Making a muck heap

[myheartinahoofbeat]

We have moved to our own property and are currently putting internal stables into an existing long barn.
I need to place my muck heap somewhere and am interested in suggestions of what to make it with and where to locate it. There isn’t a huge amount of space to the front of the barn but I’m thinking about having a trailer that the tractor can tow to a muck heap elsewhere.i want to be able to spread the muck back on the fields once it has rotted down after the first year.
Thank you for any suggestions.

 

[meleeka]

I'd say next to a roadway would be best if possible, then it won't matter how wet the ground is. Mine is in the far corner of my field, which would be handy for spreading, but not so good for accessing it in the winter or for having it collected. If it were next to my drive it would be much easier.

 

[rextherobber]

I have 2 muck heaps, one for the stable muck and one for the far fields when poo picking. Also makes it easier for spreading when ready

 

[canteron]

How does everyone spread their muck?! Do you have to have machinery access?

 

[HopOnTrot]

We have a muck heap in the field but as the stables are at home we have 3x compost heap bays and we rotate them to get compost for the garden. We have quite a large garden so it works well for us.

 

[SilverLinings]

I'd say next to a roadway would be best if possible, then it won't matter how wet the ground is. Mine is in the far corner of my field, which would be handy for spreading, but not so good for accessing it in the winter or for having it collected. If it were next to my drive it would be much easier.

I don't know if it depends on the local council or if it's a national rule, but I would check out what your council's rules are for siting it near a road. In the last area where I kept horses the landlord had converted a derelict barn into stables and the planning dept had been very strict about the muckheap, which had to be a certain distance from the road and to have a concrete floor and walls. Seemed silly as you can spread it on fields, but apparently it was to prevent concentrated run-off from entering the drains or local watercourses. Another yard in the same village was reported to the council and fined because their muckheap was next to the road and could be seen to be draining into the road drain.

I have never known issues like this in other areas I've lived so don't know if it was county council specific, but worth checking before you do any work. Aside from that I would want to put the muck heap somewhere with easy vehicle access (including turning) and not too far from the stables. I would also make sure that the lie of the land meant that the run-off flowed away from any buildings and gateways when it rains.

 

[Lady Jane]

I had aspirations of spreading muck but with my set up the muck heap has to be cleared 3 times a year so isn't old enough. I also considered piling the muck in the field as we poo picked (which would mean the muck heap wouldn't need clearing so often). But how do you spread muck unless you buy a small tractor etc?

I have had a trailer for muck and now have a free standing muck heap.
The trailer neeeded emptying approx monthly (more in winter, less in summer). Muck trailers cost more than you think as the market for 'slightly unroadworthy' muck trailers is strong as its usedby smallhore yards. A wooden floor will rot eventually (we tried matting and some sort of paint - helps but not 100% effective).
Our farmer did repairs for us when necessary and charged very reasonably. I think ours was approx 6'x12'.

We now have a freestanding muck heap. The farmer brings tractor with big bucket on the front and shovels onto a huge trailer.

This is now my preference, much cheaper and easier. We were going to create walls (probably from railway sleepers) but decided to try without and its worked.

Access is obvioulsy a primary consideration and mud avoidance for the winter so everything isn't trashed by the tractor when its taken away.
Not too near and not too far from the stables/yard.

For context, we have 3 horses & 7 acres so not enough to justify buying expensive farm equipment ourselves.

From what you have said I think you will have your own tractor, not sure how much land? Your set up may be much bigger than ours so my solutions wouldn't be appropriate for you.
Good luck!

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I have mine on the floor currently but once it's cleared I'm going to use a trailer because it makes such a mess on the floor, plus the farmer that takes it is more likely to collect it regularly if its in a trailer and I can leave it near the adjoining gate between my and his field.

 

[Esmae]

We have a muck heap in the field but as the stables are at home we have 3x compost heap bays and we rotate them to get compost for the garden. We have quite a large garden so it works well for us.

A friend does this. Works well.

 

[94lunagem]

What works best will ultimately depend on your set up and number of horses.

I do a few different things. When I had liveries I had a big tipping trailer and fixed boards to it for extra height. I was pretty strict about forking up etc to make the most of the space and my farmer neighbour came whenever I text for an empty. I kept it for a while after I got rid of the liveries but was worried one day it was going to die a death and block the lane so I sold it.

Since then I’ve had between 2-3 of my own only, who live out all year apart from the worse of the weather. Now it’s two ponies which does make a difference in terms of volume compared to two 16.3hh heavyweights!

My boundary is post and rail but I own the hedgerows and trees which are a couple of metres or so the other side. In the far summer fields, I poo pick and chuck it over making sure it doesn’t lie next to a post and rot it. Middle field I make a pile in the corner and the guy who does my harrowing/rolling etc spreads it when he comes once a year with his tractor. Stables and what doesn’t get chucked into the hedge from my closest fields goes on my muck heap. After I got rid of the trailer I had a concrete base put down and three sides of breeze blocks about 5 foot high. I have several land drains under the yard which go into a steam that runs behind me, so I didn’t want to get into trouble for any potential contamination. And by slightly grading the concrete base I could control direction of run off.

