Compost Heating!

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Dallas
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Post by Dallas » Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 8:54 am

This forum is bringing out all the "old memories"!

When I was young, much younger than today, la -la -la ... ♫ ♫ ♫♪ LOL
It used to get much colder than it does, now. Our house had a field stone foundation, laid without mortar, in some areas. In the late fall, my father would bank horse manure all around the exposed foundation. I suppose this would eliminate the drafts, but at the same time provide heat, through the composing action of the manure. Point: There are two kinds of manure, .. hot and cold. Horse manure, being one of the hot manures. Cow being one of the cold manures.

We also, had an outside, underground originating water spigot at the barn. This would also get banked with horse manure.

Now, don't you feel a bit smarter and more prepared to cope with the winter?

 
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Richard S.
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Post by Richard S. » Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 9:02 am

You could do the same thing with fresh wood chips. I'd assume you would need quite a sizable foundation to stack up enough to make it effective.

 
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e.alleg
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Post by e.alleg » Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 8:39 pm

one time it was so cold momma cut open a horse and made me lay inside it to keep from freezing. I always thought "hot" manure had too much acid or something in it and burned plants, I didn't realize it was physically warm.


 
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Post by Matthaus » Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 8:41 pm

ahhhhhhhhh....... I long for the days of hot and cold running manure. :lol:

 
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Dallas
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Post by Dallas » Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 8:57 pm

e.alleg wrote:I always thought "hot" manure had too much acid or something in it and burned plants, I didn't realize it was physically warm.
"When microbes work properly, the compost temperature will be between 120 and 160 F."

 
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coaledsweat
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Post by coaledsweat » Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 8:59 pm

e.alleg wrote:I didn't realize it was physically warm.
It is not common, but a pile of horse manure can catch fire spontaneously.


 
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CoalHeat
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Post by CoalHeat » Mon. Nov. 19, 2007 9:26 pm

Ah! Spontaneous Combustion! :blowup:

 
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Flyer5
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Post by Flyer5 » Sat. Dec. 15, 2007 11:38 pm

We end up with a sizable pile of horse manure at the end of winter if I don't get it spread on the fields . It will steam when the pile is disturbed even when the weather has been cold for a long time . I wondered about coiling up some tubing and running water through to see how warm it would get . That would be better than geothermal . Or if digging a trench for geothermal filling it with manure . :lol: Its amazing how hot a hay bale can get if bailed really green I bailed an area with a lot of weeds just to get it up off the field to replant busted open a bale just a few days later it actually burned my hand .

 
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cArNaGe
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Post by cArNaGe » Sat. Jan. 12, 2008 1:39 pm

I've heard of Barn Fires from fresh bailed hay before.

 
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Flyer5
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Post by Flyer5 » Sat. Jan. 12, 2008 2:22 pm

It can very easily happen . I always make sure the hay is dry before bailing . If I am not sure . It doesn't go anywhere near the barn . Dave

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