question about fish carcass

[bower]

Originally Posted by ddsack

Bower, would you know how long it takes fish bones to degrade? I would have guts, heads and backbone spines to dig in, but am afraid that the harder parts might still be in the soil to stab my hands the next year. I use my fingers and hand trowels more than shovels when I'm working in my raised beds.

Yep, bigger bones can persist for awhile. It would be better to crush them up as much as possible, or bury them a bit deeper than you expect to be digging with bare hands.

Fish bones that have been cooked are easier to crush. I also find that cooked fish waste is less attractive to animals, so I generally just throw that in with the veggie scraps compost. Never find any parts when I'm digging it after (unlike eggshells, which are pretty persistent).

The local compost that I buy from time to time is made with fish waste, and my only gripe with the product is that it does often contain unbroken fish parts which are sharp enough to cut my hands, fin bones are worst... Come to think of it, you might be alright if you carefully remove any fins and their bones from your fish waste. The spine bones are not usually sharp, and the side bones of the skeleton break down the fastest and would cause the least trouble I expect.

One reason I am so into gloves for every purpose, my hands are not a bit tough. For gardening I'm now addicted to the vinyl palm type gloves they sell at the dollar store - they actually last a long time, protect really well, and can be washed and even gently javexed 3 or 4 times without falling apart.

[ddsack]

I like those gloves too, the breathable fabric on the top half makes them more comfortable to wear, but yet you get a good grip with the vinyl coated fingers and palm. I probably won't use any of the fish waste in the garden because we already have skunks around that dig up our lawn looking for grubs. After my guys get done fileting, mostly it's just all the sharp stuff that is left. I could give them a gut pail just for the innards and tell them not to put other stuff in it. And start a new compost pile far from the garden areas.

[efisakov]

Next time dig foot deep hole and place FROZEN fish in it. Cover and top with more soil, creating hill above it. I do this all the time.
Frozen fish does not smell as much. Bones decay slower, so it is good to put guts with it. Instead of making few small holes put it all together. I do compost at fall as much as half a bucket of fish guts/heads/bones at once in each tomato bed. Makes my tomatoes go wild.

[FISHBONE]

Originally Posted by Stvrob

There is always the bass-o-matic way to liquify everything so there is nothing left for critters to carry off.


https://youtu.be/0BQFv83QJ2Y

i remember watching that back in the good old Saturday night lives.. you got me watching many more on ytube lol

[FISHBONE]

Originally Posted by efisakov

Next time dig foot deep hole and place FROZEN fish in it. Cover and top with more soil, creating hill above it. I do this all the time.
Frozen fish does not smell as much. Bones decay slower, so it is good to put guts with it. Instead of making few small holes put it all together. I do compost at fall as much as half a bucket of fish guts/heads/bones at once in each tomato bed. Makes my tomatoes go wild.

my sister said a raccoon was at the deck last night ,, personally i think she is fos.. but i'm not going to do fish in the ground anymore.. so many other good options without the critters too

[efisakov]

I saw opossum couple days ago in my neighbor backyard around 3 PM. It would not stop me.