[Carollan]

Now then,we all know what horse dung looks like in the road or on the pavement,don`t we?

However,this stuff has been rotting for a few weeks now ,I am collecting it from the back of the pile at the stables. Some of it has a grey or even white covering to it.
Is it mushrooms that cause this colouring?It seems to happen in the pile in patches,especially where its very dry.There are mushrooms growing in the heap in quite a few places.

Should I carry on putting this part of the pile on my heap or leave it behind and just take the dark coloured dung?

[willowish]

ideally horse manure needs to rot for a good year before you put it on the garden. before that it is too 'hot' and can burn the plants if you use it fresh. it should be crumbly, like compost.
also, there are also some pretty nasty chemicals in horse wormers which may well be present in dung.
my advice would be to find an older pile to take from.

[Carollan]

hey willowish,it will be stacked or on the ground for 10-12 months before it`s used,like I did last year,it was the white colouration on the outside I was wondering about,thought it might be the mushroom spawn causing it.I think I ask too many questions 

[Yorkie]

My organic fertiliser has come out of the bag in clumps with a white covering.  I've just carried on using it regardless. Nothing appears to have died yet  :blink:

[Growster...]

I had mushrooms splurting out too, so didn't worry Carollan.

Just let the whole lot fester for several months, and then, get going with either the double digging, or the spreading - whichever you choose!

Wait awhile though, because that stuff is potent! At least 6-9 months...