Breeze blocks won’t be the most stable if a tractor is grabbing the muck out. But because I don’t actually put that much on it, and again I’m quite neat (OCD!) about keeping it tidy, I can leave a foot round the edge so a digger bucket doesn’t hit the walls. Tractor friend spreads it once a year with the rest and it never gets full enough to cause me a problem. I also keep my feed bags and I now have a regular bunch of people come from the village and fill them for their allotments, which helps keep it from getting too full.

 

[ponynutz]

Ours is on the side of our driveway - breeze blocks in a C shape and then concreted on the bottom. Took us a couple of weeks.
Would also recommend on the side of the road - we had to build a new one where we did because the farmer who came to collet our muck couldn't get to the old muck heap.

 

[myheartinahoofbeat]

I had aspirations of spreading muck but with my set up the muck heap has to be cleared 3 times a year so isn't old enough. I also considered piling the muck in the field as we poo picked (which would mean the muck heap wouldn't need clearing so often). But how do you spread muck unless you buy a small tractor etc?

I have had a trailer for muck and now have a free standing muck heap.
The trailer neeeded emptying approx monthly (more in winter, less in summer). Muck trailers cost more than you think as the market for 'slightly unroadworthy' muck trailers is strong as its usedby smallhore yards. A wooden floor will rot eventually (we tried matting and some sort of paint - helps but not 100% effective).
Our farmer did repairs for us when necessary and charged very reasonably. I think ours was approx 6'x12'.

We now have a freestanding muck heap. The farmer brings tractor with big bucket on the front and shovels onto a huge trailer.

This is now my preference, much cheaper and easier. We were going to create walls (probably from railway sleepers) but decided to try without and its worked.

Access is obvioulsy a primary consideration and mud avoidance for the winter so everything isn't trashed by the tractor when its taken away.
Not too near and not too far from the stables/yard.

For context, we have 3 horses & 7 acres so not enough to justify buying expensive farm equipment ourselves.

From what you have said I think you will have your own tractor, not sure how much land? Your set up may be much bigger than ours so my solutions wouldn't be appropriate for you.
Good luck!

Thanks for your reply. Yes, we have 7 horses on 20acres. Heavy clay so mud in winter is definitely an issue. We have a compact tractor and a few areas where the muck truck could be emptied but I need to get road planings or hardcore down so we can actually achieve this.

 

[YourValentine]

I don't know if it depends on the local council or if it's a national rule, but I would check out what your council's rules are for siting it near a road. In the last area where I kept horses the landlord had converted a derelict barn into stables and the planning dept had been very strict about the muckheap, which had to be a certain distance from the road and to have a concrete floor and walls. Seemed silly as you can spread it on fields, but apparently it was to prevent concentrated run-off from entering the drains or local watercourses. Another yard in the same village was reported to the council and fined because their muckheap was next to the road and could be seen to be draining into the road drain.

I have never known issues like this in other areas I've lived so don't know if it was county council specific, but worth checking before you do any work. Aside from that I would want to put the muck heap somewhere with easy vehicle access (including turning) and not too far from the stables. I would also make sure that the lie of the land meant that the run-off flowed away from any buildings and gateways when it rains.

There is new legislation coming in on the requirements for muck stores (cattle), they don't currently apply to horse yards, or aren't enforced. But if you are planning what to do with your muck now, it would make sense (and be better for the environment) to build or design something that is semi-complient at least.

Silver linings comments are in line with requirements.

Basically, if stored as a heap in a field it must be away from all ditches at water courses, so that concentrated leachate (the brown smelly water runoff) can not easily/directly run into a ditch or stream as it can cause significant water quality issues.

If stored in a yard it should be on a concrete pad (or other hard surface) with solid sides and under new regulations covered (to prevent it getting wet and producing lechate) and reduce green house gas emissions.

Spreading should be done at times / in a way that is compliant with the "Farming rules for water".

Depending on the volume you produce, and where you are, a local farmer maybe interested in taking it to spread on arable fields.

Ideally you should have a small separate muck heap that you only put on the poo collected for 72hrs after worming. Ivermectin and other compounds found in wormers have been found to still be active in manure 6 months later and even after a year composting some can still be found.

To protect dung beetles and other insects this should be composted for as long as possible before its spread or used. (If you want to reduce fly numbers you want dung beetles).

 

[YourValentine]

Thanks for your reply. Yes, we have 7 horses on 20acres. Heavy clay so mud in winter is definitely an issue. We have a compact tractor and a few areas where the muck truck could be emptied but I need to get road planings or hardcore down so we can actually achieve this.

With 7 horses, if they're stabled in winter I'd definitely build a proper concreted muck store a tractor can access.

If built right it should hold a winters worth of muck so you can spread in the summer when the ground is dry. And in the long term make life easier.

 

[HannahB]

We have a muck heap in the field but as the stables are at home we have 3x compost heap bays and we rotate them to get compost for the garden. We have quite a large garden so it works well for us.

I have a similar setup, 2 large bays made from spare tin sheets attached to fence posts, with 2 horses over 5 acres. I have a mini alpine tractor for field clearing and moving manure from stables to muck heap.