Anyone stop poo picking when field is muddy?

[meleeka]

Nope. By the time I’ve mucked out 3 stables and sorted the ponies I’m out of motivation to wade through puddles. Not that there is much as the ponies tend to use the hardstanding or yard that i’ve just swept up as a toilet

 

[poiuytrewq]

I lob a fair amount into my boundary hedge when the ground is like this. Can't leave it uncleared though - makes me twitchy

This! My field is on a hill and getting a full barrow up was hard going so I have a mini muck heap at the bottom, chuck a lot into the hedges. Leaves me with little to push up and back to the proper muck heap.
I don’t do it daily as I do in summer but it’s cleared probably twice a week.

 

[HashRouge]

Yes I still poo pick 4 a day and quite honestly I'm getting sick to death of it! The fields are terrible and trying to do it is just sapping my will to live.

Honestly, just give yourself a month or two off and pick it up again in March when it's warmer and drier. The only time I've ever poo picked all the way through winter is last year when mine went onto the hay field in January (it was part of the deal with my YO to let me use the field). Otherwise I struggle through till December then give myself a break for January and February. Unless you have a very small acreage, I've found that the fields generally don't look to bad and come back fine in spring, especially if rolled/ harrowed.

 

[Widgeon]

Depends on the space you have really, mine is an a paddock of under one acre and it never gets too muddy except round the gate. So I still poo pick every day - it's too small not to.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

Honestly, just give yourself a month or two off and pick it up again in March when it's warmer and drier. The only time I've ever poo picked all the way through winter is last year when mine went onto the hay field in January (it was part of the deal with my YO to let me use the field). Otherwise I struggle through till December then give myself a break for January and February. Unless you have a very small acreage, I've found that the fields generally don't look to bad and come back fine in spring, especially if rolled/ harrowed.

We only have small fields otherwise I would stop until spring!!

 

[Ali27]

Great! Thanks for all the replies? I’ve decided to just poo pick at weekends and just on the dry part and leave the poos in the muddy bit. They will be moving onto fresh couple of acres when it dries up a bit. Started bringing them in during the day so that will stop so much poo in the field? Then back on my OCD twice a day poo picking regime when it dries up and mornings/ nights get lighter?

 

[southerncomfort]

Currently have a moat around the muck heap so I've given up!

 

[abb123]

I poo kicked for several years. I'd walk around the field and yeet the poos with a good kick to spread it out. The birds and insects would spread it further and then the rain quickly dissolved anything left. The fields always looked immaculate with no poached or weedy bits and the poo fertilised the grass and soil. Never had any problems with parasites, always worm counted to ~zero, as opening the poos out to the elements and predators would quickly kill anything off. Saved money from not having to ever fertilise.

Edit to add that I did this every day and walked the dogs at the same time.

 

[ElleSkywalkingintheair]

Anything in muddy areas gets to stay this time of year, my argument is that it's adding fertiliser into bare patches, and ones of dryer areas get picked a few times a week rather than daily. The wheelbarrow makes.lityle tracks when it's really wet so tend to only do mammoth picks on dry days.

Some years haven't bothered at all, just roll/harrow in the spring and its fine

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I’m a compulsive twice a day poo picker but this week I completely lost the will? I did a barrow tonight on the dry part but couldn’t face doing the muddy part! I’m thinking of leaving it for next 6 weeks and then harrowing! Will be rested until next Oct/ November! But it will stress me out big style ??

Nope we do it come rain or high water tractor and trailer. 1 in a million we leave it, my job is not done till all yard chores are done inc poo picking.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

I wouldn't be able to sleep if I hadn't poo picked. With only 4.8 acres for 5 ponies who live out all the time, we have to be very careful how we manage the field. We count the number we get and write it in a book. Work colleagues think I am totally mad.

I am with you 100%

 

[Squeak]

I'm another that harrows and rotates but we have 4 acres per horse over winter. I salute those of you who are managing to poo pick through this mud, it's a thankless task!

 

[Frano]

The problem I find . Is how do you get rid of the muck heap.?

 

[tallyho!]

Has anyone joined that FB group land mansgement with Lisa Schofield? It might change your life a bit...

 

[Wizardsnecklace]

The problem I find . Is how do you get rid of the muck heap.?

