Manure and Manure

[Nimrod777]

Before we gave up chickens last fall, I bagged up all the coop waste and straw. It's been sitting for almost a year. Before I apply it to the garden spot, does it need to be composted with carbon materials, or will sitting that length of time do the trick? I plan to put it out on the garden after the season ends so it can overwinter.

And I see quite a few farms locally with a horse manure mound, an ongoing location that has been in place for years. If I get a trailer load of that, I don't really need to compost it before putting it on the garden spot, correct? Although I know if it is fresh, it will be loaded with weed seeds.

 

[DaveB]

Yep, is supposed to be pretty good stuff.

I think the suggestion is you spread the manure as thick as you want and then turn the soil until the manure and soil are thoroughly mixed.

I will be surprised if they give the manure away. I remember pulling up to a dairy farm in southern california and the farmer had a huge blade pushing around dirt/manure/who knows what and placing it in an open top 18-wheeler.

I thought he'd just dump a load in my truck but instead he politely threw me off his farm. He told me he sells milk, old cows, young calfs, and manure. I said Okay, and turned to go and he muttered at me he'd sell the Moo if he could.

Right about then I remembered every word my Dad had ever said about farming being a tough business to be in.

 

[Nimrod777]

The horse manure I refer to is on small hobby farms that have 3 or 4 horses, and a manure pile that has been in place for years. I don't believe they are moving it to buyers, but if I go in, I'll keep in mind that what I see as doing them a favor may be received as totally opposite.

 

[WTM]

any manure that has been sitting for a year or more is pretty much compost. i touched on this in my reply to you on the other thread, only add manure compost only when the garden needs it and then only up to 1-3 inches of balanced compost(manure and plant matter). take a mixed sample to the co-op and have them test it. this will tell you what you need.

the reason being if you add too much compost you can have a phosphorus buildup and thats a bad thing. in a vegetable garden its hard to over add compost but it can happen if you keep adding compost when the soil doesnt need it. ive found that with green cover crops i only add compost every few years and that is primarily for soil structure purposes. this is my third year on my particular garden spot and the only fertilizer that i added was a half pound per row of 34-0-0 for my sweet corn, fish emulsion and a little tomato tone for the rest.

rabbit manure is a different story. its lighter on nutrients and doesnt need to be composted. i wish i had a 100 rabbits just for the pellets.

 

[GMB54]

Find rabbit manure. Its nearly impossible to burn your plants with it and its an excellent fertilizer. Animal shelters probably would be thrilled you hauled it away for them.

 

[Mike Belt]

I used to pick up chicken manure from a poultry house. I'd spread it out a year before mixing it in to my garden. Worked great!