How to Recycle Horse Manure & Sawdust

Recycling horse manure and sawdust is a cost-efficient way to turn waste into needed products, such as fertilizer. A combination of sawdust and manure adds nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium back into the soil. In addition, manure management is necessary to comply with state and county regulations and for the health of your horses.

Things You'll Need

  • Pitchfork
  • Manure and saw dust
  • Wheel barrel
  • Storage area
  • Manure spreader
  • Tarp
  • Tractor
Show More

Instructions

  1. Collection

    • 1

      Muck the stalls daily. Use a pitchfork to pick up the manure and place it in a wheel barrel.

    • 2

      Empty the wheel barrel into the storage pile.

    • 3

      Separate out any bailing twine or other nonbridgeable items left in the manure.

    Storage &Recycled Use

    • 4

      Spread manure out to help it dry out quickly.

    • 5

      Turn the piles over weekly. Good aeration speeds up the composting process.

    • 6

      Prevent runoff by digging a ditch around the perimeter of the storage area.

    • 7

      Cover the manure piles with a tarp to keep rainwater from running over the piles and contaminating the surrounding area with runoff.

    • 8

      Use a skid loader, backhoe or shovel to load the manure into the spreader.

    • 9

      Drive the tractor and manure spreader out to the field.

    • 10

      Spread a thin layer of manure on the field. Composted manure is an excellent soil supplement and slow-release fertilizer.