P and gardening

[lissapell]

If Pasturella is carried in the rabbits waste and I use the waste in my garden as fertilizer, should I be concerned about the crops grown there feeding them back to the rabbit and harboring more Pasturella, thus infecting more rabbits?
* I'm sorry this sounds crazy to me too, but I'm a little freaked out right now so I figure it's better to ask.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

If Pasturella is carried in the rabbits waste and I use the waste in my garden as fertilizer, should I be concerned about the crops grown there feeding them back to the rabbit and harboring more Pasturella, thus infecting more rabbits?
* I'm sorry this sounds crazy to me too, but I'm a little freaked out right now so I figure it's better to ask.

Honestly? The dirt likely already has P. multocida, along with all kinds of other bacteria. It is only bad when it gets where it doesn't belong *ie. respiratory system* or a weak immune system allows it to proliferate out of control. Think about this...

E.coli + the healthy human stomach = illness and possible death.

E.coli + the healthy human colon = no problem, that is where it lives.

Now, if I knew a rabbit had an active P.multocida infection, I would NOT use that poop to fertilize with....just to be on the safe side.

 

[lissapell]

This makes me think I could have made them sick. If the greens I gave them were not well washed the dirt could have had P in it and they could have gotten it that way from breathing it in through the nose. BLAH so much to consider. I'm just going to stop worrying about it all and start over with HOPEFULLY stronger stock.

 

[3mina]

Don't be taking on extra guilt. We kind of take it for granted that rabbits are exposed to pasteurella at some point, the only question is Is their immune system strong enough to keep it at bay? We breed for strong immune systems, the down side is some don't make it. It's a law of nature, we don't like it because we're used to saving everything.

 

[OneAcreFarm]

This makes me think I could have made them sick. If the greens I gave them were not well washed the dirt could have had P in it and they could have gotten it that way from breathing it in through the nose. BLAH so much to consider. I'm just going to stop worrying about it all and start over with HOPEFULLY stronger stock.

Highly unlikely...P.multocida needs a warm, moist environment to live and doesn't last all that long outside the body.

I understand what you are feeling, I have been there, but there is nothing you did wrong. Keep your chin up and we will help you locate some new, hopefully P-free, stock to start over with. It will get better, I promise!

 

[Frosted Rabbits]

One could HOT COMPOST the rabbit waste, first. This means turning the pile after the center has warmed to 130 degrees F- three times. The low heat pasteurizes the compost, and is effective against many pathogenic organisms.

One could also employ their oven, or a solar oven, to heat the waste to the same low temp for a couple hours-- the temp must be all the way through the stuff being heated-- no cold centers!