How much manure does a horse produce

Your Cooperative Extension office can also give advice on setting up a composting system for your farm. How it works: You can load manure and stall waste into your own dump truck, if you have one, and then haul the full load to a commercial facility that composts manure.

Some facilities charge a drop-off fee; others will take the load for free. No such truck? Commercial services in many areas will provide a roll-off container for the waste and haul it away when the container is full. The service will help you determine how large a container you need and where to place it. Containers that hold 12, 20 or 30 cubic yards are typical. Fifteen to 20 horses will fill a cubic-yard container in about a month.

Fees vary, but the service can run several hundred dollars a month for containers that size. Before you contract with a service, be sure the manure will go to a facility licensed to compost it. Tip: Contact conservation and environmental groups in your area to see if there are other haul-away options. These groups may be able to link you up with farmers who take manure, or biomass facilities that turn organic waste into energy--a new but growing use for stall waste.

For example, Mid-Michigan Recycling picks up used shavings and manure for delivery to the Genesee Power Station in Flint, a facility that processes wood waste to produce electricity. Details are online at www. It depends on your herd size and your resources, your acreage, equipment and budget. If you've got twenty acres, you could probably skip the composting, apply directly to the fields and rotate the horses among several paddocks.

You can find more information and submit individual questions through the national Extension website, www. For Brian and Anna Smith, the answer was an aerated three-bin composting system designed by O2Compost www. The system is sized to handle manure output from six horses. To get the right mix for their compost, the Smiths use wood-pellet bedding in matted stalls.

She picks paddocks daily and adds that manure to the bins. Only organic products are applied to the fields, so chemical herbicides and other long-lasting chemicals don't wind up in the compost. It takes about 30 days to fill a bin. Then the blower system is switched on, and Brian monitors the temperature as the pile cooks for 30 days. After it cures for another 30 days, it's moved to a storage area.

The finished compost has a soil-like texture and an earthy smell. The Smiths sell it as Carolina Compost in tractor-bucket loads, recycled feedbags and cheesecloth packets that gardeners use to make "compost tea" for watering plants. Manure on their farm is no longer a polluting eyesore. It's a source of income.

This article originally appeared in the December issue of Practical Horseman. Common Problems. Jumping Clinic with Beezie Madden. Compost piles can cure for a month up to a year; the longer it cures the more stable it becomes, and the less likely that nutrients will leach out at the first drop of rain.

It should take around three months, perhaps longer in the winter when microbial activity slows. You will know your compost is ready when the material looks evenly textured, crumbly, dark-colored like dirt, and is earthy-smelling. Compost improves plant and soil health and moisture. Use a manure spreader or a shovel to spread it on pastures, lawns, or gardens during the growing season. Finished compost is a precious soil amendment infused with micro- and macronutrients that work in a time-release fashion.

Studies have shown that compost makes plants healthier and more disease-resistant. Compost also helps your pasture soils hold moisture in the summer—critical if your fields need to survive a hot, long drought. Well-known for her enthusiastic, down-to-earth approach, Blickle is an educator and photojournalist who has worked with horse and livestock owners since teaching manure composting, pasture management, mud and dust control, water conservation, chemical use reduction, firewise, and wildlife enhancement.

She teaches and travels North America and writes for horse publications. Blickle and her husband raise and train their mustangs and quarter horses at their eco-sensitive guest ranch, Sweet Pepper Ranch, in sunny Nampa, Idaho.

Favorite Share:. The compost has a bad odor and is soggy Not enough air and too much water Mix in dry ingredients such as straw or shavings, add aeration, and cover with a tarp. The inside of the pile is dry Not enough water Add water when turning the pile. It should be as damp as a wrung-out sponge. The compost is damp and warm in the middle, but nowhere else Pile is too small Collect more raw materials, and mix them into the old ingredients.

Piles smaller than 3 square feet have trouble holding heat. The pile is damp and smells fine, but is not heating up Too many shavings, wood chips, or bedding carbon source and not enough manure nitrogen source Mix in a nitrotgen source e. Take-Home Message Finished compost is a precious soil amendment infused with micro- and macronutrients that work in a time-release fashion. About The Author. Next Poll Recap: Business or Hobby? Related Posts. Dead space. Search Search for:. Weekly Poll:.

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The stall waste will have to be stored somewhere whether temporarily or long term. Keep stored manure in a fly-tight area during the warm months or manage to prevent fly breeding and protect from rainfall and surface runoff. A well-built storage pad or container aids in waste handling and minimizes pollution potential from the pile.

The pad can be as informal as a level, well-packed surface with a wood or masonry backstop Figures 6, 7, 8 or a covered structure with impermeable flooring. If topography permits, a below-grade storage container is a less objectionable structure as it keeps the manure contained to a small area, is out of view, can be covered, and is easily filled using gravity to dump waste into it Figure 9.

One side should be at ground level for emptying. Longer-term manure storages are often more substantial structures than short-term storages. Large quantities of manure require a storage designed with wide door s , a high roof, and strong construction to allow cleanout with power equipment.

