In short
- A horse manure storage bin size calculator turns herd size, bedding and days between removals into cubic feet and a bin floor area.
- Penn State Extension: a 1,000 lb horse makes about 0.8 cubic feet of manure a day. Soiled bedding adds 0.6 to 1.6.
- Rutgers puts manure plus bedding at 2 to 3 cubic feet per horse per day. A year of one horse's stall waste fills a 12 x 12 ft stall about 6 ft deep.
- Size for the days you go between removals. Penn State recommends 5 to 6 months of storage.
On this page
This horse manure storage bin size calculator answers a question that comes before the slab is poured: how much floor does the manure pile or bin need? It uses extension figures plus your own bedding, days and pile height. It is a planning estimate, not a quote.
En español: Calculadora del tamaño del almacenamiento de estíercol de caballos
| Your numbers | Cubic feet | Floor, sq ft |
|---|
What this leaves out
- Settling and sloped sides: a free-standing pile is wider than a walled bin, so it needs more floor.
- Manure dropped in the pasture, arena or paddock.
- Space for a loader to reach the bin, turning room and a second bin to rest finished compost.
- A concrete base, roof or cover, and the setbacks in the manure management guide.
A planning estimate, not a quote. Independent local builders can give a written quote through the form on this page.
How the math works
- Manure per horse per day.
0.8 cubic feet for a 1,000 lb horse, scaled by your weight and by the share of the day spent in the stall. At 1,000 lb and 16 hours that is about 0.53.
- Add soiled bedding.
Your own cubic feet per horse per day. Adding 1 gives about 1.53, close to Penn State's worked example of 1.54.
- Multiply by horses and days.
Four horses for 182 days at 1.53 is about 1,116 cubic feet, or 41 cubic yards.
- Divide by pile height for the floor.
At 4 ft deep that is about 279 square feet, a square roughly 16.7 ft on a side.
The extension numbers behind it
Each figure below comes from the extension fact sheets listed under Sources. They differ a little, so the calculator lets you enter your own bedding and shows a light and a heavy case.
Check your own barn. Weigh or measure what comes out of one stall over a week. If it is far from 1.5 cubic feet a day, use your own number in the bedding box.
What one horse needs, by days stored
Plain arithmetic from the formula for one 1,000 lb horse stalled 16 hours a day with 1 cubic foot of soiled bedding, in a 4 ft deep bin.
| Days between removals | Cubic feet | Floor, sq ft |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | 46 | 12 |
| 90 days | 138 | 35 |
| 182 days (6 months) | 279 | 70 |
Multiply by the number of horses. Penn State's own example for one horse over six months gives about 280 cubic feet.
Where should the bin go?
Size is half the question. The Florida equine best management practices manual from FDACS sets manure storage back from wells, sinkholes and streams, and asks for covers in springs areas. Read the manure management guide for Marion County before you draw the barn, and check flood zone and soils for the spot you pick.
Penn State Extension also says the pile needs an improved base or a roof or tarp, and that sloping sides need more floor than a walled bin. Bedding choice changes the volume too: see stall flooring in Florida for what goes under it.
Questions to ask a builder about manure storage
- Is a manure pad, bin or cover in the price, or left to me?
- What are its inside dimensions and wall height?
- Can a loader or truck reach it without crossing the barn aisle?
- How far is it from the well, drainfield and any low spot?
- Can a second bin be added later if the herd grows?
What the estimate leaves out
- Weight scaling. Extension figures are for a 1,000 lb horse. Scaling to your horse is our assumption.
- Feed and use. Diet, water intake and bedding type change what a horse produces and what you remove.
- Shrinkage. Piles settle and compost shrinks, so a bin sized for fresh waste can hold a longer stretch of composting waste.
To size feed and floor space too, use our hay storage space calculator and the stall size and layout guide. When you are ready to plan the building, use the form on this page to ask independent local barn builders for a written quote, and read how to choose a horse barn builder first.
Sources
- Manure Storage on Horse Farms, Penn State Extension. 51 lb or 0.8 cubic feet of manure per day for a 1,000 lb horse, soiled bedding of 0.6 to 1.6 cubic feet, the 1.54 cubic feet and 182 day example, 5 to 6 months of storage, composting pile limits.
- Horse Manure Management: Bedding Use, Rutgers. Manure plus bedding of 2 to 3 cubic feet a day, and a year of stall waste filling a 12 x 12 ft stall about 6 ft deep.
- FDACS, Florida Equine Operations, 2024 Edition. Manure storage setbacks, as summarized in our manure management guide.
Frequently asked questions
How much manure and bedding does one horse make?
Penn State Extension says a 1,000 lb horse produces about 51 pounds, or 0.8 cubic feet, of manure a day, and that soiled bedding adds 0.6 to 1.6 cubic feet a day depending on use. Rutgers puts manure plus bedding at 2 to 3 cubic feet per horse per day and says a year of stall waste from one horse fills a 12 ft x 12 ft stall about 6 ft deep.
How many months should a manure bin hold?
Penn State Extension recommends sizing storage for 5 to 6 months of waste accumulation, and adds extra space for settling and sloped sides. Its example multiplies 1.54 cubic feet a day by 182 days to get 280 cubic feet for one horse. Enter your own days between removals in the calculator.
How big can a compost pile be?
For passive composting, Penn State Extension says a pile should be no larger than 12 ft at the base and 6 ft high, and a pile needs at least 3 ft x 3 ft x 3 ft to heat. A large herd's waste may need several piles or bins.
Where can I put the manure bin in Marion County?
The Florida equine best management practices manual from FDACS sets manure storage back 100 ft from private wells, 200 ft from sinkholes and watercourses and 300 ft from public wells. These are practice targets, not a building code, so confirm with FDACS and the county. Our manure management guide covers them.