Expert: Greg - 5/26/2007

Question
Our son had a pair of indoor bunnies in a cage with a dropping pan that I use cedar chips in to control the smell.  We throw it out about weekly (or whenever I get the slightest wiff of anything other than cedar).   Can I dump that cedar into my compost pile?   I know some people take issue with the oils in cedar and their affect on the animals kept on it.  The rabbits are on a grate about 10 inches off the bedding, so I don't think thats an issue here.

So, in short...Can I compost cedar chips?

Answer
Hello Derek

I don't know of the affect the oils in Cedar have on Animals, but I can tell you that Cedar wood is also a Bug repellant. It has the same affect on bugs that Cedar has in your Grandmothers closet, it repels moths.


To answer your question, you you may add the Cedar with the Rabbit droppings into your Compost pile. To balance the Composting action, I suggest you add an equal amount of Grass clippings with it. Rabbit droppings are an excellent addition to any Compost Pile, as with all Grazing Animals.

The Best of Luck
    Greg