Sheep manure

[leicestershirelass]

Does anyone mix sheep manure into their compost?

[Birdie Wife]

I have done, but as I don't get much of it, what I would do is put it in a hessian sack with some nettle leaves and/or comfrey and steep it in a bucket for a couple of weeks. The resulting juice will pong (BOY does it pong!!) but your veggies will love it when diluted as liquid feed.

[Nicos]

We use it with cow muck - composted for a year.

Some interesting sites..

http://www.plantea.com/manure.htm

Soil Conditioning

Quote ..."Nitrogen in sheep manure takes time to mineralize and become available and only about 25% of the nutrients in the sheep manure will be available in the first year. After the first year, more of the nitrogen will be available."

[leicestershirelass]

Thanks for those tips Birdie Wife and Nicos ... there's lots of nettles around here ...
(sorry, but a composting novice) ... do I need water in the bucket ???

[leicestershirelass]

Thanks Nicos ... 2 informative sites ....... I've added to my favourites ...

anyone got an elephant? .......... lol

[Nicos]

I think Wayne's got one!!!!

http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/...eSe6k/610x.jpg

[snohare]

I used it neat last year to grow tomatoes and courgettes. Worked a treat (it was old stuff) but sadly the slugs loved it too.... This year however as I was planting in a pumpkin plant I noticed that it was absolutely seething with worms, I couldn't get the trowel in without giving them a bisectomy ! So I reckon this year it is the equivalent of very rich soil, and can be used neat, rather like an old compost heap.
My cunning plan this year is to help renovate an old Scottish black house that is being done up locally, and pinch some of the several tonnes of sheep manure that has built up inside it over the course of many years. Once it has been lying for five years, you don't have to worry about nasty organophosphate sheep dip residues still being there ( according to the Soil Association, so I believe) and hey presto, you have stuff that makes commercial tomato food look wimpish by comparison. And of course you can always put some in water to make a really good "plant tea" feed... I don't think I would use it neat as is though, might be worth checking the acidity. My test of any soil tends to be, are the worms happy ?

[Finedon.Dandy]

Just felt I should warn....Pregnant women shouldnt have any contact with sheep or their fresh by-products.

[Polly Fouracre]

There is a West Country saying "A sheeps fart is worth an 'osses turd"

[burnie]

There is a West Country saying "A sheeps fart is worth an 'osses turd"

You must mix with some dodgy characters,I've never heard that one and I lived in Devon for a while.

[Hilary B]

Just felt I should warn....Pregnant women shouldnt have any contact with sheep or their fresh by-products.

Especially risky at lambing time, but most of the dangerous infections, it is possible to develop immunity by exposure (when not pregnant of course), and anyone who has worked with the same flock of sheep in the past may well be immune to any infections that are present. At lambing time, those who do the lambing work may carry infections on their work clothes until laundered, or on their person until after a thorough shower/bath, so living in the same house may also be risky to those not immune.