Is there a scatologist in the house :-)

One of the employees of the Bronx Zoo offered to assist me in getting manure from the zoo for my gardens. Which manure is best? Lion, Giraff, Hippo, bear, deer, mouse, elephant, gorilla? Are there some kinds which I should avoid or some preferred species? As long as I don't have to go into the animal cage to gather it I'll take whatever is useful. Please advise. The zoo is one block away and I can take my wheelbarrow and trowel and make it a picnick afternoon. If you had your pick, what would you ask for? It's a stinkin job, but someone's got to do it. Can you imagine being the only one on Dave's Garden growing plants on gorilla dung :-) Maybe I should start a Co-op.

Wuzat, Padre`???

"eyes"

Padre, since you are so close to the zoo, perhaps they would let you walk the animals on over to your garden instead of using the wheelbarrow. Check to see if the lions and elephants are leash trained!

Seriously, here's some links from Googles: http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&lr=&ie=UTF-8&safe=off&q=fertilizer+zoo+dung

Elephants and rhino are good, try to pick the animals that eat alot but leave alot of nutrients still in the manure. The two I mentioned are ones I "know" that the National Zoo uses in thier Zoo Doo that they sell. I know theres more but cant remember what they are.

Padre, do they have a Bat House? THAT would be wonderful!

Generally speaking, I think you want to stick with manure from vegetable-eating animals, and steer clear of the carnivores. (It's the general principle of using horse, cow, chicken and rabbit manure, and avoiding cat, pig or dog feces.)

It is my understanding the elephant poo to excellent. How close do you live to others? Fresh poo gives off a very strong odor and would have to age; this presents a problem in close living quarters. Good luck on your experiment!
Gary/Louisville

I would think that zebra doo would be close to horse manure. Might even help with your variegated species ;)

Dea, you are too funny! Varigated, indeed, LOL.

Dea.......LOL.......my laff for the day.......
:o)
Dee

Dea, you're a riot! Happy poo hunting, Padre!

Is Dea po-pooing my poo post? LOL You're too much. Scat!

This message was edited Aug 23, 2004 9:16 PM

Y'know, I wouldn't have any laughs all day if it weren't for y'all!

I think you are one lucky person to have that source. In all seriousness, Terry is right. Stay away from the carnivores. You are not suppose to put meat or dairy products in compost piles for the same reason. Whatever it is.

Good luck, and all of us are VERY envious. Jeanette

Padre, while researching poop,
Found he was out of the loop
When he came to the zoo
He said, "Gimme all poo!
Jealous gardeners will all want to snoop!"

*chuckles and applauds gardenwife's poem*

I'm not sticking my nose in *THAT* business... LOL

Good on ya, Padre! It's no wonder that your gardens are gorgeous and the university folks are so willing to help you out. You're definitely not a "Silly ole Pooh!". :)

Donna

LOLOL Lucky Padre!!

I came into the thread thinking there would be scats to ID of some outlandish beast. I haven't laughed so much in years. Being interested in mammals, I get ribbed a lot for my interest in poo - it's so refreshing to find I'm not alone in the world *G*

i endorse the vegetarians with a large intake (and outlet) as being the ones to go for.
Oh, and of course, darius is right with the bat guano :D

......just love the zebra poo for variegated plants Dea!!! ROFL

Just make sure whatever you get is well seasoned (matured, not with pepper and salt ;) so your plants aren't burnt by the ammonia etc

(I think Philomel collects doormouse dung)

Yes, and a collection of samples of different bat species
Also for teaching purposes used to have a collection with different spp of deer, also otter, mink, pine marten, rat, mouse, badger, hedgehog etc etc. LOL
You get the picture.......

Dea, you get the one liner of the day award! I can just picture Padre wheeling a load of striped manure down the sidewalk, getting some strange looks. Well, even without the stripes he might get strange looks.... I'll be chuckling about this all day.

Dea, that was a hoot! It opens the door to many more suggestions, such as giraffe pooh for long stemmed roses, camel pooh for hilled potatoes or zucchini, snake pooh for climbing plants... you get the idea.

