Cons of Manure Compost compare to Vegetable Compost

If you really think about it, using animal waste as a compost is sometimes not a good idea. However, properly cured and composted manure is an excellent source of nitrogen and other nutrients and helps improve soil health.

Some of the drawbacks of manure compost come when it is not composted well and when animals are given medicines and hormones which may remain in the finished product.

Here are a few good reasons why you shouldn't fertilize with manure.

Manure should be composted first. There are two main types of animal manure, hot and cold.

Hot manures have high amounts of nitrogen and must be well composted. These include chicken and cow manures.

Cold manure is lower in nitrogen and can be used in moderation in its fresh state. Both types should be worked into soil well at least two months prior to planting edible crops.

In organic production, no manure can be used in the year in which a crop will be harvested, so for organic certification only green manures should be applied to soil. Contaminants may still remain. The bad news is that even composted manure can still retain hormones, antibiotics, viable weed seeds, pesticides and diseases. In fact, while rare, Salmonella and E. coli have both been found in well composted manures and can be transmitted to food crops, especially those that are eaten raw. Heavy metals are another concern.

In livestock situations where industrial production systems are used, heavy metals and chemicals are often taken in by animals and do not disappear when the manure is composted. Raw manures are especially dangerous and can release high levels of skatole, indol and other phenols which are absorbed by food crops. May lead to excess nutrients.

Other reasons against fertilizing with manure are that soil health can be affected by consistent use of the product. It imparts necessary plant nutrients but may cause a build-up of certain nutrients and minerals. These excess components leach out of soil and run off into waterways. Excess nitrogen in water causes algae blooms and other effects. Copper is an additive in many poultry feeds. Chicken manure retains that copper and can build up to soil to a toxic degree, burning plant roots. Another of the cons of using manure fertilizer is that it can raise the acidity of soil over time while also depleting calcium, an essential mineral for plants. Manure needs to be tilled into be most effective. The very action bares soil and leaves it open to further leaching and topsoil loss.