What is the chief cause for the difference in the composition of manure from different animals?
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What is the chief cause for the difference in the composition of manure from different animals?
Diet.
7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum
Diet?
7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum
The digestive system
7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum
I would say along with diet would have to be the digestive tracks of different animals and their ability to "suck" the nutrients out of the feed. Ruminants, like sheep and cows, may impart more beneficial bacteria in their wastes. Chickens and pigs, even though its a one pass system, may reduce the feed and weed seed to more "plant ready" poop. The giant appetite of the horse and massive amount of "cold" manure, probably doesn't have the best nutrient value. However, composted manures, especially when all turned together, allowed to heat and rot, makes for yummy plant food!
7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum
Differences in the amount of water.
I don't know (yet) but I'm assuming they are saying that the manure from a chicken, a cow or a horse, would all be nearly equal if they contained an equal amount of liquid so as to make them equal by volume. Even though, the cow's is the most moist, and the chicken's the most concentrate and that the fecal matter and urine are contained in the same deposit.
7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum
I have fertilized with cow manure, horse manure an chicken. The cow and horse were both composted. Essentially, after that composting, both had about the same water content. The cow manure always seem to give more benefit to the soil than the horse.
Look at the manure itself, you will see more undigested material in the horse than the cow. I think that the undigested material in the horse manure does not benefit the soil as well as the cows.
As for chicken, I did not use it much, but had to take greater care in getting it spread thin and then plowed/disced in. It seemed to have greater concentration of ammonia
7 years ago via Forums | Front Porch Forum