LucyBelle wrote:
Moderator, I was a bit alarmed at your Dec 14, 2008 comment on burying meat deep in the compost pile. I have been composting for 22 years and thru all studies, have never been advised to add meat. It is always stressed: NO MEAT, NO GREASE. Yes, to avoid rats, but also pathogens that may not get cooked out especially in passive compost piles. I do love reading about composting......such a wonderful product is produced....and it is free.
Hi LucyBelle. I've never read it anywhere but where I write about it either. I have heard it discussed but it is very seldom written about. Obviously animals decompose just fine or else we'd all be walking around on dinosaur carcasses. The only reason not to compost meat is the smell. The more dense the protein is, the more is tends to smell when it decomposes. That can be fixed easily by covering the meat with compost or leaves. In other words, bury it deep. The compost and/or leaves absorb the ammonia from decaying protein and keep it in the pile. I composted a dog about six years ago. If I recall I buried the dog, covered him with horse manure, and then with dry leaves.
Composting animals or meat is not for beginners. 90% of all composting stuff you read is aimed at beginners. If you can maintain a hot pile, animals decompose down to bones in a few days.