manure question

[TightenUp]

i am just finishing up a raised bed filled with mels mix and have about an inch of room left in my bed. i came across some rabbit manure i can get for free. the manure is hay, urine and poop mixed up.

is this ok to go right on top of my bed? i would work it in to the top couple inches of mels mix.

this is not composted and is straight from the cages.

[marc_groleau]

I've raised rabbits and often spread fresh manure around the base of the plant. Just don't place it directly on the stem. Lesave a 6" diameter clearance around it. It has worked extremely well. If you have a chance to let it sun-dry for about two weeks, you can till it right into the soil.

[TightenUp]

i've decided to compost the manure because of the hay and possibility of seeds mixed in.

if the rabbit manure was just droppings i would use fresh but because of the hay i am going to compost.

thanks for taking the time to reply

[ArcherB]

I grabbed a bunch of the same stuff you did this last winter except mine also contained sawdust pellets that breaks up as it absorbs moisture. Any attempts to separate it failed and didn't seem worth the effort. The seeds from the straw was plainly visible, so, like you, I composted it for a bit. I was amazed at how quickly the straw broke down. Within a couple of months, it was gone. The sawdust is still around with the manure itself, but I'm OK with that. As a test, I created a bed with nothing but the compost with some leaves mixed in and the plants are doing great. Also, for the first time ever, I have worms in my compost pile. They really seem to love the stuff.

EDIT:

I should also add that ammonia smell was pretty strong. It was like visiting the crazy lady with 20 cats! The smell was gone after a few days in the compost pile.

[TightenUp]

i've read about the rabbit manure and worms. cant wait to get this stuff.

turns out the rabbit breeder drives to the dump to get rid of this stuff so i am getting it for free and doing him a favor at the same time.

i dont have a pickup truck and the ride is about 45 minutes so it might be a stinky one but well worth it

[janezee]

Jeff,
I get manure and seaweed home inside my car in a container like they use for the earthtainers.
The lid is very helpful, if you catch my drift.

j

[TightenUp]

i hear ya. thats my plan as well. i only have 2 20 gallon tubs available right now so i might use a couple heavy duty garbage bags. not sure of the quantity the guy has per week but he says its a lot

[Skaggydog]

I seen a guy line his trunk with a plastic sheet and load it right in.

[Tracydr]

I grew my tomatoes and squash in straight horse manure last year. Cleaned out my paddocks and filled my raised beds. Put in the plants, added water.
The paddocks had been filling up for about 4 months so it was a mixture of old and new.
Tomatoes did great, squash was insane.

[RebelRidin]

Originally Posted by Tracydr

I grew my tomatoes and squash in straight horse manure last year. Cleaned out my paddocks and filled my raised beds. Put in the plants, added water.
The paddocks had been filling up for about 4 months so it was a mixture of old and new.
Tomatoes did great, squash was insane.

I like that. Borrowing from the old advertisements for Corningware...

"From the stable, to the garden, to the table!"

[marc_groleau]

I have sold rabbit stuff for $4.00 for a 5 gallon pale full. I measured it by filling a 5 gallon pail and then dumped it into a heavy duty trash bag. Maybe 3 pails to a bag. I've had folks with very fancy cars come and fill their trunks and back seats with the bags. Must be a sweet ride home.

[b54red]

I used to raise rabbits and the manure they produced was great for almost anything. The bonus was the huge amount of red worms and wrigglers that could be scooped up along with the manure.