Vermiculture in Egypt: - FAO - Regional Office for the Near East and

Table 2.2. Advantages and disadvantages of different types of feed.
Food Advantages Disadvantages Notes
Good nutrition; natural Weed seeds make All manures are partially
Cattle manure food, therefore little pre-composting decomposed and thus ready
adaptation required. necessary.
for consumption by worms.
Poultry High N content results High protein levels
manure in good nutrition and a can be dangerous to Some books suggest that
high value product. worms, so must be poultry manure is not
used in small suitable for worms because
quantities; major it is so “hot”; however,
adaptation required research in has shown that
for worms not used to worms can adapt if initial
this feedstock. May proportion of PM to
be precomposted but bedding is 10% by volume
not necessary if used
cautiously.
or less.
Sheep/Goat Good nutrition. Require
manure
precomposting (weed
seeds); small particle
size can lead to
packing, necessitating
extra bulking
material.
With right additives to
increase C:N ratio, these
manures are also good
beddings
Rabbit manure N content second only
to poultry manure,
therefore good
nutrition; contains
very good mix of
vitamins & minerals;
ideal earthworm feed.
Must be leached prior
to use because of high
urine content; can
overheat if quantities
too large; availability
usually not good
Many U.S. rabbit growers
place earthworm beds
under their rabbit hutches
to catch the pellets as they
drop through the wire mesh
cage floors.
Fresh food Excellent nutrition, Extremely variable Some food wastes are
scraps (e.g., good moisture content, (depending on much better than others:
peels, other possibility of revenues source); high N can coffee grounds are
food prep from waste tipping result in heating; meat excellent, as they are high
waste, fees.
& high-fat wastes can in N, not greasy or smelly,
leftovers,
create anaerobic and are attractive to
commercial
conditions and odors, worms; alternatively, root
food
attract pests, so vegetables (e.g., potato
processing
should not be culls) resist degradation
wastes)
included without and require a long time to
precomposting. be consumed.
Precomposted
food wastes
Good nutrition; partial
decomposition makes
digestion by worms
easier and faster; can
include meat and other
greasy wastes; less
tendency to overheat.
Nutrition less than
with fresh food
wastes.
Vermicomposting can
speed the curing process
for conventional
composting operations
while increasing value of
end product.
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