How to Make Composted Manure at Home

Composting manure at home (often called "hot composting") transforms a hazardous waste product into a safe, nutrient-rich soil amendment. This process requires balancing four key elements: Nitrogen, Carbon, Oxygen, and Water.

Ingredients and Ratios:

• Manure ("Greens"): This is your high-nitrogen ingredient. Manures from chickens, rabbits, and horses are excellent "hot" activators. Cow manure is "cooler" and has a better C:N ratio to start with.
• Bedding ("Browns"): Manure is almost always mixed with high-carbon bedding like straw, wood shavings, dry leaves, or shredded cardboard. This is your "brown" material.
• The Ideal Ratio: The goal for an active hot-compost pile is a Carbon-to-Nitrogen (C:N) ratio of about 25:1 to 30:1.

Step-by-Step Hot Composting Process:

1. Build the Pile: Start with a pile at least 3x3x3 feet. This size is needed to build and retain heat. Layer your manure (greens) with your carbon materials (browns). If the manure is already mixed with bedding, you may just need to pile it up.
2. Add Water: The pile must be moist, like a "wrung-out sponge." Dry piles won't decompose, and wet piles will go anaerobic (stinky).
3. Wait for the Heat: In a few days, the center of the pile should heat up to 130-160°F (55-70°C). This temperature is essential for killing pathogens (E. coli, Salmonella) and weed seeds. You can check this with a long-stem compost thermometer.
4. Turn the Pile (Aerate): Oxygen is crucial. The pile needs to be "turned" to move the cooler outer material to the hot center and re-introduce oxygen. Turn the pile with a pitchfork every 1-2 weeks.
5. Monitor and Wait: After each turn, the pile should heat up again. The process will slow over time. Hot composting can be finished in as little as 2-4 months.

When is it done? The composted manure is ready when it no longer heats up after being turned, is dark brown and crumbly, and has a pleasant, earthy smell. All traces of the original materials should be gone.