Rabbit Manure: God’s Gift to Gardeners

Until recently, I wasn’t really fond of rabbits, and raising them as pets was the farthest thing in my mind. However,  I  discovered an astonishing fact that made me re-think my position about rabbits:  their poop is actually a super- fertilizer,  the gold nuggets of the gardening world.  Rabbit manure has higher levels of nitrogen, phosphorus, potassium and other trace elements than other animal manure. The interesting part is that rabbits are easy to raise and can make a cute pet for your little ones at home.

 

Here are a few facts that a serious gardener should know about rabbit manure:

N-P-K – Content

The biggest plus for rabbit manure is that it contains higher levels of  nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium than most farm animals like chicken, goat, sheep, cow, pig or horses.  Nitrogen helps plants produce big,  green and healthy leaves,   excellent for growing salad greens, herbs  and other leafy vegetables.   The phosphorus content in rabbit manure encourages more blooms and  fruits, while it also induces root growth for plants,  especially the young seedlings and new transplants.  Rabbit poop also has higher levels of potassium and trace minerals than all other animal manures, which also helps plants fight diseases and manage plant stress.

Won’t Burn the Roots

Unlike most animal manures,   fresh or dried manure can be mixed directly into the soil as side dressing, without the danger of burning the roots of your plants.  This is why rabbit poop is considered a ‘cold’ manure, because it will not burn the roots of your plants, even if you don’t compost it.

Dry and Odorless

If you live in an urban apartment, raising rabbits is definitely not a nuisance to your neighbors.  If you maintain them well, rabbits are generally clean. Feeding them with more plant-based fiber rich food makes  their manure odorless (and doesn’t look “yucky” when dried).    You can store dried rabbit manure for several months, and use it like ordinary pellets whenever you need them. That means none of that stinky rabbit poop smell in your backyard that usually attract flies and other crawlers.

Great Activator for Compost

Rabbit manure can be used to ‘activate’ your compost.  If you are into backyard or kitchen composting, you can add bunny poop into the bin to help breakdown the compost materials faster.

Worms Love Rabbit Poop

Your soil needs more worms to replenish the nutrients consumed by plants.  If you have a worm bin, you can add rabbit manure to feed your worms. Otherwise, simply mix the manure into your soil bed to naturally attract and feed the worms in your garden soil.

How to Use Rabbit Manure

If you happen to raise rabbits as pets,  simply collect their poop and then dry the pellets under the sun.  You may either use these pellets to side dress your plants or add them into your compost. You can also try making your own rabbit manure tea.   Wrap about a cup of rabbit manure pellets in a small cloth bag (tied and secured tightly), and steep the bag  in a gallon of water overnight.   Use the rabbit manure tea to water your plants in the morning. For a stronger concoction, soak the bag for at least 48 hours.

Additional Tip:   If instead of rabbits, you raise other rodents like guinea pigs, gerbils or hamsters at home, you can also use their poop in the same way as bunny poop.  They eat only plant-based materials that decompose easily and are perfect for your garden soil or compost.  Make sure to feed them with organic high-fiber matter only,  most especially if you want to stick to your purely organic lifestyle. 

To view my other blog articles, go to http://www.urbangardeningmom.com.   Happy gardening!

Rabbit photos courtesy of  https:// www,pixabay.com.