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When keeping horses, disposing of horse manure is a financial burden that does not have to be. Following are methods to learn how to do it for free.
In a nutshell
- An average of ten cubic meters of horse manure annually per large horse kept in stables
- Large piles of horse manure take years to decompose
- In Austria (pure) manure is considered waste
- Disposal can be expensive
- different methods to “get rid of” horse manure for free
Free methods
If you want to dispose of horse manure free of charge within Germany, you have the following options:
biogas plant
If there is a biogas plant nearby, it is often worth asking for a free pick-up. Plant operators are often happy to accept the manure if it can be used there to generate energy.
Biogas plants are happy about horse manure.
large nurseries
Large-scale nurseries are often interested in stable manure, which they sometimes collect themselves if it is available free of charge. From this they mainly produce substrate with so-called horse manure and also use the manure as fertilizer for their plant fields and plant breeding. With a bit of luck, large-scale nurseries can be won over as permanent "disposers" of horse manure.
farms
It happens that farms lack stable manure as a good fertilizer. Horse manure is particularly popular here. Simply drive to farms in rural areas and ask: maybe one or the other long-term buyer will be found in this way.
It is also popular as a fertilizer in agriculture.
fertilizers for gardens
Horse manure is also ideal as a fertilizer for your own garden. However, since huge amounts accumulate with just one horse, the disposal problem when used in a private garden cannot usually be completely solved. But maybe you can find buyers from the neighborhood and circle of acquaintances. The horse stable manure is particularly suitable as a fertilizer for the following plants in particular:
- fruit trees
- roses
- Vegetables such as pumpkins, tomatoes, head and cauliflower, potatoes and sweetcorn (always requires prior preparation of the horse manure)
- berry bushes
Tip: If the horse manure is well deposited, it can be used directly as fertilizer in the soil. Accordingly, it is advantageous if a sufficiently large storage space is available for storage, which should already be taken into account when planning the barn.
Disposal by composting
A lot of patience is required for the disposal method using composting. Here, the volume can be significantly reduced, which leads to a lower space requirement.
Composting horse manure is a lengthy but rewarding process.
Important details should be considered:
- provide continuous moisture and airflow to achieve maximum volume reduction
- Composting completed after about a year
- complete rot after about two years
- ideal compost fertilizer for vegetable beds
- Disadvantage: lengthy process until complete resolution
Notice: If stable manure from horses is used as fertilizer for beds, this can promote weed growth, as weed seeds are often included.
compost worms
With compost worms, producing your own bio-organic fertilizer can ensure free disposal, produce fertilizer for your own use for free, and even make money from selling it. If compost worms are spread directly on the manure heap, a volume reduction of up to 80 percent can be achieved. It develops a worm castings, which is very popular as a garden fertilizer.
Compost worms significantly reduce the volume of horse manure.
Notice: Compost worms are special earthworms that mainly eat organic material. They are available from special worm farms or on the Internet.
worm farms
What every stable owner can do with compost worms, special worm farms often make use of: the production and sale of worm castings. In addition, the worms reproduce excellently in it, which promotes breeding. This requires horse manure, which is why worm farms are often in search of it. You can also find many a service provider who acts as a kind of intermediary for worm farms and collects horse manure free of charge.
heating pellets
A very effective method of disposing of stable manure is to process it in heating pellets. These can be used in the corresponding pellet stoves and fireplaces to generate heat and save a lot of money. Appropriate processing equipment must be purchased, however, and these costs can be recovered in the long term. The more manure there is, the faster the purchase of the pelleting system will pay off.
Under the right conditions, horse manure can also be used for heating in the ovens provided for this purpose.
That is how it goes:
- central collection of horse manure with appropriate facility
- Store manure for three weeks to allow microorganisms to develop
- Chop the mass into a coarse powder
- 15-minute drying at temperatures between 60 and 65 degrees
- Compression of the powder into pellets
frequently asked Questions
Is it allowed to dispose of horse manure in the forest?No. In the case of urban forests, the "wild" disposal of horse manure is generally not permitted without the permission of the forest owner, forester or the municipality. In addition, despite permission from private forest owners, it can represent a serious violation of environmental law as illegal waste disposal. Fines of up to several hundred euros are not uncommon. In the case of pollution of water, the fines can also amount to up to 50,000 euros.
How expensive is horse manure collection?That depends on the collection and disposal company. Two to euros per cubic meter or five to seven euros per ton are usual.
Is the disposal of horse manure subject to certain regulations?A wild dropping of the horse manure is prohibited in any case. Depending on the federal state, there may also be a reporting and recording obligation for sellers and buyers, such as in Lower Saxony. This obligation takes effect there from 200 tons of horse manure per year.