According to those who love to garden, rabbit manure is one o the best manures you can use on an organic gardens.
“It will increase poor soil by imposing soil structure and also improving the life cycle of the beneficial micro-organisms in the soil,” tells North Thompson Fall Fair and Rodeo Association (NTFFRA) board member Joanne Pettersen, “Rabbits are very good at producing an excellent source of manure, it is rich in nitrogen and phosphorus and very simple to use. It has more nitrogen than most animal manure including cow, horse and pig manure, and it contains beneficial trace elements such as calcium, magnesium, boron, zinc, manganese, sulphur, copper and cobalt, just to name a few.”
Apparently, rabbit droppings are also considered ‘cold manure’, which means that they do not necessarily have to be composted in the same manner as say chicken manure. While chicken manure will burn plants if not thoroughly composted for a year, rabbit manure can be placed directly in the garden.
“Rabbit manure is also oderless for the most part,” said Pettersen, “Some people also worry about pathogens from rabbit manure and choose to compost, which is also acceptable.”
Pettersen says that fresh rabbit manure is approximately two per cent nitrogen, one per cent phosphorus and one per cent potassium. “You can use it fresh and it will not burn the plants, or use the pellets to dress your lawn, mulch roses, vegetables, flower beds and ornamental plantings. Or you can super-charge your compost pile and create an earthworm heaven.”
Pettersen advises the NTFFRA is currently selling rabbit manure in 25 pound bags for $15 a bag. NTFFRA director Jane Milburn is looking after the sales and says they are going very well.
“We have had a great response,” said Milburn,. “But we have plenty of bags still for sale thanks to Ginger McCurdy who donated the rabbit manure to our association so we could use it as a fundraiser. Milburn says a thank you is also in order to all the people who donated discarded wood pellet bags to the association so they could be used to bag the rabbit manure.
“We sure appreciated the bags and also all the volunteers who helped us to bag it,” said Milburn, “The NTFFRA Ambassadors, Len, Laura, Charlie, Ginger - you were all a big help.”
Are there still bags of rabbit manure available?
“Oh, for sure,” said Milburn, “We are surprised we still have quite a few left. At this price they should be going like hotcakes. Rabbit manure is such good stuff. We have sold locally, to Kamloops, and even up to Clearwater.”
Anyone interested in purchasing the rabbit manure will find Milburn at the North Thompson Fall Fairgrounds on Sunday, Apr. 11, 12 noon to 2 p.m. at the Rabbit Hutch building on the fairgrounds. If you can’t make it on Sunday or would like more information, call Jane Milburn a at 250-672-9391.
_______________
Like us on Facebook