PROJECT REPORT ON COLLECTION &

PROCESSING OF COW DUNG

In a lay man’s understanding, cow dung or feces is indigestible plant material released on to the
ground from the intestine of a cow. In other words, just like we excrete unwanted food
substances, cow dungs are quite the same. But unlike human excrete, cow dungs have a lot of
benefits, as a result of its composition.

It’s a combination of water, indigestible plant matter, and other substances that are released from
the cow’s intestines.

Despite sounding rather unpleasant, cow dung has a variety of uses in the home and garden. If
you raise cows, it is both plentiful and renewable – so make sure you don’t waste it!

Especially compared to other types of manure, cow dung has a soft texture. It’s usually deposited
in a round, circular shape. That’s why you’ll hear cow dung referred to as cow pats or cow pies.

Cow manure isn’t just useful for us – it’s also essential for all kinds of living things. Among
Them? Dung beetles. These beetles aerate and fertilize the soil, helping to prevent manure from
being washed away by rainwater to contaminated waterways.

Dung also provides great food for earthworms!

Benefits of Cow Dungs

A Potent Fuel and Biogas Producer

Cow dung that is dried, becomes a perfect fuel itself. That’s why in some cultures, like in certain
parts of Costa Rica, cow dungs from local cows or buffalo in other cases, is routinely picked,
mixed with straw, and dried in order to be used as fuel.

When dried, these dungs can be used to lit the fire for cooking, and roasting meat. And the thing
is, as soon as cow dung is dried, it instantly ceases to smell.

Other than Costa Rica, in North America, people make use of the energy stored in cow dung, by
indirectly making biogas from the dung. And in case you never knew, biogas is a mixture of
gases made by the anaerobic digestion of organic matter through bacteria.

Bio Gas

And when the “anaerobic” process takes place in the absence of oxygen, the digested organic
matter can either be cow dung, wasted food and so on.
Plus, biogas produced from cow dung, can be used to cook, heat water using a boiler, and even
take the place of conventional fuel in motor vehicles. On top of that, the energy in biogas made
from cow dung can be used to produce electricity.

Cow Dung Fertilizer

One of the reasons why most herdsmen or cattle owners often leave cow dung to seat on plants
and grass is because these dungs, help those plants to grow up quickly into a size where the cows
can once again feed on them.

Cow dung is powerful manure because, it is made up of rich minerals, most especially nitrogen,
phosphorus, and potassium. That’s why when being kept on the plant, cow dungs can quickly
support the growth of such plants, whenever it comes in contact with the soil where it is growing
from. In other words, cow dungs will help the plant grow faster by enhancing the soil’s texture
and maintaining its moisture level.

However, there are some cautions that you need to abide by when using cow dung as fertilizer.
First, you need to sometimes remove the dungs from the field, especially if the field is close to
human habitats because these dungs give off methane which acts as a greenhouse gas in the
atmosphere. And if there is a lake or river nearby, and there is an erosion (water runoff) that
happens to carry some of the dungs into these rivers/lakes, it is certainly going pollute the water,
thus causing some harmful infection to any human that comes in contact with the water.

Secondly, you need to realize that cow dung is chemically dense, which is why you must always
dilute or allow it to sit in the soil first before you plant any crop.

So, there you have it, the immense benefits of cow dung in our society. So next time you hear
people talk ill of cow dungs, you can simply do them the favor by referring them to this article.
They also have the right to know how beneficial cow dung is.

Amazing Uses for Cow Dung

1. Fertilizer

The most obvious way to use cow dung is as fertilizer.

When used correctly, cow dung is a rich fertilizer. In the soil, it supports all kinds of microbes,
plants, and even animals. It’s an important host for dung beetles and the Pilobolus fungus.

Pilobolus is a fungus that grows only on herbivorous dung, such as the manure of cows. It can’t
make its own food and must absorb nutrients from its surroundings.
Removing cow manure from barns and fields to use it as a fertilizer is common. It is rich in
minerals such as phosphorus, potassium, and nitrogen. When added to the soil, it can encourage
the growth of beneficial microorganisms.

