My chinchilla poops all day long. Can you use chinchilla poop as fertilizer?
I hope I can do something productive with all these droppings in my chinchilla’s cage. Would you like some tips on using chinchilla poop as fertilizer? This article is a good place to start.
Let’s get right into it then and find out can you use chinchilla poop as fertilizer?
Can You Use Chinchilla Poop as Fertilizer?
Absolutely! Since chinchillas are herbivores, their droppings are an excellent add-on to compost heaps. You can use rabbit and guinea pig droppings the same way as well.
What Does Chinchillas Poop Look Like?
These droppings from your chinchilla will come quickly and often. Several hundred black or brown compact tubules that are rounded will be produced each day.
This is why it’s a good idea to make good use of these droppings in compost piles. They don’t smell at all since they are herbivores and the cleaning or scooping out process to transfer over the poop is done easily.
Can You Get Sick From Chinchilla Poop?
No. You cannot get sick from chinchilla poop because it is non-toxic. Healthy chinchillas may drop several hundred pellets of poop per day and do not cause any illnesses or spread bacteria.
If your chinchilla is noticeably ill, there might be parasites in their stool. This could be harmful for you and your pets.
Is Chinchilla Poop Toxic to Dogs?
No. Dogs are safe from handling or sniffing chinchilla poop. They will be able to make contact without the risk of getting ill.
If your chinchilla is sick with a bacterial infection, intestinal parasites or diarrhea, then your dog or cat should keep their distance.
Why Do Chinchillas Poop So Much?
Chinchillas graze, munch and ingest food all day long. This is why they poop so much. The more they eat, the more they poop.
You will notice up to 300-400 pellets droppings out of your chinchilla per day. Thankfully, they are:
- dry
- round
- odor free
- easy to clean up
How To Compost Chinchilla Poop
Adding chinchilla feces to a compost is easy! Give it a try because there must be something better you can do with several hundred droppings coming out of your chinchilla per day.
5 Tips to compost chinchilla poop:
- Do not compost the poop of a sick chinchilla.
- If a chinchilla is on medication, discard the poop and do not compost either.
- You can also compost eco-straw, litter and organic bedding into the compost heap.
- Only compost herbivore waste. This means guinea pigs, rabbit and chinchilla droppings are all accepted.
- Store the compost pile with a secure lid. You will be attracting predators if you don’t. Thankfully, chinchilla poop is odorless and stink free.
Chinchilla Manure as Fertilizer?
Don’t fret. Chinchillas poop all day long and there is something great you can do with these pellets.
Scoop them up and drop them in a compost pile to use as fertilizer. Since chinchillas only eat vegetables and grasses, their poop is perfect for fertilizing purposes.
My chinchilla eats alfalfa, timothy hay and grass pellets. Occasional treats like fruits and veggies such as the following can also be digested and added onto the fertilization process:
- dried rose hips
- carrots
- oats
- seeds
- apple wood
Can Chinchilla Urine Be Composted?
No. Try to separate the urine because it is not recommended with the acid content interacting with your compost pile.
Run the droppings through a methane digester for bonus natural gas, but leave the urine out of it. The urea in their bedding can throw off the pH balance in the compost pile as well.
How Should I Compost My Chinchillas Poop/Bedding?
You can make a compost pile in your backyard and add your chinchilla’s poop there. You can also add:
- hair
- aspen shavings
- timothy hay
The poop needs extra heat or time before composting. It cannot be used immediately as soil. Treat the hay and bedding as “browns” for the compost pile.
Is Chinchilla Poop Good For Gardens?
Yes. Chinchilla poop can be used as garden mulch. The droppings compost slowly when there are mostly wood shavings included. You can add more layers on top when placing the poop in the compost heap.
6-12 months would be ideal for the time you can use it as mulch. You do not even need to create a bin separately for it. The chinchilla poop does not stink. They eat green pellets and poop out identical looking brown pellets.
How Many Times Do Chinchillas Poop a Day?
Chinchillas can poop 200-400 times per day. The amount varies depending on the size and diet of your chinchilla.
You will notice chinchillas eating and pooping on the go all day long. Check the end of the cage and see how much this piles up. Use it for compost!
What Animal Poop Is the Best Fertilizer?
The best animal poop for fertilizer is entirely subjective. We like using chinchilla poop, but there are more chickens in this world and they seem to top the list.
Chicken poop is high in nitrogen. The poop needs to be aged to prevent plants form burning. Apply chicken manure in the spring or fall after composting it.
Conclusion
Chinchillas poop so much that we are grateful to put it to good use. Chinchilla, guinea pig and rabbit poop are all welcome in compost piles.
The droppings are odor free compared to rabbits and other larger herbivores. You can also add in their hay or leftover food, but try to keep their urine out. This is because chinchilla urine may throw off the pH in the pile. Happy planting everyone!
Thank you for visiting PocketPetCentral.com for the best information to help you enjoy the life of your pocket pet companion in a fun, safe & healthy way.
