Manure

[kat2290]

I have a rapidly expanding muck heap and I am struggling to get rid of it by offering free manure on freecycle and preloved etc. Yesterday a local guy came and took 15 bags away but they pile still looks like it hasn't been touched!

In an attempt to stop the pile getting any bigger I'm thinking of putting the fresh stuff I pick up each day straight in to bags and leaving out the front of our house. I'm just wondering whether anybody would want fresh poo or if it is only rotted manure which is desirable? I'll also start bagging up the existing pile but I imagine ill only do a few bags a week so it will take a while to get through it.

Just interested to hear people's thoughts on fresh stuff?

 

[Cortez]

I'm not a gardener, but generally speaking well rotted horse manure is the most desirable. The fresh stuff is too acid and will "burn" plants, whereas rotted manure is "black gold" (or so one of the people who takes away my muck heap tells me!). I keep 3 muck heaps, the fresh pile, the "maturing" pile, and the come-and-get-it pile, ready to go out on the rose bushes.

 

[Ellies_mum2]

Do you have a local farmer who could take it away for you? We are having to do this as our YO said he wasn't going to clear it after all

 

[kat2290]

Can't get it taken away unfortunately as we only have access on foot into the field. Can get a vehicle in if you really want to but it is a real drama so not worth it.

I was thinking with the fresh stuff people could take it home and add it to their own compost pile. I guess I'll just have to put it out there and see what happens!

 

[[100323]]

I bag up straight from the stable, and advertise on freecycle. I have a few allotment holders who collect the fresh manure and compost it for next season. I state in the advert it is fresh and needs composting and bagged ready to go.

 

[WelshD]

There is never a great time to get rid of fresh manure but now is the best chance as people will start to cover their veg beds in old stuff which will break down over winter so their compost bins will be emptier than usual

 

[BBP]

I have 3 horses and all our fresh manure is bagged up and left at the gate. It goes every single day, and has for the last 5 years. Alotment holders are a great bunch! They must have a massive muckheap of their own!

 

[windand rain]

Fresh horse manure is great for plants I am a gardener so use it a lot. It isnt too hot for most plants and can be used straight from the horse. Cow chicken and pig on the other hand needs to rot down

 

[moana]

I did not know that you could use fresh manure on plants. I should bag it immediately and leave it out. Hopefully I could overcome the same ever-expandin gmanure hea pproblem

 

[YasandCrystal]

When my horses were at home we put the fresh manure out bagged all the time and sold it for 25p a bag - it always went within the day - like hotcakes!! I think people set up their own rotting heap. We put out around 15 bags a week much to my son's delight as this was his job and his money. Now we have a muck heap and we let it rot for the year and then spread it with a muck spreader and wow what a difference it makes - amazing fertiliser.

 

[Polos Mum]

Now we have a muck heap and we let it rot for the year and then spread it with a muck spreader and wow what a difference it makes - amazing fertiliser.

This is certainly worth considering, if you poo pick and don't put chemical fertilisers on you're taking a lot out of the ground and not putting anything back. Paying a local farmer to come once a year and spread last years rotted muck will save you £££s in fertiliser and be more horse friendly than chemicals.

 

[pansy]

Ours gets bagged up & collected or we load it up & take to allotments, the people at the allotments really appreciate it - & it saves having a muck heap x

 

[lelly]

I bag mine up daily and it is collected by passers by most days. It does slow down in the winter though so I still have a small muck heap. Mine is just poo, no straw, as ponies live out. I don't charge for it.

 

[daughter's groom]

Gardeners will dig fresh manure into the soil now so that it breaks down over the winter and enriches the soil for the spring so now is a good time to get rid of it.

 

[kat2290]

Great, sounds very positive! Going to sort myself a sign out tomorrow and put my first couple of bags out, can't wait to see if it gets taken or not...ohhh what an exciting life I lead!

 

[castella]

Silly question but what bags do you all use ? Cheap old black bags would split I guess ?

 

[kat2290]

Old compost bags, horse feed bags, dog good bags, plastic sand bags...any kind of bag made of tough plastic will do

 

[kat2290]

Dog food*

 

[[100323]]

I find most people will return the empty bags if asked. Put a request on your board. Quite a few bring extra bags too. They are always welcome.

 

[YasandCrystal]

Silly question but what bags do you all use ? Cheap old black bags would split I guess ?

I get literally 100s at a time in Spring/Summer from a local nursery - they pot up their plants using compost and have thousands of empty bags they are pleased to rehome. I usually bring them a couple of bottles of wine to say thank-you.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

We get a company to remove it when its a truck load as we don't want to spread it.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Old compost bags, horse feed bags, dog good bags, plastic sand bags...any kind of bag made of tough plastic will do

also shavings bags