Our family pets are very good suburban backyard farm workers. The chickens turn over the soil, weed, eat bugs and convert kitchen scraps into valuable manure. The guinea pigs convert enormous volumes of green waste into small piles of damp straw and droppings, which fit easily into the composter. Our lazy cat (mostly) keeps the chickens off the veranda and discourages snakes and rats. The neighbours’ dogs on both sides may be the reason we have had no problems with foxes. The fish provide a murky, nourishing liquid fertiliser. The poor worms only get the scraps that no-one else wants and are treats for chickens and chicks. I’m planning dedicated food forests for all these willing workers! Pets as composters Our chickens get through a lot of our kitchen waste – especially cooked food scraps, breakfast cereals and fruit. They’re not so keen on raw vegies and peelings, which is just as well for the guinea pigs who love these, (except potato peelings which are poisonous). Our guinea pigs also get through enormous quantities of cut grass and weeds. The resulting manure mixed with bedding can be a perfect carbon/nitrogen mix for compost. Unlike chicken manure, (which needs to mature otherwise it can burn plants), guinea pig manure can go straight onto garden beds.
The choice of animal bedding can add to composting options. I know one family that bought a cheap document shredder and uses all their paper waste for the fl oor of their chicken house. This then makes a great addition to the compost heap when the chicken house gets a cleanout. Straw or hay is better for guinea pigs – who often eat their bedding. This doesn’t leave many fresh scraps for our worms – just tea leaves and banana skins! They do fi ne though with food that chickens and guinea pigs have had a day or so to peck or chew over. Fish can also provide a good liquid fertiliser. We had some goldfi sh a few years ago which grew to an enormous size and needed a third of their water changed most weeks – very good for the vegetable patch! It took me a while to work out that the acidic aquarium water means a bit of dolomite lime is needed. I’ve read about dog poo composters on the internet and they seem like a good idea, although I would agree with concerns about the risk of diseases that can affect people. Dog or cat poo-based composts should either be used for non-edible plants or cautiously and deep down in no-dig garden beds for above ground crops, not root vegetables. PETS, PESTS AND WEEDS We were given our cat as a kitten at about the same time as we took home some very robust Isa Brown chicks from a kindergarten hatching program. Within six months our longstanding rat problem had been solved and we have no current evidence of snakes. I recently gave away the Isa Browns, as they were getting too rough with new pullets, and I’m sure I can hear rats again, and there are more crows and bush turkeys around than there used to be. I’m beginning to think it was the chickens keeping the pests at bay – not the cat! Chickens are also great for keeping down lawn grubs, mango worms, white ants and other bugs.
Chickens and guinea pigs are good weeders, if kept away from the actual vegetables, in cages or ‘chicken tractors’. I prefer to let my hens free range as they are not keen on being confined. Also, leaving chickens on grass or bare soil without straw or other bedding can cause acidity problems. A couple of guinea pigs though, left in the same spot for a couple of days, can clear an area of weeds and grass, which will take some time to grow back. This is very handy when preparing a no-dig garden bed. However, guinea pigs can only spend unsupervised time outdoors in suitable weather and in a secure cage with a dry, enclosed, raised sleeping area. Also, guinea pigs need to be kept separate from chickens, as the piggies will try and befriend the chickens who are likely to respond by including them, way too forcefully, in their pecking order. PET FOOD FORESTS Although we make use of garden waste and left over human food, I spend quite a lot on pet food. Grain and dry food are not enough to keep them all healthy. The guinea pigs demand fresh grass and greens every day and the chickens would probably produce better eggs if I could fi nd fresh herbs and vegetables that they liked. Grass is not all that nourishing for chickens and that is mostly what they get on top of their grain and pellets. I am planning to set aside a garden bed with grass and lucerne for the guinea pigs. I am hoping that the chickens will go for the comfrey and sorrel I am planning to plant. Sites such as www.greenharvest.com.au provide chicken forage packages and I’m looking into using them. The site www.australiancavysanctuary.com provides great advice about the best food and care for guinea pigs. Not sure how to cater for our cat. I wonder if he would eat worms...? |