Like other types of animal manure, cow dung can improve the structure and texture of the soil. If
your soil is too sandy or has too much clay, adding cow dung can help to rectify the issue.

That said, it’s a good idea to not apply cow manure immediately to the field but instead to wait a
while before crops are planted. That way, you can ensure that it’s not too rich in certain
chemicals and nutrients.

2. Fuel and Biomass

Cow dung is also an important source of fuel. Although making biomass fuel from cow dung
isn’t common in the United States, in other countries, the manure is frequently collected and
dried for fuel. Sometimes it is mixed with some straw.

Then, the combination can be lit to provide heat. It can also provide a cooking flame. While that sounds
unpleasant, it’s important to remember that cow dung loses its offensive odor when it’s fully dried.
Like I said, using cow patties for biofuel isn’t as common in the United States. However, this is growing in
popularity as scientists work on ways to make biogas from dung. Biogas is just a mixture of gasses that
are produced by anaerobically digested manure by bacteria.
These biogases are made out of cow dung but can also be made from things like plant material, food
waste, and sewage. There’s a technological device known as a digester that converts the manure to gas
and then allows it to be used as fuel.

3. Building Material

Cow dung can also be used as a building material.

Again, this isn’t common in the United States. However, in some parts of the world – like in
Kenya’s Masai Mara and in India – people living in rural areas regularly use a paste of mud and
cow dung to form the floors and walls of their homes.

It forms a waterproof layer that insulates the house, keeping it warm while also preventing heat
entry during the hotter months. Again, since it’s dried, it does not smell.

In a slightly more modernized take on this technique, some people make bricks from cow dung and
straw dust.
There’s a growing movement in developed countries to make fiberboard with manure residue, rather
than the traditional sawdust. In this technique, the manure would be sterilized and then mixed with a bit
of resin to form the board.

Fiberboard is a valuable resource that is used to make floors and furniture, but it can be
expensive to produce.
4. Papermaking

You can even make paper from cow dung! The manure needs to be washed so the fibers can be
extracted but they can then be pressed into paper on a screen.

You can do this as a hobby. You can also buy this kind of paper online if you want a more eco-
friendly alternative.

5. Insect Repellent

This next use for cow dung might sound odd when you consider how flies like to hang around a
cow’s back end!

However, when cow dung is burned, it can be highly effective at warding off all kinds of insect
pests – including mosquitoes. When you burn cow dung, the smoke will keep insects away for
hours.

6. Insulator

I already mentioned that cow dung works well as a building material. It can also be used for
insulation.

7. Disinfectant – Maybe

In some cultures, cow dung is regularly applied to the floor. This is done to insulate it, as
mentioned above, but there is also a belief that cow dung can serve as a disinfectant. There are
beneficial microbes in cow dung that might help ward off unwanted pathogens.

That said, this is one you’d need to try with caution. Sterilized cow manure can contain microbes
that can make humans sick, too. You don’t want raw cow dung to come into contact with an
open wound or your food.

8. Fun and Games

Believe it or not, cow manure can also be used as a source of entertainment! Especially in rural
areas, cow contests are about as fun as they get.

One example? A cow chip throwing contest. People throw dried cow patties as far as they can.
Whoever throws it the farthest wins. Simple enough.

Cow pie bingo is another popular game. In this, squares are drawn in chalk on the grass. Each
square is marked with a number and everyone pays for a square.

The cows are led to the grass, and the winner is the person who “owns” the square where the cow
leaves behind his dung first. Gross, but certainly an interesting spectator sport!
9. Composting Cow Dung

Many people put cow dung directly on their gardens and fields as a fertilizer, but you can also
compost it. The high ammonia content in the dung can burn plants if fresh manure is applied
directly.

