A question about manure

[nanglong218]

I am a total beginner at farming, the missus and I have 3 cows and a very nice cowhouse, The cows spend more time indoors now that the fields are ploughed and seeded. They have plenty of feed, green and straw. So lots of manure which I thought I would need to compost. What I find is that the chickens, layers and the local variety, can reduce a steaming wet pile of dung into something dry and crumbly in one day.  I assume they are scratching through this vile mess and consuming the seeds which pass through the cow's gut and leave behind something which can be spread on the land without producing a field of weeds.

The question is....am I being optimistic or should I gather it up and compost it?

[cooked]

I occasionally pick up a shovel full and dump it in the compost heap, no damage done. It is the main source of weeds in my garden. I can't remember seeing our chickens actually picking through wet cow dung for seeds although they do attract worms and larvae. Anyway, the manure turns into a nice crumbly and dry substance even in the cow barn and doesn't require chickens for this, we have tons of the stuff. If you feel bored sometime you can observe a cow pat fermenting and drying out over a couple of days with or without the action of chickens.  It contains a fair quantity of nitrogen and so is to be used sparingly although the rain seems to wash it out fairly quickly.

It is worth using if only for its organic content but weeds you will have. If your neighbours don't do it, there will be a reason, we sell a fair amount to vegetable gardeners.

 

[nanglong218]

Thanks for your well informed reply Cooked.  I've started another compost heap today because we recently filled in a large dam, 250 truck loads of good old Isaan clay, so have need of a lot of organic material not too riddled with weed seeds. I know we have to compost the pig manure so it's not too much extra work.

[cooked]

10 hours ago, nanglong218 said:

Thanks for your well informed reply Cooked.  I've started another compost heap today because we recently filled in a large dam, 250 truck loads of good old Isaan clay, so have need of a lot of organic material not too riddled with weed seeds. I know we have to compost the pig manure so it's not too much extra work.

Organic material won't change the quality of your clay for more than a few months. It will either be 'burnt' up or be buried and rot anaerobically, which you don't want. 

If you have access to carbonised rice husks that would be a good option to change more or less permanently the nature of the soil. Organics can come later. In my small garden I used river sand to improve the soil but that's an expensive option. Took me three years as I didn't want to err in the direction of too light. Lovely soil now.

Whatever you decide, it will take a few years, good luck.