Wood shaving horse manure

[newbieveggie]

Right I am heading off this weekend to get some horse manure.
Just wanted to check before I load up the car. The horses have been bedded on wood shavings, they are not treated shavings. Is the manure ok to use still ? I don't know of any stable locally who beds on straw it all seems to be wood shavings or a type of cat litter which is very treated.

[PAULW]

Yes no problem just a bit of a pain waiting for the shavings to break down, there are two ways to handle it either stack it and let it break down for a year or dig trenches and let it rot underground but anything to get humus into your soil is good.

[Bigmallly]

If its a large pile NBV, try & get as deep as possible.

[Pumpkin Becki]

I used just the same on my raised beds when I first built them. The shavings do rot down of their own accord eventually, but until then, it does make quite a light, fluffy texture which isn't ideal. I was using the manure in conjunction with homemade and shop bought compost, but I think I really should have added some topsoil too for a bit more body.

[Glutton4...]

If the dung content is higher than the shavings content it will rot more quickly.

[motherhen]

I have a never ending supply, I have three large compost type storage bays on concrete a rotting one a new filling one and an open emptying one, it is fantastic stuff, the one that is being used must have been rotting for about a year to 18 months, it makes a fantastic mulch.
I used to use shavings for bedding and this rotted far slower than the hemcore that I use now.

[Pies]

I have a never ending supply, I have three large compost type storage bays on concrete a rotting one a new filling one and an open emptying one, it is fantastic stuff, the one that is being used must have been rotting for about a year to 18 months, it makes a fantastic mulch.
I used to use shavings for bedding and this rotted far slower than the hemcore that I use now.

Off topic ,im literally across the road from you I'm at singleton

[surferal]

so now you have a never ending supply too lol

[motherhen]

Don't laugh I actually paid for cow manure because I thought having covered my garden for over 20 years, with horse dung prehaps I should, do it with something else.
Mind you I used to use shavings and although a good conditioner the slow rotting, caused problems as my bins were full and I needed to empty them and they were not rotted enough, but having switched to Hemcore, the resulting compost looks fantastic. My horses are very tidy in their stables so I'm pretty much able to pick the dungs out of the bedding so there is a very high content of pooh!!

[cathd66]

If the dung content is higher than the shavings content it will rot more quickly.

And if you're helping yourself to the top of the pile, (fresh) you can dig carefully and take the horse poos and leave the shaving behind. Not ideal if you're collecting alot, but for a few bags it works fine.
Fresh should probably be composted a bit before adding but I collect it for my wormeries and give them composted for bedding and fresh for food. The worm castings produced are absolute magic on plants!!