Manure bricks for heat

[Trev62]

Horse manure bricks for heat, yes it sounds crazy but...... I have been looking into this subject (not literally!) and people make and use these (not just using horse manure. It would seem, goat and rabbit manure are also options).

Has anyone ever tried making them or even using them?

Coming into winter here it is not something that I can try and make until Spring but with the problems sourcing wood at present any option (that costs nothing) is worth a try.

[Mo]

I know people have posted in the past about using newspaper bricks. Think drying them was the problem.
haven't you got enough to do!

[lancashire lass]

I have heard that (dried) manure makes good fuel for fires - horse manure in particular as they don't have an efficient gut to completely digest everything (that's why manure from horses dug into soil make a more "weedy" bed because the seeds survive digestion, but contains lots of vegetable matter which is great for breaking up heavy soil) so will contain combustible material that will burn. I don't know about goat but I can imagine rabbit poo (with soiled bedding) would be just as good. Definitely a spring / summer job to make the bricks and let them thoroughly dry off. However, how much heat or ash / smoke they produce is something I don't know

I know people have posted in the past about using newspaper bricks.

I can imagine few people buy newspapers these days and the freebie local ones are no longer delivered any more so getting quantities like in the past could be more difficult.

[Mo]

I know people have posted in the past about using newspaper bricks.

I can imagine few people buy newspapers these days and the freebie local ones are no longer delivered any more so getting quantities like in the past could be more difficult.

True, and magazines and junk mail are shiny paper that doesn't burn well

[Trev62]

I know people have posted in the past about using newspaper bricks. Think drying them was the problem.
haven't you got enough to do!

More than I can cope with at present to be honest especially with winter arriving (the first snow is currently falling). But......I am always looking at different ideas for so-called "Off Grid" living and I know a man with horses and we have plenty of goat and rabbit manure that can be utilized then we have two lambs arriving next month as well so plenty of manure around to use as a free source of heat. It is an interesting idea if viable.

 However, how much heat or ash / smoke they produce is something I don't know.

After reading several reports and about people's experiences using them, it seems they do not produce a lot of smoke and the heat output is higher than coniferous tree logs. Ash can be placed on the garden but too much can take the soil towards the lime end of the scale.

More reading to do yet but the bricks would have to be made in summer to ensure they dry for winter use. Sounds like an experiment for the outside petchka next year.

[lancashire lass]

Sounds like an experiment for the outside petchka next year.

I'm always one for experimenting - whether to prove or disprove the accepted way of doing things. You won't know unless you try. And using natural waste by-products instead of fossil fuel or chopping trees down is much more sustainable providing it isn't polluting.