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Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

For those of you in rural areas, please resist the urge to laugh.

Where does one get a whole bunch of manure without buying it in bags at a garden centre? Is there some easy way to get a load delivered? I can't even think of how I would get it into my backyard patch (without dumping it in the driveway and transporting it in several wheelbarrow trips).

I'm in Thornhill, Ontario. Just North of Toronto. There are farms not to far away. But, I'm not exactly sure how to approach somebody to ask for a bunch of excremement. Any ideas?

3/1/2005 6:53:09 PM

Manchester,N.H.

Try places that have horse boarding you can call them or email them just ask them what they do with it because you could use some.I just got set up with a place all the manure I want for free and they will load it in the truck for me all I did was email them.You also have to think that by you taking their manure you are doing them a favor also.

3/1/2005 7:33:18 PM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

I have to worry about freshness. I'll need well composted manure. Mostly because anything else wouldn't be fair to the neighbours with adjacent backyards. I imagine the stuff that I could get from a stables would be pretty smelly.

3/2/2005 1:17:08 AM

Manchester,N.H.

Thats not always the case, the stable that I am getting it from has anywere from one day old to five years old so it still might be worth a shot.

3/2/2005 7:43:01 AM

Utah

do like Dennis suggested ... just call around and ask if they have any available. ask other questions too ... If they will deliver ... if they will load it into a truck... etc ...

I found a guy with 30-40 horses, that was willing to deliver the manure to me for free. He doesn't have a lot of extra space to pile it up anywhere so he makes a weekly trip to the dump, which costs him. He has delivered it to others who live farther away for a small fee, to cover help with gas money etc...
I do just what you said ... he dumps it on my driveway and I haul it to the patch in my back yard. My neighbors are great sometimes they help. You could also pay the neighborhood young men to help you out. I use my big city garbage can about 1/2 to 2/3 full to haul it. Wheel barrows work great also.
It is fresh - but The smell goes away rather quickly, once you spread it out. usually with in 1-2 days. One of my neighbors like it ... because she grew up on a farm.
Also if you get it delivered in the fall ... when the weather is cooler ... it seems to smell less.
I've hauled 72 cubic yards of horse manure into my patch this way in the last two years.
If you are interested ... my previous years diaries show some pictures.

3/2/2005 10:20:53 AM

Taber, Alberta

I put on 2 yards of fresh manure in October of 2003. A friend at work has a few horses and takes the manure to the dump once a week. It was easier to bring it to me. The problem was, I wasn't home for 3 days (pumpkin weigh off) when it was delivered and I thought my neighbours would scream. Well, one did. The good thing was, she was mad because I didn't share with her. It did stink, but only for a few days.
Alan

3/2/2005 10:37:42 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

I have a city slicker question.

How much is a "yard" of manure? Thanks.

3/13/2005 11:38:43 PM

Manchester,N.H.

27 cubic feet

3/14/2005 12:09:24 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Thanks. I finally found it online. I now understand why it's called a yard.

Another question: How much is too much?

Currently my garden bed slopes a bit. So, I want to add some landscape timbers to make a semi-raised bed, just to level things out. But, I don't know if I should just fill it all up with manure, or if I need to order some soil too. I figure that I'll need something like 2-4 yards of material altogether.

Thanks again.

3/14/2005 12:16:54 AM

Manchester,N.H.

I would mix it with soil instead of just filling it with straight manure

3/14/2005 12:18:13 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

OK, thanks. I found a place nearby that sells a couple of different mixes of soil with compost and/or manure. Now all I have to do is find the money to have it delivered.

3/14/2005 1:23:25 PM

Canada

Crammed, There is a farm on Highway 6 ( morristion)
just other side of Hamilton, its about an 1hrs drive for you but this is composted Horse manure right off his farm
he bags it for you so you can toss a good 10 bags in the back of your pick-up if needed. Its 7.99 a bag and the bags are HUDGE!! My patch at home is 12x10 its a raised patch ( 1ft off ground) and it was level in the fall, I added 4 bags of this stuff in March and after the till it raised my entire patch roughly 2.5" all round, Nice and dark composted manure.

dave

4/11/2005 7:56:02 PM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

How big are the bags? I figure I need a yard or two. It might be tough convincing my dad to let me fill up his mini-van with horse poop. :-)

4/12/2005 1:12:40 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

What's the "youngest" manure that you could use? I have some stables that are not too far from me. So, I am going to try there. But, I need to ask them how old their "stock" is so that I don't get anything too fresh. I have neighbours.

4/12/2005 1:50:51 AM

Thornhill, Ontario, Canada

Got an email back from a nearby stable. Free manure, and she says it's pretty old. Now I just need to find a way to get it to where I need it...

4/12/2005 11:50:57 PM