Composting Different Types of Manure

All manures can be composted. Some composting sites are adamant you should only add herbivore (plant grazing) animal manure to your compost because carnivore (meat eating) animal manure may contain pathogens. All manures and waste can be potentially harmful to humans, other animals and plants.

We advise that no manure is added to the soil 'fresh'. Once the manure is in the HOTBIN, the combination of the bacteria, the high temperatures and the length of time away from the animal host's gut should lead to the destruction of faecal pathogens.

Good hygiene during use of the HOTBIN is essential, especially when dealing with manure - ensure you wear gloves and you wipe down the edges of the HOTBIN after filling it.

Different manures provide unique percentages of a number of key nutrients. The most important three nutrients are: nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P) and Potassium (K). The NPK values of the different manures is largely irrelavant in hot composting; whether the manure is mixed with bedding (straw, card or shavings) has more impact than what animal created the manure.