, or frequently aerating the material).  Compost forms without any intervention, if you can wait long enough.  But when I have some spare time, I like to flip the pile with the tractor.  It only takes about a half hour and that brief effort can reduce the compost conversion time by months.