In today’s discussion, we are going to get into something that perhaps does not get talked about often, for fairly obvious reasons: manure. We know the topic is a little awkward for many people, but it is one that turns out to have real value once you look at it more closely. Some tend to shy away from the subject entirely, yet future farmers out there are actively looking for ways to make good use of what might otherwise seem like an unpleasant byproduct. Handled well, manure is not waste at all. It is one of the oldest and most effective tools a farmer has for building healthy, productive soil.
Contents
What Is Manure?
By definition, manure is a type of organic fertilizer commonly used in agriculture. It is made up of organic matter, created predominantly from animal excrement, and is sometimes combined with a green variant or with compost. When worked into the ground, this matter alters the soil condition for the better, improving fertility by adding organic material and enriching the soil with nutrients.
Nitrogen is one of the key nutrients manure supplies. It is used by the fungi, bacteria, and countless other organisms living in the soil, and from there a whole food chain builds up, as smaller organisms become food sources for larger ones. In this way, manure does more than feed the plants directly. It feeds the entire living system of the soil, which in turn supports stronger, healthier crops over the long term.
Types of Manure
Manure today can be divided into three major classes: animal-based manure, compost, and green manure. Each is produced differently and serves a slightly different purpose in the field.
Animal-Based Manure
This variant is made up mostly of feces, and it can be broken down further into two familiar forms.
The first is Farmyard Manure (FYM). FYM is composed of plant material such as straw in addition to the excrement. The straw usually starts life as bedding for the animals, and over time that bedding becomes mixed with both feces and urine, producing a rich, well-rounded material that is excellent for the soil.
The second is Farm Slurry. This liquid matter is formed in more intensive livestock rearing systems, often those built with slats and concrete flooring that allow the waste to be collected in liquid form. Slurry is easier to pump and spread mechanically, which suits larger operations.
It is worth noting that different types of excrement carry different properties. Sheep manure, for instance, is relatively rich in both potash and nitrogen. Pig manure tends to be higher in phosphorus but lower in nitrogen by comparison. Bird excrement stands out for its high nitrogen and phosphate concentration, which makes it especially prized as a fertilizer, though as we will see, it needs careful handling.
Compost
In simple terms, compost is the remains of decomposed organic material. It is typically plant-based in origin, though it is often mixed with animal dung to raise its nutrient content. Composting is essentially a controlled form of decomposition, and the process itself helps stabilize the material, reduce odor, and make the nutrients inside more available to plants.
Green Manure
This variant is made up of crops grown specifically to be plowed back into the soil. Doing so improves soil fertility by mixing fresh nutrients directly into the ground. Clover, a member of the leguminous plant family, is a typical choice for green manure. Its root structure houses Rhizobia bacteria, which help fix nitrogen in the soil, effectively pulling nitrogen from the air and locking it into a form plants can use.
Other materials can also be turned into this kind of fertilizer, including the plant matter found in the rumens of slaughtered ruminants, seaweed, and spent grain such as the byproducts left over from beer brewing.
Nutrient Content by Source
Because different animals produce manure with different nutrient balances, it helps to see them side by side. The table below gives a general sense of how the common sources compare, though exact values vary with diet, bedding, and storage.
| Source | Nutrient Profile | Handling Note |
|---|---|---|
| Cattle (cow dung) | Balanced, moderate nutrients, high organic matter | Excellent for soil structure and long-term fertility |
| Sheep | Relatively rich in potash and nitrogen | Balanced profile, versatile across crops |
| Pig | Higher in phosphorus, lower in nitrogen | Strong odor, best injected or composted |
| Poultry (bird) | Very high in nitrogen and phosphate | Must be composted first, fresh manure burns plants |
Uses of Manure
The use of animal manure such as cow dung and chicken litter is a centuries-old practice, and its main role has always been as a fertilizer in agriculture. Soil that has been mixed with manure gains a better structure, which means it can hold on to more water and nutrients than it could before. Microbial activity in the soil is also heightened, and this leads to increased nitrogen levels that directly assist plant growth. In short, manure improves not just the chemistry of the soil but its physical structure and its biological life all at once.
Still, working with an organic fertilizer like this brings one issue that many find hard to get past: the foul-smelling odor. The dung of omnivores such as swine contains a range of acids, including valeric, butyric, propionic, acetic, and carboxylic acids, along with compounds like trimethylamine and skatole. It is precisely because of this that particularly smelly manure is often injected directly into the soil, which reduces the exposure and keeps the odor down.
The dung of herbivores, by contrast, is relatively mild in odor, thanks to a plant-based diet that is low in protein. Even so, herbivore manure that has gone through fermentation will smell just as strong. And fresh poultry droppings are actually dangerous to plants if applied directly, because their high nitrogen and ammonia content can scorch or burn the roots. This is why poultry manure needs to be composted first, a step that both tames the odor and makes the fertilizer safe and far more effective.
“On a working farm, manure is one of those things that quietly decides how smooth or how difficult your day is. Farms that let it pile up end up fighting odor, flies, and hygiene problems, while the ones that collect it efficiently turn it straight into a resource. When customers ask us about manure handling, my advice is simple. Treat collection as part of your daily routine, not an afterthought, and the whole operation runs cleaner and more profitably.”
Sue Su, Marketing Director, Jummos
Managing Manure on Your Farm
As you move forward with your plans in the agricultural business, it is well worth thinking about a proper management system for the manure produced by the animals you rear. Collecting it efficiently keeps the farm cleaner and healthier, cuts down on odor and flies, and turns a potential nuisance into a genuine asset you can either use on your own land or sell on.
This is exactly where the right equipment earns its place. Jummos offers a range of devices and tools built for this purpose, including a manure cleaning truck that vacuums up dung across your farm quickly and cleanly, so you do not have to handle it by hand. It pairs naturally with the rest of a well-run livestock setup, alongside the machinery you use for feeding and the tools that support broader livestock farming. Contact us today and we will see how we can help you keep your operation clean and productive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does fresh poultry manure need to be composted before use?
Fresh poultry manure is very high in nitrogen, ammonia, and salts, and applying it directly can scorch or burn plant roots rather than nourish them. It may also carry pathogens and viable weed seeds. Composting solves several problems at once. It stabilizes the nitrogen into a form that plants can safely take up, it reduces the strong odor, and the heat generated during composting helps kill off harmful organisms. Once composted, poultry manure becomes one of the most nutrient-rich and effective organic fertilizers available.
Which animal manure is best for my soil?
It depends on what your soil and crops need. Cow dung is prized for improving soil structure and long-term fertility, making it a reliable all-rounder. Sheep manure offers a fairly balanced nutrient profile. Pig manure is higher in phosphorus, which supports root development, while poultry manure is the richest in nitrogen and phosphate but must always be composted first. The best approach is to match the manure’s nutrient balance to your crop, and when in doubt, well-composted cattle manure is a safe and versatile starting point.
How can I reduce the smell of manure on my farm?
Odor is the most common complaint about manure, and there are practical ways to manage it. Injecting particularly strong-smelling manure, such as pig slurry, directly into the soil greatly reduces the exposure. Composting also cuts odor significantly as the material stabilizes. Beyond that, the single most effective step is efficient, regular collection, because manure that is promptly gathered and stored or processed does not sit around generating smell and attracting flies the way an uncovered pile does.
Reviewed by Sue Su, Marketing Director of Jummos, on August 16, 2026. The nutrient and handling details were checked against current agricultural guidance to keep the information accurate for farmers.