Horse manure briquettes

[vicky1221]

Has anyone made briquettes out of horse manure?

What is your opinion?

Are there any health concerns for burning in a multi fuel stove

Thanks

 

[Venevidivici]

I'm interested in replies to this too!

 

[smokey]

Me too!

 

[DW Team]

This thread might answer some questions http://www.horseandhound.co.uk/forums/showthread.php?t=571442

 

[SaharaS]

My wood pellet supplier actually mentioned this to me -think he was trying to sell me a briquette maker..but definitely worth a go..I do love the 'eau de muck heap' when its burning..does anyone already burn in their log burner & do you notice the smell in the house?...ought to tread with caution as house on market..BUT can no longer get wheel barrow to muck heap so would be ideal. I have a tonne of pallets, tarp & a garage so seems silly not too! Scuttles off to poo pick-it suddenly seems fun!

 

[HeresHoping]

Ooo...having just loaded Boris (our wood-fired central heating system) and lamented that he has eaten a trailer load of wood this week already, this could be a very good alternative. Am just wondering what the yard owner will think as I sneak half a tonne of poo off the muck heap into my log trailer. I'm collecting logs from the yard where he has taken down 200m of leylandii hedge. Problem is, the wood's too green and it has made Boris rather unhappy.

 

[OWLIE185]

I know someone that has an industrial piece of equiopment that puts horse manure in to cubes and shrink packs it in to industrial garde heavy duty plastic (about half the size of a packet of wood chips) and then sells it to garden centres and directly to members of the public. Because it is shrink wrapped it does not spill or smell andf can be put in a car.

 

[Clippy]

I found this: http://www.equinecompare.co.uk/docs/BurnHorseManure/

I'm seriously going to ask for a mould for Christmas. I can't think of anything more satisfying than diminishing the muck heap and getting a load of free fuel for the fire. I just hope it burns properly rather than smoulder!

 

[JanetGeorge]

I'm collecting logs from the yard where he has taken down 200m of leylandii hedge. Problem is, the wood's too green and it has made Boris rather unhappy.

You can store leylandii for 2 years - it's still not 'good' for a wood burner. Too much oil in the wood and burns too fiercely!

 

[metalmare]

How weird... I was going to post about this tonight!

 

[Magicmillbrook]

My Dad had a look at one of the links and is going to make a mould. He loves the idea of something for nout, so do I. I just wonder if we will be able to get them dried out in the UK. It may be that you have to make them in the summer during a dry spell and store in the dry for the winter.

 

[Dry Rot]

My Dad had a look at one of the links and is going to make a mould. He loves the idea of something for nout, so do I. I just wonder if we will be able to get them dried out in the UK. It may be that you have to make them in the summer during a dry spell and store in the dry for the winter.

I would imagine they would be like slices of turf or peat. That has to be dried over summer with several handlings as it dries. First laying the cut turves on the ground on top of the cutting, then stacking them in small groups of 3 - 6, then bigger stacks as they dry out. It is quite a long and involved process. But then there is nowhere much wetter than the west of Scotland or the Scottish islands! Then, when they are dry, they have to be carried off the bog and then re-stacked at home. Each owner's stack (some almost as large as a small house!) used to have a distinct individual pattern, but I'm not sure if many still do it this way nowadays.

 

[Regandal]

I've also been thinking about this for ages, trying to convince my family is harder, as they're not to keen on eau de equine at the best of time, let alone the stuff that comes out the business end of a horse. Do you think these paper mould/press thingys would work?

 

[SaharaS]

I've read thru a couple of the links on here..going to give it a go..by the way..if anyone is struggling with lighting..loo roll tube is v useful..cut one in half, peel a little off so it curls and use istead of fire lighters(better for wood burner apparently) going to give this a go and see what happens..I have images of us all startign little cottage industries & 'hand wrapping' individual blockettes...you know how they do in nice shops!..we now have a use for all those brown paper feed sacks & baling twine to fasten!

 

[philamena]

My mum used to put dried horsepoo on the wood burning stove and seemed quite pleased with how it went. My sis was horrified though - so not sure mum pursued it much!

 

[nicolenlolly]

Manchester polic use poo from mounted section to heat building! Hubby and I were looking into a hydraulic ram to squeeze liquid from poo which is where the odour is and then use at home.

I personally think if we could find a quick, easy and non gross way to out the liquid we would be on to a winner

 

[mandwhy]

So does it smell? My dad would love it for his chimenea and at least that's outside! He wants it for the garden too, might as well set up a muck heap at their place

 

[noblesteed]

My husband just bought a briquette-maker off Amazon (I think)

You soak paper in water then stuff it in, it squeezes the water out then you have to leave the briquettes to dry properly. I asked him if you could use old straw in it, he thought it would be possible. Don;t know if he'll let me try horse **** but I will ask him!!!

If anyone's interested I will ask him for the link and post it on. It was about £15 and made of metal. It's called an 'eko-mania' - that's what it says on the box!

