Next week, Sunday, November 7-11 is the 100th Annual National Rabbit Convention at the Minneapolis Convention Center. They claim they will have "tons" of chemical-free rabbit manure. The posting talks about trucks and bobcats to load it up.

I got dibs on two small plastic bins!

You're not certifiable--or if you are, your fellow compost loonies will be there in the mental ward with you. I don't live within reasonable driving range. :-(

If you need straw with mixed manure this would be great. It would also be super for free mulch.

Next time I'll bring my 1/2" screen and a couple tarps. I'll happily sift out the goods and leave the pine.

Sounds a little more labor intensive... Good thing I have 3 sons and we homeschool. Poor kids, they're just not amused at dad collecting manure from everywhere. Well, I'll be laughing when we grow some nice vegetables and they're happily eating them, or maybe complaining about eating them. Darn, I just can't win.

I have lots of horse manure, straw, old hay, and several bags of chopped leaves. Should I mix it all together with some dirt and let it sit over the winter and hope for the best? I read somewhere that sawdust will decompose faster if moistened and then covered with a tarp. Should I cover it? We will be getting snow soon so the pile will get pretty wet and freeze if it isn't covered. I don't have a "bin", I thought I would just make a pile.

Any advise would be appreciated.

You want the stuff mixed and damp like a wrung-out sponge. For best results you should try to turn it (mix it) after a while. In the spring in the couple weeks between thaw and when you plan to use it would be fine.

When mixed the stuff will heat up and resist freezing for a while. If you turn it before it cools down all the way it will heat again.

Your combination of stuff is probably a good mix depending on the quantity of horse manure, the rest of the stuff you have is "brown". Grass clippings can also be a source of "green".

Turn every day or two and you should get compost in less than 4 weeks. Turning every other week will make compost in 1 to 3 months.

I've included a link to my pile for reference.

I don't know if other people use tarps under their pile, it's just what I did. The tarp is there for multiple reasons:

-Trap water: don't let the water drain off and steal the nutrients. I put a tarp loosely over the top so there isn't a large amount of water getting into the pile. Hopefully just enough. I also bunch up the tarp after turning so it doesn't stick out any more than necessary.

-Ease turning: When I get to the bottom of the pile I just lift the tarp and pour it on the top of the new pile. I also pick up the corner while turning to consolidate the pile in the middle.

-Keep roots out: previously I had a pile on the ground for several years. I didn't manage it or anything so it wasn't a good pile, but when I started paying attention and I turned it there were a ton of roots in the pile from the nearby pine tree. I didn't like that.

luvidaho_2010, maybe your rabbit poo supplier would drive a load to Minnesota. $1 a bag is good for me.

On the way home I stopped to shop at DumpMart, the local landfill. They have an area for free pallets, not many there but I did pick up a couple more. Now, gotta dig through hubby's tarp pile and I will be ready to try making compost!!