Mounds of Poop

[Kim P]

Yes this is more than likely the most stupid question ever asked. So what do you do with all this poop? I am just piling it up in a spot and then scattering it out on places without dirt ( I live on an iron ore rock) I guess it will eventually grow pretty grass in those spots. Thought about making a worm bed. Ants are everywhere I have the poop though! I Only have three ponies!

 

[QuiltinMom]

I will be following this thread also. I don't have an answer, but we are on the edge of getting our first mini and we are wondering what a good process would be for cleaning out the stable. We are planning on having a bucket just outside of the stalls and then take that out when it is getting full. We would be able to take it out to the back pasture and then spread it around.

We obviously don't want the smell and all of the files, so if this is not a good way to handle it we are open for suggestions.

THANKS for asking the question that I didn't want to ask.

 

[lkblazin]

With my manure I put it in a corner of the yard. And then at the end of the year we use a bob cat to spread it in the back pastures. If you are just spreading manure without letting it break down first, then sadly nothing will grow in those spots for a while. I normally spread at the beggining of the summer so that I have a fresh top layer of soil. Mine breaks down quickly. That could be because of the soil I have. I know of farms were they are selling and putting up signs of free compost. Or you can get it hauled away...but that's a bit pricy and not entirely worth it. If you do the corner idea make sure that it won't be in a bad run off spot when it rains. And so that the run off wont go to a pond or water source. They can become toxic. This has worked for my family and we have done it for over 20 years.

And now that I am thinking of it. If horses get worms from dirt and grass, I should have horses loaded with them. But there must be something that happens over the decomposition of the manure pile to kill off most of the parasites. My girls are as worm free as it gets. Well at least I would think, they don't show signs, no big bellies, very shiny coast and hooves, and perfect apples ( aka poop) . Every time my vet comes out he thinks I am lying to him about my feed. Says I must have some secret ingredient lol. He says that they look like they get a flax supplement or something....but I don't do anything extra! All they get is alfalfa grass mix. Hope this helps

 

[lkblazin]

Quiltinmom that should be fine. Just make sure that it is in a sunny area not shade. That also deters the flys. Also if it is an open field, flys don't like wind. That's also another reason people put fans in stalls. Not just to keep horses cool but also flys don't like flying in zig zag lines haha.

 

[Kim P]

Thanks. I was wondering why the grass was not growing over all that clay and iron ore. I have just been spreading it around.

 

[happy appy]

I make a pile and then before winter I turn the pile and leave it until spring when I turn the pile again. Once it gets turned once then I don't add any more poop to it, I start a new pile. I leave it age and breakdown over the winter and then it's good compost in the spring for anything once it's turned twice. My neighbors take mine every spring and come back year after year for it because it's so good. I normally have 3 piles going at a time because of the turning and aging of the piles.

 

[Minimor]

Properly composted manure won't have parasites/eggs because the heat of the composting process kills them off.

Don't assume that because your horses are fat and shiny and 'healthy' looking it means they don't have worms. A fat shiny horse that is being well fed can be carrying a dangerous worm load. They should be having fecal counts or regular deworming no matter how good they are looking.

 

[lkblazin]

Thank you minimor. Yes they are wormed regularly. I don't do fecal counts since I follow a strict worming program.

 

[AngC]

What you do with poop may depend on your location and the size of your property. There may be laws in your area?

Minimor mentioned that "proper" composting eliminates parasites due to heat from the composting. I agree, but "proper" composting involves carbon-nitro ratios, turning the pile, etc. for which I just didn't have the patience. And in our rainy climate, often it just doesn't work out so good.

We've tried various things..... most of them lazy, human things; for example dragging/scattering. The most effective thing I've found is to pick up the poop--apple-by-apple-byapple. [That pretty green grass (nitrogen) may look great, but if given a choice our horses won't eat it. ]

Currently, we bury it. I checked out the recommendations/laws in our area. I forget the distance you're supposed to be from your/or neighbor's well. We're safely away from anyone's well; the husband digs me a hole that's about 6 wide by 6 long by 6 ft deep; I throw a prolific amount of weeds and all the horse poop in there. When the pit gets near full, we top it off with soil and start another one.

I've been religious about poop-picking since this spring; it took about 3 months to see an effect on the fecal samples we took to the vet. We've only had to de-worm our 2 girls once this year (based on vet recommendation.) Nicky has had to be dewormed twice, probably because he's older and has been dewormed more frequently-may be somewhat resistant. I really would like to get away from the fecal samples, because the cost does add up.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

I used to bag mine up and take it over to the allotments but that stopped when I asked for a small amount OT cover diesel and they were affronted!! Now I wheel it to the side of the field and dump it there and it breaks down in time. I will not spread over my field poop that has come form my horses- were I to use animal poop it would not be horse poop, and I do not harrow either. Unless you go to all the trouble of making sure every part of the muck heap reaches a temperature that will kill worms and eggs and very few will do this I know- remember the edges are not as hot as the middle, it all has to be sides to middled regularly- then it is not worth the risk.

