# Deer Droppings Question

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-droppings-question/577525>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [April 7, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-droppings-question/577525 "2011-04-07T15:00:54Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-droppings-question/577525/1 "2011-04-07T15:00:54Z")

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This is our first spring since we put in our new backyard lawn. We live in Montana. The snow is gone and the grass is starting to come back, however there are a lot of deer droppings on the lawn from all of the grazing over the past few weeks. Is it safe to leave the droppings or should I remove them because they will harm the lawn?

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**Author:** ![thelabdude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dc4da7/32.png) [@thelabdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/thelabdude)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-droppings-question/577525/2 "2011-04-07T15:10:26Z")

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You might use a rake to spread them around a little. Otherwise good fertilizer free.

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**Author:** ![dolphinboy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dolphinboy/32/330_2.png) [@dolphinboy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dolphinboy)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-droppings-question/577525/3 "2011-04-07T15:19:16Z")

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Thanks TLD. I understand that fresh horse manure is not good as a plant fertilizer. Anyone know why that’s the case?

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**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 3:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-droppings-question/577525/4 "2011-04-07T15:23:20Z")

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> [@dolphinboy](#):
>
> Thanks TLD. I understand that fresh horse manure is not good as a plant fertilizer. Anyone know why that’s the case?

Fresh horse manure isn’t as good as seasoned manure or commercial fertilizer because horse digestion is so inefficient that there are ALWAYS viable weed seeds left in the droppings. Unless an effort is made to compost the manure and thus “cook” the seeds, you’re going to have weeds galore through all your beds and the lawn, if you spread it there, too.

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**Author:** ![johnpost](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f17d59/32.png) [@johnpost](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/johnpost)\
**Post date:** [April 7, 2011, 3:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/deer-droppings-question/577525/5 "2011-04-07T15:29:55Z")

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small turds too so they aren’t a problem.