composting, I know its a little off topic(lol)

Among reptiles, Horticulture is also one one of ,my hobbies. I did a web search and couldnt find anything on this topic. is there anyone who has had any luck composting or reusing any kind of reptile bedding like fir bark ect(going green)im not sure if urates are toxic to plants, ive been succesfull so far using rabbit manure from our rabbits for my plants and its been great since they only eat organic foods(tip= if you use rabbit manure its like a super fertilizer, you can put it around your plants fresh, just pat it down with a garden shovel once a month,and water it.)

Rabbit poop is great! I've never had happier tomatoes:)

I think composting the poop of omnivores/carnivores is different than when using the poop of herbivores. On one hand I've always heard not to include things like cat or dog poop in a compost heap, on the other a friend of mine has a composting toilet, so clearly it can be done.

I personally haven'e tried, but good luck! I'll be interested to hear if anyone else knows!

coco fiber composts fairly well, all things considered.

It would probably be best to compare reptile poop with chicken poop for composting purposes.
Make sure it's extremely well composted, or it may burn plants, just like bird guano.
Compost at high temperatures to kill any potential parasites and control harmful bacteria.

If there's any doubt in your mind at all, use it on non-food plants.

Quote:

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The No-No List
The following items should never be added to compost, because they could introduce harmful pathogens, toxins, and nonbiodegradable material.
Diseased plants must be disposed of in the garbage or burned. Adding them to compost could spread the disease.
Dog, cat, pig, and reptile manures (and associated bedding) may contain parasites or dangerous pathogens that are harmful to humans, particularly pregnant women, children, and people with compromised immune systems. Never add them to your compost.

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http://www.organicgardening.com/feat...79-829,00.html

I would think the possibility of the reptiles carrying salmonella is a concern.

IF you run a very hot composting system, it would PROBABLY get hot enough to kill any salmonella. So, if you could research how hot it has to be to kill salmonella, and then make sure your compost gets that hot, but even then, I'd be concerned, as there will usually be some spots that are hotter & cooler in the compost, so if the salmonella manages to survive in one of the cooler spots, you'd still be spreading salmonella on your vegetable garden.

Of course, if you are just using the compost on a flower garden or something like that, it is probably fine.

My guys are on paper towels/butcher paper...but I do compost the pine pellet bedding from my ASFRs (I think that's okay???)