5 Benefits of Horse Manure Collection

Horse lovers know that their four-legged friends produce a lot of waste matter. Experienced farmers know the benefits of using manure to enrich the soil. Fresh manure is problematic, though, whether left in place or gathered and spread over the fields. Learn more  about how using a New Idea manure spreader with raw manure can be damaging to the soil and plants.

 

The best results come through gathering horse manure regularly and adding it to a functioning compost pile. Nature breaks down the concentrated nitrogen contained in the manure, together with other materials such as horse bedding (sawdust or hay, for example), and creates rich soil amendment that is useful for plants or just to spread over the field for more level ground and improved grass growth.

 

Sanitation

 

Anyone who has seen or smelled piles of fresh manure on a summer day knows that the pile generates odors and attracts pests. The pathogens and parasites that breed in fresh manure are destroyed when the manure is gathered and composted. The high heat of a good compost pile kills weed seeds and leaves naturally rich, crumbling soil.

 

Cut Bulk

 

Collecting and composting horse manure reduces the volume of waste by about fifty percent. The resulting complete compost is nutritionally balanced for healthy soil and rich with minerals, and half the volume of material to deal with.

 

Support Healthy Water

 

Fields that have large amounts of fresh horse manure contribute to soil erosion, and leeching excess nitrogen into nearby water sources. Manure that is not composted and broken down has a high percentage of elements that contribute to excess algae growth in the water, leading to poor habitat for aquatic creatures. Erosion is more likely to be a problem in areas where manure has been deposited without composting as the soil is denser and does not allow for healthy circulation through the soil levels.

 

Enrich Gardens and Landscaping

 

Composted horse manure provides a nearly ideal balance of nutrients and minerals for all types of plants. Fresh manure is too rich for plants, and will burn their roots and stunt the growth. Using a New Idea manure spreader with freshly gathered horse droppings will lead to less vigorous growth of crops and grass for grazing. Gathering the manure with a device to transport it to a compost pile for a few weeks will lead to healthier soil and better growth.

 

Turn Manure Into a Marketable Product

 

Gathering and composting horse manure converts an unsightly and unwanted waste product into a useful commodity that people buy by the bag at home improvement stores. For a farm with quite a few horses, the abundance of droppings can lead to a beneficial source of income on the side. Compost piles should ideally be approximately 5 to 7 feet in area at the base, and 3 or 4 feet tall. Smaller piles may lack the volume of material to generate adequate heat to compost the material, and larger piles may get too hot and damage healthy microbes in the soil. Within a few weeks, usually, compost generated from horse manure can be used around the farm, or sold to neighbors who need soil enrichment. With manure gathering equipment that converts from a scoop to a trailer, the transport of the manure to the compost pile is as easy as returning the composted soil to spread over the ground.