Comments on: Rabbit Manure & Bedding & Baking Soda, Oh My! http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/rabbit-manure-bedding-baking-soda-oh-my/ Red Wiggler Worms, European Nightcrawlers and loads of helpful Worm Composting Information Fri, 10 Feb 2012 18:46:37 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 By: Organic Worm Farm http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/rabbit-manure-bedding-baking-soda-oh-my/comment-page-1/#comment-27970 Organic Worm Farm Wed, 17 Nov 2010 17:55:10 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1483#comment-27970 Sue The blender should work however I use a large type food processor. I actually had a small one which was old and not getting any use which I tried first and it also worked well :-) Bruce Sue

The blender should work however I use a large type food processor. I actually had a small one which was old and not getting any use which I tried first and it also worked well :-)

Bruce

]]> By: Sue White http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/rabbit-manure-bedding-baking-soda-oh-my/comment-page-1/#comment-27933 Sue White Mon, 15 Nov 2010 21:45:56 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1483#comment-27933 Organic Worm Farm: you suggested shredding rabbit manure as it becomes hard. What is an easy way to shred it? I had noticed that it does not break down easily. I only have one dwarf bunny so can't justify buying a commercial shredder just for him. LOL! I did use my old blender the other day and poured that on the plants direclty and a little bit into the worm bin. Would you recommend that? Aloha from Hawaii, Sue Organic Worm Farm: you suggested shredding rabbit manure as it becomes hard. What is an easy way to shred it? I had noticed that it does not break down easily. I only have one dwarf bunny so can’t justify buying a commercial shredder just for him. LOL!

I did use my old blender the other day and poured that on the plants direclty and a little bit into the worm bin. Would you recommend that?

Aloha from Hawaii,
Sue

]]> By: Organic Worm Farm http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/rabbit-manure-bedding-baking-soda-oh-my/comment-page-1/#comment-26814 Organic Worm Farm Tue, 07 Sep 2010 22:04:58 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1483#comment-26814 Tips For Using Rabbit Manure... First off the urine from rabbits can be very strong. I suggest separating the urine from the manure. We use wire cages with a flat run off running the length of our cages. The urine finally falls through a screen to a drain while the manure rolls down the screen to a collection area. This keeps the manure drier and prevents it from soaking in the urine. Another added benefit is when it comes to cleaning the cages. The run off area with a drain works great! Another tip as the manure tends to dry quickly and become hard on the outside, is to shred it prior to feeding worms and mixing in some Worm Chow or other food supplement. You will find your worms will devour it overnight and fatten up quickly. Good Luck! Bruce Tips For Using Rabbit Manure…

First off the urine from rabbits can be very strong. I suggest separating the urine from the manure. We use wire cages with a flat run off running the length of our cages. The urine finally falls through a screen to a drain while the manure rolls down the screen to a collection area. This keeps the manure drier and prevents it from soaking in the urine.

Another added benefit is when it comes to cleaning the cages. The run off area with a drain works great!

Another tip as the manure tends to dry quickly and become hard on the outside, is to shred it prior to feeding worms and mixing in some Worm Chow or other food supplement. You will find your worms will devour it overnight and fatten up quickly.

Good Luck!

Bruce

]]> By: Melissa http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/rabbit-manure-bedding-baking-soda-oh-my/comment-page-1/#comment-25438 Melissa Thu, 20 May 2010 05:55:31 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1483#comment-25438 For the rabbit owner: Please do not use baking soda for the rabbits litter box. I presume you think it is safe, (it's probably advertised like that) when in fact it is not. The baking soda itself is toxic to the rabbit in large amounts, and when ingested in small amounts will cause severe digestive issues. There is a lot of mis-information out on the internet, and ESPECIALLY in petstores. Be sure to use www.rabbit.org as your source for anything rabbit-related. Any other website, unless recommended by the National House Rabbit Society, could be misleading or post the wrong information. Use Yesterday's News for your bunny. It's made of paper, and nothing else, and it's not pricey. The paper does a way better job of masking odors anyway. Get rid of that baking soda! Thanks, -Loving rabbit owner. www.rabbit.org National House Rabbit Society For the rabbit owner:
Please do not use baking soda for the rabbits litter box. I presume you think it is safe, (it’s probably advertised like that) when in fact it is not. The baking soda itself is toxic to the rabbit in large amounts, and when ingested in small amounts will cause severe digestive issues.
There is a lot of mis-information out on the internet, and ESPECIALLY in petstores. Be sure to use http://www.rabbit.org as your source for anything rabbit-related. Any other website, unless recommended by the National House Rabbit Society, could be misleading or post the wrong information.

Use Yesterday’s News for your bunny. It’s made of paper, and nothing else, and it’s not pricey. The paper does a way better job of masking odors anyway.

