How long does the manure have to sit?

We have manure /straw mix from the horses, cow and chickens in a pile and been sitting the winter, we've been turning it. How long do you usually have it sit before you use it in the garden. The area that the veggie garden is in, soil is pretty poor and rocky, so I wondered if it would be ok to use it this spring or wait another growing season?

I would say it would be fine to use this year. I know my folks and inlaws use the manure from our cattle and horses on their gardens and a lot of it is real fresh when applied.

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I don't know about the manure thing but that's a great avatar you have. Man O Man that's funny. [img]/forums/images/icons/grin.gif[/img]

Dick

We use ours after it's been sitting (and turning) for one year. We use pine shavings for our horses instead of straw. Because shavings deplete the nitrogen as it decays, we add bone meal or other nitrogen rich additives before we spread it.

Thanks, we get a good laugh out of it too.

When it is composted it will not have the consitency of manure nor the aroma. It can be used prior to being fully composted but there are various drawbacks including the smell, attracting flies, pathogens...

[img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img] Pat [img]/forums/images/icons/smile.gif[/img]

I have all ways heard that you should let Horse manure sit about a year and cow manure could be a little less! I'm no expert on this so I would reccomend that you check with your County Extension Office.
Leo

Usually clean the chicken house about Sept and sits for a bit before it freezes. Good to go the next spring (about now).

The paddocks get hay and the left over is bedding and is trod down enough so that it is ready to go in about a year, let them do all the work i just pick it up.

Manure doesn't have to sit around at all.
You can incoporate it whenever you feel like it.
Topdressing corn with a shot of fresh manure will give it quite a boost. Fresh manure has some N in a form that is able to be used by plants immediately, compost does not.
Throwing it all in during tillage in the spring and fall works well for us.
We worried about weed seeds but then decided that unless your compost pile was taken care of perfectly, chances are some would get through that, and weeds are inevitable so you're gonna be out there hoeing, pulling and mulching anyway.