Any weed seeds that your rabbits consume will still be viable in their manure. If you're wanting to use the manure in your gardens the resulting weeds will probably be the biggest, healthiest weeds you ever saw. If you introduce redworms to the manure pile under your rabbit hutches, they may reduce many of the viable seeds, but you can't count on that. When your weeds set seed your best bet is to toss them out or pull the seed heads off and then feed the headless weeds to your rabbits. I wouldn't go to that much trouble though, I'd just feed them rabbit pellets and remind them that they are my little captives and they can like it or lump it. Cheryl

munalos,

Sounds like a full circle / cycle to me. Feed the weeds to rabbits, manure to garden, weed seeds sprout, weeds back to rabbits. Sounds perfect. Rabbit pellets are expensive, so any supplementing is a good plan. Worm composting under rabbit hutches is a good system too.

cherly,
You big meany! LOL Rabbit Tractor would give them a little more room to exercize.
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Rabbits in the weedy patch. I fenced a small area for them to graze in. Pretty good lawn mowers.

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I know this dosn't really answer your question about viable seed in rabbit manure.

Eric

Try putting some rabbit 'raisins' in a large pot of Canadian peat moss, water well, put it in the sun and you will be surprised that there are no weed seeds in them. Rabbits eat food than while resting will re-eat their 'little raisins' and then produce the large 'raisins'. So to speak, they chew/digest their food twice. Rabbit Âpoo is probably the only common animal waste that will not burn vegetation even when use fresh in any quantity. It is great for the veggie/flower gardens.

Here are some links about rabbits degistive system.

http://www.hopperhome.com/rabbit_digestion.htm

Here is a link that might be useful: rabbits degistive system

Eric, I love those pics of your rabbits, I think I saw them on another thread too. I really want a few rabbits as well but I have to be careful not to get ahead of myself or take too much on at once, LOL. I grew up with my oldest brother raising them for both meat and show/pets and he had quite a little business doing that. He also raised guinea pigs but I prefered the rabbits. What do you do with your rabbits? Lori

They are used for composting of weeds, kitchen scraps and then I invite them to dinner. I hope this is not to insensitive.

Eric

Got any more pics of where they live? Any other info you can share about starting. I am considering them. Thanks.
Eric

mailman22,

I replied on your post.

Eric

Thank you for all the replies!

I currently do make compost tea, and the rabbit hutch is inside the garden. I have moved its location a few times where I wanted to improve my soil. The manure is fantastic for improving the soil. I now feel that I am putting more back into my soil than I take away.

My goal is to have fertile soil. Healthy soil makes healthy plants.

That is why I was asking the seed viability question. I assume there is a publication or reference out there about seed viability in rabbit manure. I couldn't turn up much on a recent web search so, I thought I would post the question here.

I dislike weeding but, I do it often and diligently. I love putting a bunch of edible weeds in the rabbit hutches and watching them get devoured. Once the weeds start to set seed I have to re-direct the weeds elsewhere (usually the compost tea).

Thank you all again,
-Munalos

I'm thinking the few seeds in rabbit manure, if any, is no comparison to the thousands of weed seeds in the soil. A no till system is better at fighting weeds.

Eric