Manure Management

Manure – about 37 lbs per day per horse – is the inevitable by-product of keeping horses. And, when added to the urine-soaked bedding, horse owners are suddenly looking at the never-ending problem of how to manage a large volume of waste. When not managed properly, this mountain of waste is a source of odor and contaminated run-off into near-by water sources, as well as an attractant for flies and vermin.

Most towns, and even rural areas, no longer permit spreading – and no one should put fresh manure and shavings onto a pasture or paddock before it’s been composted. It’s too acidic for the grass in its raw form, and there’s the potential for increasing the parasite load on the field.

So, as good stewards of our horses and our land, we have to plan for handling their waste in an efficient and responsible way.

Manure Transfer Building


This is a very good solution for those with limited land or limited time to manage a composting facility. And, with increased interest in composting, nearly all areas have at least one company with a manure dumpster service. These companies deliver an empty dumpster and pick up the full ones – in the meantime, the manure dumpster should be kept covered to prevent water penetration, odors and fly breeding.

King has designed a variety of manure transfer buildings in various sizes and price ranges, and we design them to complement the other buildings on the farm. Whenever possible, we construct the manure transfer building so the dumpster sits below grade. This eliminates the need for ramping and makes it much easier to unload the manure from wheelbarrows or dump carts as the stalls are cleaned.

“I’m writing to share my deep appreciation for a job very well done on our barn(s) project. The architecture and design of these barns is complex, and your team brought them to life with quality considered first and foremost. I never once had to ask you to stop up the quality of any of your materials or finishes; the standards you set for the overall project were delivered unwaveringly. In short, you did a superb job, with a very well-coordinated and managed effort to bring the job in on schedule and on budget. I enjoyed my daily visits to the site and reveled in the progress. I am very proud of this barn complex.”

- Nelson Farm
Stahlstown, PA

Composting Facility


Compost is a rich product that is perfect for improving lawns, gardens, paddocks and pastures, so many farms are now electing to compost rather than shipping manure off-site. And composting on-site makes good financial sense — once the composting facility is working, the fees for manure dumpsters come to an end and excess compost can be sold.

Learn more about our composting facility design.