Marley
Newly Registered
Posts: 6
Joined: Fri Oct 20, 2017 8:10 pm

dog poo

Hi All :?:

I am a newbie from South Australia (see more info in Intro Yourself) and ample dog poop.

A dog composter is available from $150-! and way beyond budget. They also are rather small and work as a worm farm. I would have enough poo to fill this in a week.

Google recommends enzymes and a variety of composting bins available in the USA which is not available here.

Currently, I am putting the poop in a large plastic bag (that held potting mix) with some 'hot' hydrated lime to break it down, but have no idea if it will work, or how much lime to use. I do not have a compost heap because of the size of the yard, proximity to neighbours, and everything in the yard is visible. I have also read it is not a good idea to put dog poop, or any meat eater's waste in a compost heap.

If the hydrated lime works, how long would I expect to see results? Will it break down to crumbs or liquid? For me, this is completely experimental.

I intend to spread it thinly and dig it into the dirt I am trying to rehabilitate.

Thank you
Marley

ronbart
Full Member
Posts: 18
Joined: Sat May 20, 2017 8:55 am
Location: N E Kansas, USA

I know what you are going through. We have 5 dogs. I made a composter out of a bucket that worked pretty well. Take a bucket or trash can that has a lid. Cut the bottom out of it. Dig a deep hole that the container will fit into with it sticking a few inches out of the ground. You put the poo in the hole with a little of the enzyme that you use in septic tanks. The enzyme will break it down to be absorbed into your soil. You will have to add the enzyme every 3 to 4 weeks. This method has no smell but you may have to put a rock or something on the lid to keep out inquisitive critters. Next spring I am going to get a few chickens and plan to feed them soldier fly larvae that will eat the poo and I will feed the fly leavings to red wiggler worms to make castings I can use in the garden. You can find both processes on youtube.

toxcrusadr
Greener Thumb
Posts: 970
Joined: Thu Sep 09, 2010 4:50 pm
Location: MO

Adding lime may serve to reduce odors, but it doesn't really help it break down. It also makes the pH go very high, which will drive off ammonia and probably hinder microbial action. It's mainly used in barns to reduce odor.

I was going to suggest exactly what ronbart did, the sunken bucket. If you have access to any kind of brown material, it would be good to add a little with each addition. Sawdust would be best, it's highly concentrated (I.e. all carbon and almost no N). Shredded paper would work too. When the bucket gets full up, move it to a different spot. I would not bury it too deeply if your soil is heavy, so you can get it back out. A 5-gal bucket works good for this method.

Yes it's a good idea to keep pet waste away from food crops but returning it to the soil is not a bad thing if you can pull it off. Also, don't feel like you have to compost 100% of it if you just don't have the space for that. Anything you do is better than nothing.



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