[Belfrybat]

For the last five years, I've had a source for free bunny poo. I would take a dozen 5 gal buckets and collect all I needed a couple of times a year. The nice thing is the lack of odor allowed me to transport in my SUV. The person has gone out of the rabbit business, so I'm looking for a substitute that I can transport in the SUV, as I don't have a truck. That leaves out the only other easy source I can think of -- cow patties. Way too stinky!

The cotton gins around here have mountains of cotton burrs, but they would most likely be treated with herbicides, so that wouldn't work. Any other ideas what I might use other than buying bagged cow or sheep manure, which would be way too expensive. Oh, and I'm too far from a Starbucks to take advantage of coffee grounds, which might work.

 

[Lady89]

chicken poo could do the job but is can smell so u would need a bucket with a lid

 

[Belfrybat]

I don't have access to chicken poo, plus it is so hot it would need to be composted before use.

 

[Forcast]

dry cow pie DRY dont stink

 

[msscamp]

Do you raise goats? If so, use their manure. It works very well!

 

[libertygirl]

Start yourself a red wiggler farm.... :grin:

http://home.howstuffworks.com/vermicomposting1.htm

 

[geo in mi]

Empty BBQ sauce five gallon buckets, with lids. Or a clothespin, is what Mom would have recommended......

Looks like you'll have to find a new source...Maybe Craigslist?

geo

 

[7thswan]

You could always use some alfala pellets.

 

[Belfrybat]

Thanks for all your ideas - you've helped me think outside the box. I don't have any farm animals myself, otherwise I wouldn't be in the pickle I am. I did contact a friend who has a ranch and told him I wanted a few dozen dry cow patties. He's still laughing, but did give me the combination to the gate where his cows are (no bulls in that pasture). Never thought of alfalfa pellets. I'll have to look up the price the next time I'm at Tractor Supply. Yesterday I partially cleaned out the fish pond and today will be transferring all the underwater plants I pulled out to the garden.

It's just such a shame I can't find non-herbicide treated cotton burrs -- there are tons and tons of them at the gins around here right now.

 

[Belfrybat]

Well, complaining and looking around pays off sometimes. I read up more on cotton burr compost and discovered that the herbicide used is very fast acting and is out of the plant's system by the time the cotton is harvested. So I called a couple of gins and found a guy who picks up the mountains of cotton burrs they discard, composts them, then sells the final product for $20.00 a bucket, which he loads (about 1 cu yard). I called him and he told me to come and get 5 gallon buckets for free as long as I shovel it -- I have 10. It's a 80 mile round trip, but will be worth it to me. Cotton burr compost is stinkier than rabbit poo, but it's not too bad. I hope to go get some on Monday.

 

[7thswan]

You don't have a compost site in your nearest town/city? Where I used to live the nearest town had leaf pickup and a truck would come arround after christmas and pick up the trees. They would make compost. I got many pick up loads for my sandy cottage garden.

 

[Belfrybat]

You don't have a compost site in your nearest town/city? Where I used to live the nearest town had leaf pickup and a truck would come arround after christmas and pick up the trees. They would make compost. I got many pick up loads for my sandy cottage garden.

No. The closest is Abilene -- 60 miles away and their "compost" is pretty much mulch. That I have plenty of, thanks to a tree trimming company that came through town a couple of years ago.

 

[LittleRedHen]

maybe its time to get a couple rabbits of your own?