This makes more sense when hanging rabbit cages over worm bins, first since the ammonia chases worms away from some areas and secondly the hard outer shell of rabbit manure is actually only penetrable by the smaller worms .

What actually occurs is the smaller newly hatched worms of a 1/16^th of an inch or smaller penetrate the rabbit manure’s harder outer shell by slithering into crevices of the manure and begin to break down the individual pieces of manure. The larger worms congregate to feed on the scraps once the little worms have broken down the manure to mouth size particles for the larger ones, hence making them more of a parasite in these situations.

At the same time this made more sense to those offering worms raised under rabbit cages since they offer smaller worms. I know of one company for which offers 1 pound of African Nightcrawlers which run 1,000-1,200 worms per pound. In essence red wigglers run 800 to 1,000 per pound making the African’s they sell even smaller than red wigglers. This is because of two reasons, first being the small worms have access to more readily available feed. Secondly over time, a worm bin under rabbit cages will usually become crowded with small worms hence stunting there growth until they are thinned out and given time to grow.

The reason I began to get hooked on the rabbit manure is the fact that dried rabbit manure contains 20% crude protein, is pH neutral and is a source for numerous minerals…

I have tried shredding rabbit manure from under the cages, however ran into a main issue with the ammonia and how it reacts with the shredded manure. The solution was to build a separator which would enable me to harvest clean rabbit manure while allowing the urine to run outside the building.

Rabbit Manure Separator

Even though rabbit manure is considered cold manure, once shredded it will heat up to approximately 100 degrees Fahrenheit if piled 5” high over a 3 to 4 day period. The higher the pile the warmer the manure gets. By limiting the heat to 97-100 degrees I allow for the desired microbes to flourish.

After 5 to 7 days the material has lowered back down to 85 degrees give or take and actually has a fresh earthy smell to it even though it still looks like shredded rabbit manure with a little lighter coloring to it. This is when I have fed to the worms covering the beds with 1” or more of the feed.

Shredded Rabbit Manure

The worms will migrate and live while devouring this food material and growing faster. At the same time since they are eating so much food at this rate, the accumulation of worm castings sped up dramatically.

Worms Living in Shredded Rabbit Manure

I have played with one additional step to this method which has even sped up the worm’s growth that much more, however am still working out the details.

Of course composting worms do not like candy or even going out for trick or treating, however they do love pumpkins.

This year do not throw your pumpkin out in the garbage. In fact you may want to ask a neighbor or two if you can have theirs after the holiday.

The reason I am telling you this is the fact that red worms love pumpkins; probably more than anything else you have already fed them.

First off, pumpkins begin to decompose very quickly, making it worm accessible within hours to a couple days depending on the original condition of the pumpkin and the worm bin conditions.

All you need to do is bust up the pumpkin into several pieces and throw into your worm bin.

Now this does not hold true for the new record pumpkin weighing in at 1,016 pounds. Renninger, the grower of the record pumpkin, credits his success in 2009 to his use of compost tea soil to grow the winning pumpkin.

Have a Great Day,

Bruce Galle

Follow Me On Twitter…

Now there are more extravagant formulas, one which will be available online in the near future, however if you are anxious to try something the following will prove beneficial.

First, I feed my worms what my mother fed me that she claims made me so tall, greens! I do mix them up and limit starches such as bread and potatoes. I also refrain from using tomatoes and other high acidic fruits and vegetables.

I realize other sites will tell you that worms love coffee grinds, and they do, however if you add too much your bin will end up becoming acidic. Just as most of us were told growing up, anything is good in moderation.

For my trophy worms I use for fishing, I actually use a blender to liquefy the ingredients. Afterwards I mix in a little spent coffee grinds as well as peat moss to thicken the mixture. Now don’t go making it like a thick mud but rather just enough to keep the liquid from running off or ponding in your mix. Remember to allow it to sit in your garage or outside covered up for about 24 hours as the peat moss will continue to draw up the moisture.

Now one thing I do for the trophy worms is to freeze my mix as this modifies the molecular structure enabling the mix to break down even faster for quick consumption by the worms when I do feed them. Just be sure to thaw it out and warm up to room temperature before adding to your bin.

The Simplest Advanced Grain Formula Mix You Can Make:

As with any grain mix, sprinkle on top and even mist with some water. I personally leave my fishing worm bins uncovered; hence I place some moist shredded newspaper over my grain. Be consistent on feeding the grain as needed whether once a day or once every couple days.

The recipe:

2 Cups Oatmeal

1 Cup Cornmeal

1 Dozen Egg Shells

Many websites state you need to cook your eggs with the shells in order to use in your worm bin. I have never had an issue by rinsing cracked egg shells than have not been cooked with warm water thoroughly. Allow them to dry out well.

Add the egg shells to you blender and pulverize them to a powdery mix. Slowly add your other ingredients. You may need to shake the blender or rattle it back and forth as this is a dry mixture in order to continue mixing and breaking down to a powdery mix.

There are other formulas which will enable faster growth, without hormone shots which I will introduce in a couple weeks.

For now enjoy the site and sign up for the free worm composting newsletter if you have not already done so as well as the Organic Worm Farm Affiliate Program!

Bruce