Composting Dog Poo

[fidgiegirl]

Anyone have personal experience with composting dog poo? Advice?

http://cityfarmer.org/petwaste.html

[peggy]

I've always heard you shouldn't use it on vegetables or fruits you will eat. I suppose it wouldn't harm ornamental, if composted. Maybe someone else will have better info.

[fidgiegirl]

I heard that, too. I am a little worried about odor, but then, I was worried about that with regular composting before doing it and knowing how.

[puglogic]

Carnivore feces are a whole different story, fidgie, and can bring along some pretty nasty pathogens if not composted at very high temperatures for a very long time. YMMV, but I don't even use ours on ornamentals, at least not on ornamentals where I might be digging with my hands ever. We have a pit in the backyard, downhill from the veggie garden, where we "digest" it, layering it with dry leaves or straw. But we never use it for anything. Some will disagree, but I have plenty of other sources of compost and don't need to run this risk.

[fidgiegirl]

Pug, is it a pretty efficient way of at least not having to stick it in the garbage? Does it take a long time to fill up/break down? We are on a small lot, so if I can never use it anywhere else or move it around, maybe we're better off skipping it. I also read you can feed it to worms, but any worm bin we would have would have to come inside for half the year . . . hmmmmm.

Any flushers among us? Trying to find an alternative to pickling it in plastic bags in the landfill . . .

[iris lily]

We've composted for more than 2 decades but we do not compost pet waste. The poo from any meat eating animal will not be composted here.

[Zemma]

Before we moved to the farm (where the dog poo is not a problem), I was about to set up a worm farm dedicated to dog poo only. Here is an article about how one woman did it - http://brisbanelocalfood.ning.com/pr...o-with-dog-poo

You just have to watch out not to put in the poo after the dog has been wormed.

[Float On]

Something I've never had to think about having always lived on enough land to just allow dog and cat poo to compost naturally in the woods....I don't even really know where the two of them do their business. Chickens on the other hand...you have to watch where you step in the back yard.

[Wildflower]

We've been composting for years, but dog and cat waste in the compost we won't do....

[Gregg]

In parts of China the farmers build outhouses beside their fields then decorate them in ways that will attract passers-by who will grace them with a gift of fertilizer. I do not know if they use the gift directly or allow it to age.

Feces can be used on a garden if it is well composted. Put it in a pile with grass clippings or other higher nitrogen waste that will generate some heat when breaking down and it should be fine. If you're going to toss it in with fall leaves and other longer cycle, lower nitrogen items you will probably need a few years to complete the composting. The suggestion of many above that it can be used on ornamental beds (but still composted first) is very sensible, that way there really isn't a contamination risk either way.