Ways to Use Rabbit Manure

My boys bag our rabbit manure regularly to sell to people wanting garden amendments. Rabbit manure is one of the most nutrient-dense manures, four times more so than horse or cow manure, and twice more than chicken manure. And yet, this is a cold manure so it does not need to age or be composted - it can be put immediately on the garden. Below are some ways you can use "bunny berries".

Straight into the Garden - the simplest way to use rabbit manure is to just put the dry, odorless pellets straight into your garden. It can be applied at any time of the year and gives plants a boost in nutrients when applied in the growing season, or when added in the fall it acts to store nutrients until plants begin to grow again in the spring. There is no concern about rabbit manure burning plants. It can be top-dressed around plants, or you can dig it down into the soil a bit. The round pellets just keep releasing nutrients slowly over time as they decompose.

Composted Manure - composting the manure can result in a better garden amendment as the composting process unlocks more nutrients for plants to use. You can add the manure (along with any shavings and hay that fall from the cages) to a compost bin or pile. If your manure does not have any shavings, straw, or hay, you will want to add some carbon-rich materials such as dead leaves, straw, shredded carboard, or wood chips to your pile as well.

If you have your own rabbits, your "bin" can be as elaborate as you want. Some people build a worm bin underneath their rabbit cages, others build a worm bin near their rabbit cages, and others simply let the manure fall onto the ground under the cages, forking it out as the pile gets too big. Keep in mind that adding the urine to your compost pile can be beneficial if you want to hot compost your rabbit manure, particularly from rabbits kept in cages with trays.

Rabbit Manure Tea - to make manure tea, add a shovel of rabbit manure to a 5-gallon bucket and fill the bucket with water. Let this sit for 3 days in the sun, stirring occasionally. Then use some burlap cloth as a strainer and strain the solids out of the liquid, suspending the solids above the bucket until they stop dripping. The leftover solids can be added to the garden as they still contain nutrients. The liquid can be mixed at a rate of 1 cup to 1 gallon of water (until it is about the color of brewed black tea). This can be sprayed on plants and soil, and the roots of transplants can be dipped in this tea prior to planting.

Now, it's time to get out there and start your spring gardening! If you want to buy some of our "Bunny Berries", see our Sales Page for more information.