Composting Horse ManurePresentation at 2004 Rocky Mountain Horse

ExpoKathy Corwin Doesken, CSU

Whether you have one horse. . .

or many horses...

You Need to Manage Your Manure!

• Maximize the agronomic and economic benefits of manure while reducing adverse environmental consequences

• Minimize manure problems with flies, odor, dust, parasite reinfection, spread of insect–borne diseases, fire danger, AND improve the view

What can I do with manure beside apply it to

farm land?

•Make compost!

Why Try Composting?

• Reduces volume of manure about 50%• Minimizes pathogen, weed, odor, and

insect problems• Stabilizes nitrogen and phosphorus

compounds which avoids water pollution• Produces a useful and saleable soil

amendment• Retain control of your waste stream

Manure is a resource! This costs you money and wastes a valuable resource. Consider other options.

What You Need to Compost

• Manure, waste feed, bedding• Convenient and environmentally

appropriate site (away from wells, water)

• Source of water to wet compost• Equipment or hand tools• Knowledge of composting principles

METHODS OF COMPOSTING

• Active windrows: this presentation

• Passive windrows: CSU fact sheet*

• Worms : CSU fact sheet*

• Bins*some fact sheets here today; online:

www.ext.colostate.edu

What is composting?

Composting is the managed,biological, oxidation process that converts heterogeneous organic matter into a more homogeneous, fine-particled humus-like material. from FIELD GUIDE TO ON-FARM COMPOSTING

MANAGED: what YOU do!

• Provide carbon (C) and nitrogen (N) in 30:1 ratio

• Provide oxygen for oxidation process at 5-20%

• Provide water to keep moisture at 50%

BIOLOGICAL:what microorganisms (MO’s) do

• Many species of bacteria and fungi metabolize the C and N to grow and multiply, using oxygen and water in the process

• Composting is farming MO’s, which are present in the soil!

OXIDATION

• “In the presence of air” • Used by MO in respiration• Oxygen is in pore space in

compost windrow • Use bulking material and turn

to maintain pore space for air

Leaves make ideal bulking material for horse manure; so does most bedding

Heterogeneous Organic Matter

• Horse manure• Bedding• Waste hay• Spoiled feed or grain• Leaves and grass clippings• Kitchen scraps

Heterogenous material: leaves and manure very visible

Homogeneous (homo=same) Organic Matter, Fine-Particled, Humus-Like Material

• COMPOST!!!!!!!!

How is compost made from horse manure?

Choose a site

• Mowed area, smooth, slightly sloping

• Near manure source• Near water tap BUT at least 100 ft,

from “waters of the state” or wells• Control run-on and run-off• Table for area needed in fact sheet

on active windrows

BUILDING THE WINDROW

• Layer manure loosely with bulking material, adding water to 50%

• Work end view into rectangular shape like loaf of bread, top flattened

• Add new material at one end only

Newly Built Windrow at Large Horse Facility

Experimental windrow at CSU

Add plenty of water until pile is as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Composting organisms

need moisture to work.

MONITOR WINDROW

• Check temperature with compost thermometer (www.reotemp.com) or your hand

• Heat is an indicator of biological activity of microorganisms

• Observe heating cycle: temperatures increase then decrease several times

• After a decrease, turn windrow to aerate; add water if needed

Relationship of Time and Temperature to Compost Turning

0

20

40

60

80

1 00

1 20

1 40

1 60

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 1 0 1 1 2 1 3 1 4

Days from First Building or Turning

Tem

pera

ture

(Deg

. F)

Height and width of windrow depends on equipment!

4-6’tall-

HOT AREA

6 - 10 feet wide (?)

END VIEW OF COMPOST WINDROW

The temperature will rise to over 140º in a newly built pile, which will kill most weed

seeds and pathogens.

Continued Monitoring…

• After turning, monitor heat cycle again

• Turn when temperature decreases• Check water; Add if necessary• Repeat turnings until temperature

ceases to rise (about 4 turning cycles)

Variations on Windrow Composting

•Bins•Passive Aeration•Worms

CURING PHASE

• When temperatures cease rising, mesophilic (mid-temperature) MO’s take over to finish process

• Keep windrow moist, less than 50%• Takes 1-2 months• Compost becomes homogenous,

dark

Why cure?

• Assures highest quality product• pH shifts to neutral• Soil MO’s recolonize compost, impart

disease suppressing qualities to compost

• If too much C left, use of this compost as a soil amendment may cause a temporary N deficiency, just the opposite of what you want!

When is my compost done?

• After heating cycles stop• After curing• Check for homogenous, fine-particled

humus-like appearance• Earthy smell• Maturity tests: Solvita test* (do-it-

yourself ), experience, confirmation by testing at a soil lab*www.woodsend.org

How can compost be used?

• As a soil amendment to increase soil organic matter, fertility, water holding capacity

• Use as topdressing for pastures,lawns, gardens, shrubs, trees

• Make compost tea (new area)• Stall bedding• Sell to landscapers

REFERENCES• Visit our website at

www.manuremanagement.info• Composting* from Rodale press (good

place to start, good reference, at the library)

• On-Farm Composting,* NRCS (order CSU)• Visit www.CSUag.com

– Go to Cooperative Extension, Publications, Fact Sheets!

*sample copy on display

How to learn more about composting?

•Organize a workshop, arrange mentoring: contact us

Dr. Jessica Davis, extension manure management specialist:

Jessica.Davis@ColoState.EDU970-491-1913

Kathy.Doesken@ColoState.EDU970-491-6984

Soil and Crop Sciences Department, CSU