Chain Harrowing Fields instead of poo picking?

[asterid]

I have 8-10 acres split into 8 paddocks. 4 used for summer and 4 used for winter so four are always rested.

Poo picking is the job of the devil! So am considering chain harrowing instead. All horses are regularly wormed. So was either thinking of chain harrowing twice/ three times a week and keeping horses in same fields for 6 months.

Or

Chain harrowing twice a week and then swapping horses every three months so fields get rested properly.

Basically I want to avoid poo picking so sensible suggestions welcome!

 

[budley95]

I know someone that does this. Wrecks the grass though. What about a poo hoover instead?

 

[YasandCrystal]

I have 10 acres. I depoo twice daily (5 horses - sigh!!!) in summer and in winter I have sacrifice paddocks which I leave from October through to spring and then harrow and roll and fertilise and rest.

We muck spread too so my muck heap is also used on my winter sacrifice paddocks in the spring/summer to improve the soil.

I agree de-pooing is a dreadful chore. We did invest in a Wessex poo sweeper, but you need really short neat grass to use that and with the rumours they can cause grass sickness we swapped it for an aeriator.
My best suggestion is to do it very regularly to make the sessions quick and easier and to get paid help a few times a week.

How many horses do you have?

 

[SuperH]

Before I moved I did this, I rotated fields and never poo picked unless they were on restricted grazing.

Now I have less grazing so I poo pick in the summer, but in the winter it is too wet so we harrow in the spring and then rest the field.

Never had a problem with wrecking the grass (old fields on stone, new one on heavy clay). Plus after it is done I can remove any large stones it loosens. Never had any wormer issues either.

 

[applecart14]

I know someone that does this. Wrecks the grass though. What about a poo hoover instead?

Don't get a pooh hoover! There is a very possible link to EGS and atypical myopathy caused by the mechanical brushing action causing soil disturbance. A number of grass sickness cases have been attibuted to soil disturbance.

 

[AmyMay]

in the winter it is too wet so we harrow in the spring and then rest the field.

Never had a problem with wrecking the grass (old fields on stone, new one on heavy clay). Plus after it is done I can remove any large stones it loosens. Never had any wormer issues either.

Ditto this.

 

[madlady]

We rent just over 15 acres for our summer grazing - it's moorland so not lush and we have 8 out on it. We never poo pick just top, chain harrow and roll at the end of the summer.

 

[Goldenstar]

I never harrow I top the roughs and rest the fields .

 

[FairyLights]

I harrow my paddocks try to restrict this to frosty or very hot weather as the worm eggs are then destroyed rather than just spread.

 

[Squeak]

I know someone that does this. Wrecks the grass though. What about a poo hoover instead?

I wouldn't wish one on my worst enemy...

 

[pony&cow]

after loosing my beautiful Ruby to grasd sickness i would NEVER use ANY form of mechanical poo picker or harrow.

 

[AmyMay]

How does harrowing cause grass sickness??

 

[pony&cow]

Im no expert on this but as far as I know the harrow disturbs the soil and tugs at the grass bringing the grass sickness bacteria up from the soil.
obviously this is only the case where the bacteria is already in the soil but how do you know if it is or not??? I would rather not risk it.
the EGS website have found a link though. my mares field was rolled the week she died. linked or not? I'll never know.

 

[Cocorules]

I poo pick my fields but only have 4 acres. With a large acreage I would not but would only harrow when fields are rested so you do not have problems with grass sickness. I was taught rightly or wrongly not to let them on the grass for 6 weeks after harrowing or rolling and that was in the days long before you regularly heard about grass sickness though I cannot remember the reason now

I have heard the same link to grass sickness in relation to poo cleaners that have brushes but not the vacuum cleaners as they do not disturb the ground.

 

[pony&cow]

I can't do fancy links but this quote is copied and pasted from
grasssickness.org.uk

Minimise any pasture/soil disturbance (e.g. harrowing/mechanical faeces removal/pipe-laying/construction work etc.)

 

[MotherOfChickens]

ok, maybe don't use the word 'cause' of EGS or AM but instead use 'risk factor'. Huge epidemiological studies into EGS cases threw up some things that were seen to be risk factors and others that might be protective.

So apart from the horses age and other more well known risk factors, others included the use of machinery that disturbs the soil-from putting in drainage, (but also poaching around water sources), to use of harrows and brush type poo pickers (although not vacuum ones).

Protective factors included supplementary feeding (ie hay all year round-if only a little bit) and poo picking. I would only every harrow if I could rest for 6 months personally but I am in Eastern Scotland and its pretty rife up here.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Goodness, I hadn't heard about the link between soil disturbance and grass sickness. I poo pick daily but I chain harrow and roll the fields as well in Spring and have always put the horses straight back on them afterwards.

I shall make sure I rest the fields afterwards from now on. Thanks HHOers for bringing this up.

 

[DanceswithCows]

As a farmer, and one particularly obsessed with soil fertility, poo picking is work of the devil to me! I'm just rotating, rotating, rotating and harrowing when the horses come off and the fields get a rest. Also running other stock through to hoover up the rough grass and kill some parasites hopefully.

 

[L&M]

I would only ever harrow when the field is to be rested for a few months - ie after winter when moving horses onto summer paddocks, or poo pick regularily if this wasn't an option.

However this is an 'ideal' world!!!

 

[horserugsnot4u]

I keep two ponies on a maximum of two acres (less in summer) and I try to poo pick every day but sometimes it might be only a couple of times a week. I can't speak for poo picking machines but as for harrowing I believe it is next to useless unless you have plenty of spare paddocks and hot, dry weather. As far as I know, worm larvae hatches out of the eggs and moves on the grass in less than a week. The eggs can be destroyed if exposed to hot dry weather. If your horses poo contains eggs, then surely unless harrowing is done a minimum of once a week in ideal conditions, you are only spreading the problem around? In addition you are increasing the area with poo on it, resulting in less clean grazing - unless of course you can move paddocks every week and have enough of them to keep moving into until the first one is rested and clean, which would probably be many weeks later. Cosmetically, harrowing makes the field look tidier but as worm prevention I'd say forget it. Having said that, if only your horses graze there and you are certain they are free of worms and have enough area not to spoil their grazing, then harrow away!

 

[OrangePepper]

The problem is that there are still poos on the ground which cause grass under them to die off and then weeds will take over (thistles, nettles ragwort, buttercups etc.
The other issue is the worms which will also be spread about.
Ideal management is to poo pick daily and keep the pasture clean and fresh.