What to do with used bedding from the barn?

[littlemother]

Hello! We are new to life in the country and I've neglected to do enough research to have a good idea/plan. I've read a lot but can't decide what's best and today is the day we are cleaning out an area of our barn and I don't know what to do with all the yummy composted bedding. I was planning on putting it on the garden plot to let it finish composting over the winter, but I don't know if that will be wasted with "run-off"? I could spread it around over some of our paddocks and let the chickens have fun and do good things with it? I could muck it into a huge pile inside the barn and do something with it at a later date (though I hate to make dh move it twice). I have a small hayfield (6-8 acres) that needs fertilized but not sure how to use all the manure without equipment. What do you recommend we do?

[Yvonne's hubby]

I would spread it on my garden. winter snows and rain will leach some of the nutrients out.... but they go down into the soil where you want them.

[Danaus29]

Yummy poop, just something wrong with that statement.

As Yh said, spread it on the garden. Sure some nitrogen will leach out, but most of the good nutrients will still be there come spring.

[simi-steading]

I have my pigs in my garden area to clean it out from the previous tenants.

I've also been taking the straw bedding from the dog house and dumping it in there with the pigs to let them work it into the soil since it's a gummy clay... I've also been collecting tall dead grass from one of my pastures and doing the same.. The more you can work into your soil the better..

[Allen W]

Spread it or stack it out side away from the barn.

[PNP Katahdins]

Originally Posted by Allen W

Spread it or stack it out side away from the barn.

Make it downhill from the barn and house and if possible convenient for where you plan on using it.

We have an old dairy barn plus a large open-fronted shed. One part is used for lambing jugs in spring and the other part is shelter for half of the flock in the winter. The lambing area doubles as hay and machinery storage. Each building has its own compost pile.

Peg

[littlemother]

Thanks, everyone!

[dizzy]

If you're not sure what to do w/it, send it to me. I'd be more than willing to take it off your hands for you.

[countryfied2011]

Just be sure in the summertime you aren't putting fresh manure(like horse manure)on your garden...rabbit manure you can.

[Rustaholic]

Originally Posted by littlemother

Hello! We are new to life in the country and I've neglected to do enough research to have a good idea/plan. I've read a lot but can't decide what's best and today is the day we are cleaning out an area of our barn and I don't know what to do with all the yummy composted bedding. I was planning on putting it on the garden plot to let it finish composting over the winter, but I don't know if that will be wasted with "run-off"? I could spread it around over some of our paddocks and let the chickens have fun and do good things with it? I could muck it into a huge pile inside the barn and do something with it at a later date (though I hate to make dh move it twice). I have a small hayfield (6-8 acres) that needs fertilized but not sure how to use all the manure without equipment. What do you recommend we do?

I also do not like moving piles twice but this one I would make a pile as tall as you can in a corning of your garden. Let it finish composting then spread it around the garden

[blanket]

I build a big pile on a downhill side of my garden and turn it with the tractor loader about 4 times a year. In the late winter I spread it on the garden while frozen then plow it in when the ground opens up

[Rustaholic]

Originally Posted by blanket

I build a big pile on a downhill side of my garden and turn it with the tractor loader about 4 times a year. In the late winter I spread it on the garden while frozen then plow it in when the ground opens up

If the garden has an up hill end then that is where I would place it.
I would want any good stuff that was washed out of the pile to stay in the garden.

[FarmboyBill]

Horse manuyre will not hurt a garden, I assume by being to hot. DRY Chicken manure will not either.

[countryfied2011]

Originally Posted by FarmboyBill

Horse manuyre will not hurt a garden, I assume by being to hot. DRY Chicken manure will not either.

I have always been told and read also not to put fresh horse manure/urnine on a green garden that it will burn it. Too each his own, personally I am not going to try it. I use composted manure that has had time to age at least one or two seasons. I do put rabbit manure straight on the garden.

[nobrabbit]

You could either start a compost pile or spread it on the garden for the winter.

[OH Boy]

I would absolutely spread it on the garden and then, if you get the chance, till it in. But if you don't get it tilled in, that's ok too, it will keep until spring.

[CajunSunshine]

Don't know what your animal bedding is, but if it contains any live SEEDS... You may be in a world of hurt if you apply it to the garden if it is not thoroughly composted. (If you happen to see a bunch of little sprigs of whatever growing in the compost, you may want to recompost before spreading on your garden.)

Enjoy your Black Gold. Compost rocks!!! I like to spread mine beneath a layer of mulch.

.

[motdaugrnds]

I have such bedding each year; and whenever I clean out my barn, that on the south side goes into a 30 x 30 fenced area right there at the open mouth of the barn for use wherever it is needed throughout the year. The bedding at the north end goes straight into the garden "area" where I either place it into my old wash tubs for later use OR into my raised bed.

[Queen Bee]

If it is hay or straw, spread it lightly and eveningly on the garden. If you just make huge piles, it gets sopping wet and compacts it will be a slick mess that will be hard to break down.

[mzgarden]

For winter season, we build up in the stalls and do deep litter. Early Spring, as it begins to warm up, we take it out to the garden (flat land) and spread it somewhat and let the free range chickens in to finish the spreading. As the soil dries enough to use the big rototiller, we till it into the 'summer growing area.'