How important is poo picking to you in winter

poiuytrewq

Well-Known Member
Joined
3 April 2008
Messages
17,382
Location
Cotswolds
Visit site
Time and light it limited and it's getting a struggle to get the wheelbarrow out of the gate! - perfectly doable now but cometely impossible in real winter on clay that gets very poached.
I just get stuck!
I'd still be poo picking now though, however my not so horsey o/h has informed us that there is no point anymore. It's winter and shortly they will move paddocks. My daughter heard and took his word as gospel- not absolutely refusing to poo pick as "dad says no point" :(
Horses are not out 24/7 and had very low counts last time.
He will chain harrow in a few weeks and the field will be empty til spring so I guess I'm not too bothered by that but do you poo pick all year round?
 

w1bbler

Well-Known Member
Joined
16 May 2011
Messages
1,045
Visit site
I poo pick for the summer. Stop a few weeks before they move to winter pasture, farmer then harrows. Don't bother poo picking for winter. Winter field gets rolled & harrowed in spring & then grows hay for farmers cows.
My worm counts are OK, usually <50 over summer / autumn, spring one from no poo picking sometimes around 200, but can be lower.
I can't face pushing barrows through mud, so seems an acceptable system to me.
 

Midlifecrisis

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 August 2014
Messages
4,214
Visit site
We try to keep going in the winter but we are on clay too so cant get barrows in and out of field when the real mud develops. We harrow and rest where we can.
 

budley95

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 August 2012
Messages
904
Location
Kent
Visit site
I poo pick all year round. Just my boy in his paddock, so winter as he's only out during the day I poo pick with plastic buckets from the 99p store (with the metal handles) and gloves. I take about 2 buckets out a day and can use a headtorch if it's dark!
 

Jenna1406

Well-Known Member
Joined
20 August 2012
Messages
868
Location
Inverness
Visit site
I have to try and keep goping through the winter, I have a paddock that is about an acre and 3 horses on it. If I didnt poo pick, they would have no where to stand. On the plus side, the outdoor school lights, light up some of my paddock so I can battle on a bit during the week after work.
 

L&M

Well-Known Member
Joined
7 March 2008
Messages
6,371
Location
up a hill
Visit site
We still do it but are lucky to be on well draining land, and working part-time, can do it in the daylight.

It is a pita when the weather is at its worst, but couldn't bear the thought of horses grazing amongst their own muck.
 

Copperpot

Well-Known Member
Joined
27 February 2010
Messages
3,187
Location
Bedfordshire
Visit site
I do it every day all year round. I hate it if I miss a day as takes longer the next lol.

I could leave it and harrow and rest the field, but I think I have poo picking OCD!
 

Janovich

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 June 2014
Messages
687
Location
Lancashire
Visit site
I'm fortunate enough that my boy goes onto a Winter foggage field of around 6 acres or so with a small herd and poo picking is not required. He's just gone on here on Monday evening actually for the last few nights out, before we, as a yard, turn around and move onto daytime turnout when the clocks go back this weekend.

He's restricted in the summertime and poo picking is done every night without fail for the two that are on around 3/4 acre through the Spring/Summer/early Autumn.
 

Dry Rot

Well-Known Member
Joined
31 May 2010
Messages
5,847
Location
Scotland
Visit site
I am still waiting for someone to come up with scientific studies on pasture management for equine worm control rather than relying on rumour and guess work. Meantime, we are intending to do FECs. In theory, harrowing should work with resting until all the solids have been taken below ground by soil fauna, but horses will still need worming at least once a year. Somehow I am suspicious of advice from people who make money from selling us wormers! Can't think why!

