Problems with the mechanised collection of horse poo.....

[Mr_Ed]

Okay, this one takes a bit of reading - see the original email below. It comes from a friend of a friend. It raises the issue of mechanised collection of horse poo using a vacuum device and the associated noise. I haven't ever seen one of these machines in action. Does anyone have any experience/thoughts/solutions/comments for the "friend of a friend"?

Please be constructive!

"Nick came round yesterday afternoon, spitting feathers about various things farmers are doing and this made me remember what he’d said some time ago about the horse poo. Having horses in the back field could be lovely, one could put up with the electric fence, BUT there is the large matter of the horse poo. Apparently they come round on a quad bike for about 3 or 4 hours EVERY day with a vacuum attached so it sounds like a slightly muted chain saw. I am going to go down this afternoon and listen – well, once he had reminded me I went out to the back field about 3.30 yesterday and could just see the machine and I could just hear it – and that was above the noise of the electricity people in the road chipping the branches they had been cutting off the apple tree to clear the cables!!

Do you know any people who look after horses? Is this infernal machine the only thing? I know there are many regulations about disposal of horse poo, but I can’t find anything about noise pollution when doing it.

I am really scared this is going to ruin the peace and quiet of living here – and could cause a major row with the farmers.

Any thoughts/people I could talk to very welcome."

 

[airedale]

Most devices towed behind a quad bike that require power have to be self-powered as quads do not have a PTO (power take off) like tractors do.

so you will always end up with the combined noise of the engine from the quad and the engine from the device - in this case a pooh picker

I had one of these machines for a year and sold it 2nd hand. The noise when you are operating it - due to the petrol engine - is horrendous for the operator even using ear defenders - and I don't use ear defenders on my diesel open topped tractor normally - even when I'm using the mower/topper

I think that the effort of using the vaccum cleaners is highly significant for the operator - very one sided and I consider them personally a danger for development of RSI or serious shoulder/back injuries from twisting and lifting the hose part at a sometimes awkward angle.

the devices that you can tow behind a tractor that just go on an on by row, rather than with the hand-hose don't pick up as much pooh but do better than a chain harrow. However those do 'scarify' the grass and bend it - thus destroying it's palatability and nutrition.

Noise regulations are something like 70 dba within 6 feet of the device is acceptable and you can bank on it that the device will conform to that - all new generators have to now. So noise wise I think you can safely say - noise or not - there isn't anything they are doing wrong or illegal in the use of this machine.

Personally I hope whoever operates it has a good osteopath and is prepared for extensive spinal treatment in 10 to 15 years time !!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[pagancluf]

We have one at our university at Nottingham but pulled by a tractor and very quiet.... done twice a week at the mo.

 

[airedale]

pulled by tractor it'll be taking it's power from the tractor engine - so no extra noise.

Pulled by an ATV and the device needs it's own engine - usually petrol - usually very noisy.