Worm Man's Worm Farm

I receive emails every week asking about different types of poop and which is best for castings which will be used in a vegetable garden.

The best poop for worm composting are horse manure, cow manure, and rabbit manure.  If you have access to the manure listed above then you are in luck.   The manure should be mixed 50/50 with peat moss.  Horse and cow manure should be moistened and allowed to heat first so that it does not heat in the worm bed.  Moistening it and allowing it to sit for a week should do it.  Then mix 50/50 with peat and let it sit again for a couple of days to ensure the peat does not activate heating in the worm bed.

Rabbit manure can be used fresh from the bunny.  Just make sure it hasn’t been soaking in urine first. If so, then wash out with water first before top feeding your worm bed.

Dog poop, cat poop and human poop should not be used. The poop listed can contain pathogens which are harmful to people.  If you later use the castings on vegetables you may be poisoning yourself and your family.  Dog, cat and Human poop also may contain heavy metals which will build up in the soil  after continuous composting.

Chicken manure can be composting and used as worm food but only after being watered and left to cook.  Cooking chicken manure means allowing it to age and degrade so that the acids wash out.

Chicken manure can be composted well if you use Black Solider Fly Larva.  If you decide to compost with Black Soldier Fly Larvae you can use the chicken manure fresh.  This is the only time fresh chicken poop should be used.
We take the chicken poop and mix it with straw and peat and wet down the pile. We stir the pile every three days and keep it moist.  When the straw snaps when bent then the mixture is ready for the worms.

Horse and Cow poop can be used after a short period of aging unless the animals have recently been wormed or given antibiotics. Do not use manure from treated animals for a week after treating the animal.  If you use the manure you risk passing the drugs to your worms which could kill them.

Worms turn poop into gold for gardeners.

That’s the poop on poop. Any questions?  LOL!