Horse manure question from a noob

16 years ago

Got my horse manure today and have a stupid question. How can I tell if/when it would be considered composted?

Here are some shots of my delivery:

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To me it looks like a lot of sawdust bedding mixed with manure and wet with urine. That the way it looks green?

Does it turn black like compost or will it stay brown?

I'd love to get this in my lasagna bed for this growing season but I'm afraid it may need to compost until next year.

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Comments (9)

crabjoe
16 years ago
It will be finished compost when it turns black like every other compost you've seen. Right now, I'd say it's a bit aged, but not composted. I say aged because I don't see any green horse apples.

If you dig though it, you should find some horse apples that might still be green.

Leave it piled up and wait a few days, it should start getting really hot, if you have the smell of urine in it.
annpat
16 years ago
I use fresh manure. Always have, always will.

That's some fine looking manure you got.
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Lloyd
16 years ago
It looks kinda dry but that could just be the outside. Is it fairly moist throughout?

When do you need this stuff by? When do your plants go in? I guess what I'm asking is, can you let it sit in that pile for a while? (Hey that rhymes!)

Not that I know much 'bout lasagna beds, but is it a new bed or existing and what are you growing in it, flowers, veggies...?

If there is time, I'd be tempted to see if I could get some heat out that puppy. Make sure it's got adequate moisture and see what happens. It sure looks nice!

Am I nuts or are we commenting on a pile of crap? Man, we need to get a life!

Lloyd HRC
Scott Schluter
Original Author
16 years ago
It is a little dry, the rains are a comin' in a big way for us Saturday so it should take care of that. Would a tarp help? It is a low pile now 18" or so spread out, I was thinking about shoveling it up into a taller mound, that would be better, right?

I would like to make new lasagna beds for this spring and add any leftover to my lasagna beds from last year. I'm starting seeds inside and April 12ish is our last frost so another month plus before it would see my veggie plants.

Thanks for compliments on my poop! ;)
bcomplx
16 years ago
There are no stupid composting questions.

I used sawdust/horse manure from a stable for years. It will go black within a few months if you keep it moist. Because it contains fresh manure, I would not use it as mulch until it rots. Once decomposed, it makes a great mulch to spread over newspapers or cardboard, and it's easy to mix with other materials in lots of different composting projects. Mine included quite a few redworms, and not many weed seeds. In three years, it completely transformed my rocky mountain clay.

Here is a link that might be useful: my website
Lloyd
16 years ago
How much material is there? Depending on your air temps 18 inches is a bit shallow to get the pile to heat up to any degree, it might, but 36-48 inches is better. In a no wind situation, the greatest heat loss is through the top so a bit thicker is better. It has to be moist, if it's too dry it takes longer to break down, if its too wet it won't get the air it needs, sorry, pretty wishy washy answer. Tarp may be good idea once the pile is moist but don't seal it in Zip Lock bags or anything.

As far as lasagna beds, never built one so I am not the guy to take advice from on that. But personally, I would rather not grow vegetables in uncomposted animal manure. Sorry, I should say I would rather not eat vegetables grown in uncomposted animal manure. Now I bet some of the stuff in the grocery store is grown in that manner, I'll just pretend I don't know that.

Given two months and some management (monitor moisture, turn once or twice) I'm guessing that pile will decompose nicely as long as your weather allows it. (mine won't, too cold)

One more question, it looks like it is really well mixed, did the farmer guy mix it somehow before he brought it?

Be kinda cool if I could drop by to look at it, I am considering "borrowing" a truck load of horse crap to mix with some leaves and shredded wheat straw to try in the tumblers as an experiment.

Lloyd
Lloyd
16 years ago
Here is a link from a while ago. I remembered michelle_co did horse stuff so I just searched for her.

Lloyd
Scott Schluter
Original Author
16 years ago
Thanks Lloyd. I got the poop for free plus a $25 delivery fee since I couldn't get the ~3 cy in my little pickup. I believe she just cleans the stables and piles it up. She uses a skidsteer to load it and she does some composting so this is probably some that was in process. My tarps have been outside and are no longer waterproof, more like water resistant. I think Sunday after the rains I will pile it up and cover it. I would definitely bury the manure under a leaf litter or seaweed layer or both in my garden. I'm off Cape Cod in Massachusetts so I bet the drive from Southern Manitoba would be a bit long for a scoop or two of poop.
Thanks again, I'll check out the link tonight.
Lloyd
16 years ago
3cy for $25 delivered sounds good to me. The guy I sell some of my straw to has horses (both draft and riding). He's only 2 miles away so the more I think about it, the more I think I will fire up old Betsy the grain truck and go get a load. It would be interesting to try.

Anyways, good luck with your project, keep us informed on how it goes.

Lloyd

Horse manure question from a noob

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