Poo picking

[Anna.C]

Hi,
I'd like to pick your brains (unfortunate turn of phrase!) about poo picking grazing land. I have 2 horses who live out 24/7 and I work full time. This means as a lot of you will be aware at this time of year, leaving for work in the dark and getting home the same.

Pasture maintenance has to wait till the weekend and you'd be surprised (or perhaps not!) at just how much poo 2 horses can generate in a week! By the time I've done a decent job of picking up most of the dollops I'm knackered! This weekend was the last straw - I'd had a particularly busy week at work, and once I'd done all the necessary - including the poo pick - was too tired to ride!

Any suggestions to ease the burden would be greatly appreciated!

[CrazyfurAnimals]

Well, if you can afford it, maybe you could hire someone to help out? I'm sure theres a lot of kids around town who would love making the extra money, even if you didn't pay a whole lot. :)

[THEO]

Tie a bucket around the horses backsides. Only joking.

If you pick up half of it try raking the rest around the field for a fertilizer.:cool: :rolleyes:

[Cathy Reynolds]

We picked a load Saturday and the field edge is soooo heavy I could hardly push the barrow. I'm lucky because there are three ponies in the field and we share poo-picking chores. Can only suggest teenagers that need pocket money - though I find they are not terribly observant!

[Anna.C]

Thanks for the suggestions. Sadly willing helpers are in short supply as our nearest neighbour is half a mile away and our local town is a good 4 miles away.
We have only recently moved here after we finally managed to afford a house and some land. Paying someone is not an option!

[ros]

If it's any consolation, we don't usually bother trying to pick up dung at all during the winter.

There are four horses in our particular field - two of mine, plus Julie's and Jackie's. During the spring through to autumn we do it every day between us and keep the field pretty much clear. We've been worming for the last two years with Equest, all four horses at the same time, with double Strongid-P for tapeworm spring/autumn.

During the winter we give up, because by the time we've finished work (I work full time, Julie has small children and Jackie has a weak elbow!) done stables and what not it's too dark to see anything; also, the field is usually too wet to push a hefty barrow of dung around - even if you could get the barrow back to the muck heap you'd leave horrible tyre marks in the field!

As soon as the weather allows, we start picking up dung again, and Mark chain harrows to spread what we can't clear from the winter's ravages. We usually split the field in two during the summer, so one half has a good long rest, and the horses don't go pop!

We did a worm count 2 or 3 weeks ago, and all four horses came back clear, so we know the system has been working.

[Elfin]

I'll help you!:D You live quite far away from me, well, hmmmmm?? anyway......

[H & Bailey]

horse usually do 8-14 piles of poo a day so there you go for an interesting fact.I try to poo pick 2 times a week but in the winter I have them in a small turn out field..well muddy patch so I dont bother the vet said as long as your worming regime is up to date its ok.

[FOLLYFOOT]

We pick and kick too. The kids think it is quite fun booting horsey poo around the field which kind of spreads it a bit like harrowing (well sort of) so it breaks down more easily. Oh, and we have had a few near misses (well hits actually ie; my son did get it in the face!!!!) yuck Yuck YUCK thankfully he didnt mind and everyone else fell about laughing - so it can make a boring chore quite fun! ahem!:D :D

[Penelope]

I poo pick my field every day! My pony is on a half and half system so it takes five minutes that way it doesn't turn into a back breaking job that you keep putting off! But then my paddock is pretty small...

[Jaz]

Chickens?!
Do you fancy some Chickens? Apparently keeping a few free range chickens on your field eliminates the need to poo pick! They disperse of the poo for you I love chickens and hate poo picking so if (in my dreams) I get a horse and my own land, chickens it will be You also could get some nice free eggs!

This might not be very practical you'd probably have to own the land and you might not like or have the time for chickens. I'd poo pick and help you if I was near.
Dont feel too guilty for missing it as people have said you could have a blitz in the summer.... something to look forward too...

[Anna.C]

Thanks for all the supportive messages - I think I'll ditch the shovelling till the spring. They are in a 6 acre field which is split into 3. One bit they are on permanently as its their only access to water, and I let them into another bit at new year. I plan to close this off again and let them into the third bit in Feb so some of the land gets a bit of a rest. The bit they are on permanently is brown and disgusting!

I have another field to move them to once the weather gets warmer so that field won't be used again until November time - presumably if the surface is harrowed, this will be long enough for the worm burden to reduce?

Thanks for the offer of help Elfin, but you're right, its a bit of a long way to go to shovel poo!

Jaz, nice idea but I have 2 horses, 3 cats, 2 guineapigs and not enough hours in the day, I should think chickens would just about finish me off!!!!

If anyone wants to pm me with a good worming schedule it would be much appreciated, not sure if I'm covering all the bases with my current one.

thanks again (exhausted) Anna

[Jaz]

I know it was a strange Idea!! :D there was a chance you would love a few hens:p I love Guniea pigs my little sister had one and i kind of adoped him because she never bothered with him. Dont they just make lovely noises? He's sadly past away now. Unfortunatly I cant have any more pets at the moment because I am starting University (again!) next yaer and have no where to keep them

wait untill I get my own house.... :)

http://www.flyingpig.free-online.co.uk/img99.gif

[Elfin]

What a sweet guinea pig! I have 3!:)

[White-Blazes]

Anna

Have just sent you a pm

Hope this helps

Heather