I finally got DH to frame in underneath my rabbit cages so I can start growing worms and have finished worm castings. The rabbit business is going well so now the next step is to utilize the droppings for 2 more possible income sources, worms and compost. The beds are 3 ftx10ftx12 inches. I have rabbit droppings, hay, and whatever feed was scattered on to the ground. I also thew in a few pitchforks of composted horse manure. I have plenty of worms[red wigglers?] living in my garden area that has aged horse manure in it. I believe these worms will work for the beds. My question is how many worms for each bed? Most sell by the lb but I dont want to buy them if I dont have to. I want to have enogh worms in each bed for maximum production. Any one done this?

-- tracy (murfette@stargate.net), April 21, 2002

Answers

The worms will appear from the earth if there is adequate soil to start with. There is a lot of info on vermiculture at the bottom of the archives of Countryside forum. The worms will reproduce in ratio to the food present.

-- mitch hearn (moopups@citlink.net), April 21, 2002.

My mother in law did this. She had about 6 inches of leaves and grass clippings under her rabbit cages, watered them from time to time as she felt like it, and had LOTS of worms, which she did nothing with because she was after compost, not worms. She DID say that shade was important to the worms, but I don't recall that she fussed over them at all. She let the rabbits do the work.

-- Terri (hooperterri@prodigy.net), April 21, 2002.

Tracy, I raise redworms -Eisenia foetida (commonly known as red wiggler, brandling, or manure worm) under my rabbit pens. I started with one pound and just kept putting a shovelful of worms and bedding in each new bed I started. I now have six beds full of worms. I see no reason you couldn't do the same thing. They multiply rapidly. I sell the red worms for $15.50 a pound including shipping by priority mail. Usually there is about 1000 worms plus 100's of egg casings in a pound. That should be more than enough to get you started. Good luck, Daryll http://www.webspawner.com/users/twincreekfarm/

-- Daryll in NW FLA (twincrk@hotmail.com), April 21, 2002.