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Iowa

I have accuses to some 8 year old horse compost, the only thing is they put a dead horse in the middle of the pile about 3 years ago.. This pile is like black dirt and has some weeds growing out of it from last year. It is about the size of four school busses parked together. Should I use it??

3/17/2010 10:15:08 PM

Anamosa, IA BPIowegian@aol.com

If it was composted hot enough to kill off all the bad bacteria, it should be OK. A lot of farmers around here are building dead animal composters for their farms. With all the fears about mad cow disease and new regulations limiting rendering, it is getting very expensive to properly dispose of dead animals. NRCS even cost shares the construction of these composters through the EQIP program. They work very well for composting dead poultry and small pigs. Larger animals need to be chopped up to compost properly. If the pile is set up right with the correct amounts of manure and carbon material they usually break down the animals without too much odor. The biggest problem that I have heard of is that the bones don't break down. Still I would be squeamish about using it on a garden for human consumption. For something I'm not going to eat I wouldn't worry about properly composted dead animals.

I would be concerned about a whole horse dumped into a 5 year old pile of compost. It may have been broken down a lot over 3 years. I would be afraid that it didn't get hot enough to kill off all the bad stuff.

3/17/2010 11:01:51 PM

Colorado

sounds good to me steve.the horse breaking down might have added some extra nitrogen with would help break the pile down even better.Id use it unless the horse died from fusarium, pythium or vine borers.

3/18/2010 12:08:26 PM

Colorado Springs, CO

Ashes to ashes....dust to dust.

3/18/2010 1:43:44 PM

norway , maine

you can't beat it...

3/18/2010 3:03:57 PM

Seattle, WA

You could always heat the pile back up to 131F if you're concerned...

3/18/2010 4:23:44 PM

Ohio

I have used this type compost on my patch for before except for the last couple years only because the farmer quit composting this way. But I have never found any trouble using it.

But what I have heard is make sure compost made from animals is older then 3 years old or more before using it. Why that is I have no idea, but its just what I heard,,lol,, anyone know why that would be?

What i have found is when ya till this type of compost in ya might find a bone or two, but other than that it has a real nice fluffy black texture to it.

3/18/2010 4:58:25 PM

Rhode Island

dig around the horse.

3/21/2010 4:54:49 AM

Long Island,New York

As far as manures go that kind might have some giddyup in it.

3/21/2010 9:05:17 AM

Iowa

lol thanks for the advice everyone, can't say for sure where the horse is... I think I will give it a try!!

3/22/2010 9:11:15 PM

Boulder County Colorado USA planet Earth

haha G
I would use it or plant my pumpkins there.

3/25/2010 5:38:38 PM