How to Build a Compost Pile of Cow Manure
- 1). Choose an area of your yard that is slightly elevated. Place four bales of hay in a square shape. Make sure there is enough room for air circulation. Lay down some straw at the bottom of your pile.
- 2). Add a layer of topsoil. Cover with an equal layer of dried cow manure and an equal layer of carbon-rich material, such as dead leaves, thin branches, pieces of wood, peat moss or wood ash. Cover it with another equal layer of manure then another layer of carbon material. Make sure there is one cubic yard of compost pile.
- 3). Water thoroughly so that the compost pile is moist, but not wet. Place a tarp over the compost during rainy weather.
- 4). Turn your compost pile with a rake or pitchfork every day to avoid fire. Small microorganisms cook within the compost, generating enough heat to set the compost pile on fire if left unattended.
- 5). Apply your compost to your garden when your manure has aged for 60 days. Spread the compost over the gardening area and till the soil. Make sure the soil is well mixed before planting.
