Selling horse manure as fertilizer?

Question

Okay, so I want to sell my horses' manure as organic fertilizer. We put it all in a big pile, with older stuff on one side, and fresh on the other.

So my questions are, what is the going rate for a 10 pound bag of horse manure fertilizer? Does it qualify as organic [my horses only eat grain, hay and grass, no steroids or anything]? And how old should it be when it's put into the bag to be sold?

Thanks for your help!

Answer 1

One horse can produce a lot of manure every day.

Here in AZ most horse owners give that stuff away for free just to be rid of it:  people simply go to the horse ranch with their pick-ups and pile the stuff in the back of the truck bed.

Horse manure is popular with flies and flies bring all kinds of diseases, so getting rid of the stuff fast is often a health issue.

Answer 2

If you worm your horses or feed them anything other than certified organic hay and grain the manure is not really organic but still a great fertilizer, especially after it has been fully composted.

Most people buy horse manure by the pick-up truck load for about $30 here (and that is loaded into the pick-up by the manure owner, if people load themselves it is usually free) in Ohio so a 10 pound bag would be worth about 50¢ (maybe a couple of bucks if you are good at marketing and put the stuff in a nice looking sack).

Not to mention, 10 pounds is not really enough manure to fertilize more than a square foot of garden space.

Answer 3

One thing you need to be aware of is E-coli. Horse Manure needs to sit for at least 1 year before it is safe to use around food gardens. You could be liable if someone contracts that bacteria from your horses. I use the manure from my horses, strictly in my flower beds.

Answer 4

Interesting question. I do know that it should be well dried out. I know a lady that has horses. She uses it in her gardening projects when it is well dried out. If you use it to soon, it may burn the plants.

I am not an expert, but organic means no additives such as bug killing chemicals etc... I would think if your horse only eats organic, the fertilizer should be the same.

Check with Your local cooperative extension or the department of agriculture, you may get more answers.