Dogs and Composting

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I raise dogs as an alternate income but one of the biggest problems I have is what to do with all the waste. Can dog feces be composted? If so how? Does it have much use as a fertilzer? thanks for any help.

Nathan

-- Nathan Oberdier (nathano@midohio.net), February 22, 2001

Answers

I have always heard NOT to use dog or cat manure in compost. They can pass on diseases. We have six dogs and I feel your pain. We gather and drop in kind of a dump area on top of a ridge.

-- Rick Powell (rpowell@email.ccis.edu), February 22, 2001.

I have always been told that cat,dog and human wastes were like the radioactive pellets of the manure world. Lots of desiese, heavy metals and such. They can be disposed of but take treatment with lime or wood ash to make them manageable for composting.

-- Jay Blair in N. AL (jayblair678@yahoo.com), February 22, 2001.

Nathan- Yes, you can compost dog waste, but keep it in a seperate pile and do not use it in your garden- take it out in the woods and dump it around landscaping plants or trees. Wear gloves and handle it carefully. You do not want to use the finished compost in your garden as certain diseases can be transmitted to humans. There is a product on the market called a "doggie doo" ( or something like that)- it is some kind of mini septic system, about the size of a trash can, I think, that you bury in your yard- comes in a variety of sizes from 2- 3 dog capacity on up. Check with commercial kennel supply houses for similar products.

-- Elizabeth (ekfla@aol.com), February 22, 2001.

Nathan, Dog, cat, and human manure can be used as compost but, it should be left composting for about two years or so. After it is composted it should only be used for landscape type plants. Sincerely, Ernest www.communities.msn.com/livingoffthelandintheozarks

-- Ernest in the Ozarks (espresso42@hotmail.com), February 22, 2001.

We have a small boarding kennel and five dogs of our own on five acres. Dog waste is a continual chore. I installed two doggie doolies. I dug holes four feet deep, three feet square and lined with concrete blocks. On top of the concrete blocks sits a pyramid shaped metal contraption with 6" square lid that is only about 3" above grade. Both of those filled up within a year and take forever to breakdown. Occasionally we can add more, but we typically bury the dog waste. I use the auger on the tractor to dig either 12" or 18" diameter holes about three feet deep. It usually takes four to six weeks to fill one up. When the dog waste is within half a foot of the surface, I cover it up and drill a new hole about two feet away. This has to be done as far away from your well as possible.

Surface composting sounds disgusting. NEVER put meat eating animal waste on your garden. It contains microscopic worms that can get into root vegetables and then into your brain and kill you.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), February 22, 2001.



I can't imagine that dog feces can be any more "toxic" than human feces - I would have no fear of composting it and using it on ornamentals etc. We use our outhouse humanure, well mixed with sawdust and well composted, on our fruit trees and they are doing great.

There can't be heavy metals in the feces unless you feed the dogs heavy metals!

-- David C (fleece@eritter.net), February 22, 2001.


I guess my mom went against the book! She always had the most gorgeous flower gardens. All she did was water and bury the dog dropping in the gardens. No other fertilizer was used.

-- ~Rogo (rogo2020@yahoo.com), February 26, 2001.

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