We have 8 rabbits (rescued as I used to volunteer in a rescue) and pile up the manure in a compost pile at the end of the garden. It has straw, wood shavings and hay in amongst it... How long should we leave it to compost? Having left it for about a year, we turned it and used what was at the bottom to make a raised bed in our garden. A few months later and this bed is the best soil in the garden... worms galore!
The only problem is, we have absolutely loads of it!
So I'd like to know
1, if anyone wants any? LOL
2, how to keep the flies away, if at all?
3, if I'm doing anything that environmental health could pick up on? We have a very nasty neighbour who does her best to be evil, so I am worried that this could be complained about.
The manure is under a tarpaulin at all times but I worry about rats (from the stables behind our garden and mice (which we've just got out of the house) coming down to it and becoming a problem.
Any help would be much appreciated! Thanks!
Rabbit Manure
G'Day Delphinium,
I think the rats would be attracted by food, but your compost pile wouldn't offer much of that - even for a rat!
There is a book called the Intergral Urban House put out by a bunch of urban yanks back in the '70s. They set it up so that the rabbit poo fell directly into worm beds set up under the hutches. Maybe that is a possibility for you.
If you keep it turned and nicely aerobic, the smell should be kept to a minimum.
I would accept some bu I suspect that you are a bit far away to post it
Nev
I think the rats would be attracted by food, but your compost pile wouldn't offer much of that - even for a rat!
There is a book called the Intergral Urban House put out by a bunch of urban yanks back in the '70s. They set it up so that the rabbit poo fell directly into worm beds set up under the hutches. Maybe that is a possibility for you.
If you keep it turned and nicely aerobic, the smell should be kept to a minimum.
I would accept some bu I suspect that you are a bit far away to post it
Nev
Garden shed technology rules! - Muddypause
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hedgewizard
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Thanks for the help!
I could've brought some over in my case last month, Wombat! 
I'll look up that book. At the moment we just shovel it behind the shed underneath some trees then cover it. We've got the food in a big plastic container because I know what a problem the rats are at the rescue centre and I don't want the same at home. *shudder*
That's a good idea, hedgewizard. My office is not very good at recycling
, which I'm always moaning about (I used to work for Scottish Natural Heritage who recycled everything) so using the shredded paper in the composter, or compost pile, might be a good idea. We also have a 30ltr compost bin for household rubbish.
We try our best not to waste things. :)
I could've brought some over in my case last month, Wombat! I'll look up that book. At the moment we just shovel it behind the shed underneath some trees then cover it. We've got the food in a big plastic container because I know what a problem the rats are at the rescue centre and I don't want the same at home. *shudder*That's a good idea, hedgewizard. My office is not very good at recycling
, which I'm always moaning about (I used to work for Scottish Natural Heritage who recycled everything) so using the shredded paper in the composter, or compost pile, might be a good idea. We also have a 30ltr compost bin for household rubbish.We try our best not to waste things. :)
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Boots
- A selfsufficientish Regular
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- Joined: Thu Dec 29, 2005 2:23 pm
- Location: The Queensland, Australia.
I'm not sure how often it would be warm enough there, but here I built on ground enclosures for the girls guinea pigs and rabbit, and ran them under trees as direct fertilisers. Made a massive difference to the mulberry!
These pens were big enough for both the girls to actually get in, (made from lengths of galvanised iron in a square) and we never emptied them, just rotated the critters through them with fresh hay each time.
Unfortunately, we lost them to some wickedly high temps last year, when they probably should have been brought in to the airconditioning, so we no longer have this very effective fertilising system in place now.
These pens were big enough for both the girls to actually get in, (made from lengths of galvanised iron in a square) and we never emptied them, just rotated the critters through them with fresh hay each time.
Unfortunately, we lost them to some wickedly high temps last year, when they probably should have been brought in to the airconditioning, so we no longer have this very effective fertilising system in place now.