Made up of digested grain and grass, cow manure is high in nitrogen along with potassium and
phosphorus. It can also contain ammonia, as I just mentioned, and pathogens that can make
humans sick.

Cow dung can also contain weed seeds. Composting the manure will kill both the pathogens and
the weeds while retaining the helpful nutrients.

By adding composted cow manure to the garden you’ll improve the soil’s ability to hold
moisture. You won’t have to water as often. Plus, the compost can improve aeration and help
break up compaction.

After composting the cow manure, you can use it as a top dressing or mix it right into the soil.
There are a few ways you can compost – hot composting and vermicomposting.

You can even add cow manure to a lasagna garden, in which you’ll layer fresh manure with other
carbon-dense materials so that everything breaks down and composts right in your garden.

When you compost the cow dung, consider mixing it with lighter materials like hay or straw.
You can also add ash or lime to balance out the pH.

You’ll need a relatively large compost pile to compost cow manure, but not too big. You need to
make sure the pile is large enough to produce heat but not so large that it doesn’t get enough air.

Where to Get Cow Dung

If you raise your own cows, you probably already have a pretty solid idea of where to get cow
dung. Just follow your girls around for a bit!

However, if you don’t have a farm that raises cows, you’ll need to buy it.

If you know someone who raises cattle, there’s a good chance that they have far more manure
than they know what to do with. They’ll be happy to have you take it off their hands, especially
if you’re willing to scoop it up and pick it up from the farm (rather than having them deliver it to
you).

Some farmers also process the droppings themselves and sell it.
Worst case scenario, you can always buy cow dung from a retailer. Most home and garden stores
sell cow dung that you can use, among other things, as fertilizer for your garden. Believe it or
not, there are even some health and wellness stores that sell cow dung.

Although the jury is definitely still out on this one, some people believe in applying cow dung to
their skin to use it to improve blood circulation. It can supposedly alleviate and prevent acne and
pimples on the skin, too, since it has antibacterial properties.

I’ll probably wait a hot second to try that one! I think I need more research first.

Tips for Handling Cow Dung

If you want to try out any of the ideas listed above to get rid of your cow’s…er…droppings,
you’re welcome to it! It’s an ample resource that offers a variety of resources.

However, there are a few safety precautions you should take.

For one, always wear gloves when you handle dung of any kind. Don’t let it get into your mouth
or any open wounds as it could make you sick.

If you decide you want to try to make your own miniature anaerobic digester, be careful doing
so. Follow the assembly instructions for the unit you purchase very carefully, since digesters can
be dangerous. Biogas contains methane – and methane is a flammable gas.

If you’ve purchased cow dung that you plan to use in your garden – and you didn’t raise the
cows yourself- make sure you ask about whether the cows were treated with any medications.
The chemicals can make their way into cow dung so it’s important to be aware of this.

Conventionally fire wood, electricity or LPG gas is used for cremation purpose, cooking food,
industrial boilers, brick kilns, factories, etc. Indian people mostly prefer traditional product for
cremation e.g. wooden logs and dried cow dung logs. Compared to fire wood

Co

Cow Dung: The Proof is in the Poop

So there you have it! The most practical (and best) uses for cow dung on the homestead.

Cow dung is a powerful and underutilized resource. By following these tips, you can make the
most of this valuable material. Have you tried any of these methods? Let us know in the
comments!

If getting cow manure (or almost any manure) from an outside source, be sure to verify
that their grazing or hay fields were not treated with certain broad-leaf herbicides
(“Grazon” is one brand name). These apparently can be spread, the grass/hay eaten and
digested, and the manure composted–and the herbicide is still active. Put it on a garden or
around a fruit tree, and you may find everything gets sickly and/or dies. No one seems to
know how long-lasting it really is.

Other than that–yes, give any manure (plus plant wastes) enough time, moisture, and
mass to heat up properly, and it’s *all* good! Read “The Humanure Handbook.” Great
stuff. Especially with fertilizer prices skyrocketing