Monday 11 August 2014

I Want Bunnies

Last Sunday was the Edible Garden Tour. I thought it much better organised than last year. The garden owners had gone to a lot of effort with informational signs, photographs, plans and guided tours.  

One gardener had bunnies. I used to say rabbits but I've evolved into my second childhood.


They keep them for their poop, or black gold as it is known in these parts. 

This is what the nice lady told me

Fertiliser
Because rabbit manure is dry,odourless and in pellet form it is suitable for direct use in the garden. 
It is considered a cold manure so there is no threat of burning plants and roots. 
It can be applied any time of the year and helps give your plants a boost during the growing season or as a storehouse of nutrients when applied in the late fall and winter.
Use it as a top-dressing, mulch around plants, bury in the ground under transplants or just work into the soil right from the rabbit.
In your compost
The straw, urine, poop mix from their bedding works wonders in the compost as it accelerates heating big time. 
Worms
Put some in your worm composter, the worms love it.
Compost Tea
She makes tea with it but I didn't get the instructions

I looked this bit up

Rabbit manure contains nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium, and many minerals, lots of micro-nutrients, plus many other beneficial trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, boron, zinc, manganese, sulphur, copper, and cobalt. 
N – P – K VALUES –  N- 2.4 P- 1.4 K- 0.6 
just for comparison horse manure-N- 0.7 P-0.3 K-0.6

Many people around here use bunny poop directly on their gardens and seem not to suffer any ill effects.  I'm just telling you what I'm planning. Do the research and make your own decision.

Yes, bunnies, or garden employees, as the bunny lady likes to say, are on our horizon, 

27 comments:

  1. Oh my little guy would be in heaven with a bunny and that little guy up there is adorable!!! I had no idea that their poop could be used directly in the garden! Now I would say that is a win win! Thanks for this inspiring post.....you have me thinking! A lovely week to you friend! Nicole xo

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    1. I hope you get a bunny or two Nicole. Just watch out for nibbled fingers!

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  2. I bunny-proofed my garden this year to keep them OUT and now you want them to move in?? Maybe if mine had pooped more and eaten less, I would have let them stay. But they are incredibly cute and soft....

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    1. Those rabbits were marauders trained by an evil despot in a quest for world domination. I think you would like your own rabbits.

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  3. I kept rabbits for years and their bedding made a good addition to the compost heap.

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    1. I seem to remember rabbits in a hutch at the bottom of the garden as being a common practise when I lived in England.

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  4. I had bunnies when my children were growing up. I wish I had known about the benefits of their poop for my gardens then. They certainly provide a very generous supply that I had to clean out every day.

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  5. I have lots of wild bunny poop every spring that has lain upon the snow. It does make a nice compost on the beds. We have a newborn bunny who is growing up in the garden. I named her Beatrix and she is adorable and well behaved so far. Her brother met his demise from our young fox Hunter who is also living nearby. Can't wait to see your bunnies!

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    1. Wonderful to be so close to nature and observe the cycle of life. I find it very grounding.

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  6. And they are a lot easier to keep than, say, llamas. I love my llama beans, but there's a lot more involved in producing them. I say bunnies, too. I save "rabbits" for those "bunnies" that are wild and eat my garden.

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    1. Haven't seen any llama pictures on your blog lately, time for an update please.

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  7. I used to get bunny poo from an acquaintance who had a pet bunny. I just added it into to my compost bins. It was great until one of her dogs killed the poor bunny. I didn't put the poo directly in the garden, because we had dogs at the time and I didn't want them getting into it.

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  8. You know, someday when we are out there regularly/daily, I would like to have rabbits. But every time I see people raising rabbits, I see them being raised for food. I like that there is a benefit that doesn't involve that and I can justify having them for the gardening! :-)

    And yes, let's use bunnies for cute fluffy compost enhancers and rabbits for the ones that chew up our veggies, LOL!

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    1. Bunnies, well cared for,can live up to twelve years. We will be growing old together.

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  9. I miss the gorgeous compost material that we had from our goats and chickens. I didn't know all of this about bunnies - hard little workers!

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    1. Will you have room for bunnies or chickens at your new place?

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  10. Susan girl I haven't heard the use of "cold" fertilizer, that is amazing! We usually have "wild" bunnies visit the back garden and leave a bit of the black gold but this year not so much.
    I wish I had the room but I don't ... how ever now that I know about this I would spread the word!
    Great post !!
    Joy : )

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    1. Thanks. We have tons of room, I just have to choose the right spot.

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  11. I really wanted to go on the garden tour this year. I need to do something to revitalize my float garden to produce better. I think the soil needs something other than the peat and manure I add each spring. I had a rabbit (he was too big and ornery to called a bunny) when I was little. I also had guinea pigs. I've watched the add in the peak for months about the four guinea pigs from SPCA. I hope the last one has found a home. I was sorely tempted, but having a pet just wouldn't fit with all our traveling around. - Margy

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    1. Once we get into bunnies I will let you have some bunny poop.

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  12. Off to get a whole heap of bunnies this weekend! :)

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    1. I'm envious.!!! We have so much to do here, even though bunnies are high on the list they have to wait until we have time to build them a house.

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  13. Growing old with bunnies sounds very comfortable. I've scored llama poo -- lots of llamas around here somehow-- and it is extremely wonderful and prepackaged in pellets too but llamas are kind of big for gardens. I look forward to pictures of your flock-- or is it herd? Bundle? Oh maybe Fluff? Yes I think a FLUFF of bunnies.

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    1. I agree, a FLUFF of bunnies sounds just right.

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  14. When we lived on the farm, I would actually go and shovel the deer and elk poop and toss it in my garden! No kidding. So rabbit poop sounds perfect for gardens

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