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Wickliffe, oh

cow manure is supposed to be the best, how does donkey manure rate?

2/4/2012 1:28:12 PM

Hinckley MN

Donkey manure would be almost the same as horse manure.

2/4/2012 3:43:01 PM

churchville, ny

I used rhino and elephant last year but went from a 1338 lb. in 2010 to 1002 last year - weather had alot to do with it - maybe this year it will kick in

2/5/2012 12:25:58 PM

nOVA sCOTIA

Who say's cow manure is best.I have a pb of 1280 and never used anything but horse manure.

2/5/2012 1:42:16 PM

Omaha, Ne.

To bad we don't have any brachiosaurus manure

2/6/2012 3:57:17 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

There is no such thing as good or bad, or better than manure. The composition of the manure as far as nutriant level will vary yes, depending on what species it comes from. Chicken and Hog manure is generally higher in most nutriants especially nitrogen, mainly because it usually has little or no bedding (ie straw or wood shavings). Of course this varys depending on the type of houseing is is coming out of.

In general terms, manures that come from pack type animal houseing, that is well composted is best for our applications. This is usually horse, cow, sheep, goat or Alpaca. These manures have a high percentage of bedding mixed with the manure (feces). because these manures are higher in carbon, they tend to compost much better. the finished product will not have accessive nitrogen and will be rich in other nutriants.

The use of these manures is not just to provide nutriants, but also ornagic matter, that helps improve soil CEC, water holding capasity and improve soil texture.

When asked what type is best, the answer is "and well composted"!

2/6/2012 4:19:00 PM

Picton,ON (j.vincent@xplornet.ca)

That should have said "Free and well composted"

2/6/2012 4:20:45 PM

Seattle, WA

You will probably want to know what hormones and supplements were fed to the animals. Some of the things used to treat different livestock pathogens like worms will make it through the animals system and into the compost. This can have an impact on microbial life in your soil.

It's more of an issue if you use it in your garden on crops you plan on consuming, but it's still something to be aware of. With some of your exotic animals like elephants, you should be careful. I'm not saying it's bad, but keep it in mind when selecting your compost source.

All compost is NOT created equal. Macro and micro nutrient profiles will change based on the type of animal manure, with some obviously being hotter due to higher N.

2/6/2012 5:00:40 PM