Compost next to barn? Rabbits...Bad idea?

[ericatdallas]

I have 5 Angora rabbits I recently moved into the barn. They were supposed to be "house" rabbits but then we realized what a bad idea that was...

Anyway, I was thinking of cutting into the barn and make a chute that drops their litter into a pile. We use wood pellets as bedding.

While I initially thought this was a good idea, I realized that this may draw rodents (uneaten food) and flies.

My plan was to leave it and open pile but have some wood against the barn so that the barn siding doesn't decay.

Now I'm thinking all or a combination of the following...

1) I need to move it further away or maintain it regularly
2) I could dig a hole and build a box around it
3) I should add fencing material to keep rodents out (but that won't be full proof either)
4) Have something like tar paper between the box and the barn for further protection
5) sloping the back so that water and waste slide away from the barn leaving a small air gap

Anyone see any other problems with this? Is it just a bad idea?

 

[lazy gardener]

I have 5 Angora rabbits I recently moved into the barn. They were supposed to be "house" rabbits but then we realized what a bad idea that was...

Anyway, I was thinking of cutting into the barn and make a chute that drops their litter into a pile. We use wood pellets as bedding.

While I initially thought this was a good idea, I realized that this may draw rodents (uneaten food) and flies.

My plan was to leave it and open pile but have some wood against the barn so that the barn siding doesn't decay.

Now I'm thinking all or a combination of the following...

1) I need to move it further away or maintain it regularly
2) I could dig a hole and build a box around it
3) I should add fencing material to keep rodents out (but that won't be full proof either)
4) Have something like tar paper between the box and the barn for further protection
5) sloping the back so that water and waste slide away from the barn leaving a small air gap

Anyone see any other problems with this? Is it just a bad idea?

I vote bad idea b/c it would be a perfect point of entry for predators. Where are you located? How cold does it get in the dead of winter there? You might consider putting a vermicomposting bin under their hutches. I don't know how well that would work with the large amount of urine that would need to be processed on a daily basis. You might want to take this question to the "other pets and livestock" forum.

 

[GodofPecking]

Care less, just do it.

leave lots of junk near the pile so that mice will nest.

get lots of mice.

I call my chooks outside the coop on a regular basis, maybe once or twice a week, I lift up the sheet of iron on the ground and the chooks rumble over each other to get to the baby mice which they love to eat. A baby mouse is a great meal for any chicken. Larger mice will depend on how fast and big the chook is. many of them get away and make baby mice for the chooks to eat.