snipped-for-privacy@hotmail.com writes: ...
which would you chose?
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>Fresh horse
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from the fields
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from a pile several years old
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straw mix from the stable
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>Rabbit
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>
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2 year old chicken/
sawdust from the chicken coop
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Dried cow chips
The ideal would be: Horse manure tossed in the chicken pen for the chickens to "process" Second, steer manure tossed in the chicken pen for the chickens to "process" or so I've been told by someone who really does know about such things. The idea of letting the chickens process it is to get most of the seeds out of it as well as mixing in a bit of chicken manure also and it is totally broken up.
My grandparents had laying hens (for market). My grandfather always put a good dose of well-aged chicken manure on their eastern Washington garden. Their garden was far and above the best around. He also practiced crop rotation and was diligent in his watering schedule.
Sawdust in the chicken coop? I've not personally known anyone who uses sawdust in the chicken coop, but rather straw. Compost it; when you cannot identify any straw, it should be cool enough for your garden.
The first several years I had my garden here, it was "loaded" with aged horse manure that had an ample supply of oak leaves from nearby trees). Not only was the manure practically soil (no odor or "original shape") but it was full of thousands of earthworms which had been busily working. Four to six large pickup loads went directly on the garden each spring, no concern about seeds as it was so aged and worked over by the earthworms. This, without question, produced the best garden of all.
Later, it was necessary to find another source which led to having steer manure delivered. It was supposed to be aged but it wasn't very! I left it for the chickens to process which they happily did for all of the bits of corn in it. It is now beautiful soil, nearly two years later.
I also brought in a pickup load of chicken manure (aging does *not* eliminate the stench!!!) which I left to sit (covered with plastic sheets!) until the next year since I was concerned about it being too "hot." There was no odor to what my grandfather spread on the garden which was a big clue to me that this wasn't really aged, not as it should be anyway.
Burro manure is a good source but a bit more difficult for most folks to get since there are far more horses, cattle and chickens. Sheep is also supposed to be good.
HTH.
Glenna