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 Sh*t 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.