Monday, November 3, 2008

Small Things

What makes me really happy?

POOP!

People poop?

Nope-too stinky!

Chicken poop?

Nope-too hot.

Cow poop?

Nope-too seedy, and sloppy.

Horse poop?

Nope-too big and expensive.


I mean super balanced, easy to gather, easy to use Rabbit or Goat poop or manure.

A perfect blend of all the nutrients plants need, in a ready to use small pellet.

Since we are not allowed to have goats here (or chickens for that matter) I have rabbits. Rabbits are considered a pet in Texas, and not a farm animal. I might argue that point, BUT since it works for me, and I CAN have them here, I'm not arguing too loud. Rabbits are probably better, because they happily live in a cage, and don't cry like goats.

My plan (experiment) was to have rabbits in cage, cage up high, compost underneath, rabbit urine and manure feeding the compost pile. We have been adding veggie scraps, and grass clippings.

Recently my mom started sending her veggie scraps too. So, because I want to give her straight manure, I put an old dishpan under the rabbits, and the manure just falls into it. Yesterday I was able to send a nice amount home with her. Today I am adding a wider pan, to catch more manure for easy harvest. Rabbit poop makes my mom happy too! (Only she perfurs the term rabbit pellets:)

What is this manure good for? It is a perfect balance of nutrients for your plants. It comes in an easy to use dry pellet form, or in our case, because urine is being gathered too, a dryish mixture. It can be gathered easily by just scooping it up from under the cage. The smell is very mild and only present when there is alot of manure. It can be used for manure tea. It can be used immediately (some manures have to age a bit to lower the nitrogen level). It can be placed at the base of the plant and will feed over time.

No picture of the rabbit manure-Just the rabbits in their new set up.

We purchased the rabbits in August.
Currently the underneath compost pile is about ten inches deep of old veggies, and grass clippings.
I'm hoping to also use this as a worm bed.

When I feed my rabbits, it makes me happy! I'm not trashing compost-able scraps, I'm not spending a fortune on pre-packaged manure. They don't ask for much, and I love them!!!
(I also have a bottom-less cage I plan on putting them in later and letting them 'mow' the tall grass under the cage, moving it around as they go:)

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26 comments:

Shauna said...

How cute! Love the pictures! Thanks for sharing :)

Nola said...

Sounds like you are in "poop paradise"...Here's an idea...another mesh basket the size of the rabbit hutch, but no top. then the pellets can fall directly into it, liquid filters on down. All you have to do is turn the basket over and "harvest" the pellets.

Sarah said...

Can I send you my rabbit? :-) I clean his cage out into our compost trash can.

~LL~ said...

*snicker* too funny!

thanks for linking up!

LRFK said...

Love the pics! I have to tell you that in regards to your comment on my page...that bathroom was frogs before!!! I couldn't find a picture that had all the pics prior to going A&M, so I found the pic of when we first moved in. The walls were green and all decorations were frog.

Anonymous said...

Great stuff to have for your garden Carla!

Rhonda said...

Ok Carla...you are one CREATIVE LADY!

inadvertent farmer said...

Love it...I'm working on a design for a rabbit hutch that I can move from bed to bed in my garden. Thanks for sharing you set-up!

inadvertent farmer said...

Love it...I'm working on a design for a rabbit hutch that I can move from bed to bed in my garden. Thanks for sharing you set-up!

threesidesofcrazy said...

Great idea - nothing goes to waste! PUN intended! Have a great week.

Anonymous said...

The manure thing sounds like an awful lot of trouble to me. Think I'll just stick with MiracleGro. Of course we don't grow that much stuff here in Arizona anyway. Cacti don't need any kind of fertilizer. Just a tiny bit of water works. I think you've got a great idea though. Good luck.
Charlotte

Brenda Pruitt said...

I guess I can thank my pets for my fertilizing poop! Except when I go out and step in it. Then I'm not!
Brenda

American Homemaker said...

We used to have a pet pygmy goat. We only bought two bales of hay a year for her to eat in the winter time.

She was the cheapest pet. Plus she kept the lawn mowed, the weeds down and the lawn green :) Let's see a dog do that!

Madam Zelda E said...

I always love your posts.
Please stop by my blog to pick up your award!
xoxoxo,
Angie

Elizabeth said...

Question: I see you are in Texas, so it doesn't get really cold there in the winter? So, the rabbits are alright outside all year? I have thought about doing just what you are doing, but it gets COLD here in the winter...What to do with the poor little varmints?

God bless,
Elizabeth

Tammy said...

You are so funny! :)

And look at those sweet bunnies!

Thank you for your sweet comment...

Blessings!
~Tammy

DP Nguyen said...

How adorable!

Grammy said...

What a great Ideal. Love the bunny's :)
Grammy

Unknown said...

I'm amazed at your creativity Carla.

Kelli said...

So cute! We have had quite a few pet bunnies over the years.
~Kelli

Anonymous said...

I've been debating on ducks or rabbits. Duck eggs are supposed to be really healthy - more so than chicken. So in addition to poop you get eggs. But rabbits seem easier! Anyway, they are cute!

Manuela

TJ said...

Rabbits are great recyclers aren't they? Too bad there isn't a great way to compost toddler poop! I have plenty of that. Actually I know there is, but I don't plan on trying it anytime soon. :)

Mom2my10 @ 11th Heaven said...

Well this is a darn cool post! I never thought I could enjoy reading about poop so much! That was very informative and I am going to share this with my husband. We have rabbits for some reason and now I can tell him that they are good for something! Thank you, Carla! See you next week!

heidi said...

LOL I have to tell you, I was happy to read WHY you were glad for Rabbit Poop, and a little scared at first. ;-)

Dianna said...

Hey, cute bunnies and a free compost source . . . can't get better!

Vicky said...

"Rabbits are considered a pet in Texas...I might argue that point,"
--I so know what you mean HAHA!! They are terribly cute, though.
Rabbit poop is the best, but I didn't know about goat...I always DID want a goat...Hmmm, what are the chances my better half will veto the goat idea? ;)