Cow manure helps produce healthy plants.
Though cow manure may not smell nice, it has many uses in agriculture, such as fertilization of crops and composting. It also may be converted into bio-gas, as bovine dung is approximately 55 to 65 percent methane. Different types of cow manure are suitable for different purposes; so choose your cow manure wisely.
Organic Manure
What goes in the cow, comes out of the cow. Cattle who eat -- or otherwise absorb -- inorganic matter or chemicals, such as bovine growth hormone, will not produce organic manure. Further, inorganic dung cannot be used in organic farming, as it may pass-on the inorganic elements to the vegetation through the soil. Fortunately, major organic manure vendors clearly mark their product as such. If you buy cow manure locally, ask the seller about their product.
Dairy Cow Manure
Dairy manure works well for gardening. Unlike chicken manure, it does not have a high nitrogen and phosphorus content that may harm vegetation in large quantities. Dairy cow manure retains greater moisture content than that of full-grown beef cows. Another advantage of this type of manure is that cows will produce a lot of it. A typical 500-pound cow produces an average of nine pounds of manure per day.
Veal Manure
Like dairy cow manure, veal manure retains high moisture content. However, a small calf does not produce very much waste, usually less than a pound per day. As a result, you may need a big herd to scrape together sufficient manure. On the plus side, milk-fed veal manure is low in volatile solids, making it a good material for methane and bio-gas.
Mixed Manure
Small locally-owned farms often sell cow manure mixed with other materials, such as straw or sawdust. While this type of dung may be good for composting -- due to its rich blend of nitrogen and carbon -- make sure the seller has not mixed in unwanted elements, such as waste water or urine. That will reduce the manure's nutrient content.
Age
Freshly produced manure often contains ammonia that can hurt seedlings or small plants. Aging manure for 60 days or more, will allow harmful chemicals to break down, as well as for its nutrients to grow. Further, aging minimizes the risk of E. coli bacteria. Packaged cow dung is already aged and composted, so this will not be an issue.
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