1. Yes, and it gets complicated trying to explain the differences between Nitrates and Nitrites. In a good, healthy soil the Soil Food Web, the soil microbes, change the various types of Nitrogen into what they plants can use and in many instances the plants are "fed" that N by some types of fungi. Some forms of Nitrogen are more readily available than others, more soluble, and are therefore more susceptible to leaching from the soil and polluting your groundwater. 2. Whether the N in an animal manure is more soluble or not depends on the form it is in. Poultry manure and horse manure have very readily available forms of N and so are "hot" while cattle, sheep, and goat manures are more stable and are considered "cold". All animal manures should be composted before being put in the garden, fresh manure should not be put on a garden plot, especially if food is being grown there. 3. Poultry and horse manures have very readily available forms of N and that availability is what makes them "hot".

I'm in NH and follow craigslist, too to find manure. Last year we got a great deal on composted horse manure that contained straw and shavings. Check under both free and garden/farm categories. Many ads let you take it for free. Some will load a truck or trailer for a small fee. The other place I check is the weekly farmers bulletin published by our Dept of Agriculture. CT probably has one, too, and might put ads on line. It's true that most dairy farmers spread manure on their hay or corn fields but there are also owners with a few animals that just wanted it hauled away. Good luck. Our garden was fantastic last year.

I saw your post and am looking to give away my horse manure. I will be composting it, but it is still fresh now. I am in Andover, and if anyone is interested in picking some up, message me.

Kimmsr, are you serious? 45% clay? And where's the silt? Yikes, what a quagmire. Baby, investigate companies that sell top soil in your area, and then call around to see which are capable of delivering a sandy loam to you. Then, find out who is amenable to you seeing and feeling a sample. People who sell top soil are very used to questions from concerned gardeners and should be willing to help you. Those terms...sand, silt, and clay.....refer to the specific size if the mineral particles. For a raised bed, I strongly suggest that you err on the side of sand so that you have something very gritty feeling and highly porous. You need some clay, it is essential to a functioning soil system, but too much will cause big problems. Finally, the addition of the organic compounds of your choice will give you something spongy, able to hold lots of moisture but allowing the excess to drain away quickly. You are wanting to bring in a soil with POROSITY, not drainage. A sandy loam top soil will have about twice the percentage of sand and twice as much silt than clay particles. Drainage will occur as long as there is nothing at the bottom of your bed to impede the evacuation of excess water. A clay layer, landscape fabric, and a high water table are examples of factors that contribute to poor drainage. You can have drainage problems even if your soil is highly porous. See the difference? Be sure to do your calculations properly to estimate an accurate cost. Most of the companies who deal in volumes of something work with cubic yards, not feet. Divide your cubic foot measurement by 27 to obtain your volume in cubic yards. (You knew that, I'll bet.) ;-)