In this series on manure management options, we are covering the advantages and disadvantages of five options. Last month we covered two on-site options – spreading straight manure and composting. This month we look at two useful off-site options for managing manure. Off-site options are good for folks with more horses than land to utilize manure or if dealing with stall waste on your property just doesn’t appeal to you.
Manure Management Option Three: Give away all the manure and stall waste produced on your place.
Advantages: Useful for small horse places without pasture or enough land to utilize the stall waste and manure produced. Works particularly well in an urban area, where neighbors are avid gardeners or natural landscapers. Compost or stall waste can be worked into the soil or used as a mulch to control weeds and reduce watering requirements. If you are in a rural or agricultural area, you may be able to cultivate an interest through local producers, crop farmers, nurseries, topsoil businesses or others.
Disadvantages: Be prepared to have people coming onto your premises. Initially, it may also take some work to “market” your product and make connections with interested parties. Composting may be required to make it a more desirable product. Straight manure or stall waste with excessive amounts of bedding may not be as useful a product to gardeners (but topsoil companies may be interested in it). This is not as feasible an option for larger boarding facilities that generate large volumes of material.
What you’ll need/how to implement this option: A storage bin or area. Consider accessibly. The more conveniently located your manure storage or composting facility is, the more likely people will come and get it. Placing it along a driveway or in an alley works well. Also, consider accessibility when not home. Could you locate this area so that gardeners and neighbors can access the area at their convenience? Equipment is another consideration. If you will be generating larger quantities of material, you may want to give it away in larger amounts. In that case, a tractor with a front loader makes your product “more attractive” for the small gardener with a pickup. Composting the manure and stall waste makes the product much more desirable, eliminating concerns of weed seeds or pathogens. Getting the word out is important to the success of this option. You can start by placing a sign at your driveway or road advertising “free composted horse manure.” If you live in a well-traveled area this may turn out to be all the marketing you need. Place an ad in local papers or gardening publications (many times the “freebies” ads are no charge). Talk with community garden clubs, Pea Patch programs, park districts, local garden clubs, nurseries or other organizations. If you’re not shy, you might want to attend a meeting where you can introduce yourself and your “product.” Talk with your horsey neighbors if you live in an area with several overwhelming piles. You may be able to set up a neighborhood give-away program. Consider working with a reporter for a local newspaper for some free publicity and set something up for a specific time like a grange sale. Specify what people should bring (gloves, shovel, garbage cans) – maybe you can collect old feed sacks to give away as bags.
Manure Management Option Four: Haul manure and stall waste off your premises on a regular basis.
Advantages: May require less energy and time on your part.
Disadvantages: May be expensive if you have to hire out for this. Initially requires research time to make the right contacts.
What you’ll need/how to implement this option: Storage bin or area for manure and stall waste, how much space you need depends on how much you accumulate and how often you remove it. Minimum recommendations would be to remove all manure and stall waste at least two times per year, spring and fall. If you are going to be responsible for the hauling, you need equipment, probably a larger tractor with a bucket and a dump truck. Disposal companies usually haul anything for a price. In many parts of the country, you can rent receptacles to store manure. When it is full, the disposal company comes in to haul it away – usually a pricey option. You can haul manure to most landfills but research tipping fees first. Most landfills charge a tipping fee and may also require a special handling fee for livestock manure. However, in some parts of the country landfill operators take horse manure and stall waste for free, using it as the “topsoil” to cover debris. Also, research topsoil or compost facilities as many of these are permitted to accept livestock waste. Some take it for free; others accept it for a small tipping fee. Again, check into area nurseries, tree farms, crop farmers and other agricultural crop producers.
Another option is to trade with other livestock operators. The vast majority of parasites and pathogens are species specific. This means that the diseases and worms that affect horses are not going to affect other animals like sheep, for instance. So, an effective manure management plan might be to “trade” manure with a different type of livestock operation, providing each of you have pastures you can spread it on. If you have a neighbor with beef cattle or llamas, perhaps they may take your horse manure in trade for you taking their ruminant manure.
Next month in Part 4, we look at ways to reduce the amount of stall waste currently being generated on your place. Until then, good horsekeeping to you!
Copyright © 2008 The NW Horse Source, LLC
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