Horse poo - the fuel of the future?

[Johnny Redgate]

I've recently made a few briquettes out of horse manure using a newspaper briquette maker. So I'm kind of using the horse to turn grass into burnable fuel. The briquettes make quite well especially if the poo is quite moist and dry within 2 or 3 weeks. My plan is to burn them in an old gas bottle wood burner I've made to heat my cabin. They burn quite well at least when started/mixed with wood and are not too smelly - similar to that peat burning smell you get in Ireland.

Anybody else this side of Africa happily heating their place with animal dung?

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by Johnny Redgate

I've recently made a few briquettes out of horse manure using a newspaper briquette maker. So I'm kind of using the horse to turn grass into burnable fuel. The briquettes make quite well especially if the poo is quite moist and dry within 2 or 3 weeks. My plan is to burn them in an old gas bottle wood burner I've made to heat my cabin. They burn quite well at least when started/mixed with wood and are not too smelly - similar to that peat burning smell you get in Ireland.

Anybody else this side of Africa happily heating their place with animal dung?

Something you should take some care about is that while peat is almost completely biologically innert, animal dung, unless thoroughly dessicated is very biologically active. There probably are no major health implications for your horse dung burning, so long as your burner is efficiently flued. Otherwise I would suggest there maybe cause for concern regarding the activation of mold and bacterial spores in the 'cool' smoke' from the periphery of the burn which could be a source of illnesses comparable to 'farmers lung'.

CM

[Johnny Redgate]

Originally Posted by Cotham Marble

Something you should take some care about is that while peat is almost completely biologically innert, animal dung, unless thoroughly dessicated is very biologically active. There probably are no major health implications for your horse dung burning, so long as your burner is efficiently flued. Otherwise I would suggest there maybe cause for concern regarding the activation of mold and bacterial spores in the 'cool' smoke' from the periphery of the burn which could be a source of illnesses comparable to 'farmers lung'.

CM

Hmmm. Thanks for the info, that's something to think about. Looking on the web "indoor pollution" seems to be the cause for concern, so as long as my stove isn't leaking smoke inside it should be OK? My briquettes are very dry and although there is some mould I wouldn't say there is much more than the average piece of wood I end up burning.

I am quite interested in powered briquette makers but have yet to find a moderate output domestic one. Something to run off the tractor pto would be good. I have plenty of wood from my hedgelaying at the moment but it won't last forever.

Seems I won't be making my fortune in horse poo briquettes after all.

[Cotham Marble]

Originally Posted by Johnny Redgate

Hmmm. Thanks for the info, that's something to think about. Looking on the web "indoor pollution" seems to be the cause for concern, so as long as my stove isn't leaking smoke inside it should be OK? My briquettes are very dry and although there is some mould I wouldn't say there is much more than the average piece of wood I end up burning. I am quite interested in powered briquette makers but have yet to find a moderate output domestic one. Something to run off the tractor pto would be good. I have plenty of wood from my hedgelaying at the moment but it won't last forever. Seems I won't be making my fortune in horse poo briquettes after all.

So long as the burn is uniformly hot - which is a function of the fire bed design, inward ventilation and fluing - and the fluing is adequate to take all the exhaust material away from the house/hut interior, then there should be no problem.

The domestic pollution that affects many Third World populations is primarily a result of inadequate or non existant fluing which results in large soot particles affecting the lungs and bronchiae of those who spend most time within the home - typically wonen and children. I'm not sure any of the studies into the problem have consider whether mold or bacterial spores are an issue.

The term Farmers Lung is these days mostly used in connection with infections that come from poor handling of dry materials where the spores are dust borne, however in the past there was a lot of concern in the UK about the burning of partially rotted vegetation, particularly hay. With wet material bonfires didn't reach high temperatures and the smoke was heavily ladden with spores. It was this scenario that seemed to me to potentially have relevance to your home made fuel and fire systems.

CM

[BloomingMarvellous]

Tried burning Sheep S*it once whilst camping on the Isle of Skye and It wouldn't burn. So i suggest you don't make sheep xexexexexe Briquettes. But It was quite Funny.

[BloomingMarvellous]

One of my earliest childhood memory's was my Dad going into a shop at Cheddar Gorge and asking the shop assistant for a packet of Sheep S*it Fags, It was so funny, we could see them in the window display. I often wonder if there still there today. How funny remembering that tonight.

[sjmarrie]

I have tried to do the same but the briquettes don't ignite - only smolder. Any thoughts? not dry enough (they felt very dry)?

[posie]

..It is my belief that it makes a difference what the horse has been eating, also I have found that the poos burn better if dried as they are, and burned as they are, i.e. not made into briquettes..my problem is that some of my ponies are knee-high to a grasshopper (Miniatures) , and you can imagine what tiny poos a pony that is only knee-high does.

Another thing I've found is that if the poos have been on a bonfire but not burned away..THEY burn very well, this might mean that it is because they are very dry right through.

I also tried mixing poo with dry soiled shavings, it didn't hold together quite so well and wasn't much improvement.

I've also tried putting some poos in the ash tray when fire is alight to dry them right out...that worked.

Conclusion is..Maybe the briquettes need to be dried through more thoroughly


Posie-poo

[Johnny Redgate]

Originally Posted by posie

..It is my belief that it makes a difference what the horse has been eating, also I have found that the poos burn better if dried as they are, and burned as they are, i.e. not made into briquettes..my problem is that some of my ponies are knee-high to a grasshopper (Miniatures) , and you can imagine what tiny poos a pony that is only knee-high does.

Another thing I've found is that if the poos have been on a bonfire but not burned away..THEY burn very well, this might mean that it is because they are very dry right through.

I also tried mixing poo with dry soiled shavings, it didn't hold together quite so well and wasn't much improvement.

I've also tried putting some poos in the ash tray when fire is alight to dry them right out...that worked.

Conclusion is..Maybe the briquettes need to be dried through more thoroughly


Posie-poo

Hi Posie, have you been making poo patties too?
I haven'tmade briquettes for a while because our horses are rarely stabled now. I used to make them in the winter and dry them out over the following summer. They burned well but not fast and produced quite a lot of ash. I wouldn't have a fire of poo briquettes only, usually mixed with logs, certainly start with a good fire of sticks.

[nightshade]

I think that probably the horses would need an all grass type of diet to make decent fuel, but it did/does work for the peoples of the Steppes