How to Put My Guinea Pig's Droppings in Garden Soil

Guinea pigs are vegetarians so their manure is appropriate for composting.

While seven species of Guinea pig live in burrows in the mountains and prairies of South America, the Caviar porcellus, or domesticated Guinea pig, is kept in homes across the world as a family pet. These small, tailless animals are vegetarians, which makes their manure appropriate for home composting. It is possible to recycle Guinea pig manure to fertilize your home garden. The process is simple and will result in a cleaner Guinea pig cage and a fuller garden.

Things You'll Need

• Large container or trash bin
• Scoop utensil
• Straw
• Compost bin
• Bucket with lid
• Soil mixing tool (rake, hoe, trowel, etc.)

Instructions

Make Compost

1. Scoop up the Guinea pig droppings using a scooping utensil that you have designated only for that purpose. Add the droppings to a large container or garbage can that you have designated only for this purpose.

2. Mix some handfuls of straw in with the Guinea pig droppings with gloved hands or a stirring utensil that you've designated only for this purpose.

3. Add the straw and manure mixture to a compost bin and allow it to sit with other compostable items for several months. Once the compost mixture has stewed for six months, spread a third of it across your garden soil, mixing it in loosely. From this point, you can continue adding the Guinea pig manure and straw mixture to the top of the compost, but remember to always take from the bottom of the bin so the top mixture has time to stew.

Liquid Fertilizer

1. Pour your Guinea pig manure into a container that has a lid.

2. Add approximately two cups of water to the bucket for every one cup of Guinea pig pellets. It may take a few weeks before you have enough Guinea pig droppings to create a full bucket of liquid fertilizer.

3. Pour the liquid fertilizer onto your garden soil and mix it in loosely with a garden rake, a handheld trowel, a hoe, or any other soil-mixing tool.

References

• Pet Website: About Guinea Pigs
• The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea: Home Composting
• Garden Organic: How to Make Compost
• Guinea Pigs as Working Animals
• AJ Cavies: Guinea Pig Related Tips and Ideas