Composting Horse Manure with Chickens

[GoodEnough]

I read a very interesting article in a sustainable farming magazine about using pigs and chickens to compost horse manure. The basic concept was to:
1. Collect the horse waste (horses in tie stalls on mats)
2. Toss it into a large stall until it's pretty deep
3. Throw in a couple "work" hogs to dig up the manure for a couple months
4. Once the manure is composted it can be spread on fields or chickens can be moved into the stall for several more months to break down the compost even more for potting soil

Now I don't have pigs, but it got me to thinking that I could do something similar with my chickens. Our horses are on about 10 acres, but they tend to congregate where they eat and drink due to the snow. There's a lot of wasted hay and manure lieing around that could be great for the garden (and not good for the grass underneath the snow!! -- too thick of wastes). I was thinking of raking up the wastes and putting a little at a time in the chicken run for the chickens to work through. It would give them something to do and help break up the hay and crap so that it composts quicker.

Does this sound like a viable option? Has anyone tried something similar and what were the results? Oh, would the occasional elk poop mixed in be a problem for the chickens?

Thanks!

 

[daddykirbs]

I recently got a load of horse manure for compost. Here is a video of how my chickens are loving it

 

[INDovey]

Thanks, that was my plan... why do all that work if they have more FUN with it than I ever would. I was worried about what else might be in the manure, like rodent or raccoon droppings. My plan is to convert a stall into the coop, complete with a heated roost area, a run door to the outside run cage, a portable indoor run cage like was suggested. I was already going to make them a portable A-frame coop/run anyway, so I guess I could just use that and move it each day or two. I had also planned to have an additional extension run that I could add to the portable A-Frame so that I could expand the field range if needed when they are outside of the barn... and would allow me to leave the extension in the barn and the coop/run in the field if needed.

I've heard that if I give them probiotics that would greatly reduce that risk. I am really into organic and home remedies, so I know all about probiotics and food sources to give them to increase the safety against tainted meat and eggs.... Green tea leafs, plums, sauerkraut (I have a quick easy mason jar recipe that I'd be willing to make for them). Since I also plan to plant the chickens a feed garden, having all of this would not be a real problem and would really help me to achieve my goal of sustainable living for my family and my livestock.

Is there any other risks or tips regarding the use of horse manure as a food source for my chickens?

 

[BlackBart]

My chickens free range and they spend half of their day in the manure pile. Digging, scratching, eating things I don't recognize and the deeper they dig they run into earthworms.
They also go into the horse field and scratch thru the fresh manure and eat the seeds that are in the hay and any seeds that are in the poop.

A Elderly Lady told me she has a super fast way to rot down her compost. She chops up Comfrey and Yarrow leaves, throws them in her compost, turns it over now and then and she claims it rots down super fast.
She does have excellent compost full of earthworms.

 

[ThreeBoysChicks]

My chickens are the best manure spreaders around. They flatten every pile in the field and they love the big pile from cleaning out stalls.

 

[GoodEnough]

Thanks! I'll have to look into adding the comfrey and yarrow to speed up composting (anything to improve my clay soil!!).

I wish I could just let the chickens free range, but right now I do not have a fence for the dogs. Three of our dogs find chickens quite interesting and would like to make lunch of them.

In the spring I'll put up a dog fence so the chickies can go out and about. It'll be good for the fields, horses and chickens.

Until then, the chickens have to remain in "lockdown" and have "delicacies" brought to them.

 

[dragonlair]

My hens love the horse manure when they free range.

I found that planting squash and pumpkin on the manure pile composts it a lot faster than just letting it sit aorund on its own. I either throw a bunch of seeds on the manure pile (or as I dump is) or I throw old squash and pumpkins in the manure before I dump is and just wheel it out to do whats they do naturally.

 

[SteveH]

When I was a kid our " banties " coop opened to the lots and pasture ; they lived off what the cattle and horses left behind with just a little scratch thrown to them occassonally to keep them semi-domestic . Our dog knew better than to go in the pens , although he could and would cross any fence when I did . I'm glad they went after it instead of me carrying it to them LOL .
Edt: Thinking about it , the dog crossed the fence after rabbits in the day or threats at night , just was taught not to bother the chickens unless they came on lawn .

 

[GoodEnough]

Squash and pumpkin huh? I am growing both this year so I will add them to the poop pile and see what happens. Thanks!

 

[Tryin]

We just got a horse and have free-range chickens. Our chickens seem to just LOVE diggin around in the horse manure! My husband got worried and wanted me to do some research, "do you think it's okay? Could you see if this is normal?" he said. I assured him things were fine, but I'm glad to see that this is apparently something others have experienced.