Hay Folks!
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| Photo credit: Monica Thors |
Are you stifle-deep in manure? Not properly managing horse manure can have
harmful results. Luckily I’m here to help! Keep reading to find out how truly
awesome manure can be and how you can use it to your advantage!
Constantly picking the paddock and stalls and putting it in
a compost pile is safer for the environment.
Although you may get your hands a little dirty, this can decrease the
chances of nutrient runoff and environmental contamination. The best part is that the resulting compost
can then be put back in the field to nourish the ground for plant growth. If only doughnuts could grow on trees!
Recently, my equine
expert buddies, Drs. Mike Fugaro and Mike Westendorf, were on the talk radio
show, “Horses in the Morning” chatting about the scoop on poop and the scary disorder,
Equine Protozoal Myeloencephalitis (EPM). Dr. Westendorf recommended ways for small
farm owners to best minimize runoff.
First of all, the manure needs to be kept 100 feet away from bodies of water,
for example lakes, ponds, rivers, and streams.
Not only will this help the environment, but also keep nutrients in your
paddock.
To properly compost, temperature is key! The compost pile needs to reach an internal
temperature of 140°F – Whoa that’s hot! You
need to turn the pile on a regular basis until the temperature doesn't increase
anymore, then it can be spread over the field. Composting also turns yucky poop
into fertilizer that contains high quality nutrients that can be spread over a
field for plant growth. If you use
shavings in your stalls, then you better make sure you compost them. Shavings suck up additional nutrients in the
ground, which means no more doughnut trees!
Told you manure could be awesome!
Composting helps keep my gal pal HugMe Christi and I safe
from harmful parasites, too. Composting kills
parasites found in poop, such as the protozoa that causes EPM, a neurologic
disorder. Don’t know much about EPM? Check
out my blog later this month and I’ll tell you all about it!
Get the Scoop on Poop by checking out my buddy, Mike Westendorf’s
segment on “Horses in the Morning” here and
by reading the latest manure fact sheets on the Center’s website:
- Can Animal Feeding Practices Influence Nutrient Runoff?
- Storing Manure on Small Horse and Livestock Farms
- Managing Manure on Horse Farms: Spreading and Off-Farm Disposal
Your pal,
Lord Nelson
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