I have recently learned that animal bodies make an excellent fertilizer, the farmers often use this method. When I catch a vermin going after my birds I bury the bodies after I dispatch them. I have now started to compost the bodies. Has anyone used meat in the compost, how has it worked out for you?
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Been composting for years. No meat of any kind. Makes for stinky compost. Not to mention the critters it attracts in my yard. No thanks.
Shaggy2018
Level 7
Feb 20, 2022
4
Just guessing here, but covering it a little bit would be better than leaving it exposed. Exposure allows it to be picked at by birds or other predators and provides food for flies. Burying would invite land-based decomposition by worms, earwigs and other soil critters so the matter gets dispersed 'locally'.
racocn8
Level 9
Feb 20, 2022
1
That is what I was hoping for.
It works well during the summer, fly larva will decompose a medium (possum or raccoon sized) animal in 1-3 days. Leave it exposed for a day, then cover and compost normally. You can have usable compost fairly quickly. Try not to use more than 25% animal protein to keep it from smelling. You can also add agri lime.
glennlab
Level 10
Feb 20, 2022
2
The problem here leaving it uncovered even for a day it will attract other predators and I am trying to keep the birds safe. I thought sodium hydroxide would work well too lol.
@azzow2 You just need to leave it uncovered long enough to get fly eggs laid. NaOH will also kill a lot of your other composting creatures. Once you get a good base of larva, you don't need to leave it uncovered. Most of the flies we have in the US will stay in a larval stage as long as there is sufficient food. They'll remain active until the cold sets in then go to pupae stage, come spring, they will hatch and start the process over.
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