Cow/Horse Dunn?

[wishiwere]

If someone were to bring some cow and horse 'stuff' over that will cost the price of gas, how should I use it?

It's from a hot pile about 3-4 years old.

If it's still really stinking..........how long will it stink, and when can I use it? Should I let it sit a year or what how do I use this stuff?

[Justaysam]

That stuff is gold, lucky you! I always put manure on the ground in the fall if I am not sure how hot it is. I get horse manure here right from the barn at a local stable. I compost it for the growing season and put on top of the ground once everything has gone down in the early winter, then mulch with shredded leaves for the winter. In the spring I take off the leaf mulch, but leave the manure in place. After things come up from the ground, I mulch, lightly with the leaf mulch again, keeping it away from the crowns of the plants. The worms then have to go thru the manure to get the leaves, and drag it all back into the soil.

[wishiwere]

So if this pile is 3-4 years old, is it ready to use this when planting and/or around plants?

ALso, will the stink go away when? After it's watered in, or what? I hate to make my neighbors and or family upset!

[Justaysam]

If it still smells, it is too hot to put where it will touch your plants or the roots. Composted manure should not have an odor, that is one way of telling it is not ready. I would add it to your compost pile and use it next spring.

[wishiwere]

You know what Justaysam? I thought the same thing. HE said he uses the underneat stuff to put on his fields and gardens. I had said I thought it shouldn't stink if it's composted. If it were 3-4 years old, wouldn't it be ready underneath?

I hope he's not considered taking off the TOP of the pile! UGH!

Okay, guess I'll want to be there or explain, I don't want top stuff. I did explain it once, but.......... Hmm..

Thank you very much! And my neighbors will be forwarding a thanks too!

[Justaysam]

I think I understand what he is saying. Here a tractor and wagon haul the manure from the stable down the road to another part of their property and then dump the wagon on a huge pile. It gets bigger and bigger as the weeks go by. They have this sign, "No trespassing, unless you are here for free manure" So when I go over there, I go around to the back of the huge hill they are making and dig down around the edge of their hill where there are things growing on top of the pile. I think he is going to bring you stuff from the top. Stable manue is mostly saw dust and wood shavings, I like to take my pitch fork and kind of shake off all that wood and just collect the real manure part into my buckets. I know it sound kind of gross, but that way I don't get all that wood. I fill up those home depot buckets about 3/4 full and haul them home.

[wishiwere]

Man, I don't have boots tall enough for that job! I wonder if he'd dig down with his backhoe before loading? I told him I wanted the composted stuff, not the' fresh stuff! Then again, being a farmer, it's probably all the same to them. Don't they put fresh stuff on the fields in the fall and mix it in or something? Those honey wagons drip with stench I remember!

[Ginger]

Even if fresh, in the summer it won't take long to cook down. If you want to use it right away, make some manure tea from it. I get all I want from DH's horse. I can usually go out and get some that is almost cooked down from simply laying out in the pasture. Thank goodness she uses the same area of the pasture for her potty!

Ginger

[Spider]

I've worked with a large manure pile. We made trails of packed down "new stuff" to get to the top. You only need to dig down a foot or so to get past the fresh stuff, then it's solid BLACK. THAT is the stuff you want, it shouldn't stink more than the bagged stuff you get from stores. But it should be pretty hot and steamy. Trust me, you do people a favor taking it!

I think you have started by now, right?