Farmyard manure management - ohhhh crap.

Sweetened wrote:Do you pull from the bottom/middle of the pile then? *Interested look*

Usually just from the top. We generally have a smaller pile somewhere for use for things like gardens. It gets worked into the gardens and mixed with the usual dirt. My mother in law comes and fills five gallon pails of it for her garden, and she can grow stuff like you wouldn't believe - and her soil is very clay-ish.

As far as I can remember, we've had manure hauled three or four times in the 12 years that I have been here - so every three or four years, it is spread on the fields. We pile it up ourselves more often than that, though. It becomes nice black dirt, very little discernible straw left in it. We did a major clean out this past fall (the haulers were here for 2.5 days) and the dirt was beautiful.

Ah, interesting! Thank you  I think I hijacked your friend too, Katsuki, (Sorry!).

I was considering plowing up an extra garden that would stay ‘dead’ for a year with manure from the chicken hut tilled in or buried in it and then rotate out every year so one garden is always empty. This is great information, thanks so much.

Yes there were old manure piles on our place when we moved in. Very nice black dirt. But the weeds are insane. The piles in summer are gigantic green islands of nasty noxious weed.

Hot composting is supposed to eliminate the seeds through heating.

I am planning to try this method at our cow bedding area where 12 round bales of straw are sitting. The key to my success ( I hope) is that the pile is actually sitting in the lowest spot. bad for cows Won't be using this spot next year. Anyways the moisture underneath will help with the composting. That was my trouble last year - not enough moisture.
As long as I turn the piles and follow the directions should be ready for garden by end of may.

KatuskiFarms wrote:Yes there were old manure piles on our place when we moved in. Very nice black dirt. But the weeds are insane. The piles in summer are gigantic green islands of nasty noxious weed.

Hot composting is supposed to eliminate the seeds through heating.

We're not opposed to killing weeds with chemicals. *gasp*

authenticfarm wrote:

KatuskiFarms wrote:Yes there were old manure piles on our place when we moved in. Very nice black dirt. But the weeds are insane. The piles in summer are gigantic green islands of nasty noxious weed.

Hot composting is supposed to eliminate the seeds through heating.

We're not opposed to killing weeds with chemicals. *gasp*

The key to using the chemicals safely for weed control is to follow the directions on the bottle. *double gasp!*

Schipperkesue wrote:The key to using the chemicals safely for weed control is to follow the directions on the bottle. *double gasp!*

What crazy ideas you have. Following directions?

Neither are we. *gasp*

But, this winter I went to several Commercial Garden Seminars, plus one on Water Management with my DH.
I was surprised that in each seminar, while there was discussion on herbicide/insecticide applications when/why/how etc; there were also heavy warnings about certain new herbicides and the long term, potentially damaging effects to soil/water.
I am speaking specifically about new potent chems like Lontrel, Par 3, and GrazeOn is a bad one...

Before a person sprays some of these they had better do research first. It's so easy for someone with no knowledge and some extra cash to get talked into using something they know little about.

2 neighbours up the hill from us sprayed GrazeOn pastures this summer. Fine.
When I went to the seminars this winter I learned how long lasting and far reaching this can potentially be.
Our dugout is filled via ditch runoff . The specialist from the US says it is inevitable that the GrazeOn will leach out and float down ditch and into our dug-out. Then, seeing as I had big plans to use my dugout as garden water supply.... Most plants are sensitive enough that it could take 20 years to return to normal. all my water will keep alive at that point is grass.

Schipperkesue wrote:

authenticfarm wrote:

KatuskiFarms wrote:Yes there were old manure piles on our place when we moved in. Very nice black dirt. But the weeds are insane. The piles in summer are gigantic green islands of nasty noxious weed.

Hot composting is supposed to eliminate the seeds through heating.

We're not opposed to killing weeds with chemicals. *gasp*

The key to using the chemicals safely for weed control is to follow the directions on the bottle. *double gasp!*

The directions don't include what to expect for aftermath. Grain farmers who use huge amounts regularly are familiar with the workings, but everyone else is oblivious.

This information and the potential desecration of my dugout has really turned me off.
I may well use roundUp again, but that will be the extent of it.