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#1
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Composting dog doings
I'm about to adopt a greyhound. She will be my first dog since uni, and
(in a flurry of fencing and putting up gates) I've started to think about the 'disposal problem'. I don't fancy dog doings in my main compost heaps. This is probably illogical: they do get pretty hot, and I do sometimes pop dead rodents and small rabbits in there(presents from the cats), plus most of my shrubs must be liberally mulched with cat doings anyway. But I just don't like the idea. I have got a big box of biodegradeable paper/card poop scoops, and I reckon it must be possible to dispose of these in the (largish, childfree) garden in some way with reasonable safety. What's the best approach? Dig a deep hole and stick a cover on the top? (bedrock is approximately only 2-3 feet down in most of the garden, so a real pit is not really feasible. I suppose I could do the pond thing and use the original diggings to build up the sides a bit.) Have a separate compost heap for use on non-food plants only, layer poo with grass cuttings, and handle the results with gloves? Something else? All suggestions welcome! I really don't want to put them in the bin: we have a landfill shortage problem down here, and apart from that our binbags sometimes get the attention of the local fox, so I try to only put things in the bin that I don't mind cleaning off the lane the next day if necessary. ;-) Victoria -- gardening on a north-facing hill in South-East Cornwall -- |
#2
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"Victoria Clare" wrote in message .209... I'm about to adopt a greyhound. She will be my first dog since uni, and (in a flurry of fencing and putting up gates) I've started to think about the 'disposal problem'. I don't fancy dog doings in my main compost heaps. This is probably illogical: they do get pretty hot, and I do sometimes pop dead rodents and small rabbits in there(presents from the cats), plus most of my shrubs must be liberally mulched with cat doings anyway. But I just don't like the idea. I have got a big box of biodegradeable paper/card poop scoops, and I reckon it must be possible to dispose of these in the (largish, childfree) garden in some way with reasonable safety. What's the best approach? Dig a deep hole and stick a cover on the top? (bedrock is approximately only 2-3 feet down in most of the garden, so a real pit is not really feasible. I suppose I could do the pond thing and use the original diggings to build up the sides a bit.) Have a separate compost heap for use on non-food plants only, layer poo with grass cuttings, and handle the results with gloves? Something else? All suggestions welcome! I really don't want to put them in the bin: we have a landfill shortage problem down here, and apart from that our binbags sometimes get the attention of the local fox, so I try to only put things in the bin that I don't mind cleaning off the lane the next day if necessary. ;-) Victoria -- gardening on a north-facing hill in South-East Cornwall -- I was looking through a catalogue last night that came free a gardening magazine, 'Rosemary and Thyme' Catalogue. In it there are several handy bits and bobs for pet owners, one such, a 'Clean Green Dog Loo'. You plant the doggy loo in your garden, pop the poop in and add a little bio-activator which breaks it down into liquid for it to drain away into the ground. See the product here http://tinyurl.com/5jegu Tracey |
#3
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"Tracey" wrote in message ... "Victoria Clare" wrote in message .209... I'm about to adopt a greyhound. She will be my first dog since uni, and (in a flurry of fencing and putting up gates) I've started to think about the 'disposal problem'. snip I was looking through a catalogue last night that came free a gardening magazine, 'Rosemary and Thyme' Catalogue. In it there are several handy bits and bobs for pet owners, one such, a 'Clean Green Dog Loo'. You plant the doggy loo in your garden, pop the poop in and add a little bio-activator which breaks it down into liquid for it to drain away into the ground. See the product here http://tinyurl.com/5jegu Tracey Tried the dog loo - works for small doggies, but we have a Newfoundland (who could fill it in a day) two retrievers and a Jack Russel. After lots of attempts at different solutions we found the simplest was to dig a pit and drop doggie doos in. These are then sprinkled with grass cuttings - or anything else - to cover and keep the flies away. When the pit is threequarteres full we start a new one and top-off the last one with some of the soil removed. We tend to grow shrubs in between pits, which keep them nicely obscured from view. After several years of this we are nowhere near returning to the start point, which has very healthy vegetation on top... Incidently, we found a marvelous hod and rake at the local Horsey Haven. It's meant for cleaning up behind horses, but is ideal for collecting doggie doings without having to bend down. |
#4
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"Sue da Nimm" . wrote in
: "Tracey" wrote in message ... "Victoria Clare" wrote in message .209... I'm about to adopt a greyhound. She will be my first dog since uni, and (in a flurry of fencing and putting up gates) I've started to think about the 'disposal problem'. snip After lots of attempts at different solutions we found the simplest was to dig a pit and drop doggie doos in. These are then sprinkled with grass cuttings - or anything else - to cover and keep the flies away. When the pit is threequarteres full we start a new one How deep are your pits usually? Is a couple of feet enough? Incidently, we found a marvelous hod and rake at the local Horsey Haven. It's meant for cleaning up behind horses, but is ideal for collecting doggie doings without having to bend down. I shall look out for one - thanks. Victoria -- gardening on a north-facing hill in South-East Cornwall -- |
