Horse Manure

[Shaggy98]

Does any one know the fertilizer value of horse manure?  I've never used it but have a neighbor that has about 3 dump truck loads of it that he would like to get rid of but doesn't have anywhere to go with it.  I'm willing to let him haul it out to one of my fields but I'd like to know if it has any value before committing to dumping it just anywhere.

[nwobcw]

I've spread it mixed in with cattle manure but I've heard horse manure by itself will turn corn and beans yellow because I think it is low in phosphorus

[elcheapo]

Ask and ye shall receive

esc. Rutgers.edu/../e307

Pounds/ton

N. 28
P 14
K 24
Ca. 12
Mg 4
S 2
Fe 5.5
Al 5.3
MN 0.3
Zn 0.15
NA 1.4
Cu. 04

[Shaggy98]

Thanks Cheapo

[ECIN]

Shaggy we have a horse stable a few miles South of us , they pay a land fill to haul off all the manure - which it looks like to me - it has a lot of saw dust in it .  They have to pay big bucks for this service and the stable guy stopped by and asked me about spreading it on my farm . I did some reserch on it and asked my county extension agent about it - he said it was NOT a good deal - horse manure is high in carbon - that is why some say they see yellowing in corn - the carbon ties up the N .

[Shaggy98]

I've got a spot that won't even grow weeds (probably less than 1/4 of an acre).  It's where there has been salt water spilled from oil production.  What have I got to lose, seems like it isn't doing me any good at this point and the acerage is almost to small to throw a lot of money at it.  Was just wondering if this would even be an option.

[clayton58]

Seems it would be worth a try. Nothing to lose, right?

[buckfarmer]

I've put it on fresh dirt (no topsoil) where we have built a road or whatever. It seems to get grass growing better than cow manure.

[JacobMcCandless]

Horses eat exclusively grass, unlike cow who will usually eat corn as well.

Horse manure is less digested than is bovine manure.  The horse digestive tract has few hold overs.  It is somewhat gastric.

Bovine is more like goat.  Totally munched.

It's got a lot of value for organic lawn care -- not to be underrated.  There isn't another manure that could sell that market without complaint.

As an actual "fertilizer" the rate of release is slower than you would get from dried bovine manure.  The undigested grass acts as a moisture retention agent however.

Ordinarily, the germination of corn is ideally bovine.  If you added horse manure you risk grass seeding the area.

The organic market ~screws~ the Amish on the grass feeding.  The Amish use primarily feed corn and pasture the horses (a primary form of transportation).  Eh, hippies.  

[JacobMcCandless]

You can taste the polo ponies in Tropicana Orange Juice.