Horse/Cow Poo?

[hazedandconfused]

Ive got a few horses and my neighbor friends family raises cattle. So theres poo everywhere. Does anybody think i could just scoop up some cow patties and then just mix it in with top soil and fill holes where i plan to transplant my potted hops?

 

[Sea]

Absolutely. But depending how fresh (hot) it is you may want to go sparingly. Fresh manure can harm plants in too large a quantity because of (I think) high nitrogen content. Someone else can probably explain the chemistry better than I can.

 

[fineexampl]

i'd compost it first, but that's just me.

 

[hazedandconfused]

Perhaps i could scout out some old dried out patties - ill try to go light - maybe only 1 pattie per hole/plant.

 

[ChshreCat]

+1 on composting it. Plus, horses don't always digest the seeds as well as cows, so sometimes using horse manure can cause weeds to come popping up if it's too fresh.

 

[Bithead]

Fresh is not good for plants. Need to age it first.

 

[jiggs_casey]

Grrrr, damnit! My parents live about 90 minutes from me, they have four horses and I got back from camping out there yesterday! Did i EVEN think to bring some back to do this for my hops!? Nope!

Great idea though!

 

[B-Hoppy]

If you weren't planning on moving then until Fall or next Spring I'd just start mixing the poo into the new areas now. By the time you transplant all the little critters in the holes should have had time to get acquainted with their new environment and all should good. I've used cow manure from the feedlot which was kinda soupy and didn't really have any problems. Some nice dried patties mixed into the holes would most likely work very well as long as you mix it with the soil thoroughly. Get your sh8 together and go for it!

 

[RustyMusket]

+1 on what Sea said it is HOT full of nitrogen enough to burn the roots on plants, it should be composted first

 

[tchuklobrau]

+1 to b-hoppy. depending on when u wanna transplant them u may have lots of time for it to break down and be super fantastic.

 

[Fletch78]

I've never worked with raw manure, everything I've ever read (actual books, not internet jibber jabber) says to only use manure if it's composted, for a variety of reasons.

Composting your own manure is fine if you are doing large scale production and a bottom line to meet with your farm. For most small timers like myself, and most of the people on this board, you can get a bag of "Moo-Nure" for $3 a bag at Home Depot, particularly during the summer, after the big Spring rush in the garden department. It's already aged and composted for you, minimal stink, and is very affordable. Wear gloves when handling it, unless you want a staph infection. Ask me how I know.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

I use sheep,and it works great if composted. It will burn if not composted.

 

[ChshreCat]

I didn't know you could compost sheep.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I use sheep,and it works great if composted. It will burn if not composted.

I use sheep too. But after I'm fully satisfied I spread composted used malt around my hops. While composting, I also empty my garage piss bucket over the compost. My hops have an interesting flavour.

 

[Fletch78]

I use sheep too. But after I'm fully satisfied I spread composted used malt around my hops. While composting, I also empty my garage piss bucket over the compost. My hops have an interesting flavour.

I have an old aluminum jon boat that collects detritus and rain, when I most recently pulled the plug to clean it out before a fishing trip, I put a 5 gal bucket under the bilge, so I'm collecting compost tea. I also peed in it, twice, to replace nitrogen. I then used that to water the cascade. The cascade is doing very well.

On this question, from the OP, I want to clarify a more general question. Composted manure should only be used from herbivores, right? If I came into a large pile of rabbit manure, is that good to toss in my compost pile? I don't want to compost it directly in the soil, that would attract beagles.

 

[Sea]

I have an old aluminum jon boat that collects detritus and rain, when I most recently pulled the plug to clean it out before a fishing trip, I put a 5 gal bucket under the bilge, so I'm collecting compost tea. I also peed in it, twice, to replace nitrogen. I then used that to water the cascade. The cascade is doing very well.

On this question, from the OP, I want to clarify a more general question. Composted manure should only be used from herbivores, right? If I came into a large pile of rabbit manure, is that good to toss in my compost pile? I don't want to compost it directly in the soil, that would attract beagles.

yes and yes. Herbivores, and rabbit is great, composted,

 

[ChshreCat]

yes and yes. Herbivores, and rabbit is great, composted,

I prefer it roasted.

or in a stew.

 

[hazedandconfused]

Funny. Ive read that horse manure should be composted but cow poo is A LOT lower in nitrogen and can be used fresh. I planned on taking some plants started in pots and moving them outside.

 

[blaze379]

Horse is to high in salt unless it is composted for about 12 months. Requires alot of rinsing. I made that mistake last year and killed most of my plants.

 

[blaze379]

If anyone wants any Horse manure....... I have lots and it's free for the taking if anyone wants some.....

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

If anyone wants any Horse manure....... I have lots and it's free for the taking if anyone wants some.....

There are two good places on this forum to unload a ton of horse crap. Classified section, or the debate forum.

 

[htc]

Earlier someone mentioned undigested seeds and thus weed problems. I personally used a bunch of old manure in my gardens this year, and even though the crap was collected from piles at least a year old I got weeds - lots of em. Composting is the way to go, but it requires more forethought than I put into it.

 

[Irish82]

Horses ferment their feed in part of their small intestine. Cattle use their stomach (the rumen is one of four compartments of the stomach. Either way the animal is using bacteria, protazoa and yeast to break down the fiber in the feed into a usable substance (kind of like brewing). Both manures will have seeds in them, it just depends on the plant if they are viable. Manure should be composted prior to use so that the bacteria decomposition taking place in the manure (this is why you add water and oxygen to compost) will finish. Stay away from feedlot manure especially fresh. Very acidic and high in phosphorus. This will change your soil chemistry if you put in too much.

 

[COLObrewer]

I use sheep too. But after I'm fully satisfied . . . . . . .

This explains alot about you.

 

[ex_mo]

Shut up woman, get on my horse.

 

[steadfasthops]

i would use chicken manure if you have it because it consistently has higher levels of Nitrogen and potassium, which are hops two best friends. i personally think cow and horse manure is only good for loosening up soil.

 

[ex_mo]

Shut up woman, get on my horse.

 

[user 4295]

Read this article. Are All Animal Manures Safe for an Organic Garden? Seems that not all poo is created equal, LOL!

 

[bnmir]

Chicken is very acidic. Generally you want to stick with herbivore dung...

 

[Hauntedyards]

Chicken pop is great though if you dump into your composter and let it rot in. Never directly to the garden.

 

[user 4295]

The link I posted clearly says that raw, fresh poo should not be used for fertilizing. Only poo that has gone through a thorough, hot, active compost process.

 

[Hardtack]

Ive got a few horses and my neighbor friends family raises cattle. So theres poo everywhere. Does anybody think i could just scoop up some cow patties and then just mix it in with top soil and fill holes where i plan to transplant my potted hops?

I don't grow Hops but i`m a big believer in the power of horse manure.
and yes it needs to compost for quite a while.

We tilled 2 tons of the stuff in the Garden last year and it really made it grow like mad.

The Maters

The 8 ft. bush to the right of SWMBO is cukes ,we had hundreds of em.

 

[steadfasthops]

I've based the way i fertilize my hops on Oregon State's fertilizer guide for hops (http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalog/pdf/fg/fg79-e.pdf). That is why if you choose organic options i would recommend composted chicken manure because you get more N and K. I use all liquid fertilizers on my hops because it takes less time and money and i don't feel the need to be organic.

 

[tommymartin]

chicken sht has 17 times more nitrogen than cow sht.

 

[HALIFAXHOPS]

I will never get rid of that post! The sheep are good though, and the poop is better! No Did I just say that?