 

[MiniNHF]

at our big horse farm we use to use a dumpster and had it dumped every other week or something like that. They said as long as we were not putting stuff that was dangerous materials, they didnt care what we put in there including horse poo, shavings etc. It worked out great and cut down ALOT on the flys, we almost had none around the barn.

 

[AngC]

I will be following this thread also. I don't have an answer, but we are on the edge of getting our first mini and we are wondering what a good process would be for cleaning out the stable. We are planning on having a bucket just outside of the stalls and then take that out when it is getting full. We would be able to take it out to the back pasture and then spread it around.

We obviously don't want the smell and all of the files, so if this is not a good way to handle it we are open for suggestions.

I just noticed your comment. I'm not sure what size bucket you intend to have outside your stalls. I've been there--done that. It was killing me to the tune of about 3 hours a day.

I was using a 5 gallon bucket. Forget the stall debris, just the poop. Going out in the morning for poop picking (for 3 minis) easily filled the 5 gal bucket. And then end of day, it took another bucket--or two. Then I had to get rid of all the stall debris (shavings, straw, etc.) I was having no time to enjoy our little lard-*****. The husband would help me out with his tractor. I have since gotten smarter and am reveling in the bucket (front end loader) we put on my Kubota, which was supposed to be my lawn mower.

 

[wingnut]

Our first year we piled it off to one side/area. We knew that work forever so my husband started trolling Craigslist for a manure spreader that we could pull with our lawn mower. We found a great one eventually...for $300. It's old and not pretty to look at but it does the trick. We fill it as we go and when it's full we spread it over the fields that are near our house (we own the fields though they are rented by a local grain farmer, with his permission).

 

[Miniv]

We have at least 5 piles of poop at various stages of composting....all away from the barn and pastures.

They have pine shavings and grass clippings mixed in. The two older piles are between 7 to 10 years old

and we have been using them in our flower beds, vegie garden, and potted plants. They are now a wonderful

rich soil mix and we've had friends that have happily taken some for their own yards.

 

[Mini Pinto Lover]

I dump mine out in piles and piles and over time it decomposes and gets real nice, almost like loam soil ! Then U can use it in the garden !

 

[horsehug]

I clean my stalls and runs once a day in the morning and also my smaller pens, and put it in a dumpster which has been well worth the cost of them dumping it every two weeks. I only have two acres and over 20 minis so I am fairly obsessive compulsive about cleaning EVERY day!

Susan O.

www.hilliardhorsestohug.com

 

[susanne]

.

There is absolutely no need for labor-intensive methods of composting. We simply make a pile of horse manure, chicken manure, sawdust from pellet bedding, kitchen compost, lawn clippings, garden prunings, and fall leaves, and within six months have black gold. No turning, no special contraptions, no worry.

"Mingus Magic" is a prized commodity amongst the many serious gardeners amongst my family and friends. We have the added advantage of keeping our horses in dry lots, so there aren't a lot of weed seeds, anyway, but the heat of the compost pile takes care of most of what is there.

Some plants, such as roses and irises, need no composting. I wouldn't put it in contact with new, tender roots, but my gardens are lush and very happy. For edibles, you really should compost for at least six months, and some say even a year.

Someone mentioned burying. This also works, and a great approach in vegetable gardens, is to create new beds for next year's plants, covering them in the meantime with leaves and lawn clipping or with newspaper or cardboard.

Why pay to have manure hauled away when you pay high prices for compost and fertilizer from garden centers? Besides, it makes such memorable Christmas presents for your gardening friends...

 

[horsehug]

I do not garden in our super short growing season and on my tiny two acres most of it is devoted to the horses. We can have snow on the ground often for 8 months or so out of the year. The horses even get my acre the house is on to mow for me in the summer.

It is well worth my money for them to haul it away. I certainly do not buy fertilizer or compost! And I am surrounded by ranchers who have plenty of their own manure

Just the way I look at it at my altitude and tiny corner of the world.

I actually enjoy cleaning my barn.

Susan O.

 

[misty'smom]

I only have 2 minis but I do clean stall and field area every day. I have 2 dumpsters with lids that I have exchanged about every 3 weeks with 2 empty ones!!! I think the price is reasonable $65. A local family farm has this service run by their oldest son so I am happy to give him my business!! He has also brought in hay for me! Also has done a project of putting stall mats down in the run in area of my barn!!! So it is a win, win for me and the farm!!

 

[Kim P]

I would say you do have a win win situation. I will be glad when we move and I am set up right.