Horse manure removal from pasture

[sidboswell]

I'm looking for a good method for removing horse manure from a pasture.

I've got a mud lot/barn area where we feed round bales in the winter. I'm going to use a landscape rake to rake up waste hay and manure from this area and make a large compost pile. However, I've got 8 horses on ~ 12 acres of pasture for the other seasons. Long term, I plan on making several divided paddocks and rotate them around, but for now the 12 acres is just one large pasture. I've been reading up on pasture management and watching some educational Youtube videos from extension sources but am still looking for some way to remove the piles from the roughs (the tall grass areas where they aren't eating near their poop piles). Which I would likewise like to compost before using in gardens or spreading once fully composted.

I'm not looking to drag and spread the manure parasites around, but rather remove, compost, then spread. The reason I don't think drag is a good idea, even once I have several rotational paddocks, is that I don't think my summer heat will be enough to reduce the parasite load (see attached as I don't have privileges to post links yet). My wife is an equine veterinarian and when I mentioned dragging she went nutzo.

I've got a stream through my pasture which is a tributary to the East Gallatin River. Therefore, I'm also not looking to deworm unless fecal counts are high enough and would prefer not to use dewormer at all, but will if parasite load requires as such. We do fecal counts quarterly and only have one heavy shedder and some of our equine didn't have any egg count at all. The heavy shedder eats out of the roughs all day anyway, so we'll just manager her as needed.

The pasture is relatively flat. I do have some rocks, but am moving them to piles over time (not a concentrated effort for rock removal, but I hop off the tractor and drop them in the bucket while out and about).

I was thinking the landscape rake might be my best bet. Rake into windrows then use a grapple or even the bucket to scrape them up. However, I'm concerned that the rake might be too rough on my grasses and just tear the crap out of the pasture.

Anybody have a solution which does not involve dragging?

 

[Peter 315]

I use the bucket , york rake , and pick up by hand . Then dump into my compost pile . I have about 100 yards composting now

 

[oosik]

Wheelbarrow and multi-tined pitchfork.

 

[riptides]

Wheelbarrow and multi-tined pitchfork.

Yes.

Ain't no easy solution to creating a pile of, if you don't want to rake or spread.

 

[Sonny580]

With a rake, --You are going to scatter the stuff. ---Only way to actually pick all of it up is to do it like my neighbor does----shovel by hand, walk with wheelbarrow and enjoy the job.
You could build a small clam that is self-propelled with a seat on it that is like small backhoe, only clam instead of bucket, pull wagon behind, pick and swing. Lotta expense but could be made to do the job.
You wont hurt the grass as it needs roughed up so water/air can get to the roots. Horses pack the ground like concrete and will actually kill grass out.
I would just drag a heave harrow over it and call it good.

 

[TractorGuy]

Sounds like a never ending labor of love. X3 on the wheelbarrow and shovel/pitchfork.

My daughter just uses a homemade chain drag and spreads it. They apply Pasture Pro every spring and that controls the weeds pretty good.

 

[brian3180]

I'm sorta in the same boat as you. I made 3 horse runs/paddocks last year and plan on doing more. I just dragged two paddocks yesterday into a pile. Let me know what ideas you come up with.

 

[jeff9366]

24" length / 13 spear Ultra Forks.

LINK: Multi-Spear Ultra Fork

 

[Wagtail]

If you are concerned about dragging and don't want to deal with the time-consuming task of using a manure-fork into a wheelbarrow then I'd suggest a 'manure vacuum'. <Google it>

They have a dump function = into/onto your manure pile.

 

[Birdhunter1]

In my opinion you have too many horses on 12 acres to effectively graze, even on rotation, for manure to break down so your only option is removal.