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A garden is only as good as the ground that it's planted in. Discussion forum for the many ways to improve the soil where we plant our gardens.

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Old February 28, 2018   #1
Dvangorp
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Default Any manure type you would not use?

I have access to chicken/duck, cow, horse and rabbit manure.
Does one provide more benefits that the other?

What about rat (yes, rat) bedding ... sort of like rabbit pellets. The rats are fed a commercial rodent feed and raised in a very clean environment. Do you think adding the aspen bedding to the compost pile would be a problem?

thanks!
doug

Last edited by Dvangorp; February 28, 2018 at 02:00 PM.
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Old February 28, 2018   #2
Mischka
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Poultry manure is too hot to use straight from the pen. It is too "hot" (high nitrogen) and must be aged a full season, at minimum. (I raise geese, peafowl and guinea fowl)

Horse manure is too full of weed seeds, IMHO. It also should be aged a season and the pile frequently turned, to kill any sprouting weeds. There will be many.

Cow is superior to horse manure and can be tilled directly into the garden, as loong as you don't go more than 50/50 with it

The finest manure of all is the highly valued rabbit type. It can also be tilled right into the soil or even used as top-dressing, if you rake it in slightly. I would get as much as you can lay your hands on and enjoy a lush garden!
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Old March 11, 2018   #3
Spartanburg123
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mischka View Post
Poultry manure is too hot to use straight from the pen. It is too "hot" (high nitrogen) and must be aged a full season, at minimum. (I raise geese, peafowl and guinea fowl)

Horse manure is too full of weed seeds, IMHO. It also should be aged a season and the pile frequently turned, to kill any sprouting weeds. There will be many.

Cow is superior to horse manure and can be tilled directly into the garden, as loong as you don't go more than 50/50 with it

The finest manure of all is the highly valued rabbit type. It can also be tilled right into the soil or even used as top-dressing, if you rake it in slightly. I would get as much as you can lay your hands on and enjoy a lush garden!
I second the rabbit poo! Last spring, I tilled it into the South Carolina red clay along with some peat moss, and I had the most lush and productive plants. Although fruit yield was also high, I felt like I had too much vegetative growth, and some of my 10+ foot plants collapsed from the weight. I wouldn't go too heavy on it, it is slow to decompose and lasts the whole summer.
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Old March 12, 2018   #4
garyjr
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mischka View Post
Poultry manure is too hot to use straight from the pen. It is too "hot" (high nitrogen) and must be aged a full season, at minimum. (I raise geese, peafowl and guinea fowl)

Horse manure is too full of weed seeds, IMHO. It also should be aged a season and the pile frequently turned, to kill any sprouting weeds. There will be many.

Cow is superior to horse manure and can be tilled directly into the garden, as loong as you don't go more than 50/50 with it

The finest manure of all is the highly valued rabbit type. It can also be tilled right into the soil or even used as top-dressing, if you rake it in slightly. I would get as much as you can lay your hands on and enjoy a lush garden!
Good advice. I personally loaded a trailer full of horse manure that I know had been aging for well over a year and still had a terrible problem with weeds. Switching to rabbit poo this season.
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Old February 28, 2018   #5
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Human. Including composted sewage “biosolids”
As they so nicely call it.
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Of your list the rabbit would be best, all are ok fully composted provided you KNOW for certain there is no herbicide treated feed being fed to the animals.
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Last edited by KarenO; February 28, 2018 at 01:31 PM.
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Old February 28, 2018   #6
KarenO
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Your pet bedding and waste should be ok fully composted.
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Old February 28, 2018   #7
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Pig/Swine manure, some farmers around here make a slurry and inject into their fields... It stinks for miles. I would never use it in a garden. As stated above rabbit manure is one of the best.
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Old February 28, 2018   #8
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Hog and human never.
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Old February 28, 2018   #9
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Never list: human, dog, cat, rodent. Why? Risk of disease.

Yes it's true, ultimately everything animal including manure rots and will turn into plant nutrients. The backyard compost cycle is too short, the temperature is not controlled, and ultimately I would rather be safe than sorry.

Pet manures, like animal bones, I would dispose by digging in around trees or shrubs to let them decompose on the long cycle, far away from contact with fresh veggie foods. Cover them well, so flies don't visit them before they come visiting your vegs.
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Old February 28, 2018   #10
ScottinAtlanta
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I prefer goat manure. Not hot, can be directly used.
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Old February 28, 2018   #11
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The would nots have been covered. One not mentioned is worm castings. When your soils are feed with leaves and other prefered worm foods they will go into action. It's not something that can be readily seen but they are working your soil. A healthy garden full of worms will give plants everything they need.
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Old February 28, 2018   #12
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I was so happy to get unlimited horse manure...until I found out it was filled with Bermuda seed!! ugh!! If you go that way, let it sit for a year.

Go Cow!!
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Old March 1, 2018   #13
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Horse. Unless it's pelleted stuff bought. Otherwise it's full, and I mean full, of all the possible weed seeds. I find cow to be well suited for tomatoes, more so then chicken (nutrient wise).
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Old March 1, 2018   #14
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Around here it depends upon what pasture the cow manure is out of. Some argue that the number of stomachs a cow has will kill the weeds, but not true of all weed seeds. Same is true of spoiled hay.
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Old March 1, 2018   #15
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I do use rat and mice manure in my garden. They are my domestic animals and there is no risk of diseases.
I would be more concerned for diseases in rabbit and chicken manure as they often have coccidiosis. But I use it too and never had any problems.
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