Horse Health
Manure is "black gold." The manure from one horse is worth $150 in fertilizer per year! However, manure can also do harm if it is in the wrong place and not handled properly. Raw manure or manure attached to eroding soil can wash off the land and into the nearest stream. There its nutrients and bacteria may cause algae blooms, kill fish, degrade shellfish beds and pollute drinking water; these small things add up to a big pollution problem. Learn how to turn manure from a liability to an asset. Below are examples of good manure management:
Move manure piles to covered facilities for winter storage.
Animals are fenced away from the stream with a buffer of shrubs and trees planted next to the stream to filter runoff.
Water tanks are located in each paddock and away from the stream.
Roof gutters, downspouts and a tile divert rainwater away from the animal yard and into the stream.
Uphill drainage is diverted away from the animal yard and into the stream.
Collect manure every 1 to 3 days.
Store and cover manure to keep nutrients from leaching away.
Compost manure to produce a valuable resource.
Stockpile manure during the fall and winter.
Spread manure during the growing season.
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