Would aged horse manure already be composted?

[Growdo Baggins]

This would be the stuff inside the barn. It doesn't get rained on. No bedding, just years and years of manure. The hay they eat has no herbicides used. Would I need to compost this or could I just add it as is to my garden to increase organic matter? Is there a benefit to composting it with maybe wood chips?

 

[Meadowlark]

I use a good bit of composted cow manure on my vegetable garden. I always "hot" compost it to kill dangerous pathogens and bacteria, including E. coli and to kill most weed seeds. Another factor in composting (which isn't really important to me but could be if I had near-by neighbors) is that hot composting manure virtually eliminates the bad smell.

Years old manure will be partially composted naturally but will still have some of the above traits. If it were mine, I definitely would hot compost it. Also, I would not add the wood chips because they will tend to make the process take longer and at lower temps than it otherwise would.

It's easy to do...just pile it up, water it down some if its dry, and turn it over several times.

Here's my current pile today at 137 deg. F at 6 inches deep.... and significantly hotter in the center. Soon that will be nothing but black magic soil conditioner.

 

[Growdo Baggins]

I use a good bit of composted cow manure on my vegetable garden. I always "hot" compost it to kill dangerous pathogens and bacteria, including E. coli and to kill most weed seeds. Another factor in composting (which isn't really important to me but could be if I had near-by neighbors) is that hot composting manure virtually eliminates the bad smell.

Years old manure will be partially composted naturally but will still have some of the above traits. If it were mine, I definitely would hot compost it. Also, I would not add the wood chips because they will tend to make the process take longer and at lower temps than it otherwise would.

It's easy to do...just pile it up, water it down some if its dry, and turn it over several times.

Here's my current pile today at 137 deg. F at 6 inches deep.... and significantly hotter in the center. Soon that will be nothing but black magic soil conditioner.

View attachment 94399

Man that's awesome. That was exactly what u was trying to find out. It seemed to me as well not to add wood chips bc the manure is already so dry. Thank you. I'm headed over to my neighbors this weekend to collect some horse shit.

 

[Nasir]

The manure and hay you have in your barn can be a great source of organic matter and nutrients for your garden. However, it's important to properly compost it before using it in your garden.
Fresh manure and bedding can contain high levels of nitrogen and ammonia, which can burn plants and also release harmful gases into the air. Composting allows the manure and bedding to break down and stabilize, reducing the risk of nitrogen burn and allowing beneficial microorganisms to decompose the material and create rich, nutrient-dense compost.
To compost the manure and bedding, you can create a compost pile or bin. It's a good idea to mix the manure and bedding with other organic materials, such as leaves, grass clippings, or wood chips, to help balance the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio and speed up the composting process. You can also add some soil to the mix to introduce beneficial microorganisms.
As the compost pile heats up and breaks down, you'll need to monitor its moisture levels and turn it regularly to ensure that the materials break down evenly and that there is enough oxygen in the pile for the microorganisms to thrive. Once the compost is fully broken down and has a crumbly, earthy texture, it's ready to be added to your garden.
Composting your manure and bedding will not only reduce the risk of nitrogen burn and harmful gas emissions, but it will also create a more stable and nutrient-dense compost that will benefit your garden even more than uncomposted manure and bedding.