Fertilizer Bunnies in tractor

ETNRedClay Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:41 am

Does anyone use bunnies for fertilizer in a chicken-tractor-type configuration directly on your SFG beds?

I saw that some are using chicken tractors fitted for SFG. Since chickens are high nitrogen producers and bunnies are not,I was wondering....

I did have this nightmarish thought of bunnies escaping and producing hoardes of garden eaters....

**camprn** Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:43 am

If there are not a lot of responses to your query, you can find numerous back threads with some good information. I think Josh and Rooster had some clever arrangements for collecting bunny pellets for the SFG.

southern gardener Tue Jan 21, 2014 10:58 am

ETNRedClay wrote:Does anyone use bunnies for fertilizer in a chicken-tractor-type configuration directly on your SFG beds?

I saw that some are using chicken tractors fitted for SFG. Since chickens are high nitrogen producers and bunnies are not,I was wondering....

I did have this nightmarish thought of bunnies escaping and producing hoardes of garden eaters....

ETN, I found this online. It says rabbits have a high nitrogen content. I really don't know, but am just passing this along. Someone on here (Josh??)Put his rabbit pen OVER his compost pile, the droppings and urine go right into the compost! Sounds like a plan!!

http://www.squidoo.com/best-manures-for-your-veggie-garden

keepercjr Tue Jan 21, 2014 11:57 am

I have never heard of or seen a chicken tractor for a veggie garden. Usually you would use a chicken tractor over your lawn and it isn't to fertilize it it is to give the chickens access to fresh ground every few days. You don't want straight chicken manure in your garden as it will burn the plants. Now bunny pellets you can use fresh or compost them.

**camprn** Tue Jan 21, 2014 12:13 pm

keepercjr wrote:I have never heard of or seen a chicken tractor for a veggie garden. Usually you would use a chicken tractor over your lawn and it isn't to fertilize it it is to give the chickens access to fresh ground every few days. You don't want straight chicken manure in your garden as it will burn the plants. Now bunny pellets you can use fresh or compost them.

+1, Good points Keepercjr.

ETNRedClay Wed Jan 22, 2014 12:30 pm

The idea behind a chicken tractor ON the beds, is it is moved once a year or so. You're preparing that one bed as a long-term project. By the time you plant that bed, it's been well fertilized AND seasoned.

I have seen it done, haven't done it.

But RABBIT poo doesn't burn, so you could conceivably move the tractor and plant directly.

My biggest concern is escaping bunnies mowing down everything I've worked over... and the next biggest concern is my dogs discovering I'd prepared them a little fast food for the catching. My dogs just adore chasing their meals.

**sanderson** Wed Jan 22, 2014 3:24 pm

Keeper, do you know of a local source of bunny poo?? Fresno/Clovis?

plantoid Wed Jan 22, 2014 5:27 pm

ETNRedClay wrote:The idea behind a chicken tractor ON the beds, is it is moved once a year or so. You're preparing that one bed as a long-term project. By the time you plant that bed, it's been well fertilized AND seasoned.

I have seen it done, haven't done it.

But RABBIT poo doesn't burn, so you could conceivably move the tractor and plant directly.

My biggest concern is escaping bunnies mowing down everything I've worked over... and the next biggest concern is my dogs discovering I'd prepared them a little fast food for the catching. My dogs just adore chasing their meals.

look up a " Mordant chicken coop "or " Mordant rabbit pen " you should see a prism shaped pen with a large mesh wire floor that two people can move about . The floor has to be in full contact with the ground so that the wires do not cut the rabbits feet .

So long as the rabbits get fed and watered with plenty of shade they will perform for you .
On our small mammal farm we housed 16 sets of guinea pigs ( cavies ) in these types of shelters so that they could get the vitamin C from the grass .
Once a pen was moved according to the rotation plan, after three days the resultant fertilization would start to kick in and really grow the grass over the next month .

Forget the name Mordant ....... the search engines don't recognise it .
have a peek at the pictures in the link instead

https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=triangular+chicken+coop+plans&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=QEjgUr6VHJGBhAe77ID4Cw&ved=0CC0QsAQ&biw=1366&bih=596

cheyannarach Wed Jan 22, 2014 7:15 pm

And I thought the Energizer Bunny was cool Cool

ETNRedClay Wed Jan 22, 2014 11:05 pm

Thanks for the triangle ideas. WOW, of course. So much easier than squares and it's not like bunnies need all that headroom.

Have to build light enough for one person to move -- in case of emergencies I can't imagine at the moment, but I learned this when I built dog houses. Puppy Palaces might have to be lifted off a small stuck dog in an all-fired hurry.

Now I'm plotting and scheming for fertilizer bunny tractors. Hehehe.

**walshevak** Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:31 am

Did anybody notice the coop built from PVC piping. That might be light weight enough.

Kay

ETNRedClay Thu Jan 23, 2014 12:58 am

walshevak wrote:Did anybody notice the coop built from PVC piping. That might be light weight enough.

Kay

To move, yes. But my dogs would walk through it like curtains. The only dog kennel they've never gotten out of was welded ROD, 6-gauge, standard chainlink is 12g and a temporary measure for a determined dog.

Weight vs. Security is a constant battle with big determined dogs.

southern gardener Thu Jan 23, 2014 2:33 pm

ETN, ran across this video, and made me thing of you. Not rabbits, but kind of what you were thinking?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlyV8fA6R_Q#t=25

Goosegirl Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:18 pm

southern gardener wrote:ETN, ran across this video, and made me thing of you. Not rabbits, but kind of what you were thinking?? https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GlyV8fA6R_Q#t=25

Great idea!

GG

plantoid Thu Jan 23, 2014 6:48 pm

ETNRedClay wrote:Thanks for the triangle ideas. WOW, of course. So much easier than squares and it's not like bunnies need all that headroom.

Have to build light enough for one person to move -- in case of emergencies I can't imagine at the moment, but I learned this when I built dog houses. Puppy Palaces might have to be lifted off a small stuck dog in an all-fired hurry.

Now I'm plotting and scheming for fertilizer bunny tractors. Hehehe.

make it like a wheel barrow but use two bicycle wheels on a long axle that you just ease up one end and slip the wheeled axle in under some claws .. go other end and use the handles to lift and move it wheel barrow style to where you want it , then take the axle set out .

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