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Soil, Compost & Mulch

Rabbit manure use questions

10 years ago

From reading here and elsewhere I understand the rabbit manure/ poo can be used straight into the garden either turned in or as top dressing. Questions:

1. I understand that above ground fruit would be safe but Is it safe to grow and eat root vegetables in soil containing straight rabbit manure, soil not given time to sit bare over few months?

2. I have bought some dried rabbit poo mixed in chaff and other bedding material in 50 lb feed bags. I am thinking of composting it in those bags themselves over the next 5-6 months and use it in spring. I plan to just add water into those bags to moisten the stuff and leave it in with bags loosely closed. I do not plan to add any greens or browns to it, more than what is already there (it is at least 50% chaff/ grass clippings etc and 50% rabbit beans). I don't really want to do the work of putting it in a pile or in a composting drum and turn it every week etc.

Will this work?

I am thinking that if It can be used straight, composting it with above method would produce at least a partially composted stuff which will be some what better than straight stuff.

Your suggestions please.

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Comments (5)

klem1
10 years ago
A paper feed bag will not work well at all. The result will be messy and stink.
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Kimmsr
10 years ago
All manure from warm blooded mammals has the potential of containing disease pathogens, so per the recommendations of the Center for Disease Control, National Institute for Health, etc. do not eat too crops from soil that any manure has been added to for 120 days after that manure has been added.
Rather then leave that manure sit around in paper bags put it in the soil in the garden and let the Soil Food Web work on it. If you plant nothing edible between now and next spring there should be no problem.
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ju1234
Original Author
10 years ago
Just to clarify: the bags are reinforced plastic perhaps with no water leak or rain soaking onto them.
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nancyjane_gardener
10 years ago
Well, I'll tell you what. One of my best garden years was when I got a 5 gal bucket of rabbit poop/urine/bedding about once a month. I had bags of leaves from the neighbors, and UCGs from the store I wasworking at!!
I had a steaming HOT couple of piles that year without doing much work! Just forked everything on each bed and tilled it in!
This year my compost bin is sitting on the bed that will not be planted for the winter. Hopefully, I'll have enough compost to just rake it out in the spring! Then I'll do it again next year on another bed!
I found out a neighbor raises rabbits and am going to talk to her about getting a bucket every once in awhile!
In the past, I've put straight bunny poo straight in the garden and have never been sick! Maybe good luck? I don't know! Happy Gardening! Nancy
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groomie2
10 years ago
I have a customer who brings me several large bags of the stuff she cleans out of her rabbit pens-mostly grass hay and rabbit poo+urine soaked bedding (shredded paper and pine shavings) about once a month.If it is the fall, winter or early spring I just spread it directly on my gardens. As the plants grow and fill up the garden, ( I tell myself every year that THIS year I will have a neat and orderly garden-but it never happens!) I usually just let it sit in the bags (black plastic trash bags) or put it in a compost heap. I have never let it sit long enough to compost in the bag, but usually when I get around to dumping it out there are worms in the wetter parts.
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