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Composting Horse Manure Presentation at 2004 Rocky Mountain Horse Expo Kathy Corwin Doesken, CSU

Composting Horse Manure Presentation at 2004 Rocky Mountain Horse Expo Kathy 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

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Composting Horse Manure Presentation at 2004 Rocky Mountain Horse Expo Kathy Corwin Doesken, CSU

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  1. Composting Horse Manure Presentation at 2004 Rocky Mountain Horse Expo Kathy Corwin Doesken, CSU

  2. Whether you have one horse. . .

  3. or many horses...

  4. 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

  5. What can I do with manure beside apply it to farm land? • Make compost!

  6. 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

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

  8. 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

  9. 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

  10. What is composting?

  11. Composting is the managed,biological, oxidation process that converts heterogeneousorganic matter into a more homogeneous, fine-particledhumus-like material. from FIELD GUIDE TO ON-FARM COMPOSTING

  12. 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%

  13. 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!

  14. 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

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

  16. Heterogeneous Organic Matter • Horse manure • Bedding • Waste hay • Spoiled feed or grain • Leaves and grass clippings • Kitchen scraps

  17. Heterogenous material: leaves and manure very visible

  18. Homogeneous (homo=same) Organic Matter, Fine-Particled, Humus-Like Material • COMPOST!!!!!!!!

  19. How is compost made from horse manure?

  20. Choose a site • Mowed area, smooth, slightly sloping • Near manure source • Near water tap BUT at least 100ft, from “waters of the state” or wells • Control run-on and run-off • Table for area needed in fact sheet on active windrows

  21. 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

  22. Newly Built Windrow at Large Horse Facility

  23. Experimental windrow at CSU

  24. Add plenty of water until pile is as damp as a wrung-out sponge. Composting organisms need moisture to work.

  25. 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

  26. Height and width of windrow depends on equipment! HOT AREA 4-6’ tall - 6 - 10 feet wide (?) END VIEW OF COMPOST WINDROW

  27. The temperature will rise to over 140º in a newly built pile, which will kill most weed seeds and pathogens.

  28. 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)

  29. Variations on Windrow Composting Bins Passive Aeration Worms

  30. 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

  31. 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!

  32. 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

  33. 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

  34. 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

  35. How to learn more about composting? • Organize a workshop, arrange mentoring: contact us

  36. Dr. Jessica Davis, extension manure management specialist: Jessica.Davis@ColoState.EDU970-491-1913Kathy.Doesken@ColoState.EDU970-491-6984Soil and Crop Sciences Department, CSU

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