So we have a small sheep farm and I've been piling up the poop/hay when I clean our barn out so I can use in garden. When do I know it's okay to use? My piles 1-2 years old I took some from it this year for garden and now I'm worried it wasn't ready and that It might be exposing my self to bad stuff. So far stuffs growing good tho.
Sheep compost for garden
- Thread starter bmxer883
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Meadowlark
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One to two years old should be safe...but it needs to get to 145 deg F to kill all the bad stuff. It will do that naturally, but some parts may not get there if it isn't turned a few times over that period. To be safe, turn that pile at least monthly.
I use a lot of composted cow manure in my gardens. I turn it every other week with a front-end loader on tractor and have safe usable compost in 6 months. With turning, it heats up to 180 deg in center and when you turn it, you can literally feel the heat escaping from it.
I use a lot of composted cow manure in my gardens. I turn it every other week with a front-end loader on tractor and have safe usable compost in 6 months. With turning, it heats up to 180 deg in center and when you turn it, you can literally feel the heat escaping from it.
Is there any real way of telling? I didn't turn it at all. The stuff I used has some hay in it and is almost crisp like it's hard and breaks when you grab it.
I know I have cleaned the barn out before and you could see and feel the heat from everything breaking down.
I know I have cleaned the barn out before and you could see and feel the heat from everything breaking down.
Meadowlark
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I don't know of any way to be 100% safe...but from what you described it should be safe.
In my case, the bad smell is gone after composting. That might be one way, but again nothing is 100%.
Another thing you can do if you are concerned is put the compost out whenever/wherever you aren't expecting to use it immediately on veggies such as in the fall/winter when the ground might be fallow until spring.
In my case, the bad smell is gone after composting. That might be one way, but again nothing is 100%.
Another thing you can do if you are concerned is put the compost out whenever/wherever you aren't expecting to use it immediately on veggies such as in the fall/winter when the ground might be fallow until spring.