alternative for cow and horse dung

Started by mushysan, June 12, 2004, 06:14:45 PM

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mushysan

Hi everybody!

I would like to know if there is any other dung that is good for making compost mixed with straw for growing magic mushrooms  - beside cow and horse's? What about chicken or sheep's dung for instance? I'm asking you this because so far I have collected dung on fields and now I will ask for an alternative in our local gardening stores.

And, is dung bought in stores good, does it need to be pasteurized or not?

What do you think, since I lack of dung right now, is it O.K. if I make compost only from straw and put 1 or 2 inches of dung on top as a casing layer? I'm asking you this because I heard straw is much more prone to contamination that dung.

tnx for your help!

Mushysan
Mushysan

anno

>I would like to know if there is any other dung that is good for making compost
>mixed with straw for growing magic mushrooms - beside cow and horse's?

Sheep, goats, llamas, elephants should all be good sources.
Chicken shit is too concentrated, only suitable as an addition in very small quantities.

>And, is dung bought in stores good, does it need to be pasteurized or not?

It needs to be pasteurized as well, some people prefer to leech it also, since it can be quite nutritive and thus easier to contaminate if used pure.

>is it O.K. if I make compost only from straw and put 1 or 2 inches of dung on top
>as a casing layer?

I would simply mix the straw and the dung you have, pasteurize it together, spawn with grain spawn and then case with 50/50 casing.

At the Shroomery
http://www.shroomery.org/index/par/22994 there are several guides on dung use.

Sr_Setahongo

">is it O.K. if I make compost only from straw and put 1 or 2 inches of dung on top
>as a casing layer?

I would simply mix the straw and the dung you have, pasteurize it together, spawn with grain spawn and then case with 50/50 casing. "

But, what is better in yield terms? To mix dung with straw then pasteurize or to make compost out of dung, straw and other ingredientes (to boost the actinomyces and all that stuff).


anno

Properly prepared composts is probably less contamination prone.
Don't know about the yield.