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["Marie McHarry" <mmcharry AT gmail.com>]

On 6/13/06, VAN DELL JORDAN <vdjor AT yahoo.com> wrote:

> I've been told not to put dog wastes in compost as
> that has enzymes that could be harmful.
> Is that true?

The reason not to put dog feces in compost is that it generally
contains parasites that you don't want to eat yourself. HOWEVER, and
that's a big however, if the compost pile gets hot enough to kill the
parasites you are fine. I'm not sure offhand what the minimum temp you
need is, but a well-tended compost heap that decomposes in a few weeks
is a pretty good bet for being safe. I have the luxury of having lots
of manure (mainly goat and donkey) along with straw. It cooks rather
nicely to what looks and smells like potting soil. I don't use a
thermometer, but in dry spells I keep it damp.

Marie