Rabbit poop is an excellent fertilizer. It actually contains more nutrients than horse or chicken manure. You can safely add uncomposted rabbit manure to ornamental gardens to boost the soil nutrients. However, it is best to compost rabbit manure before use in any garden where you are growing food, to completely eliminate the risk of dangerous pathogens.
Can You Add Rabbit Poop Directly to Garden Soil?
Rabbit poop can be added directly to gardens where you are not growing food. Other animal manures must be composted for use in any garden, but rabbit poop is a “cold” manure that is safe to mix directly into your garden soil. This makes it a very unique natural fertilizer source.
- If you do not plan to grow food in your garden, you can add rabbit poop directly to the soil.
- For edible gardens, use only fully composted rabbit poop.
- Although the risk of contracting pathogens from domestic rabbits is low, it is best to compost rabbit poop before using it to grow plants that you will eat.
If you wish to use rabbit poop in a fruit or vegetable garden, add it to your compost pile first. The heat released during the decomposition process will help to destroy any bacteria and other pathogens in rabbit poop. This ensures that any food you grow is safe for humans to eat.
Can You Compost Rabbit Poop?
You can easily compost rabbit droppings. Just mix the rabbit pellets into your compost pile to start the decomposition process. The heat released during decomposition helps to kill any harmful bacteria in manure, so it is safe for use in all gardens.
- Rabbit poop is an excellent addition to any compost bin.
- When composting, rabbit poop is considered “green.”
- Mix equal parts “green” and “brown” compost materials to get proper compost.
It’s essential to remember that rabbit poop counts as “greens” in your compost since it is high in nitrogen. To get your compost properly decomposing, make a 50/50 mix of “greens” and “browns,” by weight. Common examples of “green” materials include manure and grass clippings. While common “brown” materials include dead leaves, sawdust, and hay.
How Long Does Rabbit Manure Need to Compost?
Rabbit droppings require 120 days to compost in most cases. However, decomposition times vary. In a small compost pile, it may take up to a year for rabbit poop to fully break down. In a large compost pile that is turned frequently, the manure can break down in as little as 45 days. Since rabbit manure is much safer for use in gardens than cow, horse, or chicken manure, it’s okay to stick with the 120-day rule in most cases.
How Do You Use Rabbit Poop as Fertilizer?
To use rabbit poop as fertilizer, first spread the pellets on top of the soil. Then, use a rake or tiller to mix the poop into the soil. This releases the nutrients into the soil efficiently, attracts beneficial earthworms, and prevents the poop from attracting insects. Below, we’ll dive into the specifics for how much rabbit poop fertilizer to use as well as how often to use it.
- Collect rabbit poop and spread it evenly over the top of your garden soil.
- Mix the rabbit poop into the top 6–12 inches (15–30 cm) of soil to feed plant roots.
- It is safer to use poop from domestic rabbits than wild rabbit poop.
- Continue reading for details on using rabbit manure fertilizer.
Treating rabbit poop as fertilizer is one of the best ways to get rid of rabbit poop in your yard. However, it’s important to note that manure from pet rabbits is a much safer fertilizer than wild rabbit poop. Rabbits fed a controlled diet are less likely to carry disease or fall victim to an infestation of parasitic worms. So, we only recommend using poop from domestic rabbits in your garden.
How Much Rabbit Manure Should You Use as Fertilizer?
Spread 20–40 pounds (9–18 kilos) of rabbit poop per 100 square feet of garden (9 square meters). Since this represents a lot of rabbit droppings, it’s a good idea to scoop and store rabbit poop in containers. It will keep for a long time. Alternatively, you can just add rabbit poop to your compost pile, then use the compost as fertilizer.
How Do You Mix Rabbit Poop for Fertilizer?
When you use rabbit poop as fertilizer, it’s essential to mix it into the soil. UV light from the sun can break down the nutrients in manure, which makes it less effective. To ensure all those nutrients enter the soil and feed your plants’ roots, use a rake, hoe, or tiller to mix the rabbit poop into the top 6–12 inches of soil (15–30 cm). Once it is mixed into the soil, the rabbit manure will begin to break down, return nutrients to the soil, and fuel plant growth.
How Often Do You Fertilize With Rabbit Poop?
It’s best to use rabbit poop fertilizer before every new planting and after the harvest season. This is because rabbit poop works best as fertilizer when it is mixed into the soil. You risk destroying plant roots if you churn manure into the soil while plants are actively growing. So, use rabbit poop fertilizer in spring, before you plant your annuals. Then, use more fertilizer after the fall harvest ends and annuals die off. It’s also a great idea to mix rabbit poop fertilizer into the soil just before it’s time to plant your winter cover crops.
What is the NPK of Rabbit Poop?
Rabbit poop has an NPK ratio of 2-1-1. This means it contains 2% nitrogen, 1% phosphorus, and 1% potassium. This makes it much more nutrient-rich than horse manure or chicken manure. However, cow manure and grass clippings typically have slightly more macronutrients than rabbit poop. The really big benefit of rabbit poop fertilizer is that it contains essential soil micronutrients such as copper, magnesium, and calcium.
Does Rabbit Poop Attract Bugs?
Since rabbit poop has very little odor, it is not likely to attract bugs. However, flies will sometimes flock to rabbit poop to feed and lay their eggs. This chance of creating a bug problem is another great reason to mix your rabbit poop fertilizer into the soil. Once it is underground, the rabbit poop will no longer attract hungry flies.
- Because rabbit poop has low odor, it is unlikely to attract bugs.
- Although it is somewhat rare, flies may be drawn to rabbit poop in some cases.
- Mixing rabbit poop into the soil decreases the risk of attracting bugs.
- When rabbit poop is mixed into soil, it feeds beneficial earthworms.
Rabbit poop that has been mixed into your soil as an organic fertilizer has the added benefit of attracting helpful earthworms. Earthworms in your soil will help break the rabbit poop down into organic matter to feed your plants. Plus, the presence of worms helps oxygen and water penetrate the soil to improve your plants’ overall health.
Will Rabbit Poop Hurt Your Plants?
Rabbit poop will not harm your plants. In fact, it is an extremely safe and versatile fertilizer. Here are the key facts to remember.
- Rabbit poop is an amazing garden fertilizer.
- Unlike other livestock droppings, rabbit manure can be used safely even without composting.
- If you are using rabbit poop in gardens where you are growing food, it is best to compost the manure first, as an extra precaution.
- Spread rabbit poop (or rabbit poop compost) evenly in your garden, then mix it into the soil for the biggest boost.
- Mix rabbit fertilizer into the soil before each planting.
- When annuals die in the fall, mix another dose of rabbit poop fertilizer into the soil.
- Rabbit poop has an NPK of 2-1-1.
- By mixing rabbit poop into your soil, you will attract earthworms that improve soil quality.
The organic matter decomposing rabbit poop releases into the soil is great for flower beds and vegetable gardens. Rather than toss your bunny’s poop into the trash, try it out as a natural fertilizer.
