Field prep and horse manure as fertilizer question.

Ralph Bauer · Oct 9, 2012

Wondering if I should run the manure spreader between disking (1st and second run) or when? (Horse manure with shavings.)Hoping to put some red hard winter wheat in, just for cover crop/pasture, don't think I will harvest it next June.
Ralph in sw OK.

TMo · Oct 9, 2012

If you are gonna disc twice. Spread manure between runs.

Walt Davies · Oct 9, 2012

Remember that the seeds go right though the horses system so watch out for unwanted grass and seeds.
Walt

Ralph Bauer · Oct 10, 2012

That's why I am not planning on harvesting it...but thanks for reminding me..

Mike (WA) · Oct 10, 2012

Just don't plan on getting much fertilizer value out of horse manure- its pretty weak. But ya gotta get rid of it, and that's as good a way as any.

Bret4207 · Oct 10, 2012

Horse manure may be weak compared to concentrated chemical fertilizer, but it also gives you a lot more than just NPK. Same with any animal waste. Using just barn scrapings can make an enormous difference on a given field.

showcrop · Oct 10, 2012

Horse manure in itself is good fertilizer, and don't worry about weed seeds, any one who has seeded down a hay field knows that there is an abundance of weed seeds in the ground already. The manure is great if you have sandy soil because it will help in moisture retention. The problem with horse manure is in the pine shavings, which release acid as they decompose. The acid interferes with the plant's ability to take up nitrogen in the soil, resulting in a net loss of fertility. Lime will be needed to offset the acid.

Traditional Farmer · Oct 10, 2012

The weed seed in manure is mostly a Myth as weed seeds are already in the ground the manure just makes it suitable for them to sprout.Anyway its a
poor piece of ground that won't grown weeds, and most severe problems are caused by the soil being out of balance.

Bill(Wis) · Oct 10, 2012

Personally, I'd use it for mulch around plantings, strawberries, etc. Wood shavings kill it as fertilizer. Too much carbon.

Ralph Bauer · Oct 10, 2012

Got local source that pays someone to haul it off 2 times a year. ...Also have some cow manure on the horizon, someone is cleaning out the old sale-barn, not used in 6-7 yrs, scraping the pens out... working on that one time deal, too.

Ralph Bauer · Oct 10, 2012

I looked it over this morning, very little woods havings.... The kids are poor, they scoop more than do lots of bedding; bare dirt floors . They also have goats and roping calves at the locale, which "contribute" to my fertilizer...but thanks for the heads up on pine shavings...

Wheat Farmer · Oct 10, 2012

I have been working with a study group on how to raise grass(Hay)ha ha. One of the things we are working with is the timeing of Manure. Manure that is not composted will spread more weed seed, and will pull Nitrogen out of the ground while it is composting. We are finding that composting the manure during the winter and applying it in the springs is better. My farm is using Alpaca manure and all the weed seeds are killed. "When You Plant Alpaca Beans" www.AlpacaHome.net. www.excelgraph.com

JRSutton · Oct 10, 2012

agreed - if you're not composting it, you're not getting as much from it as you should.

Nitrogen in the manure has to break down to be more useable.

The bedding/shavings may not be adding much. Not bad, just not doing much. Better to use something for carbon that's already broken down like pond muck if you can. That'll retain the manure's nutrients and release it slowly to the plants.

Keep it damp, not soaked - but keep it covered - rain will wash out all the good stuff into the surrounding area.

Mix and flip it occassionally.

Do that and your hay will love you for it.

Plus if you're doing it right, you'll have far fewer flies and less odor - and you won't be reintroducting pathogens from the manure back into the field and hence back into the horses.

Killing the weed seeds is a nice bonus too.

Bret4207 · Oct 11, 2012

Not every place with horses uses bedding, much less pine bedding. We use zero boughten bedding. There may be some old hay stems mixed in, but that's it.

Hogleg · Oct 11, 2012

An excellent book with lots of sound advice on using manure

http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss_2?url=search-alias=stripbooks&field-keywords=1603582517

John

Field prep and horse manure as fertilizer question.

Ralph Bauer

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TMo

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Walt Davies

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Ralph Bauer

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Mike (WA)

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Bret4207

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showcrop

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Traditional Farmer

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Bill(Wis)

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Ralph Bauer

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Ralph Bauer

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Wheat Farmer

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JRSutton

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Bret4207

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Hogleg

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