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Does manure attract wildlife?

DarloDarlo Posts: 4
in Problem solving

Hi all,

Last week I added a top layer of manure to one of the raised beds on my allotment, and covered the bed with a thin layer of fabric. Today I popped down to the allotment to a scene of carnage!

Has anyone heard of manure attracting foxes or badgers? The holes look too deep to be a cat (picture attached).  The manure was just a standard variety from a garden centre.

Thanks in advance.

image

Posts

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601

    The layer of fabric will tend to bring worms to the surface, I think, and badgers may well have taken advantage. It looks like badger damage to me.

  • DarloDarlo Posts: 4

    Thanks Posy, I thought it might be manure in some way as all the other beds are covered and unaffected. Hope the badgers have had their fill!

  • BLTBLT Posts: 525

    Thats a shame, those beds look good too..  I cover some of my raised beds with cardboard as a weed supressant. I may be manuring shortly myself..  I think I wil use poultry pellets on one and did in the normal poultry manure on the other, to see if it makes a difference.. Good luck with your efforts..

  • DarloDarlo Posts: 4

    Thank you BLT, I’ve never tried poultry pellets or poultry manure, always learning new things and new ideas from these forums.

  • Garden noobGarden noob Posts: 260

    Poultry manure is definitely supposed to attract foxes. That said, I use it on my lawn and we have urban foxes around here, but I don't think I've ever had lawn damage as a result.

    Before using chicken manure, check it has the right NPK balance for your needs - I use it because it's rich in nitrogen, but you may not want that on your raised bed.

  • PosyPosy Posts: 3,601

    It's very odd that only that bed was affected. I have never heard of any animal being attracted to manure in that way although dogs and foxes sometimes eat chicken pellets and blood fish and bone. I hope someone else on here can offer better information than I can!

  • DarloDarlo Posts: 4

    Not at all, I suspect you have the right answer regarding worms rising to the surface as although all the beds are covered, the one that was trashed is the only one that I have enhanced so far this season. Might even be the only one that has been worked so far in the entire allotment!

    Thanks all for the advice and kind words, very much appreciated.

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