Question How to use fresh cow manure?

[Mandy Onderwater]

Hi all!

My granddad-in-law has two cows down the back paddock and I've wondered how to utilise the poo into my garden.
Actually, my bigger question is.... can diseases travel with the poo? Granddad mostly has the cows to keep the grass down and a little bit as pets. He makes sure they're well-fed, but that's about it. I've previously never been around cows and whilst these are sweethearts, I'm not sure they're completely disease-free. We've tried giving them treatments but especially our bull Arthur just doesn't seem to take on well to anything. He's got quite the amount of ticks (which we do try to spray and whatnot) but he's never looking as good as our cow Martha.
Either way, would this affect the "safety" of the poop? I couldn't find anything conclusive online, so I'd rather make sure on here before I even learn how to apply it in my garden.

If it is safe, do any of you have ideas on how to use it in my garden? Do I dry the poop, or somehow age/compost it?

 

[DThille]

I can't speak to the disease side of things...I've never used fresh manure.

Fresh manure will be hot for plants...you can use it in an area you aren't growing in if you are resting it. However, if you want to use it with plants, you'll need to compost it. On a number of Mark's videos, he's shown us his covered pile. If I recall, he seeded it with worm eggs as well, but I don't know how fresh it was then (i.e. whether it will be an issue for the worms).

Good luck.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

I can't speak to the disease side of things...I've never used fresh manure.

Fresh manure will be hot for plants...you can use it in an area you aren't growing in if you are resting it. However, if you want to use it with plants, you'll need to compost it. On a number of Mark's videos, he's shown us his covered pile. If I recall, he seeded it with worm eggs as well, but I don't know how fresh it was then (i.e. whether it will be an issue for the worms).

Good luck.

Thank you either way!

 

[JP 1983]

Aye, you shouldn't use fresh cow pats (as with pretty much all manure of any kind). You can let the pats bake in the sun somewhere until they're dry (even in the field), then use them by mixing with soil while tilling etc, or throw them in a compost pile.

You don't really need to worry too much about cow diseases in the dung because the microbes in your composting process will take care of it. Just make sure you wear gloves and mask when handling/bagging.

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Aye, you shouldn't use fresh cow pats (as with pretty much all manure of any kind). You can let the pats bake in the sun somewhere until they're dry (even in the field), then use them by mixing with soil while tilling etc, or throw them in a compost pile.

You don't really need to worry too much about cow diseases in the dung because the microbes in your composting process will take care of it. Just make sure you wear gloves and mask when handling/bagging.

Thank you!

 

[Mark]

I have used relatively fresh cow manure in raised beds collected from a dairy and it can be dung... I mean "done" but you do need to till it into the existing soil and also leave the beds rest for several months (at least three) and then you should be able to plant or sow directly.

 

[Jason890]

My mum use to swear by cow manure
She always said the fresher the better
Sometimes even follow the cows around with a bucket ?

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

My mum use to swear by cow manure
She always said the fresher the better
Sometimes even follow the cows around with a bucket ?

Do you know how she'd use it? Like would she put it somewhere to rest for a while?

 

[Jason890]

Do you know how she'd use it? Like would she put it somewhere to rest for a while?

Well talking to mum today she said that she got it green mixed with water in buckets and poured all around the garden, she done this quite regularly
They had a small farm and a few cows so manure was easy to come by
I remember mums silver beet leaves where huge and she had a very successful and nice looking vege patch
They lived in monto a temperate zone I think winters got to minus 7 or more they could grow most things in the different seasons
Cheers Jason

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

Well talking to mum today she said that she got it green mixed with water in buckets and poured all around the garden, she done this quite regularly
They had a small farm and a few cows so manure was easy to come by
I remember mums silver beet leaves where huge and she had a very successful and nice looking vege patch
They lived in monto a temperate zone I think winters got to minus 7 or more they could grow most things in the different seasons
Cheers Jason

Thank you! And please thank your mum for me also

 

[Ron]

Hi all!

My granddad-in-law has two cows down the back paddock and I've wondered how to utilise the poo into my garden.
Actually, my bigger question is.... can diseases travel with the poo? Granddad mostly has the cows to keep the grass down and a little bit as pets. He makes sure they're well-fed, but that's about it. I've previously never been around cows and whilst these are sweethearts, I'm not sure they're completely disease-free. We've tried giving them treatments but especially our bull Arthur just doesn't seem to take on well to anything. He's got quite the amount of ticks (which we do try to spray and whatnot) but he's never looking as good as our cow Martha.
Either way, would this affect the "safety" of the poop? I couldn't find anything conclusive online, so I'd rather make sure on here before I even learn how to apply it in my garden.

If it is safe, do any of you have ideas on how to use it in my garden? Do I dry the poop, or somehow age/compost it?

My grandma used to put fresh manure in a plastic 200ltr drum and fill with water wait for two weeks and then put half a litre in a watering can and top up with water and use like that to put on veg it worked a treat

 

[Mandy Onderwater]

My grandma used to put fresh manure in a plastic 200ltr drum and fill with water wait for two weeks and then put half a litre in a watering can and top up with water and use like that to put on veg it worked a treat

Thank you!