Skip to Content.
Sympa Menu

permaculture - [permaculture] Re: permaculture Digest, Vol 13, Issue 10

permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org

Subject: permaculture

List archive

Chronological Thread  
  • From: Scott Pittman <pci@permaculture-inst.org>
  • To: permaculture@lists.ibiblio.org
  • Subject: [permaculture] Re: permaculture Digest, Vol 13, Issue 10
  • Date: Tue, 10 Feb 2004 14:57:14 -0700

At 12:07 PM 2/10/04 -0500, you wrote:
Hi,
can water collected from a surface (roof) where pidgeons normally drop their castings be safe for watering vegetables?

Does anyone know a method to oblige (unforcefully) the pidgeons to do their needs not just anywhere on the roof
but in some specific place, where it can then be collected and maybe composted? Would nest boxes do the job?

BTW can pidgeon castings from urban areas contain polluting sunstances other than typical fecal pathogens which might
advice against its use as a fertilazer (once composted)?
All the best

Antonio Scotti


The manure water should be great for plants.

Check out a good architecture book on Middle East structures and look for Pigeon Cote. The Arabs, Iranians, and others built beautiful towers to lure pigeons to their farms so they could collect the manure at the base of the tower. The towers had multiple entries high up with perches built in front of the entries. They embedded small pots in the adobe walls that were used as nests by the pigeons. The farmer was able to harvest manure, eggs, and squab from this architectural jewel.

I don't know about urban pigeon manure, I know that chickens have an insatiable appetite for polystyreen which must be pretty toxic but maybe not.

Scott




Archive powered by MHonArc 2.6.24.

Top of Page