Hi folks.
Quite simply, horse or cow manure, which is best? I'm considering building a bin to compost manure. As I have access to both, I'd obviously want to go for the best option.
Cheers...Freddy.
Horse or Cow?
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Horse every time.
Cows have a much more efficient digestive system than horses which means that their manure is low in fibrous material and nutrients. Also its not so easy to deal with.
John
Cows have a much more efficient digestive system than horses which means that their manure is low in fibrous material and nutrients. Also its not so easy to deal with.
John
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peter
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But do check.for the presence.of Aminopyralid based weedkiller, see Weeds Pests & Diseases.
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Tony Hague
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And be prepared with the hoe. That less efficient digestive system is less effective at clobbering weed seeds. I had a carpet of nettles last time I used horse muck.
Hi folks.
Thanks for all those great replies. I'm aware of the problems with some poop containing weedkiller, so I'll try to check the best I can. Regarding weed seeds, would not the composting process take care of that ? As for bullock poop, I'm not aware of any farms in this area raising beef herds.
Cheers...Freddy.
Thanks for all those great replies. I'm aware of the problems with some poop containing weedkiller, so I'll try to check the best I can. Regarding weed seeds, would not the composting process take care of that ? As for bullock poop, I'm not aware of any farms in this area raising beef herds.
Cheers...Freddy.
The future aint all it used to be
Hi Geoff,
Your wife's uncle is very correct bulls manure is more nutritious than cows manure but only if the cow is lactating which lets face it they mostly are.
Pound for pound horse manure is not as good for soil improvement because it takes longer to break down in the soil and generally with horse manure there is less straw. Quite frequently I have found horse manure dug in one year has hardly decomposed when digging the next year and although I still use horse manure I compost it separately and compost it with more straw added and use nettles to initiate the composting process.
Pig manure does not represent the problems that it used to do when pigs were swill fed but still should be approached with caution and it needs at least two years composting before I use it. This also has considerably more straw added when composting.
Tony,
The only reason you get nettles from horse manure is where it has been stored at the stable and with fym there is generally a lot of couch grass and this is also because of where it has been stored.
JB.
Your wife's uncle is very correct bulls manure is more nutritious than cows manure but only if the cow is lactating which lets face it they mostly are.
Pound for pound horse manure is not as good for soil improvement because it takes longer to break down in the soil and generally with horse manure there is less straw. Quite frequently I have found horse manure dug in one year has hardly decomposed when digging the next year and although I still use horse manure I compost it separately and compost it with more straw added and use nettles to initiate the composting process.
Pig manure does not represent the problems that it used to do when pigs were swill fed but still should be approached with caution and it needs at least two years composting before I use it. This also has considerably more straw added when composting.
Tony,
The only reason you get nettles from horse manure is where it has been stored at the stable and with fym there is generally a lot of couch grass and this is also because of where it has been stored.
JB.
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Tony Hague
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Yes, I guess that could be so Johnboy. My last loads of muck were from a local farm and has both cow and horse (and more besides) all well composted together. Good stuff, but quite a lot of weeds grow from that too.
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The other source of weed infestation from FYM is if the straw crop was particularly weedy (especially organic crops) or not.
Barney
Barney
Hi Barney,
Of course I get the odd weed from my own home made compost which is made from pulverized straw and certainly from FYM and other manures but nothing that a hoe cannot sort out very quickly.
My main vegetable plot is alongside the hedge and try as I may I get nettles through the hedge from the field margin that gets strimmed about four times a year in an attempt to stop the nettles going into flower but with one blink of the eye and they set seed and give me the problem each year. I have even used a certain preparation that the pesticide policeman detests and they still manage to grow again the following year.
Certainly Organic straw is unclean in many respects where the gardener is concerned as you would expect.
The straw I use is what I produce myself and is fairly clean although I say it myself.
JB.
Of course I get the odd weed from my own home made compost which is made from pulverized straw and certainly from FYM and other manures but nothing that a hoe cannot sort out very quickly.
My main vegetable plot is alongside the hedge and try as I may I get nettles through the hedge from the field margin that gets strimmed about four times a year in an attempt to stop the nettles going into flower but with one blink of the eye and they set seed and give me the problem each year. I have even used a certain preparation that the pesticide policeman detests and they still manage to grow again the following year.
Certainly Organic straw is unclean in many respects where the gardener is concerned as you would expect.
The straw I use is what I produce myself and is fairly clean although I say it myself.
JB.