A regular household has various kinds of bones that need to be disposed of in a responsible manner, and with regards to bones you must understand the difference between;
- Fishbones
- Beef bones
- Pork bones
- Chicken bones
All the above-mentioned bones are not alike, some are easy to compose in comparison to the others. So, let’s understand the differences between these bones.
Can you compost Chicken bones
These bones are easily composable, however the cooked ones are much more favorable because they lack harmful bacteria. Chicken bones are very thin therefore these bones naturally decompose faster in comparison to the others.
Can you compost Pork bones
These bones are composable, however they take a long time to break as they are very thick in comparison to the thin chicken bones. The meat and the marrow will decompose quicker but not the bone.
Can you compost Beef bone
Beef bones along with elk and deer are thick and reduce the process of decomposing. Be sure that it would be lying in your bin for a very long time. We do not recommend working with larger animal bones unless you have the patience and the time.
Can you compost Fishbones
It is the easiest bone to decompose because they are very thin and small breaking up instantly and decomposing quickly. I always recommend drying the scraps of the fish thoroughly before you can add them to your bin, in this way you will reduce the foul odor drastically.
Time is taken to decompose bones.
Bones that are buried into the ground remain the same for many years even for centuries and it all depends on the weather and soil conditions. Now if you are keen on working with bones then gaining complete knowledge on how to speed the process will prove to be very helpful to you.
Bones contain collagen and calcium phosphate fibers. Fungus and bacteria grow within the compost bucket, and they will consume all the collagen. The acids that are present will help to break calcium phosphate therefore you will notice the disintegration of bones.
Suppose you’re using a hot compost bucket then let me tell you bones can take some time, for instance, fishbones could take a couple of months and beef bones that are uncut will take many years.
So, if you’re wanting to frequently compost bones then you should consider making certain changes to the ingredients of your compost bin. Try an increase the acidic conditions this will expedite the decomposition of bones.
Tips for composting bones
- Hot composting – It’s the quickest method to decompost animal bones. There are numerous bacteria’s that live in moist heated conditions that speed up the process of breaking down bone materials along with reducing the odor.
- Breaking the bones – if you can break or cut the bones in small pieces it would expedite the process just like the way it works with vegetables and fruits. So, you will have to get yourself a shear to cut bones.
- Compost pile location – the bones must always be placed in the center of the pile buried within it and never on top.The center has high temperatures of up to 160 F. So, the microbes will work on the bones,so do not mix the pile.
Do follow these simple steps and I’m sure you would be successful in composting all sorts of bones from your kitchen. Thanks for stopping by, happy composting!