Construction features are shown in Figure Additional details of large manure storages are available in the Livestock Waste Facilities Handbook see Additional Resources. Manure for commercial pickup can be stored in a container or dumpster.

With any large or small manure storage, a tarp or other cover is recommended to minimize leachate production from rainfall. Figure 6. Simple manure stockpile pad with backstop, which is suitable for a small stable. Use a tarp or other cover to minimize leachate production from precipitation. Figure 7. Manure pad slope and drainage. Drain and gutter are recommended in all cases, especially if the manure stack will not be protected from rainfall. Figure 8. Bucking wall options Note: These drawings are general representations and are not meant as construction drawings.

A site-specific design is recommended in all cases. If soil backfill is to be placed behind the wall, a more economical wall may be possible. Figure 9. Manure storage container uses topography and gravity for ease of waste-handling chores. Two options are shown for manure drop-off protection. Figure Features of large, roofed, solid-manure storage. Size the storage for about days of long-term storage in cold climates. This provides winter storage when fields are not accessible and for summer when crops may be present.

An estimated waste production of 2. Base sizing figures on estimates that reflect the specific stable's management. It is better to have a slightly larger storage facility than one that is too small. Whether constructing a simple manure pad or more formal storage structure, some common practices will minimize labor and make nuisance control easier.

Slope entrance ramps upward with a minimum slope Figure 7 to keep out surface water. Provide a rough-surfaced load-out ramp at least feet wide if commercial-sized agricultural machinery will be used to load and unload the storage. A smaller width of 20 feet is acceptable for smaller farm and garden tractors, leaving enough room to maneuver the tractor during unloading.

Angle grooves across the ramp to drain rainwater. Install a 4-inch-thick concrete floor and ramp over 6 inches of coarse gravel or crushed rock up to 1. Two inches of sand can replace gravel as fill under the concrete when placed over undisturbed or compacted soil. Smaller or private stables can suffice with well-packed stone dust.

Bucking walls backstop are recommended to aid in unloading; options are provided in Figure 8. If liquids such as unabsorbed urine, snowmelt, and rain are to be stored, slope the floor toward a closed end. The floor may be sloped to one or both sides, with openings on the low side to a gutter or surface drain Figure Unabsorbed liquids may be diverted to a gently sloped, grassed area that acts as a vegetated filter Figure Additional problems of handling separated liquids may make use of roofs or extra bedding a better solution.

A large, unroofed storage such as those serving multiple stables at a track may need floor drains connected to underground corrosion-resistant 8-inch pipes to carry away liquids.

Provide removable grills for periodic cleaning, or start the stack with 6 inches of absorbent material such as wood or bark chips to absorb some liquids and permit drainage. Covered storage with leachate for wet materials. Grassed filter area for treating manure storage leachate. Use a site-specific design of the vegetative filter based on leachate production and site characteristics.

The waste stockpile areas must be accessible to trucks or tractors in all weather conditions. A location on high ground will usually provide firm soil well above groundwater, forming a suitable base for the storage facility and access road. Keep manure away from building materials, as corrosive chemicals in the manure can damage them.

Do not store manure where runoff or floodwater will cause nutrients to enter nearby waterways. Table 3 lists distances to separate the manure storage from sensitive areas such as nearby water sources or residences.

Do not store manure in paddocks due to increased parasite exposure for the horses. Locate storages downwind from both the farm and neighbors' residences. Consider the aesthetics of the storage placement so that it can be screened from view See Figure 2.

Use natural or humanmade screening such as a hedgerow or fence to improve the aesthetics and help contain any odors. Remember that for many perceived nuisances, out of sight can be out of mind for neighbors. Provide for easy filling of the storage with a tractor-mounted manure loader or scraper elevator stacker unit. Unload waste with a tractor—mounted bucket. Good drainage at any manure storage site is absolutely necessary.

The site may be graded to divert surface runoff without creating erosion. Poor drainage results in saturated conditions, leading to muddy access and pools of dirty water. Divert any surface drainage water and runoff from nearby roofs away from the pile area. Many stables and indoor riding arenas do not have gutters and downspouts, causing substantial runoff from these buildings. A gutter and downspout system will collect and divert water away from the building foundation and bypass the manure storage.

Tarps or a roof over the manure storage can minimize rainwater entry if leachate containment becomes a problem. Do not allow polluted runoff to pool, as mosquitoes and flies will breed in the moist area.

A grassed, gently sloped area may be used as a filter and infiltration area for wastewater Figure Wastewater is piped to the filter area and spread evenly across the top portion of the filter. As it flows through the soil profile and down the slight slope, biological activity and adsorption in the soil matrix remove waste materials. Most biological activity occurs in the topsoil layer where aerobic using oxygen activity provides for odor-free treatment.

Obviously, not all soils are equally suitable since some provide rapid infiltration for limited treatment while others are rather impermeable and provide surface runoff. Frozen soil will not act as a proper filter. Get professional help from the Natural Resources Conservation Service or your County Conservation District, for example, for proper filter sizing and design. Vegetated filter area is a relatively low-cost farm wastewater treatment system. They can vairy in cost, approaching that of a septic system.