Any one of them for shitake mushrooms.

give that man a LOUD GROAN!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ooh, Padre... that's BAD. LOL!

I'm sure that an honest post about manure surely would not degrade into bathroom humor on such an upscale sight as DG, would it?

I didn't think that it would. :)

Trish

Naw, not at all .. it's merely been an in depth discussion as to how one
could easily incorporate metaphoricly 'correct' manure into our gardens!
(or something of the nature) .. heeeeee

Dea and Weez .. yall take the cake, I tell ya .. (or is that 'patty')! heee

My jaws hurt - it's time for a tylenol .. (yet again!) .. !! ... LOL

Good luck Padre` ... Your garden will luv ya for it! And your
veggies will reward you greatly!

I apologize to those whom I have offended by my scatological humor. Padre

Trish... did we cross in fun into unacceptable behavior? Sorry if we did, but it sure was fun.

You folks obviously don't read the pet forum on a regular basis. Now THERE you can get not only the lowdown on poo, but on the various proper containers!!!! LOL
Pati

Scatological humor? Jazzy jokes? Dig it...

Don't let them fool you, Padre. We are all envious of that great compost you are going to have. Great advice, too, regarding the vegetarians.

I am quite curious about this dormouse dung . . .

Ah maria.....
it varies depending on the time of year, and presumably with what food the little sweeties are eating at the time. In the autumn, before they hibernate, they do white/clear jelly poos!
At other times it's very similar looking to other mice.

Someone's working towards a doctorate studying the variety ;D

Rhino, Hippo, Elephant and ape should all be great. I read that lion and other large cat scat is great for discouraging deer and other garden eaters.

I know for a fact that fresh "packy poo" burns tomatoes. My ex SIL tried it.

Scatology is a very serious and important science. Such irreverance! ;-)

RABBIT DO DO IS BEST FOR PLANTS TOMATOES ESPECIALLY.. neighbor used to come get ours for his tomatoes!!!!! never got a tomato from him either..

This thread has had me chuckling, especially everytime I think of the variegated plants! (Dea, that's one I won't forget soon! From now on, whenever anyone who's read this thread sees a zebra, they'll be chuckling about variegated plants!)

So, did anyone read any of the sites on the google search? I read some of those from India and Pakistan and really am wondering about those toilets. Regarding the skipping waste from meateaters, are the majority of Indians and Pakistanis vegetarians? It was really hard to envision using some of those toilets and composting methods but an interesting and informative read.

Padre and rest, You all gave me lots of chuckles. I tried to reply last evening but had too many computer problems. Kept putting black bars on everything, so when I posted here and it did that i just gave up and turned the darn thing off. So far this evenint it is working okay , maybe needed a rest!! Donna

This is the funniest thread I have ever seen. I can just picture padre pushing a wheelbarrow, steaming with gorilla and lion poo, out the front gate and down the busy streets of Brooklyn. Then where, is it up an elevator or do you live on the ground floor.???

Padre, have you considered using different doo in different areas so you can do a scientific study, sort've a contrast and compare thing? A large bed of the same plant with little-dab'l-do-ya areas of elephant next to zebra next to giraffe, next to - you get the picture. Of course, you would need "control" as well as experimental areas. That would be interesting. (Especially if Dea and Weezingreens are right.) You could plant a garden with a "Noah's Ark" theme.

Zebra dung for variegated plants, elephant dung for elephant ears, pine martin for the pine trees, bat for the bat plants, dormouse for all plants next to a door, Panda dung for the bonsai, Barbados sheep manure for the palm trees and bouganvilla, etc. I could "go" on all day------but I won't.

Seriously though Padre, I have used llama and rabbit manure amoung others and totally fresh llama manure has never burnt a plant of mine yet. Besides it is very easy to clean up because those rascals are housebroke. They just pile it up. Few weed seeds make it through their manure which is a plus too.

Good luck in your new profession as the expert garden scatologist of NYC. People will be flocking to your door to ask your advice and you can make lots of money for your dung knowledge. What a future you have now!!!!