The illumination bulb on my 40 year old microscope went phut so that has held things up. Would you believe getting a replacement bulb has meant a world-wide search? I can get them from China (if I take a pallet load) but finally tracked some down in Germany - at a mere £45 each! Yeah, I know!:(
 

Wagtail

Horse servant
Joined
2 December 2010
Messages
14,816
Location
Lincs
Visit site
I poo pick every day. Luckily there are two gateways to the winter grazing. One is already impassable, the other one will be good for a while yet. Once that one becomes impassable, then they come off the fields and onto the all weather turnout. At the moment I have the two youngsters out 24/7. The others are out for 7 hours during the day. When they come off the fields, the youngsters go out in the all weather during the night and the others go out in it during the day. It seems to work really well.
 

Wheels

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 September 2009
Messages
5,695
Visit site
Not on my priority list in the winter!! The field is quite big, if they were in a little paddock I might still do it
 

Follysmum

Well-Known Member
Joined
15 February 2013
Messages
2,429
Visit site
We have a quad and poo picker machine. It is especially a godsend in the wetter months. We go in 3 times a week in summer and twice in winter as horses are stabled at night. I use a barrow for the smaller paddocks. I have used this system along side sheep grazing and found it very effective, worm counts have always been low.
 

NinjaPony

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 March 2011
Messages
3,031
Visit site
I don't poo pick but that is because my boys are out in a 15 acre field so there isn't much point.... When they were in small fields I used to poo pick in winter too.
 

Red-1

I used to be decisive, now I'm not so sure...
Joined
7 February 2013
Messages
17,814
Location
Outstanding in my field!
Visit site
Poo pick daily year round. In summer in paddock, in winter on arena. I like that I know quantity and quality of poo daily, just like I know how much water he drinks as we feed from a trug.

In winter the worm eggs are only killed by the hardest of frosts.
 

stencilface

High upon a hillside
Joined
28 February 2008
Messages
21,079
Location
Leeds
Visit site
About as important as it is to me in summer - not very! In summer they get done when they are confined, but 5 horses on 6-12 hilly acres is just not going to get poo picked. They get harrowed a couple of times a year, and get rested for a month or more at a time. We've had between 5-9 horses on this land for the last 25 years and its still going with too much grass so something is right. We had the farmers sheep in this year too which just helps everything I think :)
 

soulfull

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 July 2007
Messages
6,507
Location
Staffs
Visit site
I try too. Winter field is ATM long grass so it's hard work. I have bad arthritis so it's difficult. I will do areas where my mare does most of the muck but won't bother with searching the long grass. Pushing a barrow through long grass is too difficult for me.
 

miss_c

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 October 2008
Messages
6,090
Location
Near Bristol
Visit site
I'm on clay and still poo pick through winter. The land is prone to being very wet but I do little and often which means I can still get wheelbarrow in and out - poo pick every day. My paddocks are split into 1/2 acre 'squares' so without poo picking they wouldn't last nearly as long as they do. Worm counts are always very low.
 

3OldPonies

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 March 2013
Messages
1,599
Location
Berkshire
Visit site
To me it is just as important as in the summer. However, I am restricted by not being able to do it in the dark, so both sessions are combined into one in the morning. I even do it when there is snow on the ground, as to leave it to the weekend would quickly turn the paddock into one big poo patch! The field is split into three to allow rotation, so there is no way on this planet I could leave it. We have 0 worm counts and I plan to keep it that way!
 

Merrymoles

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 January 2010
Messages
5,180
Location
Up t'dale
Visit site
We do it all year round too - everyone is getting their head torches sorted out this week! Technically it is possibly not necessary as we have big winter fields with only one or two in each but it keeps the grazing sweet, especially when it starts to get a bit sparse after Christmas.

There may be a couple of weeks before they move to their summer grazing where we leave it and it is then harrowed. The winter fields are then hayed.
 

