muck management!

[AJB]

As you may know Im moving to my own yard next month and my question is probably more relevant to those in simular positions or with fields-how do you manage the muck-we propose to have a muck heap in the field by the field shelters and one near the stables out of sight but do others have it taken away-piled?? the previous encumbrants of the fields chucked in the natural hedging-guess it fertilized them but it looks awful and Im not keen on that idea....my feeling is that it would rot pretty quick as its only poo-no shavings or straw as the horses will be out 24/7 most of the year...suggestions please!!:D

[Dizzy]

A friend of mine bought an old muck spreader and loads it straight into there, when its full she has a farmer come down with his tractor and tows it off and spreads it. The farmer is her Father-in-law, but I know at another yard, the YO pays a farmer to take it away.

Where I am at the moment, they try to burn it - but until I arrived they didn't poo pick, and they have been overwhelmed by the ammount I pick up. My 2 horses drop approx half a barrow load each a day, it only takes a couple weeks and there's a far sized pile. I have local allotment gardeners who want it, but only if I deliver free of charge!! They have negotiated with a farmer to take it away - but he hasn't so far.

[Horseyheaven]

we have WORMS!!!!!!!!

and lots of them!!!!

Just normal earth worms last time There were about 3 thousend wiggly worms
but thats for a livery yard with about 35 horses all mucked out twice a day!!!

ikt halves the rotting time down so takes only a few months now.....thats if you not screemish:D

[Gemma16]

My friend burns theres too. But they have strw in with their droppings. I'm not sure how burning pure poo would go. :confused: :D

I think Dizzys idea was good about the muck spreader. Also do yuo have any other local farms that muck spread? We used to put the weeks muck into a big trailor then go and tip it at the farms muck heap. They used it on their fields.

[nat17]

AJB, when i used to rent a field we used to put a sign on the nearest roads 'manure, free to good home' 'bring your own fork and bags' and allotment holders and keen old men gardeners used to come every week and take some, we also put it in the local free papers and always used to get it all gone.
I also know someone that used to hire a large skip, it used to last 6 weeks for 6 horses and cost £60 , so saved on expensive removal and the cost was minimal to all the owners. I would be careful were you start your muck heap and not put it next to field shelters or stables as come summer the flys are really bad and the horses go to these areas (shelter/stables) to get away from flys so would be a nightmare to manage.:(

[HAYLEY GITTOES]

Although, i dont have my own field / stables, i keep Molly on a private yard where there is only me and the owner. But we have quite alot of muck! We have a tidy muck heep, keep it as tidy as we can, keep all the muck pushed back, and it does rot down, we use shavings to, so that does help, but most of it is out of the field so that dosnt rot down,we do manage though.

One thing you could do is put ad on your gate for people to collect it, only one disadvantage is people you dont know coming on to your yard.

We are quite lucky as we know this old couple who every few months come and colelct nearly all of it, what they do with it ill never know!

Let us know what you decide.

[Lindi]

We used to have some friends come and take the muck away every week. But now there is a muck heap at the side of the farmer's field just down the road. It's kept really tidy, he'll either spread it if he wants it or occasionally if it gets too much it is burnt. The only thing i dont like is having to wheel poo down in the dark as its next to a ditch, i always hav visions of either falling in or being attacked by something lol.

[AJB]

thanks for all the suggestions everyone-the problem with bagging and leaving at the gate is that the main house entrance is a carriage drive so very smart (picture long drive with apple blossom trees and rows of daffodils on the grass at the moment..) so thats out and the entrance we use is on a b road but its pretty busy so not the sort of place people would stop...I have a sort of obsession with poo picking and cant stand fields of muck, plus at the yard im leaving the management was soo poor all of the horses had high worm counts partly due to liverys not poo picking I think...I am going back Sunday and think what will happen is that we will make a muck heap in each of the 3 fields, in the corners and every summer will clear it using either our own trailer or a local farmer...the muck heap for the yard is near the stables and wont get too big as we dont propose using the stables too much and im saving to put rubber matting in mine so that i use less bedding etc....am soo excited at moving-just cant wait as the yard is lovely and where im at is so awful-another livery is coming with us and gives in their notice today so things might get awful and if so we will move this weekend...

[artemis]

I advertise mine in the local shops & the pub. They have to collect their own. About a 1/4 is gone already, I I havn't even advertised yet this year!