NEVER EVER crossed my mind until...

My b-i-l mentioned salmonella. I just got a pick up load of alpaca poo for my compost because it is not going well and i put some around 4 tomato plants that are just not doing good. I don't think it's very fresh but don't know much about it. Was so very excited about it and now I am wondering...should I be concerned? The lady i got it from tills it into her garden doesn't compost and she sells it so I am going to assume it is ok today. Any thoughts? I have it sitting in a pile to use in the future is that wrong ? Can it get salmonella from something I do or don't do?

There's a good thread here: https://squarefoot.forumotion.com/t5738-should-i-be-worried-about-ecoli-and-salmonella-in-compost

Just be sure to wash hands well. salmonela comes from all kinds of stuff, eggs, chicken, manures from animals, etc. Cooking well and keeping hands out of mouth helps, and most folks won't even get sick from salmonela.

Jo

Do a google search on Organic standards for compost. They are pdf files and my computer is feeling slow and wobbly just now.

What I remember from various sources..... salmonella is mostly a concern with caged poultry manures, not herbivores like alpacas and not even free range chickens like my hens running around the yard. E. coli strains that harm people are a result of feedlot management and more a problem of manures (and animals) from such an environment. Not alpacas in general (alpacas have an amazing digestive system that is extremely thorough, this is why it is not hot (high N) before composting) and not animals raised on pastures.

Basic standard for composting manures is 3 days in the pile above 130 degrees. and ummm,,,,, 90 days curing for crops grown in it that you eat the fruit of (like peas or melons) and 120 days for crops that you eat the part touching the soil (radishes and potatoes).

The food scares have been from wash waters getting contaminated, not manures in the fields. Same sort of thing as when you get food poisoning at a resturaunt. Its not hte food it is the processing.