# What do you do with your manure?



## miss_thenorth (Sep 17, 2009)

A friend told me they spread the composted horse manure over their pasture in the fall.

Shat do you all think of this, and what do you do with your manure>


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## CathyK (Sep 17, 2009)

Llama beans, poultry  and cow manure (only from one cow) goes on the compost pile until it's 'done'. Then it goes into the gardens for organic matter.


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## ducks4you (Sep 17, 2009)

Manure degrades and MAY be used in 4 months.  Generally I don't end up using it until it's about a year old, though.
Ultimately, I fill in every garden area with aged manure.  
Meanwhile
I pile it, then burn it to help decompose any bedding.  Then I till it--at this point my horses like to roll it--go figure!?!?!?!

When it starts to look like black dirt, it's ready for use.   

BTW, I put it around my roses fresh!

Your friend is doing what's called, "manuring the soil."
(Read:  *Dirt: The Erosion of Civilizations*, by Robert Montgomery.)

We livestock owners have to walk that thin line between keeping the pasture fertilized and reducing the parisite load on our animals.


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## miss_thenorth (Sep 17, 2009)

ducks4you said:
			
		

> Manure degrades and MAY be used in 4 months.  Generally I don't end up using it until it's about a year old, though.
> Ultimately, I fill in every garden area with aged manure.
> Meanwhile
> I pile it, then burn it to help decompose any bedding.  Then I till it--at this point my horses like to roll it--go figure!?!?!?!
> ...


i was thinking about that when you posted it on SS.  i was just going to spread it on my front yard, but she suggested doing the pasture with it.  It has been composting all summer (we don't use bedding in the summer), so the last time anything was added to it was in April, and it has been turned a couple of times.  I too was concerned about spreading it on the pasture, with the thought that they don't like to eat near where they dump.  But, if it has been composted properly, and the horse have been wormed regularly, it should be ok?


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## freemotion (Sep 17, 2009)

miss_thenorth said:
			
		

> A friend told me they spread the composted horse manure over their pasture in the fall.
> 
> Shat do you all think of this, and what do you do with your manure>


OK, you know what "shat" is past tense for, don't you?


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## trestlecreek (Sep 18, 2009)

I would not spread that back out on the pasture, personally. 
I would however use it for crop land.....


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## freemotion (Sep 18, 2009)

If it is in a large enough pile and heats up and is turned to heat up again, that will kill any parasite eggs and larvae.  I compost mine for a year and spread it on my field, my lawn, and all my gardens, both flower gardens and veggie gardens.  I put three inches a year on the veggie gardens.  In the pasture, I put it in the areas that are sandy and grow only icky weeds that no one wants to eat.  I put it on thick enough to smother the weeds, maybe 4-5 inches or more.  In about a year or two, lush grass is growing there.  I only have a couple of fenced acres, so I am gradually improving it and the goal is to have every inch be productive without the use of chemicals.  

It is absolutely amazing what has been accomplished in just a few years of doing this.


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## lupinfarm (Sep 18, 2009)

We compost and spread EVERYWHERE. This year the fields aren't being spread, but next year they will. This year it is all being spread on the vegetable garden/raised beds. 

If spreading on your fields, keep your horses/animals confined in one of your pastures/dry lot until the manure has had a chance to sink and do its job.


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## miss_thenorth (Sep 18, 2009)

Well, since I don't have any crop land, it's either being put on the yard, or the pasture.  My garden has enough in it for now.  I will check next week to see if it is composted properly--if it is, then it will go on one pasture.  If not, it can stay where it is until next year, and we will start a new pile from this winter's stall cleanings.  I will look for that book-"Dirt".  I'm all for using what I have as opposed to putting chemical fertilizers on it.

We have our property divided into three pastures and a dry lot.  the horses spend most of the winter in the dry lot, --since if it is muddy, we don't want them tearing  up the pastures (if you only have three acres-you have to treat it kindly).  so, keeping them off of one pasture while the manure is doing its work will be easy for us.

Thanks guys!


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## ducks4you (Sep 19, 2009)

Get on Self-Sufficiency and The Easy Garden and see if there is anyone who lives close enough to you that wants your extra manure for gardening.


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