In size, one rule of thumb is to provide about 10 square feet of vegetated filter for each gallon of wastewater being handled. The spreading device at the head of the filter strip is important for establishing even flow to minimize short-circuiting wastewater through the area. A settling tank before the filter strip will be needed if manure solids are allowed into the wastewater. These filter areas need to be well vegetated before put to use. Keep animals off the filter strip, as the frequent wet soil conditions lead to destruction of the sod cover by horse grazing and exercise.

If the storage facility will hold the manure from more than a few horses, the volume and strength of the leachate may be too great to send directly to a vegetated filter.

In that case, the liquid should be collected in a tank and dosed to the vegetated filter every 3 or more days, or irrigated on pasture. In any case, a site-specific design is recommended. With proper management, flies and odors from manure storage can be minimal. The major deterrent to fly breeding in horse operations is to keep the manure as dry as possible.

Other wet organic material sites also need to be removed. Remove manure from the farm at least every 7 days during fly breeding season or operate a properly managed composting facility. Add new stall waste to the pile as a large block of material to minimize fresh manure surface exposure. This reduces the area of odor volatilization and access to moist manure for fly breeding.

Avoid dumping new material on top of a pile where it spreads out and falls away down the sides, creating a large fresh, wet manure surface area that promotes flies and odor.

Flies lay eggs in the top 2 inches of moist manure. Naturally occurring fly predators, tiny, non-stinging wasps and parasites, are beneficial to the manure storage. Avoid indiscriminate use of larvicides and other pesticides that kill predator wasps and parasites. Depending on the species, wasps have to day egg and larva stages.

Wasps are active during fly season some are killed by cold temperatures , and their activity depends on manure conditions, with dry manure best. Wet manure decreases wasp effectiveness. When cleaning out the storage, leave a 4-inch dry pad of manure over the bottom of the storage area to provide a stock of fly parasites and predators. Manure removal can be staggered to leave one section per week to supply fly predators and parasites. Direct disposal involves the on-farm use of the stall waste via field application.

Proper field application demands equipment such as a tractor and spreader so that the manure is applied in a thin layer over the soil Figure The thin layer is essential for drying the manure to discourage fly breeding and also spreads the nutrients for more optimal plant use. Weekly spreading in the summer will disrupt fly breeding and egg development cycles. To minimize pollution from runoff, do not spread manure on frozen ground or near waterways.

It may not be possible to spread manure each week year-round, in which case the manure must be stockpiled.

In cold climates, figure on days of stockpile storage space. Manure application may be limited to preplanting and post-harvest dates for cultivated fields. Fields may not be accessible due to heavy snow accumulation or soil that is too wet to support equipment traffic. Spreading manure in thin layers has been thought to reduce parasite numbers by desiccating the eggs.

This does hold true under dry and extreme cold or hot conditions. Under the moist conditions encountered in the northeastern United States, the practice of spreading manure in thin layers on pasture is being questioned as far as parasite control is concerned; the other nutrient, aesthetic, and fly egg desiccation characteristics remain. Recent evidence suggests that spreading thin layers of manure on pastures can enhance grazing horses' parasite exposure by spreading viable parasites over a larger area.

The recommendation is to leave the manure piles in clumps and pick them up for disposal outside the pasture area. Field application is based on fertilizer needs of the crop or pasture grass through soil sampling. Nutrient values vary widely, so use these values as guidelines and have the manure analyzed if more specific data are needed. The amount of organic nitrogen mineralized released to crops during the first cropping season after application of horse manure is about 0.

Organic nitrogen must be released through mineralization before plants can use it. About 20 percent of the organic N from horse manure is available to the pasture grass the year of application. Organic N released during subsequent seasons is usually about 50 percent second year , 25 percent third year , and 13 percent fourth year of the first year mineralization.

Proper application with tractor and spreader provides a thin layer of stable waste over the soil to improved manure drying and fertilization application along with decreased fly breeding. Another manure disposal option is to contract with a hauler who will remove the waste from the stable facility. The waste can be used in a commercial composting operation or for other functions where the waste disposal is the responsibility of the hauler.

Dumpsters are positioned at the stable for temporary stall waste storage no trash or garbage ; a full dumpster is replaced with an empty one. Dumpsters should be sized so that the contents are emptied at least weekly during the fly-breeding season. Place the dumpster in a convenient location where barn waste can be dumped into it and trucks can access and empty the dumpster during all weather Figure 9.

A concrete tank or pad is useful to contain any dumpster leachate. A less formal "contract" disposal is to interest neighbors in free garden organic material. The key is to locate the organic fertilizer enthusiasts. Owners of small stables have had success with newspaper ads and locating "free" bagged manure at curbside. Empty feed sacks filled with horse manure are a useful package for manure distribution.

An alternative to "disposing" of horse manure is to compost it into a by-product of the operation. Composting occurs naturally if stall waste decomposes in the presence of oxygen and is kept relatively moist, above 50 percent moisture content Figure The microbes that decompose the bedding and manure occur naturally in stall waste.

In fact, commercial composters and mushroom substrate preparation facilities often seek straw-bedded horse stall waste.