The Poultry Keeper

Smudge4 · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 10:37 pm Post subject: To cover or not to cover?

Hello

I keep a couple of horses and having kept horses for years have never really worried about whether the muck heap composts or not because I've always kept them on somebody elses premises where the muck was just taken away.

Now that I have horses at home I am realising what a pain getting rid of the muck is! It doesn't compost quickly enough and thus reduce in size and I end up burning it which means everything stinks for 10 days out of every 15.

If I just covered the heap with black plastic would this speed up the composting? As it is it gets v.wet when it rains and it would just be helpful to know what's going to make it compost the quickest. It consists of straw and dung and nothing else.

Many thanks for your advice in advance

Smudge4

vivaciousviv · Joined: 08 Jan 2008 Posts: 86 Location: Lot Valley

Haven't had any experiencs of this Smudge but I would say that putting black plastic on it would stop the rain and warm it up, thereby making it rot down quicker. Or, if you had a spare piece of land, dig a big trench and put it in there and in a year's time you will have a nice bit of land to grow your veggis"" Viv

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Correze

Someone I know burns her horse muck, and thereby makes some lovely "black gold" almost overnight!! If you've got the space to burn yours, I'd suggest this is what you do.

Chickweed · Joined: 22 Feb 2008 Posts: 87 Location: Baldock, Herts

Hi

To compost it properly you need to get air in. Turning it often will help it to compost quicker. This will help it to compost as opposed to rot. It's the same with green composting. Horse manure usually has sufficient moisture in it so you shouldn't need to water it. If you cover it, it will keep the heat in and speed up the process further.

If you don't turn it, or just do it once or twice it can go soggy and slimy, which is really a product of it rotting. With air the process is aerobic and without it's anaerobic.

HTH

Pete

kated · Joined: 01 Nov 2006 Posts: 2015 Location: norfolk

I am not sure of my ground here but I believe there is a law against burning muckheaps. It is certainly very unpleasant for neighbours when the wind changes! It is also very difficult to put them out again.

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Correze

It seems to be accepted here. I don't know the law mind, just going by experience.

Magpie · Joined: 28 Aug 2007 Posts: 642 Location: Norfolk

Our neighbours were warned by the Environment Agency last year - the burning of muck heaps in England and Wales (don't know about NI and Scotland) was outlawed in the Agricultural Waste Regulations a year or two ago. You actually need to have a registered exemption if you have a muck heap on agricultural land here now! Our compost heaps on the nursery, wheelie bin, pot stores, bonfire etc are all caught up in it as well. Another load of red tape heaped on everyone. [/rant]

Tim

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7364 Location: isle of lewis

yep magpie ,know the feeling ,that's why may goats are being changed over to rubber cow mats this year ,they are going to have a feild shelter with access to the feild all year round,with hard standing to try to cut down poaching ,with a shelf to sleep on
hope it works ,water is going to be down pipes from the roof ,no hose pipes ect

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Correze

I wonder if they're DEFRA regs or Euro regs. If the latter, they haven't heard about it round here yet Laughing

Remembering, we're in France Wink

milkmaid · Joined: 19 Apr 2005 Posts: 7364 Location: isle of lewis

,how about hot beds Cool

hollowlegs · Joined: 04 Nov 2007 Posts: 53 Location: Hampshire

Years ago when I was a stud groom (with a hunting family) a local jockey used to come & dig a large hole in our muck heap & sweat off excess weight before a race!!! In the winter, our herd of 4 donkeys would sleep on it at night - what sensible creatures!
Seriously though, you could certainly use it as a hot-bed aka the Victorian gardeners, for growing more exotic crops like melons & pineapples, though you would need some form of cold frame for overhead protection. It would make an ideal place to grow veg., salad etc. out of season.
Failing that, adverts in local shops & freebie newspapers will usually bring keen gardeners with their own sacks to collect it.
All the very best & do keep us posted as to the results!!. Ann

vanessa · Joined: 24 Sep 2005 Posts: 1267 Location: Correze

Smudge, I might be interested in "coming and taking some away" Wink

Smudge4 · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:03 am Post subject:

Thanks all for the advice - I think I'm going to cover the top but not the sides to keep the rain off but let the air in and see how that goes.

Thanks again

Smudge