[Thompson24]

Hi guys

I have the option of cow or horse manua (and also a small amount of chicken)

I was wondering which one would be best for my allotment?

Also how soon after I have worked it into the soil do I start planting.

Someone on the alotment showed me his polot after putting in horse manuer and it was a crop off corn lol.  He recommended not to use it

Can anyone help please?

[BobandJack]

I'd go for horse every time but you need to let it rot well to get rid of anything that might lurk & make it less acidic, if you have room for a muck heap somewhere that's ideal. Dig it in over the atumn & that gives it time to let the worms work on it.  Chicken manure is good for the compost heap but probably too acidic for on the soil.

[little sweetpeas]

Our site had cow manure this year and we've all commented on the lack of weeds compared to the horse manure.

[BobandJack]

I lived next door to a dairy farm for 6 years and frankly the way cows are kept is enough to put you off drinking milk let alone using the manure.  I think there's a lot of chemical residue in cow manure.  But hey whatever manure you can get...

[neal]

We had several loads of cow manure delivered to our site 2 years ago, now we are well infested with thistles on the plots that had the manure spread on them. This was never a problem before but apparently cows will eat anything   

[harrymac]

At least one person on our site refuses to take any of the (free) manure that gets left periodically because it caused him a weed infestation.

Personally I take any that is available and don't worry about any weeds I might import - you have to deal with weeds brought in by the wind and birds anyway.

[neal]

Creeping thistles are not easy to erradicate they are no ordinary annual weed
that a hoe will kill off as my fellow plot holders have found out.I would go for the
horse manure every time and stack it for 12 months but not use on potatoes or
tomatoes just incase of the weedkiller problem.

[little sweetpeas]

Our site had cow manure this year and we've all commented on the lack of weeds compared to the horse manure.

It's from an organic farm if that makes a difference, well looked after cows too.

My MIL swears by horse manure as do my brothers, I guess if you have a regular supply that you know is good then that's the most important thing.

[Knoblauch]

I lived next door to a dairy farm for 6 years and frankly the way cows are kept is enough to put you off drinking milk let alone using the manure.  I think there's a lot of chemical residue in cow manure.  But hey whatever manure you can get...

Given that breast and prostate cancers are unknown in countries where they don't eat dairy products, that's probably a good idea.

[BigPaddy]

Where are dairy products not eaten? I thought it was pretty global. Just ineterested.

BIG-Paddy

[Paul Plots]

My plots have not had manure on the for years - just old fashioned free DIY compost straight from the bin.

Yields are high and the plot is healthy - soil on the older of the two plots is brilliant and I am sure adding compost every year is the reason. (The new plot is slowly shaping up and the clay beginning to lighten).

I rely on a few buckets of pelletted chicken manure to give the ground some umph.. cleaner, easier and reliable... no added worries from anything the animals may have eaten or been injected with. 

[Yorkie]

There is an informative and unbiased article on the different animal manures on the Information pages of this site

http://www.allotment-garden.org/fertilizer/farmyard-animal-manures.php

[Buzzy bee]

Hi

There is lots of chemicals in any manure unless it is off an organic farm.  I mean the straw the stock are kept on can be full of sprays, then if you go for cow muck, everything on the farm is collected in the laggon, milking palour waste everywhere.  So even when strained for the cake it still must have chemicals in, iodine etc!

I will be using the riddled cake from pigs and cows from the farm, the horse manure has far too many shavings in.

Cheers

Dave

[iwantanallotment]

My horse manure had no shavings in it or any form of bedding/straw, it was field collected and pure. Just poo and grass, beautifully rotted.
(NOT that which I used to go & shovel up myself into carriers, BTW  )

No weeds have sprung, no probs at all.

If anyone local to me would like details of the supplier I'll be glad to provide.

[Buzzy bee]

Hi

Would be pretty sure if you offer to go and collect it from a field, it would be yours for the taking, save the groom one job!

Cheers

Dave