Dog Poop and Compost

[Nyboy]

Faith.m thread in Lawns anD landscaping made me wonder why isn't ok to put dog poop in compost? Is it because they are meat eaters? Why are some poops good and some bad?

 

[canesisters]

Been wondering the same thing. Maybe if you compost a LONG time and it's good an deep?? I imagine that if it gets hot enough for long enough you could compost just about ANYTHING and it would be just fine.
Maybe it's just the 'yuck factor'. Somehow, digging around in dirt made of poo from horses, bunnies, chickens doesn't seem quite as as digging around in dirt made from dog poo.

 

[Ridgerunner]

You can compost anything organic. But the reason certain pet poop like dog and cat is not recommended is that it can contain certain living stuff that could harm you. There is usually a difference in what can possibly happen and what will absolutely every time without fail happen. Sometimes the risks are a lot greater than others.

This study might be interesting to you.

ftp://ftp-fc.sc.egov.usda.gov/AK/Publications/dogwastecomposting2.pdf

If you get perfect composting with everything in that compost going through the process and it all reaching a high enough temperature you can compost these things. Even then you might want to use it on flowers and shrubs that you are not going to eat.

My compost does not all reach really warm temperatures, enough to cook the pathogens that might be present in dog poop. I always have stuff that did not go through the process perfectly. I screen the compost through a hardware cloth screen and throw anything that doesnt pass into the next batch of compost to try to finish it off.

To me its not worth the risk of using dog or cat poop in the compost. I get plenty of poop from my chickens to provide the Green for composting and my compost goes on my vegetables.

 

[897tgigvib]

It is best to burn to ash any carnivore or unknown manure. If in doubt, burn it.

Right now I am in process of reducing the ash percentage of my garden soil by greatly increasing the total quantity with forest compost and feeding the soil with bone meal and fish emulsion. Ash can be too high a percentage too, so it is good to use, based on experience, well designed ash with well chosen ingredients that are burned. Plan your ashing. That probably can go as well with composting. I still think some things are best composted when partially burnt. You simply can't be sure if you have gotten the questionable things hot enough for long enough to kill the dangerous microorganisms when partially burnt. So, if not sure like that, best to get it red hot glowing burning all the way through first.

 

[boggybranch]

Excerpt from "Composting 101".......

" Pet Droppings - Dog or cat droppings contain several disease organisms and can make compost toxic to handle."

 

[bobm]

We all know that burning would be ideal... however, there are so many environmental laws all over the country the BANS burning including one's own fireplace. What to do ? What to do ?

 

[canesisters]

... can't hunt, can't target practice, can't burn dog poo, can't save rain water, can't have roosters.....

I'm AM SOO GLAD that I live in the 'backwoods' of VA.
'Bout the only thing I've come across that I can't do (other than the normal illegal stuff) is bury livestock.
And if anyone asks... those 2 big logs laying in my pastures are purely for decoration.....

 

[thistlebloom]

I read a book about a guy who was a musher in Alaska. He had a huge kennel of Alaskan huskies and a garden. He used the dog poo
in his garden . Wouldn't want to be the one he invited over for a salad!

I assume he didn't have much green for composting. I'm not going to say anything about the amount of brown....

 

[Nyboy]

Excerpt from "Composting 101".......

" Pet Droppings - Dog or cat droppings contain several disease organisms and can make compost toxic to handle."

What about pets you know are healthy? I do stool cultures on my dogs 2x a year , they have never tested postive for anything.

 

[canesisters]

When I worked for a vet, the only thing we were looking for in poo was worms.
I don't think the concern is about catching worms though; but more things that are actual diseases between one digestive tract and another?