vermicomposting (worm beds) using RabbitPoo!

[Piper]

Okay I have a couple questions now. I'm a rabbit breeder and my sister loves gardening so I thought this would be a great way to spend time with each other. So now for the questions:
1. Would worms from the gas station used for fishing work? This is probably a dumb question...

No, you use manure worms. Regular worms do not like living that close to each other, and normally eat decomposing vegitative matter, not the hotter compost.

2. We live in CO and it gets in the negative degrees in the winter. Would the worms make it outside if I make the dirt and poop and newspaper deep enough?

They 'might'. I pile up the worm bed and put a hot item in the center. That way the decomposing heat allows the worms to get close to it, or to get farther away. You do not want it to freeze, though

3. Does anyone have a good wed site for set by set direction on how to start?

This is one of the best articles I have seen - "Wriggler Roundup" http://www.dnr.mo.gov/magazine/2000-summer.pdf
these sites are good, too
http://www.dnr.mo.gov/env/swmp/worms/wormlist.htm and http://www.dnr.mo.gov/pubs/pub215.pdf

 

[MamaSheepdog]

1. Would worms from the gas station used for fishing work?

Yes. Red worms are used for composting and bait. You don't want to buy Nightcrawlers- they are less efficient.

http://www.wholesalefishingworms.com/shop/red-worms/

Tips on raising worms:

http://www.wholesalefishingworms.com/11 ... d-to-know/

This is probably a dumb question...

There is no such thing as a dumb question.

I am not sure of the answers to your other questions, but I'm sure someone will chime in.

 

[Piper]

This is my favorite type of worm bin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=krOd0iam0x0
I currently have a bin (that has been going for over 10 years) in a kids old swimming pool, that is 6 ft x 4 ft.
I feed one side at a time.
Worms need:
Sand (they have gizzards like chickens)
Egg Shells (the calcium, neutralizes acid, from decomposition, that could kill the worms)
Food, Worms take care of pathogens, in finished compost, why do I say that, because I feed my worms, meat, too.
- I do not have children digging in my worm bed, so do not have to worry, about unfinished compost possibly having, food poisoning bacteria.
- I alternate, monthly the side of the bin, that I feed the worms on. My worms have gotten, about everything, and if a site said it was not good - I would give it to them twice. I have tried to kill them by drowning, feeding oils, and feeding meats, you get the picture. If the worms do not like the food, they go hang out on the other side of the bin, till bacteria starts the decomposition for them.
- About 3 years ago, some Black Soldier Flies (BSF) showed up in my worm bin. I love BSFs, and my manure worms seem to love them too. I have had a worm population explosion, since the BSFs, have shown up.
- There are some more links, in my pin folder. I will be adding some more, too.
http://pinterest.com/laurall21/feeds/

 

[coffeenutdesigns]

I actually just compost my vegetable garden beds. My kitchen scraps that don't go to goats, pigs, or chickens, end up in my compost bed as well as some egg shell (some egg shells get fed back to the chickens) and all of my coffee and tea grounds. When I muck out the goat stall and chicken coops complete with straw and pine shavings, I put that in a separate barrel to cure and then I add it over the top for the winter and when the ground warms up in spring (which comes early) I water it and start turning it under so by the time I am ready to plan I have really nice fertile soil. I started with a few worms from my Dad's worm bed, but all the organic material attracts more and encourages reproductions. Lots of new little babies and big fat oldies in there all the time. I let my chickens help stir up the mix and pick some of the goodies and worms out before I start planting. Since we have pigs now, I plan on starting a new plot by letting them be my garden tillers! I get the soil dug up, roots eaten out, and fertilized the spot all at once and I don't have to use a shovel or a tiller! Then I can rotate garden plots.

Forgot to add, my plan is to add my rabbit poop in at the same time I start turning the chicken and goat bedding under.

 

[ZRab]

I am interested in trying this also. Very interesting reading so far. Wondering with the stacked bins setup, after harvesting cacoons, where do you place them? Are they just to start new bins elsewhere? And how long to these cacoons hatch out? I'm asking because I wanted to know if it was really necessary, or just let them hatch in the bin with the adults to build up your worms.

 

[SEP board]

Older thread but I've been into vermiposting with red wigglers for a few years now. Had good success with it in a Worm Factory 360 but have just switched to putting all the worms under the rabbit cages. Just did this a few days ago but I think so far it's going well. They have a constant supply of worm manure of course but I also have a 'worm trough' for scraps. I took a large diameter PVC tube and but it to about 2 feet. Half of it goes below the soil line and I've drilled a series of holes all around it. I put it in the middle of the worm pile under the rabbit hutch with a lid. I'll toss my scraps inside and the worms can go in and out of the tube to eat and then back out into the pile for the rabbit manure. Seems to work well.