Dog Manure Composter

Dog manure, like other types of manure, is compostable. We recently built a composter for dog manure, which we donated to a local shelter. The compost barrels used in our CS Composting Toilet make excellent composters for dog manure. Our manager has experimented with composting dog manure and was amazed at how the odor disappeared when he added a small amount of saw dust. Food scraps could also be added to the compost. This will give the microbes a variety of nutrients and aid the composting process.

Making aerobic compost requires warmth, air and the correct moisture content. The barrels are insulated to contain the heat generated during the composting process. They are also ventilated so the moisture produced by the respiration microbes can easily leave the composter. Adding a small amount of saw dust is all that is necessary to control the moisture level. If the compost gets too wet, air cannot penetrate into the pile and it goes anaerobic. Anaerobic compost smells and attracts flies. Mixing is accomplished by a stainless steel cork screw type mixer used on our other composters; it is easy to use and highly effective.

One of the primary agents for disease from dog manure is Roundworm. They are killed at relatively low temperatures over several days at 104 deg F or an hour at 122 deg F.*

The temperature of the compost can be raised to over 122 deg F by adding about 10 pounds of unbleached flour to a fairly full drum of compost. The flour acts as fast food to the microbes.

Composting dog manure transforms dog manure from a waste product to an effective soil amendment and also eliminates the nasty odors produced when it sits in a garbage can.

* Composting Dog Waste; USDA; December 2005.