Cow Pats - how useful?

[quark1]

I live opposite a stretch of land, Telscombe Tye, owned by the residents and administered by the council. It is let to a farmer who runs his beef cattle and sheep depending on time of year.

There are often numerous cow pats deposited which are nice and dry and easily 'pick-up-able' in the summer - WITH GLOVES of course.

Would these 'droppings' from nature be of any use in the garden and if so would they need to be kept for any length of time before using either directly to the ground or crumbled and added to compost? Along the same principle of 'well rotted manure'?

I am more than happy to take a bucket and gloves and go collecting dry material in the summer if of any practical use - of course I would rather expose/embarrass myself as a potential 'nutcase' within the limited confines of these boards if this is a non-starter! Particularly if there are certain things which might lurk in cow pats which are undesirable as a garden additive.

Please feel free to deliver the straight-jacket and supply the strong men in white coats if I'm well off target!

[Madasafish]

I do the same, cover with black plastic, let worms do their job and apply to graden 6 months later.
Lovely manure... and even better it's free.

[quark1]

So Quark is not quite as 'Mad' as you (your name) for thinking about it !

Thanks for the info - useful 6 months wait and cover.

[terrier]

Also don't forget liquid manure. Soak the cow/sheep/horse dung in water and thats free as well (apart from the water). It makes a good feed for pouring onto your flower beds in summer.

[bluemoon]

This particular question caused something of a war on out lotties last summer as a novice was advised to use cow manure by one of the old boys, but then another of the old boys told him that cow manure contained nettle seeds. Novice took offence at Old boy number one, believing that he'd deliberately been given dud advice in some sort of jealous attempt to ruin his newly cleared plot. While old boy number two desperately tried to defuse the situation by explaining that cow manure had spread nettles in his own experience only. There's still a fair amount of rumbling resentment. I kept well out of it and wouldn't like to say either way, except to suggest that you make sure that it's well rotted and keep it well covered, just in case there are any weeds (nettles or otherwise!) lurking in there.

[terrier]

If you use animal dung you are going to risk bringing seed into your allotment. In my case it's nettles and docks. The alternative to using it is a very expensive one so for me it's not an alternative. Regular weeding and hoeing gets rid of any unwanted growth before it gets hold. Today I've been round my plot pulling out the weeds that have grown since I mulched. Nettles are shallow rooted so they're no problem, and the docks are young enough to pull the whole plant out, so there's no problem.

[Nicos]

I thought horse manure contains even more undigested seeds than cow manure???
I've got access to cow pats in France and on a warm summer's evening I shall certainly be seen collecting dried cow pats for my compost heap!!!

[Snadger]

I thought horse manure contains even more undigested seeds than cow manure???
I've got access to cow pats in France and on a warm summer's evening I shall certainly be seen collecting dried cow pats for my compost heap!!!

You'll know about it if you stand in a fresh one!

[Snadger]

This particular question caused something of a war on out lotties last summer as a novice was advised to use cow manure by one of the old boys, but then another of the old boys told him that cow manure contained nettle seeds. Novice took offence at Old boy number one, believing that he'd deliberately been given dud advice in some sort of jealous attempt to ruin his newly cleared plot. While old boy number two desperately tried to defuse the situation by explaining that cow manure had spread nettles in his own experience only. There's still a fair amount of rumbling resentment. I kept well out of it and wouldn't like to say either way, except to suggest that you make sure that it's well rotted and keep it well covered, just in case there are any weeds (nettles or otherwise!) lurking in there.

Didn't realise cows ate nettles?

[bubblewrap]

Here's another use for cow pats!
YouTube - The Marshland Olympics - France

[bubblewrap]

Some people on our site have had problems with thistles brought in on a load on manure two years ago! before that we hardly had any thistles.

[Snadger]

Some people on our site have had problems with thistles brought in on a load on manure two years ago! before that we hardly had any thistles.

Think that's more to do with the manure being dumped originally on thistles then scraped up a year later............and as we know, thistles will grow through anything!

[veg4681]

obviously they're good to have as free manure but I read somewhere that they may have weed seeds as the cow's digestive system can't break them down or something like. you could alway use them as liquid manure but strain them if that is practical at all .

[bluemoon]

Didn't realise cows ate nettles?

Like I say, it was an argument which I kept well out of, I wouldn't know one way or the other. You know the sort of thing.....head down, very, very, very interested in digging and seem to be temporarily deaf. And if all else fails hide in the shed.

[Matt.]

They will eat thistles but normally only if they've been chopped down first.