#5
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"Victoria Clare" wrote in message .206... How deep are your pits usually? Is a couple of feet enough? A couple of feet is all I can manage - we're on boulder clay and it's a mare to dig. I normally dig a cardboard box sized pit. Each layer of poo only needs a sprinkling of grass to supress the pong and foil insects. As an added benefit slugs seem to be drawn to it.... |
#6
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"Victoria Clare" wrote in message .209... I'm about to adopt a greyhound. She will be my first dog since uni, and (in a flurry of fencing and putting up gates) I've started to think about the 'disposal problem'. I don't fancy dog doings in my main compost heaps. This is probably illogical: they do get pretty hot, and I do sometimes pop dead rodents and small rabbits in there(presents from the cats), plus most of my shrubs must be liberally mulched with cat doings anyway. But I just don't like the idea. I have got a big box of biodegradeable paper/card poop scoops, and I reckon it must be possible to dispose of these in the (largish, childfree) garden in some way with reasonable safety. What's the best approach? Dig a deep hole and stick a cover on the top? (bedrock is approximately only 2-3 feet down in most of the garden, so a real pit is not really feasible. I suppose I could do the pond thing and use the original diggings to build up the sides a bit.) Have a separate compost heap for use on non-food plants only, layer poo with grass cuttings, and handle the results with gloves? Something else? All suggestions welcome! I really don't want to put them in the bin: we have a landfill shortage problem down here, and apart from that our binbags sometimes get the attention of the local fox, so I try to only put things in the bin that I don't mind cleaning off the lane the next day if necessary. ;-) Stick them down the cesspit or septic tank. Or of you are on the mains, put them into the inspection tanks which takes your toilet waste away. Or if you only have one dog, put them down the loo, or buy a dogloo. Don't compost dog poo. |
#7
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"ex WGS Hamm" wrote in
: Stick them down the cesspit or septic tank. Or of you are on the mains, put them into the inspection tanks which takes your toilet waste away. We are on the mains, but the inspection hatch is not so easy to get at that I'd want to be lifting it several times a day, I'm afraid. I should clarify and say that as this is a rural area, there are no dog bins. If I clear up after my pet on local walks, I'm going to have to take the results home with me. Don't compost dog poo. But why not? What is the reasoning behind the warning, so I can understand the risk? Is it still a risk if the poo is buried as per Sue's suggestion, or kept separate in a 'not for edibles' area? I don't grow a lot of veggies anyway: most of my compost goes on shrub or flower beds, or round the apple trees. Victoria |
#8
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"Victoria Clare" wrote in message .206... "ex WGS Hamm" wrote in : Stick them down the cesspit or septic tank. Or of you are on the mains, put them into the inspection tanks which takes your toilet waste away. We are on the mains, but the inspection hatch is not so easy to get at that I'd want to be lifting it several times a day, I'm afraid. You don't have to. Get a big bucket, put some bleachy water in and put 3 days worth at a time down the hatch. With only one dog you won't have much of a problem. I have 7!! I should clarify and say that as this is a rural area, there are no dog bins. If I clear up after my pet on local walks, I'm going to have to take the results home with me. I am so rural there is no mains drainage, but we have dog bins. A word to your local council might produce some dog bins. Don't compost dog poo. But why not? What is the reasoning behind the warning, so I can understand the risk? I have a feeling it has to do with the risk of toxicara canis. |
#9
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"ex WGS Hamm" wrote in message ... "Victoria Clare" wrote in message .206... snip But why not? What is the reasoning behind the warning, so I can understand the risk? I have a feeling it has to do with the risk of toxicara canis. If there is a risk of you wiping your forehead with hands that have just been immersed in your fresh compost heap - well, yes, I suppose that there might be a toxicara canis risk. But considering the fact that we are quite happy to knowingly spread horse, cow, sheep and 'other' assorted dung around, notwithstanding that we blissfully ignore all the natural bird, rodent, insect, etc. droppings that happily energise our soil, I feel that the real dangers are somewhat exaggerated by those with specific revulsions, ie, those that will happily kick sheep shit around a field yet get screwed up at the very sight of what might be dog-shit. Tell them its fox droppings or hedgehog poo and that makes everything fine! -- ned http://www.bugsandweeds.co.uk last update 17.09.2004 |
#10
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On 9/17/04 4:02 AM, in article
, "Victoria Clare" wrote: I'm about to adopt a greyhound. She will be my first dog since uni, and (in a flurry of fencing and putting up gates) I've started to think about the 'disposal problem'. Victoria This site may solve the disposal problem for many dog and cat owners. http://www.petwasterecycle.com |
#11
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"oknwht?" wrote in message ... On 9/17/04 4:02 AM, in article , "Victoria Clare" wrote: I'm about to adopt a greyhound. She will be my first dog since uni, and (in a flurry of fencing and putting up gates) I've started to think about the 'disposal problem'. Victoria This site may solve the disposal problem for many dog and cat owners. http://www.petwasterecycle.com ....... "Fools and their money ........... " :-) -- ned |
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