Horse manure?

[Tutter]

Also, Pat, seeds grow on the piles before they are moved. I've seen forests of hemlock, on a nice pile of manure, which people began taking, before they sprouted. What a fun surprise...

Then there's this part of California. The Arabian horse ranch near us feeds alfalfa and such, but the horses also spend the day running the hills and snacking as they go. I'd sure hate to get the weeds from those hills in my garden!

 

[Nifty]

I just love this forum! I searched for manure, found this thread... exactly what I was looking for and needed!

Our chicken's don't poop enough and on craiglist I saw the posting:

"Free Compost Will deliver locally."

I emailed for more info and received:

"THE COMPOST IS A MIXTURE OF HORSE MANURE/PINE SHAVINGS ONLY....VERY CLEAN!"

I'm worried about weeds like everybody else, but like KeyLimePie we're living in weed city! They are everywhere and are all types of wild oats, burr clover, foxtails, start thistle, etc. and we just deal with it.

The place delivered the first load, probably about 3-4 cubic yards. The first load wasn't composted at all, but he said that it gets much more composted the further back in the pile he goes. Fortunately we have an empty lot right behind us that we can dump the "newer" stuff. Hopefully the older stuff is much more composted.

I'm wondering if I should take some of the newer stuff and add it to my regular compost pile to get things cooking, or just leave it in the big pile to do its thing o-natural. What do you think?

I'm also wondering about adding it to vegetables. Is this a good idea (aside from the weed issue), and if so, how composted does it need to be?

 

[terrielacy]

You got yourself a gold mine!

 

[1acrefarm]

Nifty I have been looking for a place within a reasonable distance that would load it for small fee. You are really lucking out getting it delivered.

 

[Nifty]

Yeah, around here you can often find it for free but you have to pick it up / shovel it yourself. If you're really lucky some will load it into your truck with their tractor or charge something like $10.

The fact that he's delivering it with a dump trailer is a great find!

BTW, he just dumped the second load and it is 10 yds per load (I guess I don't know my cubic yards very well). Says he has two more to drop off and said their 5 horses produce one load every 2-3 weeks??? That's a lot of poop!

He said they are kept in stables and only eat "grass and alfalfa hay"... whatever that means.

The second load didn't look any more composted than the first, but I'm by no means an expert of manure. How "composted" should it look and anything I should do to speed up / help along the process? I'm also hoping some of it will be far enough along to start using in some planters, etc.

 

[Beekissed]

That means you got lucky!!! I used manure last year from someone who grains their horse....been sprouting oats all spring!

 

[Nifty]

The 3rd load just came and it looked the same as the other two. I guess I need to help it along or let it sit for a year. Kinda stinky stuff... I hope the neighbors don't mind and that the smell subsides as the top dries up a little.

I've now got about 30 cubic yds of horse manure and moist pine shavings in the back... crazy!

 

[Beekissed]

Tutter, I'm having a coveting moment......you should have seen this coming!!!

What I wouldn't do for 30 cubic yards of manure!!!!!! Christmas and birthday all rolled into one.....what more could one ask for????

 

[1acrefarm]

The 3rd load just came and it looked the same as the other two. I guess I need to help it along or let it sit for a year. Kinda stinky stuff... I hope the neighbors don't mind and that the smell subsides as the top dries up a little.

I've now got about 30 cubic yds of horse manure and moist pine shavings in the back... crazy!

I would probably grab a few bags of lime and try to round up some dry leaves or other brown material to go on top of it to help the smell go away.

 

[Tutter]

Nifty, it means either that they buy bales of hay, which they feed them exclusively, or that they pasture on grass, and are given supplements of alfalfa hay. Either way, they aren't getting grain as part of their diet, apparently.

Eating grass might mean really great grass, like something you picture Derby horses eating in Kentucky. Or, it could mean that it's a mixed pasture with some pretty radical weeds in it.

If it's grass hay, it's the same situation. Some hay called grass hay is great stuff. Or it can be a poor quality pasture off of someone's back 40, which they baled.

Alfalfa hay is a legume hay. It breaks down pretty quickly.

Good quality grass hay is now going for as much as alfalfa here, which is still boggling my mind, as that is a 600% increase from what we used to pay, while the alfalfa, historically always a bit pricey, hasn't moved even 100% here.

You aren't organic, are you? Or pending certification? If so, you can't use this on your plants, or where it can leach to them; unless the provider was certified, in which case I don't imagine it would be a free offering. But, stranger things have happened.

The advice I can give you is to not passively compost this, because poor quality grass hay/pasture can contain some nasty weeds that horses will pass through and infest your garden with. I'd want to compost it nice and hot, and if anything comes up, kill it quick. Do not let it get big enough to set seeds.

Probably nothing negative will come of it, but forewarned is forearmed!

Tutter, I'm having a coveting moment......you should have seen this coming!!!

What I wouldn't do for 30 cubic yards of manure!!!!!! Christmas and birthday all rolled into one.....what more could one ask for????

Beekissed, rats, I saw this after you! Darn these pesky forest fires that are keeping me from seeing them first, and tackling you to the ground before you can see them!

But, I do have an idea. There was free, aged, horse manure offered here on Freecycle. Does your area have a chapter? If not, they will tell you how to start one, but if there is, maybe someone will give some away there, too? Plus you can put in a request for some. :coolsun

Definitely worth the trouble to join/moniter regularly!