How often do you clear your fields of muck?

How often do you clear your fields of muck?

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Wagtail

Wagtail

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I currently have six horses out 24/7 and go out 3 times a day to get a heaped barrow load of muck from the paddocks. However, despite this, I am still met with muck scattered over a metre area and broken up by the crows and jackdaws. It means that it takes me much longer to clear. How often do you clear your fields of muck and do you have the same problem with crows?
 
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Morning & evening, occasionally leaving a mid week evening for the next morning.
However, I only have 2 - and the little 1 (tiny fuzzy) is shut in a small paddock overnight.

Yes, the piles still are getting scattered by birds, but not as bad as last year - thats cos CF drops his right by the hedge line (how considerate of him :biggrin3: )

Edit - no option missy Wagtail for twice a day! :p
 
I only muck out once a day 2 horses and a mini! I get one big barrow and a few over the weekend but get the same with the birds, Ive kinda give up picking the spread poos up as the farmer is going to harrow my field once the grass is short enough in the area that ive been letting them on it in their summer field! hopefully next week, then the winter field can be rested!
 
I hate poo picking so do it morning and evening when they are out 24/7 as with 3 this is one small barrow each time which is manageable. The thought of having to go out and do multiple barrows fills me with dread as it kills my back so I make sure I keep on top of it! I do have birds who must sort through it and leave it in a mess but I don't have long grass so still fairly easy to pick up with a shavings fork.
 
I will do it daily once the evenings are long enough and my children start going to sleep early enough to get out and do it as currently still too excited by the light evenings ! Crows total nightmare although pony enjoys chasing them. He is still putting himself to bed overnight despite having 24 hr access to grazing. He likes his creature comforts and poos in his stable quite a lot.
 
Harrow in spring, but when they are in smaller 3-4 acres paddocks in the summer to cut down on the flab we try to keep on top of poo picking the toilet areas, otherwise it just looks a mess.
 
Every day, once, sometimes twice. I find the more often its done the easier it seems. The crows still spread it though.
 
I used to only do it once a week and go in with the landrover and trailer. But it was a nightmare job! I dreaded it. Also our landrover is now sporting a big dent in the bonnet where the cob thought it would make a great scratching post for his bum! It also has various teeth marks on the bodywork and a bent aerial.
 
Wagtail said:
I currently have six horses out 24/7 and go out 3 times a day to get a heaped barrow load of muck from the paddocks. However, despite this, I am still met with muck scattered over a metre area and broken up by the crows and jackdaws. It means that it takes me much longer to clear. How often do you clear your fields of muck and do you have the same problem with crows?
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You need to get a life - three time a day poo picking! Is there such a thing a PPA (poo pickers anonymous)!

Probably you should cut down on the poo removal, to maybe once a day.
 
At the moment I do it every few days as there isn't much grass out there and the horses aren't on it for long so they don't tend to poo too much. When they are out 24/7 I do it daily, sometimes twice a day if I have some spare time!
 
You haven't given me a box to tick! I harrow and sometimes poo pick, but with a machine. Tending to harrow more these days as a trial but I can do my own FECs.
 
PolarSkye said:
Gosh, I feel lazy! I poo pick every couple of days (will do it again tomorrow morning - did it yesterday).

P
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I feel ridiculously lazy, I pay a 'poo boy' to do it for me. He does it once a week and takes 4-5 hours for 3 horses living out full time
 
Never and not harrowed, the horses are turned out on that much acreage per horse that it would be impossible. The poo just gets trodden in, dries up and sinks back in to the grass, plus the grass is thick, lush and long so it's not easy to pick it up anyway . 3 ponies and a horse are turned out in 3 huge fields and it would take you all day to muck pick it. When I rented at a smaller yard, I poo picked every day or every other day when I was short on time.
 
Only pick once a day in the summer when ponies are in 'fatty paddocks'. Their winter field is simply too large and non-wheel barrow friendly. It will get harrowed and rolled and grazed by cattle now. Currently their 'middle field' is self scattering! (some may say lazy owner?)
I have plans to break pony to the harrow, and she can work for her keep!!
 
Wagtail said:
I currently have six horses out 24/7 and go out 3 times a day to get a heaped barrow load of muck from the paddocks. However, despite this, I am still met with muck scattered over a metre area and broken up by the crows and jackdaws. It means that it takes me much longer to clear. How often do you clear your fields of muck and do you have the same problem with crows?
Click to expand...

We have 6 normally 8 horses on the 4 acres we de poo every day without fail, would not have it any other way.
Wagtail!! have you thought about using a leaf rake to rake the spread poo into a pile then pick up as normal with poop scoop and rake?? makes it easier

we have a choice of tractor and trailer or wheel barrow
we also check for ragwort as we de poo and it goes in tractor trailer

we would never harrow or leave it . I love looking at clean fields
 
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I put "less than once a week" although really it depends on the field size/ number of horses. I haven't poo-picked currant field in about three weeks because there are only two horses in it and they seem to have two specific toilet areas, so it seems a bit pointless! They aren't pooing all over the field, only in these two areas, so the field itself looks lovely. Last year I did every few days and that was nice and easy, as there was one horse and two miniature Shetlands. It also depends on the weather - it has been so windy and wet lately, and it gets really wild in our fields as they're so high up. If it's bad I can't cope with poo picking :o
They aren't out 24/7 though, as the old mare is a big lami risk, so I doubt there would be that much to pick up.
 
Use one of these to rake up poo the crows have spread...
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I poo pick daily, (currently 4 horses on 2 small summer paddocks). If I leave it longer, my back complains.

Since I changed from feeding pasture mix to hi fibre cubes, I have noticed that the jackdaws are less interested in rummaging through the piles of droppings. Presume that they liked the grain husks etc, that found their way through?
 
daily but sometimes twice if i have time in the morning. and if crows are all you have to contend with i'm jealous, there is a flock of guinea fowl free range next to the yard and they come over and dessicate the poo, am tempted to start taking pot shots at them !!
 
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