Muck heap maintenance

[Snapshot2016]

So I'm looking at privately renting a small yard which I will be responsible for all the maintenance for. Is there a certain way I should stack it? Is straw or shavings better for rotting down? Any tips would be greatly appreciated as iv never had to maintain a muck heap before!

 

[Max123]

Straw is much better. Shavings dung can't be used as garden manure for at least 6 months as release a toxin. Don't stack it close to ventilation of the stables as spores can go in. Keep it tidy from the start or it gets out of hand. Dad has a great old fashioned technique of making sides and keeping it square. I have tried but can't replicate but maybe you tube can show you.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

So I'm looking at privately renting a small yard which I will be responsible for all the maintenance for. Is there a certain way I should stack it? Is straw or shavings better for rotting down? Any tips would be greatly appreciated as iv never had to maintain a muck heap before!

straw better, chopped straw even better. Wood products (i.e. bedding) will draw nitrogen from the soil when used as fertiliser unless its very well rotted (i.e. at least a year-my last YO was also an upmarket gardener and kept three shavings muck heaps-not used for fertiliser for three years and then she charged a fortune for it)

 

[AdorableAlice]

If you have no near neighbours to annoy burn it, but check your local authority policy first.

Our LA has no policy and a yard a good mile away burns constantly despite having near neighbours. We have a high three sided area similar to a silage clamp for the muck and it is removed by a friendly farmer to be spread. The walls hold it in and we try to fork the front up so it is tidy ish.

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

We've been using wood pellets for bedding for the last 5 years & all our muck is put in a trailer that's emptied every fortnight. The muck has really rotted down within the fortnight it's been in the trailer, there's tremendous heat coming off it. Over the years I've used straw, shavings, chopped rape stalk etc & nothing has rotted down as quickly as wood pellet.

 

[Dave's Mam]

If you have no near neighbours to annoy burn it, but check your local authority policy first.

Our LA has no policy and a yard a good mile away burns constantly despite having near neighbours. We have a high three sided area similar to a silage clamp for the muck and it is removed by a friendly farmer to be spread. The walls hold it in and we try to fork the front up so it is tidy ish.

Muck heap at Loanie's yard is pure poo from field, no beddding. Once it's dry enough, we burn it. At the Farm, it's a large clamp that gets squished up to the wall & rots. It's beautifully warm in winter, hahahaha!

 

[Magicmadge]

Mine hasn't been moved in years. I have a low end I can get the barrow up and I stack around the edges . This forms almost a box shape with almost vertical sides. The inside has grass growing this has formed a fairly solid in places track I can get over and tip around the sides. The footprint hasn't got bigger in years I just keep tipping on top around the sides it seems to go up a bit then down again . It's big but hasn't got wider. Mine are on straw and I have 2 cobs and 4 Shetlands

 

[touchstone]

You need to build it up square, ideally against a couple of walls for support, it's worth checking where any run off will go too.

Start by building the outside 'walls' of the heap, squaring them off and trampling them and then fill in the centre. It's worth having two heaps going so that one can be left to rot without new stuff added to it. You can also grow some fab courgettes in it!

Locally tment holders will probably be glad to take it off your hands if you get too much.

 

[Crackerz]

Ohhhh i do love muckheap maintenance! My YO chuckles when she sees me there, squaring it off and levelling it out haha