Horse manure

[czechsonofagun]

How do you deal with horse manure? Currently my 10 year old - it is her horse - loads it on a little wagon and moves it out of the pasture. Is there a way to mechanize it at least partially? Like using landscaping rake to pile it up and 3pt scoop to get it out? I mean the workout is not bad - but if I could turn it into seat time, thats would be better.

I have to admit I am lost - what do you expect from a city slicker and redneck wannabe?

 

[MikePA]

I pull the tractor up to the stall opening and place the FEL bucket as close as possible. I dump the stall cleanings in the bucket and when full, I back the tractor out and dump it.

 

[roxynoodle]

I do the same as MikePA, but I have a giant compost bin I put it in. When there is enough for a spreader load (provided there are empty fields-depends on time of year), I spread it on the farm fields. Sometimes I accumulate quite a bit though, winter when there are snow drifts everywhere, or in the spring and summer until at least the wheat comes off. A lot of people do want it for their gardens though and sometimes an ad for free manure will get rid of it for you. I used to have an older gentleman who took it all every spring, but one year he never came back (whether too old for it anymore or died, I don't know). However, some people think you should deliver it for them in your brand new truck! To which, I reply, "You come get it and I'll load you, but sorry, it's not going in that truck."

 

[Rusty]

I believe that the question is how to pick up horse manure from a pasture, not from a stall. For horse manure in a pasture, I use a Fuerst flexible (chain) harrow to spread the manure out for recycling. Here is the Fuerst Website: Fuerst Tine Harrows. I generally pull the harrow while mowing with my tractor/mmm.

 

[roxynoodle]

I'm the one with the weirdo horses that won't poop in their pasture anyway. They will either hold it until they are back in their stalls and then let loose or they will go in their run in shed. In 12 years of horses here, none have pooped in the pasture. But, couldn't you just pick it up with a pitchfork? Sounds like we are only talking about one horse. It can't poop that much!

 

[meledward23]

Well, I don't touch the crap (errr manure)... But since we have 25 stalls, my farm hand does. I bought him a TC-30 (IE Tractor 30 horse basic NH) and attached a utility dump 3PH Trailer (no wheels, mounts on the 3PH but acts like a simple tilt utility 4x6 type trailer). Put on wood sides and he drives down the barn isle. Scoops manure with a manure rake (I guess that is what it is) into a bucket with big handles (inside the stall) carries the bucket out of the stall and dumps it into the utility bed of the tractor. Then drives on out and packs it into the gaping hole in teh hillside that the GC made when he raised the barn 6 feet above the surrounding terrain. In about 250 years the hole may fill up. Anyway that is how we do it. Same as using the bucket (we do that too) but when you have 25 stalls you need a little more space. Incidentally that 3PH utility trailer is awesome for everything. Going to go cut up firewood or just about any other task.

 

[riptides]

We use a RTV for cleaning duties. The kids get the job done and get to have fun in the process. Driving and dumping the RTV, is the fun part.

On the back forty we use the manure and other yard debris for composting. I turn it every few weeks, and then use the tractor with FEL and yorkrake for working it into areas of various pastures.

The RTV (or that class of vehicle - UTV) really makes others want to do chores around the farm. It is perhaps the most widely used vehicle on the farm.

-Mike Z.

 

[czechsonofagun]

I believe that the question is how to pick up horse manure from a pasture, not from a stall. For horse manure in a pasture, I use a Fuerst flexible (chain) harrow to spread the manure out for recycling. Here is the Fuerst Website: Fuerst Tine Harrows. I generally pull the harrow while mowing with my tractor/mmm.

You got it right

I am not sure I can just spread it - one horse on about .5 acre of land - thats a load of crraapp too deal with. But there is definitelyt some left behind after the pickup and harrows will get good use here.

Thanks

 

[Mike120]

I agree with Rusty.....just get a chain harrow and drag it. It breaks down pretty quick and adds organic material to the soil. I go into my paddocks every couple of years and run a tiller over them, mix it up and reseed them.
Now you have an excuse to buy a drag and a tiller........