 

[Dry Rot]

For lighting fires, I can highly recommend an electric fire lighter. Expensive but they really are good! I've had mine for years.

http://www.grenadier.co.uk/electric_firelighter.php

There were various ideas for making fuel during the war. One I read about for using all that coal dust left over when you'd burnt all the lumps was to mix it with a little cement and cast it into bricks. Can't think why it would not work for straw etc.

 

[Tnavas]

Great thread

I HAVE A BRICKETTE MAKER - I bought it years ago to make them from old newspapers but never bothered - it's still inthe box.

And

My Clydesdale poops muckheaps several times daily - will be at the paddock today making bricks.

Being summer here I can dry them at the paddock.

Going into business!

 

[SaharaS]

Great thread

I HAVE A BRICKETTE MAKER - I bought it years ago to make them from old newspapers but never bothered - it's still inthe box.

And

My Clydesdale poops muckheaps several times daily - will be at the paddock today making bricks.

Being summer here I can dry them at the paddock.

Going into business!

Summer? what is this summer thing you speak of? I'm new to this concept...please could you explain?

 

[Tnavas]

Summer? what is this summer thing you speak of? I'm new to this concept...please could you explain?

lol - I live in New Zealand - it's officially summer but the weather is in denial!

Hopefully there will be some really nice hot days. I shall collect the pelleted version in the heat of the day when it has naturally dried out. Thenmake the brickette versions with the not so dry.

 

[WelshD]

I'm going to try drying the poo nuggets in trays in my greenhouse, considering how quickly they dry out in the field in summer I would imagine they would dry quicker than the bricks though of course not be as long lasting as a fuel

 

[SaharaS]

lol - I live in New Zealand - it's officially summer but the weather is in denial!

Hopefully there will be some really nice hot days. I shall collect the pelleted version in the heat of the day when it has naturally dried out. Thenmake the brickette versions with the not so dry.

I noticed (most irritatingly!) I have family over there who INSIST on questioning why I rug my horses!!! They also mention hot days. I am sticking my fingers back in my ears (or eyes I guess as I'm reading these torments!) You could probably make a small fortune shipping it over ready dried for us over here, despite the air fares!

 

[Tnavas]

I noticed (most irritatingly!) I have family over there who INSIST on questioning why I rug my horses!!! They also mention hot days. I am sticking my fingers back in my ears (or eyes I guess as I'm reading these torments!) You could probably make a small fortune shipping it over ready dried for us over here, despite the air fares!

When I first moved here 26years ago I couldn't believe how many people rugged their horses - year round. Far worse than UK.

Winter in the area I am in is mild with a few frosts but we do get a lot of rain - if you don't rug thehorses get rain scald.

In summer everything is rugges to protect the coat from sun damage.

I love the weather here - even in winter you can be out in shorts and T shirts. Even after a heavy frost - the sun comes up and the sky goes a brillient blue and the day heats up. rain and an Antarctic wind though do make some days cold. Would never come back to UK especially not in winter.

Are you seethingly green with jealousy yet?

 

[smokey]

I would imagine they would be like slices of turf or peat. That has to be dried over summer with several handlings as it dries. First laying the cut turves on the ground on top of the cutting, then stacking them in small groups of 3 - 6, then bigger stacks as they dry out. It is quite a long and involved process. But then there is nowhere much wetter than the west of Scotland or the Scottish islands! Then, when they are dry, they have to be carried off the bog and then re-stacked at home. Each owner's stack (some almost as large as a small house!) used to have a distinct individual pattern, but I'm not sure if many still do it this way nowadays.

In the Hebrides they do, we had a peat stack at the side of the house, cut from our own strip and dried as you describe. Best smell ever from a fire!

 

[SaharaS]

When I first moved here 26years ago I couldn't believe how many people rugged their horses - year round. Far worse than UK.

Winter in the area I am in is mild with a few frosts but we do get a lot of rain - if you don't rug thehorses get rain scald.

In summer everything is rugges to protect the coat from sun damage.

I love the weather here - even in winter you can be out in shorts and T shirts. Even after a heavy frost - the sun comes up and the sky goes a brillient blue and the day heats up. rain and an Antarctic wind though do make some days cold. Would never come back to UK especially not in winter.

Are you seethingly green with jealousy yet?

Well just a little bit - not over the midges tho! Infact I am surprised nobody buton pushed for all this evil talk of heat & shorts;-)

 

[Tnavas]

Sandflies - they love the newbies

 

[Clippy]

We need one of these: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4J7K219AkaY

For extra chuckle factor, listen to his wife at around 4.10mins.

Seriously, I think with one of these, the briquettes would be dry in a couple of weeks. I can see myself making a few every day and drying them on pallets at the back of the haylage shed and burning them in rotation. Common sense tells me they'll burn as good, if not better than paper and no need to make the mulch with paper and sawdust that he's using.

 

[vicky1221]

Can you burn everything, ie. wet bedding, shavings, etc or just the poo?