MotherOfChickens

MotherDucker
Joined
3 May 2007
Messages
16,641
Location
Weathertop
Visit site
Somehow I am suspicious of advice from people who make money from selling us wormers! Can't think why!

if you mean vets, most of them are clueless wrt latest research anyway and I can't believe some of the advice they dole out (giving wormers at half dose for example). I believe Westgate do not sell wormers and therefor have no vested interest, otherwise the sort of research that research institutes such as Moredun might be of interest to you :)
 

Charlie007

Well-Known Member
Joined
13 October 2009
Messages
2,393
Location
South Lincs
Visit site
I remove poo once a day every day. Mine are in smaller paddocks so kt needs keeping on top of. I go poo spotting with my head torch!!! I am lucky tho as the paddocks don't really get muddy.
 

justabob

Well-Known Member
Joined
30 October 2012
Messages
1,157
Visit site
Never poo pick, just feed half a scoop of rolled oats per feed and the birds feed and scatter. 2 horses in 6 acres with 17 sheep and in at night. It works well.
 

Ibblebibble

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 June 2011
Messages
4,527
Location
Wiltshire
Visit site
I have no choice!! landlord says poo has to be picked, i have a muck heap in the field but it can still be heavy going when it gets wet. i do admit once it gets boggy and vile i do just leave the poo thats in the worst bits, my reasoning being it will get trodden into the mud and the landlord will be none the wiser once the field is rolled in the spring ;)
 

windand rain

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 November 2012
Messages
8,517
Visit site
I am OCD about it but I appreciate not everyone has the time or my obsession so yes I poo pick daily year round even when it snows as I like my fields clean and once snow melts it looks vile and I am old and one or two barrows of poo is as much as I can do so I keep ahead of it
 

pennyturner

Well-Known Member
Joined
1 August 2006
Messages
2,594
Visit site
Never poo pick, just feed half a scoop of rolled oats per feed and the birds feed and scatter. 2 horses in 6 acres with 17 sheep and in at night. It works well.

This is brilliant. When I next have the ponies in the house paddock I'm going to try it. Get those damn chickens to do the harrowing for me!
 

Sukistokes2

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 April 2011
Messages
4,244
Location
I live in Kent
Visit site
I Poo pick my summer fields, I do so everyday and hate it when I miss and have to do a double poo. However I do not poo pick the winter paddocks, we are on clay and once it is wet the boundaries of the field turn to slurry and you simply can not push a barrow through. The paddocks are only used in winter and are dealt with in the spring after the horses move on to their summer paddocks. Usually all the poo has been churned in to the mud and you can not tell it apart. The horses come in at night and they have round bales so although at first I feel a bit mean I don't think they suffer too much.
 

AngieandBen

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 October 2009
Messages
1,809
Location
Leicestershire
Visit site
I am OCD about it but I appreciate not everyone has the time or my obsession so yes I poo pick daily year round even when it snows as I like my fields clean and once snow melts it looks vile and I am old and one or two barrows of poo is as much as I can do so I keep ahead of it

Same here; I get withdrawal symptoms if I don't do it every day :D
 

JustKickOn

Well-Known Member
Joined
22 November 2006
Messages
16,994
Visit site
When the light evenings are still around, poo pick every single day. 4 horses out 24/7, it is a mammoth task if left for more than a couple of days.
We have just started paying someone to do it for us until they come in for the nights, and then it will probably be done every other day and then both weekend days, as there won't be as much in the fields. Worm counts are always <50.

We did have one worm count come back as over 1000 I think it was from one of them. He had been out to a show and nibbled some grass on site. Someone had obviously had a worm ridden horse, and the worms had gone into the ground, which ours then ingested. It just goes to show the importance of having a quality worming programme (and I'm not talking the livery yard "we must worm every six weeks") and keeping the pasture well kept.

Our vet advised us that worms can take a minimum of four years to get rid of in pasture, so it can be a vicious cycle with some worming cases.
 

OWLIE185

Well-Known Member
Joined
21 June 2005
Messages
3,535
Visit site
We poo pick each and every day of the year.
Poo's left on the ground will kill off the grass below them allowing weeds to take over and destroy the pasture.
Harrowing just spreads the poo's and worms so I ensure that all poos have been picked up before harrowing.
 
Top