What animal is best for manure for garden?

Rabbits with worm beds under their cages.

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Je ne suis pas Alice

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Oh, forgot to add that goats won't mow your lawn. They are browsers, and only eat grass if there's nothing else -- absolutely nothing else -- to eat.

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Je ne suis pas Alice

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Another vote for hair sheep. Not a lot of major care, they mow better than goats (goats prefer to browse) and they don't test your fences like goats.

I used to like my rabbit's manure, though, too. If you are wanting to collect the pellets, rabbits would be better, or at least easier, as goats and sheep distribute the wealth as they go along...

Mary

You can raise the rabbits, and after they turn grass into fertilizer, you can turn the rabbits into dog food. (if you don't want to eat them, that is). Dressing out a rabbit has got to be the easiest of any animal I've encountered so far, and domestic rabbit is decent eating too.

The previous owner of our place had cows. Cleaned out the run in shed and I've got a large pile that I've been putting on the garden. I have horses and they are replenishing the supply. I just started with the rabbits, and will see how that works too.

Cathy

Hair sheep breeds that originated in the Caribbean would tolerate your weather fine. This would include Katahdin (developed in Maine from St. Croix stock), Barbados Blackbelly, and St. Croix. Dorpers on the other hand were developed in South Africa and I believe do better in drier conditions.

Peg

The best fertilizer for the soil is the footsteps of the farmer.
Confucius

(Lyndon Johnson also said that, but I think he borrowed it.)

Don't worry about a donkey, he will kick the crap out of a dog if it screws with him...

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Donkeys don't tend to be too fond of canines. They like to grab em by the neck and shake real hard, or kick them to kingdom come. There are exceptions but I wouldn't take a chance.

Rabbits housed over a worm trough will make amazing fertilizer in very short order. (though rabbit can be used straight it improves with a couple trips through a worm, plus you can add more items in there as well if you want)

J

I'm not sure what is 'best'. Chicken, sheep, duck and pig is what we use as that is what we have for animals. I've heard that rabbit is particularly good. We had rabbits for years and their manure certainly produced good manure. We over wintered them in the greenhouse which worked well.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org

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SugarMtnFarm.com -- Pastured Pigs, Poultry, Sheep, Dogs and Kids

If you're just looking for manure I'd suggest watching the paper or craigslist to look for horse manure. You can get free manure without having to keep the animal. Heck, I have horse manure. Want any?

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Moms don't look at things like normal people.
-----DD

It would be a bit tight to put the dogs in a chicken tractor. Perhaps they could be taught some manners.