"Billy" wrote in message
news:wildbilly-E54D22.15524117032008@c-61-68-245-
Oh, by the bye, I've heard that gardeners need to avoid getting horse
manure from a horse that has just been wormed because it will also kill
their earth bound cousins. Got an opinion? Actually, this sounds like a
question I should ask Lee.
--

Billy


I have 10 horses that are given a parasite paste quarterly. This will
control all sorts of parasitic worms and insect lavae (eg bot flies). A horse
weighing 500 kg (half a ton) gets about 30 g (1 oz) of paste. It produces
20-30kg (30-50lb) of manure a day in multiple piles. So that's 1 oz in about
3-4 tons of manure over the period. I am guessing that by the time you
collect it up and leave it to compost the active ingredients would be very
diluted and at least partially or maybe fully decomposed. Obviously if you
pick up the pile the day after worming and apply it straight away your result
will be different.

I wish that I could give a definitive answer but the only way you will know
for sure is if somebody analyses the compost heap. I use much rotted horse
manure from these animals and my garden has excellent wormage. I think on
balance the added organic material does more for the worms than any harm of
toxins.

David