Animal manure & bedding

There are a number of different ways in which you can make Bokashi which is good news for you!

No two farms are identical and therefore what works for one farm won’t work for another. Yes the principle of moisture content and C:N ratio matter but after that it’s a case of what suits you and your setup best.

We have farmers who apply the microbes onto the bedding with a knapsack sprayer once a week, others apply the microbes through specially installed misting systems and some even apply the microbes onto the straw before the bale goes through the straw blower.

There are farmers who have a straw for muck arrangement and they add the amendments onto each trailer as it comes into the farm while others apply onto the bedding before it is mucked out.

The truth is there is no right or wrong way which is why it is best to speak to one of our experts who can understand you set up and management before suggesting which method will work best for you.

Bokashi works with ANY organic manure. It really doesn’t matter if it’s Cattle, Sheep or Chicken manure. The only consideration you need is the moisture content and C:N ratio (carbon : nitrogen).

You want at least 40% moisture in a Bokashi heap, but the truth is, the more moisture the better.

Obviously you don’t want to add too much moisture that the heap is no longer stackable, but otherwise, more water will almost always result in a better fermentation.

If, when you pick up a handful of organic matter in your hand and squeeze, no water comes out, you could add more. If, when you squeeze the organic matter water droplets fall, you probably have too much.

The C:N ratio is probably the most important consideration when making Bokashi. Too much carbon and you won’t achieve a decent breakdown and too much nitrogen and you risk experiencing losses.

Different microbes thrive on different foods. Fungi, for example, prefer higher carbon whereas bacteria will thrive with higher nitrogen.

If you aim for a C:N ratio of 20:1, you will have a nicely balanced food source that will support a wide diversity of microbes. A C:N ratio of 20:1 will also ensure there is a significant level of organic matter breakdown, creating a spreadable bokashi ferment that can be applied onto or into the soil.

One of the most common questions is, ‘Do we have to cover the Bokashi heap?’.

In a word. Yes.

The reason why we cover a Bokashi heap is for two reasons. Firstly, to ferment the organic matter we need to maintain an anaerobic environment.

Just like a silage clamp, if you didn’t cover a silage clamp you would have a lot of wastage.

Secondly, covering the heap prevents rain from falling onto the organic manure and leaching away nutrients.