Enhancing cow shit compost by worms?

[fonzee]

I got a bag of composted cow shit from the store.

If I moisten the compost to 80% or so humidity and add worms to it - will they munch on the compost and enhance its quality?

Or should I just use the compost as is and use the worm shit on its own?

I got a limited amount of worm shit available and I got a 3L or so worm bin that is thriving, so I can't use just worm shit.

 

[MrFista]

If it is already composted it is likely of little value to composting species of worms, more likely earthworms would find it a good media now. I thought you were composting the stuff yourself, on that matter I might have a bit to say.

It appears I do anyway hehe.

Be aware most agriculture pumps their cattle full of drugs hormones antibiotics etc and the effluent is probably better for pyrolisation, rather than composting. With a knowledgeable team I'd compost it, without, I'd char it.

 

[Clackamas Coot]

Horse manure brings it's own set of considerations not the least of which is that pastured horses are wormed on a regular basis.

Worm medicine = dead worms. Of all kinds. One of the reasons that it takes so long for a pile of horse manure to break down because the environment isn't too friendly for composting worms.

CC

 

[fonzee]

If it is already composted it is likely of little value to composting species of worms, more likely earthworms would find it a good media now. I thought you were composting the stuff yourself, on that matter I might have a bit to say.

It appears I do anyway hehe.

Be aware most agriculture pumps their cattle full of drugs hormones antibiotics etc and the effluent is probably better for pyrolisation, rather than composting. With a knowledgeable team I'd compost it, without, I'd char it.

My compost bucket got stolen. (WTF?)
I got some mj leaves compost but nothing major running right now - don't have the space. (and putting it outside wasn't a good idea apparently)

Horse manure brings it's own set of considerations not the least of which is that pastured horses are wormed on a regular basis.

Worm medicine = dead worms. Of all kinds. One of the reasons that it takes so long for a pile of horse manure to break down because the environment isn't too friendly for composting worms.

CC

Doesn't that deworming medicine breaks up pretty quickly?
And how about cows?

 

[rckymtnthuglife]

The other thing that really sucks about cow manure is all the salts in it. If you don't have the space buy some quality bagged compost.

 

[fonzee]

If I had a place to buy it from - I would.
The higher quality compost gets dried to the bone before packing, probably because it sells less.
I like the cow shit compost because its still moist.

A 25L bag cost 3 bucks. I wouldn't mind paying 30 bucks for 25L of premium quality compost but there's none around.

I got a 5L humus bucket for 6 bucks. It is bone dry. I don't think its any better than the cow shit compost.

 

[h.h.]

A few of us in the area have been using the same seed(blueberry x Williams wonder) for a few generations with good results. The crop my buddy grew in basically pure worm composted horse shit to which he added tiny bit of cheap Colorbloom or something from Home Depot took the prize. Though not quite as tight as those grown with Gravity, they were plenty tight with good smell, taste, and high.
The main problem with horse poop is that owners will put lime on it so it will break down faster. Something to watch out for. His poop was well aged. It may have taken longer to breakdown with the medicine given the horses, though I have nothing to compare with. He adds his right at the end of the growing season giving it about 6 months.