Plentiful on farms and distinguishable in the country air, fresh cow pies dot the landscape and act as a natural fertilizer. With a strictly vegetarian diet, cows produce great amounts of nitrogen-rich manure (and plenty of methane gas to go along with it!).
The high nitrogen content, seeds, and potentially harmful bacteria in manure make it unsafe to add to the worm bin fresh, but once the cow manure has become aged or hot composted (brought up to about 130F for a time), it is perfect for composting worms to enjoy.
Though there is no set standard for how long cow manure must age or remain hot, you can tell when it is finished once any manure smell is undetectable and what you have looks like soil. Generally, this takes as long as 2 to 3 months, depending on conditions.
Finished cow manure can be used as both bedding and feed. It’s a win-win in the worm bin!
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