social

Including Meat or Animal Products in Compost?

I see many references at various compost related info sites, where I often see, "no meat or animal products", but rarely an explanation as to why. Finally saw one response in your site, "because it gets smelly".

Advertisement

Is that the only reason? I thought maybe it might have something to do with such products (meat and meat products) cultivating an undesirable bacteria or something like that. Can anyone enlighten me on this?

By Annuity - Victor from San Francisco, CA

Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

 
March 19, 20100 found this helpful

Such products also draw unwanted critters to paw through your compost pile, such as skunks, opossums, and rats.

 
March 19, 20100 found this helpful

Seconding what 'readingiggits' said. Vermin!

 
March 19, 20100 found this helpful

The meat also contaminates the soil with e-coli germs and other really bad bacterias. This gets into your vegetables or fruit and makes you very sick.

Advertisement

Just stick to vegan scraps and a little bit of lawnmower cuttings and you will have a good compost pile.

 
March 19, 20100 found this helpful

Rats! Trust me, you do not want an infestation of rats! So no meat or meat byproducts.

 

Bronze Feedback Medal for All Time! 239 Feedbacks
March 19, 20100 found this helpful

I don't put any meat products in my compost AT ALL and still have a very fat mouse living there! I guess he/she likes lettuce and carrots!

 

Silver Post Medal for All Time! 254 Posts
March 26, 20100 found this helpful

What I learned was that in order to compost meat you need a compost pile to reach really high heats. Since a home compost pile usually can't reach the high heats of commercial pile can, it is not safe to compost meat.

 
March 26, 20100 found this helpful

The only reason I know of is Parasites and e-coli. And trust me, you don't want them!

 
March 26, 20100 found this helpful

It's because it attracts animals, not because it foments especially bad bacteria. We always composted all household garbage except poultry by the "sheet method". Rotating the spot every year, we'd simply spread the garbage over the ground and leave it. Next spring, we'd till it under. We would use any poultry carcasses to feed the crabs in the salt-water creek nearby, ensuring a good harvest of those as well.

Advertisement

We were out in the country with plenty of dogs around so the wild animals didn't bother the composting area, but the dogs sure liked a good roll. After which, someone would be detailed to take the dogs onto the dock and throw them overboard. Wait for them to swim ashore, catch and repeat a few times, LOL. Got the dogs clean, but scared the crabs away for a day or so each time. Using this composting method, our gardens (on a site which had been used for gardening since the 1600's) have always been amazingly fertile, not needing much amendment except lime, occasionally.
On the other hand, now that I live in a town with neighbors close by, I compost in a bin and discard all animal products in the trash.

 

Add your voice! Click below to answer. ThriftyFun is powered by your wisdom!

 
In This Page
Categories
Home and Garden Gardening CompostingMarch 19, 2010
Pages
More
🍀
St. Patrick's Ideas!
💘
Valentine's Ideas!
🎂
Birthday Ideas!
Facebook
Pinterest
YouTube
Instagram
Categories
Better LivingBudget & FinanceBusiness and LegalComputersConsumer AdviceCoronavirusCraftsEducationEntertainmentFood and RecipesHealth & BeautyHolidays and PartiesHome and GardenMake Your OwnOrganizingParentingPetsPhotosTravel and RecreationWeddings
Published by ThriftyFun.
Desktop Page | View Mobile
Disclaimer | Privacy Policy | Contact Us
Generated 2024-01-23 08:48:48 in 3 secs. ⛅️️
© 1997-2024 by Cumuli, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
https://www.thriftyfun.com/tf15241065.tip.html