0
points
Is one type of manure better than the other?

General   

Does it make any difference which type of manure I use for my vegetables? Is chicken or horse manure considered better? I have even heard of people adding rabbit droppings directly to their soil. I would like to add some to my compost or soil which I will use to grow several vegetables.


Posted by: Danielle (1 point) Danielle
Posted: April 15, 2013




Answers

3
points
There is quite a bit of variation in the nutrient content of manures, depending on both the type of animal and also the animal's diet, age, etc. It is best to use either aged or composted manure to reduce the possibility of pathogen contamination. Also, don't use fresh manure for root crops; this can result in forked roots. Some typical analyses are shown below from North Carolina State:

Manures % Nitrogen % Phosphate % Potash
Bat 6.0 9.0 3.0
Beef (fresh) 0.6 0.4 0.5
Beef (dry) 1.2 2.0 2.1
Chicken (fresh) 0.9 0.5 0.5
Chicken (dry) 1.6 1.8 2.0
Hog (fresh) 0.6 0.3 0.4
Hog (dry) 2.2 2.1 1.0
Horse (fresh) 0.6 0.3 0.5
Rabbit (fresh) 2.4 1.4 0.6
Turkey (fresh) 1.3 0.7 0.5

Type of manure Percent N Percent P Percent K Suggested Amount/1,000 Sq. Ft.
Chicken manure 2.0 to 4.5 4.5 to 6.0 1.2 to 2.4 125
Steer manure 1.0 to 2.5 0.9 to 1.6 2.4 to 3.6 450
Dairy manure 0.6 to 2.1 0.7 to 1.1 2.4 to 3.6 600



Posted by: Joan Allen (6 points) Joan Allen
Posted: April 15, 2013


Danielle commented,
That is very helpful Joan, thank you. I think it is interesting that fresh manure can result in forking - what exactly happens?
about 11 years ago.

Joan Allen commented,
That is a question that I don't know the answer to! (But I also wonder why)

about 11 years ago.



1
point
For veggie gardens make sure you manure is fully composted correctly! Forking can occur but from a food safety perspective it's a big no-no. There are tons of harmful microbes that need to be killed off through composting that can be dangerous to humans. Wherever you get your manure ask how long it has been composting and if it was done properly (some backyard operations may not be up to date on what to do).


Posted by: Kathryn Fiedler (72 points) Kathryn Fiedler
Posted: April 15, 2013




1
point
More important than what kind of manure is knowing the source.

In the past few years, pesticides have been found in compost and manures, so it's always best to test a batch before adding it to your garden soil. Most pesticides are broken down by the composting process, but one herbicide used on lawns in the U.S., clopyralid, persists after composting. I've heard reports of people using manures from animals that had grazed on or eaten clopyralid-treated grasses. It eventually breaks down, but it takes an extra year or so, possibly putting the garden out of production for a year if the manure or compost has already been mixed into the soil.

One of the local edible-gardening authors got a bad batch of compost one year. She bought it from the same garden center where she'd been getting it for years, so she didn't anticipate any problems. It wasn't until nothing thrived in her garden that she traced the problem to the compost and sent it out for testing. (I don't recall if she said specifically what was in the compost.)

As far as I know, you can test manure and compost by growing a few fast-growing seeds such as radish or kale, then observing them for a couple weeks. Herbicide damage shows up as deformed leaves.


Posted by: Tanya in the Garden (128 points) Tanya in the Garden
Posted: April 16, 2013




1
point
Loved all the info here, and especially JoanAllens percentages for amounts in each type of soil..but I wanted to add, that PIG manure should NEVER be used in food soils...Pigs are NOT Herbivores, and you can pick up terrible things from using it. I once new a lady who tried to use her dog manure..ICK....while researching manures, we found that even pig farmers will tell you to not use it in the garden..now, I know chickens tend to be omnivorous at times..but their manure is used in gardens, around raspberries and there seem to be no health problems related to this.
Checking your source is good info too, as so many farmers use Herbicides on their crops, and it can stay in teh manure for years, and affect what grows when you put it in the garden..


Posted by: Angie Lee Morrow (18 points) Angie Lee Morrow
Posted: April 16, 2013




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