Manure Piles

[Alan]

What do some of you people do with your manure piles? We use Cedar chips, almost dust (not shavings) and can see our pile is going to be out of control soon, We have only had our 6 horses home since the first of April. Have any of you ever tried a manure speader for the pastures that you can pull behind a 4 wheeler? If so how do they work? Hows the chips and waste work as pasture fertilizer? Chip composts quickly?

Don't feel like you need to answer all my questiion, but if you can answer some, or all, please do.

Thanks,
Alan

 

[Bez]

Sounds like you keep your horses in the barn - why?

Leave 'em on pasture - or in the open and let them spread the manure.

Ours are outside all year round - they seem to do very well.

Never pulled a spreader behind a 4 wheeler. Why not hire a neighbour to do the work? Cheaper than buying equipment sometimes.

Off the top of my head I seem to remember that cedar does not do the land any favours - might consider switching to something else.

Otherwise pile it really high and put water to it on an ocaissional basis to help compost.

Bez

 

[Alan]

Thanks Bez,

We choose to have them stalled at night because we show and we can control thier diet better. I like the cedar dust because it soaks up the urine better than shavings and doesn't get caught up in the tails and manes. Each horse has a large turn out area so they get enough grass to give them somthing to do. But that wasn't the answers to my questions.

Thanks anyway,
Alan

 

[Bez]

What do some of you people do with your manure piles?

Leave 'em on pasture - or in the open and let them spread the manure.

We use Cedar chips, almost dust (not shavings) and can see our pile is going to be out of control soon,

Otherwise pile it really high and put water to it on an ocaissional basis to help compost.

Have any of you ever tried a manure speader for the pastures that you can pull behind a 4 wheeler?

Never pulled a spreader behind a 4 wheeler. Why not hire a neighbour to do the work? Cheaper than buying equipment sometimes.

Don't feel like you need to answer all my questiion, but if you can answer some, or all, please do.

Thought I did - you obviously do not agree - I'll be looking to see what the real answers are.

Regards

Bez

 

[Alan]

No Bez,

It's not a big deal, but my question mostly concerned manure speaders pulled by a 4 wheeler. You read it different, but it's not a problem or a big deal.

Thanks anyway,
Alan

 

[msscamp]

We run a horse boarding business, and with 20+ horses when the local college is in session, the manure pile gets really high, really fast!! We use a manure spreader (but it's pulled by a tractor, not a four wheeler) to spread it on the pastures, lawn, etc. It works very well as fertilizer, but we use pine bedding, not cedar. I think Bez is right that cedar would probably not be very friendly to the land as cedar repels bugs, hence the use of a cedar chest to store blankets, clothing, etc. We also use the manure and bedding as mulch around trees and such things. Hope this helps!

 

[JebidiahJones]

I've got a similar problem. Well it's not really a problem but a similar question. I have one horse and three cows, Do I or should I be picking it up and putting it in a pile? I have them in a four acre pasture. I pick it up on occasion to put in the compost pile but not too often.

 

[msscamp]

I've got a similar problem. Well it's not really a problem but a similar question. I have one horse and three cows, Do I or should I be picking it up and putting it in a pile? I have them in a four acre pasture. I pick it up on occasion to put in the compost pile but not too often.

Heavens no! In a pasture the manure will decompose/fall apart, mix with the rain and go back into the ground as fertilizer. The horses that we board are in runs, and occasionally runs with stalls. They have to be cleaned.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

True. Manure decomposes in the pasture over time and is good fertilizer and organic matter (humus material).

We mow our pastures & pens frequently to top off the new weed growth, top off the excessive growth around the manure (that horses & cattle don't eat) along with letting the mower chop up and spread the manure. We also do supplemental watering/irrigation. Pastures are beginning to look real good after 3 years of doing this and bermuda is gradually crowding out weeds.

On small pen areas, we use riding lawnmower & works very well. On larger pasture/paddock areas we use our Kubota tractor with a 5' brush hog for the mowing.

 

[ctlbaron]

I would not buy a manure spreader. It's the only piece of farm equipment that the manufacturer "will not stand behind."

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

I would not buy a manure spreader. It's the only piece of farm equipment that the manufacturer "will not stand behind."

Don't know about warranties on those. However, there are several "homesteader" type manure spreader "toys" out there that you are probably referring to. The standard agricultural spreaders (probably several thousand dollars) have worked on farms for years; however, like anything else, prone to break. Most farm equipment is repaired by the farm/ranch workers and/or local farm/ranch equipment dealers, repair places.

Caveat: "If you have time to spare and chores that can wait...seek a warranty adjustment/replacement from a manufacturer"

 

[msscamp]

I would not buy a manure spreader. It's the only piece of farm equipment that the manufacturer "will not stand behind."

The manure spreader we have is nothing fancy and I honestly think it's older than I am (and I'm no spring chicken!). It's a New Holland (I think - funny how you can look at the manufacturer's name on something almost every day and not be able to remember it :?: ) and I don't remember very many times that it has been broke down. Dad can (and does) fix anything that goes wrong with it. When it comes to the corrals and horse boarding barn, it's worth its weight in gold!

 

[redfornow]

I think Alan has quit the board at this point.

Good info on the manure spreaders but I think at this time Alan has already gone to the big manure spreader in the sky.

Agree with him or not he will be missed

see ya Alan

MD

 

[ctlbaron]

Come on guys. Think about it. Are you going to stand behind a manure spreader?

 

[TXBobcat]

Come on guys. Think about it. Are you going to stand behind a manure spreader?

I'm with ya!

 

[sidney411]

ctlbaron - that was good! :lol: :lol: :lol: I think people were reading your post too seriously.

Bill, Don't those manure piles have to be awefully big for a shredder to 'spread' them? I could see the riding lawn mower hitting them but I don't think that would leave much for the critters to eat.

 

[ctlbaron]

Yeah, I think so. You gotta watch out for me. I'll sneak one in once in a while.

 

[Alan]

Well me and my "fancy" horses are still here, I just get bent out of shape when the guy I'm sticking up for turns on me. I don't believe my horses are fancy, I just try to breed good horses for the discipline I show in. Another hobby along with cattle.

I just bought a manure speader, it's a Frontier (made by John Deere) holds 25 bushels (3 wheel barrows) and pulls behind the 4 wheeler very well and spreads very well. It's galvenized metal and weighs about 400lbs. $1800. Should last for years. Came with a 1 yr parts and labor backed by John Deere.

The only knock I have on it is you don't have to stand behind it but you better wear a large hat every once in while you have in-comming chuncks.

If my horses were fancy they would learn to cr@p in the speader!

Alan

 

[msscamp]

Come on guys. Think about it. Are you going to stand behind a manure spreader?

hmmmmm, probably not the best place to stand! Give a whole new meaning to 'the #^#&'s gonna fly'!

 

[msscamp]

Bill, Don't those manure piles have to be awefully big for a shredder to 'spread' them? I could see the riding lawn mower hitting them but I don't think that would leave much for the critters to eat.

Huh?