Get rid of that baking soda!
Thanks,

-Loving rabbit owner.
http://www.rabbit.org
National House Rabbit Society

]]> By: Doug http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/rabbit-manure-bedding-baking-soda-oh-my/comment-page-1/#comment-25363 Doug Mon, 17 May 2010 10:50:41 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1483#comment-25363 As for the baking soda possibly being harmful to worms: Well, I learned as a boy that sprinkling salt on a slug would almost instantly evaporate the slug (i.e., dehydrate it in short order); I have to admit I have verified this empirically. I would imagine that something along the same lines might happen to other slimy creatures, such as worms or amphibians, and I feel it would be a shame to harm these guys. (No remorse over the slugs, though.) As for the baking soda possibly being harmful to worms: Well, I learned as a boy that sprinkling salt on a slug would almost instantly evaporate the slug (i.e., dehydrate it in short order); I have to admit I have verified this empirically. I would imagine that something along the same lines might happen to other slimy creatures, such as worms or amphibians, and I feel it would be a shame to harm these guys. (No remorse over the slugs, though.)

]]> By: Scott http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/rabbit-manure-bedding-baking-soda-oh-my/comment-page-1/#comment-24873 Scott Sat, 27 Mar 2010 18:12:28 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1483#comment-24873 Many thanks Bently.... this site has been great! I really enjoy the many questions answered , and experiments along with the results, posted. The rabbits have been a boon of resources for the bins.... suddenly I have enough for two bins... our feed consist of timothy hay and pellets for the bunnies... bedding is aspen shavings.... which I believe to be safer for the worms than cedar.Is it possible to use this mix on euro's also? Many thanks Bently…. this site has been great! I really enjoy the many questions answered , and experiments along with the results, posted. The rabbits have been a boon of resources for the bins…. suddenly I have enough for two bins… our feed consist of timothy hay and pellets for the bunnies… bedding is aspen shavings…. which I believe to be safer for the worms than cedar.Is it possible to use this mix on euro’s also?

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/rabbit-manure-bedding-baking-soda-oh-my/comment-page-1/#comment-24815 Bentley Mon, 22 Mar 2010 01:36:53 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1483#comment-24815 Hi Scott, Layering the materials on top should be fine - more important to bury in the case of food wastes. With a relatively small plastic tub system like that I definitely wouldn't put a cage directly over top - your concerns are definitely valid. Urine is definitely the thing to watch out for. With big beds and hanging cages, generally the zones where the rabbits are urinating the most will get dug out periodically (and I would imagine the worms will avoid these areas as well) Hi Scott,
Layering the materials on top should be fine – more important to bury in the case of food wastes.
With a relatively small plastic tub system like that I definitely wouldn’t put a cage directly over top – your concerns are definitely valid. Urine is definitely the thing to watch out for. With big beds and hanging cages, generally the zones where the rabbits are urinating the most will get dug out periodically (and I would imagine the worms will avoid these areas as well)

]]> By: scott http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/rabbit-manure-bedding-baking-soda-oh-my/comment-page-1/#comment-24800 scott Sat, 20 Mar 2010 20:54:49 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1483#comment-24800 Rabbits...... my boys both had to have a dutch dwarf bunny..... of course dad wasn't opposed...I got a hungry worm farm... my question is whether or not the waste, both pellets and aspen bedding should be burried or left on top? The over heating is my concern.... also.... if a hutch is placed over a worm bin... wouldn't it raise the concern of direct injection of the amonia from their urine onto the worms..... keep in mind please that I utilize a plastic 20 gal rubbermaid indoors.... any input is appreciated... Rabbits…… my boys both had to have a dutch dwarf bunny….. of course dad wasn’t opposed…I got a hungry worm farm… my question is whether or not the waste, both pellets and aspen bedding should be burried or left on top? The over heating is my concern…. also…. if a hutch is placed over a worm bin… wouldn’t it raise the concern of direct injection of the amonia from their urine onto the worms….. keep in mind please that I utilize a plastic 20 gal rubbermaid indoors…. any input is appreciated…

]]> By: Bentley http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/rabbit-manure-bedding-baking-soda-oh-my/comment-page-1/#comment-23154 Bentley Fri, 20 Nov 2009 03:31:22 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1483#comment-23154 Sounds great, Jillian - please keep us posted on your progress! :-) Sounds great, Jillian – please keep us posted on your progress!
:-)

]]> By: Jillian http://www.redwormcomposting.com/reader-questions/rabbit-manure-bedding-baking-soda-oh-my/comment-page-1/#comment-23051 Jillian Sun, 15 Nov 2009 19:00:17 +0000 http://www.redwormcomposting.com/?p=1483#comment-23051 Thank you, Duff! So far there is still no urine smell in the bedding, so even paying a little more I'm more than happy with this bedding. Bunny poo makes awesome fertilizer, so I'd love to get it in the worm bin and make it even better. Thank you, Duff! So far there is still no urine smell in the bedding, so even paying a little more I’m more than happy with this bedding. Bunny poo makes awesome fertilizer, so I’d love to get it in the worm bin and make it even better.

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