I had to post the warning in case there are some who are squeamish. A friend of mine has a sheep farm and sometimes slaughters the sheep himself. He tells me that spreading the blood around the garden will scare away small animals who like to feast on my plants. Does anyone know if this is true. Also, to keep it from coagulating, he adds a little salt to the blood. How high a concentration would it take before it would adversely affect the plants? I have also heard that blood can be a good ingredient for soil. If this is true, how much would be good and what would be the best method of utilizing this resource? I realize this may bother some people but few people have access to such material and if I can benefit my garden by it, then it can only be a good thing. As a dedicated carnivore, I also feel an obligation to use as much of a slaughtered animal as possible. Waste is disrespectful. Any information is appreciated. Bulucanagria
Yes, it should work to keep away small pests. A couple of notes, though: most times the blood that is used for this is from carnivores which sheep are not. Most times the blood is dried and in a granular or powder form. Blood will also attract some animals, carnivore or not. You may have dogs and cats, perhaps raccoons and possum digging in your garden beds if you try this. You probably won't have any moles, voles, squirrels, rabbits, or chipmunks, though. And it could keep away the deer to some extent. Sometimes the cure is worse than the cold, eh? For instance, we know that if your place were colonized by rats, you wouldn't have the other small rodents. Blood is nutrient dense, so it's a valuable additive in that sense at least some of the time. You definitely should not add salt. Liquid or not, the blood will work its repellent magic. Plus salt is part of the appeal to the larger animals. edit to add: The blood (and urine) from carnivores is specifically promoted as a deterrent. I don't know how available it really is. The blood meal you could get in bags is not from carnivores because it's a byproduct of meat processing which is usually herbivores, sometimes omnivores.
Thanks for your informative answer. I think that what I'll do is mix some blood in when I till the earth and then rely on other measures for varmint control. As you intimated, predator blood is a little harder to come by. My friend very ocassionally has to shoot a coyote if they've been getting too bold about his chickens. It hasn't happened in a couple of years so they've probably learned to avoid the area. Other than that, I see no options so it's back to the drawing board. Thanks again. Bulucanagria
