To raise new questions, new possibilities, to regard old problems from a new angle, requires creative imagination and marks real advance in science - Albert Einstein
Coco Bedding, on the other hand has a high C:N ratio (100:1). If our bedding was left by itself, it probably will take a very long time [5 years or more] to fully decompose. Because of it's structural integrity, coco peat finds its application as a soil-less medium, a perfect alternative choice to peat moss. Visit our other website www.forpeatssake.com for details.
So, how can this product be suitable for a stall bedding? Won't it take years for the manure-coco bedding pile to break down? The answer lies in the secret ingredient - urine, which contains uric acid, loaded with nitrogen. By absorbing all the horse pee, the nitrogen (and the stench of ammonia as well) gets locked up in Coco Bedding. Unlike other live stock the total organic matter (TM) of horse urine is very low (7%) [Source]. So, while still in use, the bedding won't decompose inside the stall. When the product is used in the stall, you can see the bedding slowly turn black. This is a good sign because the product is working well. It is absorbing the urine & holding the nitrogen inside the bedding. In other words, the nitrogen portion of the C:N ratio slowly increases, but there is no change in the percentage of carbon. During the daily clean up, the drier bedding from the corners gets raked into center of the stall. This will suck up the excess nitrogen and the bedding will turn back to a brownish-blackish color. The process gets repeated till the bedding gets saturated and looks all black. At this point, the bedding is stripped from the stall and thrown into a manure pile. It is almost semi cooked. In about 90-120 days without having to turn the compost pile, the manure-bedding pile decomposes fully. Rich in nutrients, it can now be used as a fertilizer or a soil amendment. |