We have a 3 ton tipping trailer with a ramp up to it to push the wheelbarrow up. Approximately every 2 weeks my husband uses his Leyland 245 to dump it on the farm he used to work on. They have a large herd of beef cattle, so hardly notice our little trailer load. Do appreciate we are very lucky.

 

[SEL]

The problem I find . Is how do you get rid of the muck heap.?

All back on the rested fields once it is rotted down!

Who needs a gym membership?!

Although we're borrowing a tractor for the big heap in spring

 

[marmalade76]

Yes, when I struggle to push a wheelbarrow through the mud I stop and catch up again when it dries out.

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

I did…today is frozen solid so I ll be spending an hour or several tidying up….

 

[Getbackboys]

yes, the field can have back what the horses have taken out. it would be worth your while walking around field which helps checks for broken glass etc which may have becone exposed due to the heavy rain and soaked ground but also to kick the poos do they scatter and therefore refertilise the field, feed the birds, etc

 

[Horseysheepy]

I'm still doing it!
Although I've stolen a field this winter I wouldn't normally have that we need to be kept fresh for ewes and lambs in the spring, so I'm keen to keep it clear of horse droppings as much as I can.

I am leaving the poos in the muddy bits now though, just picking up the ones on the grass, so it's reduced the weight of the barrow a bit.

I've sure got a firmer bottom for all that wheelbarrow lugging!!!

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Yup I gave up weeks ago. I’ve cleared the bit that will be my spring/summer grazing and left the rest as it will get rolled and rested in the spring

 

[nikkimariet]

I do Rooni’s once a week without fail. It’s not on my agenda to let it become a bigger job than necessary and spoil the grass.

 

[HashRouge]

I do Rooni’s once a week without fail. It’s not on my agenda to let it become a bigger job than necessary and spoil the grass.

I've never found that leaving the poo picking for a few months in winter spoils the grass. But maybe it depends on how big the acreage is and whether you can get it harrowed or not?

 

[vam]

Has anyone joined that FB group land mansgement with Lisa Schofield? It might change your life a bit...

definitely worth a look, i have made changes to my grass management and seeing massive improvements.
I dont poo pick in winter, never have. It gets rained and stomped in so even if i could get my wheelbarrow up the muddy track and in the gate way i wouldnt find much to pick up.
That said my set up is track on the outside of the field through spring, summer most of autumn and then into the middle for winter, the grass is long enough to stop the field getting poached and a pain to pick up what poo there is. This gets harrowed in once she has moved back onto her track in spring. I do however poo pick the track as it would disappear under poop otherwise, its gets saved along with hay scrapings to be spread over it come winter ready for the next year. I only have one horse on one acre so its not a big deal to manage.

 

[ownedbyaconnie]

Not the really churned up bits. Fields will be harrowed when rotated so they can have those poos back as a bit of free fertiliser. I just poo pick the drier bits of the field now. Tbf it's only been the last couple of weeks that it's got really bad and only 2 months to go till we go on to the summer paddocks.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

My pup helped me poo pick today which made the task a lot nicer!!

 

[Ali27]

Haha! I moved them onto a fresh paddock with grass today so of course had to then clear the old one of poo! I just couldn’t help myself ?? They are now in during the day for the next month so will catch up on poo picking at weekends? Once a poo picker, always a poo picker???

 

[SEL]

Haha! I moved them onto a fresh paddock with grass today so of course had to then clear the old one of poo! I just couldn’t help myself ?? They are now in during the day for the next month so will catch up on poo picking at weekends? Once a poo picker, always a poo picker???

I've trained my OH to be a good poo picker.

He went out with his head torch tonight and brought me back a whole barrow (well trained )

 

[Ali27]

I've trained my OH to be a good poo picker.

He went out with his head torch tonight and brought me back a whole barrow (well trained )

Oh lucky you! Mine won’t poo pick! He will feed if necessary! Luckily I have a lovely 16 year old who lives near my field who is learning to ride so she likes helping with the ponies (including poo picking) ?

 

[Ahrena]

I've trained my OH to be a good poo picker.

He went out with his head torch tonight and brought me back a whole barrow (well trained )

I’ve trained mine to the point where she’s buying me a paddock blade next year ?