Before getting into this discussion too deeply, the definition of manure needs to be further refined. Manure is fresh fecal material. It is a lot of unused food, so it has much the same chemical composition as the feed that animals consume. All animals produce manure, but the kinds of environmental problems that arise on most farms generate from manure products rather than manure itself. Manure products result from manure storage and treatment systems.
Odors are manure products.
Anaerobic lagoons digest and transform the manure into methane, nutrients, carbon dioxide and water. Broiler litter is a mixture of manure and the animal bedding. Manures that are composted are also processed forms of manure. Manure has the capacity to be either a liability or a benefit. Generally, the liabilities arise when manure is not intensively managed.