Would you use a poo picking service?

[Desert_rider]

I am thinking of setting up a poo picking service to supplement my main income. Call me mad, but I find it quite therapeutic!
Would this be a service you would use and if so, how much would you pay? Thanks in advance.

 

[fankino04]

If I could afford it I definitely would as I hate it and always end up having too many days to do in 1 go. I would assume between £10 & £12 per hour as for any freelancer.

 

[milliepops]

I'd love to but I'm much too tight ?
I do mine daily to keep the fields really clean so would want a daily visit. I expect that would be uneconomical tbh.

 

[teddypops]

I wouldn’t because I can’t bear to pay someone to do something that I’m capable of doing myself! Having said that, I used to poo pick for someone else!

 

[Sprig]

I wouldn't but there are a few people around here who advertise the service at £10/hr.

 

[Hepsibah]

The younglings on my old yard used to poo pick paddocks for £2 a barrow. You bet I paid them to do it!

 

[Pippin and Poppy]

My niece poo picked for someone local to her. I don't know what she was paid though. She also liked doing it!

 

[SantaVera]

good idea, minimum £10 an hour, £15 for the first hour due to traveling £10 an hour after that.

 

[windand rain]

No because I love poo picking but it would be handy to have someone do it if I was away. I do have sharers that do it but are not very conscientious. Again it would have to be done to a very high standard. I have thought about doing it for others but my guess would be they would only pay for once a week and it would be a nightmare trying to keep the ground in good condition

 

[Parrotperson]

well you'd get some business for sure. but I'm not sure by the time you factor in travelling you actually make money.

 

[meleeka]

If i could afford it, I would. Actually if i didn’t have a family I’d probably be willing to live on beans on toast so I could afford it ?

 

[Antw23uk]

No im too tight! and it takes ten minutes max a day with one horse. Neighbours do though but not sure what they pay/ charge.
I do think i will get some help this winter though to take the pressure off

 

[Julie Ole Girl]

I would pay someone to do it for me on a weekly basis at £10 p.h. Whilst I do most of it nearly every day, I also do a whole two hours weekly for the whole field and its back breaking!

 

[irishdraft]

No because I can do it myself

 

[PurBee]

I’d definitely pay for it! Often i have other demanding jobs on and the fields get left behind so it would be brilliant to employ outside help.
Reasonable hourly rate between 10-15 quid sterling…which i think is a bargain considering the job it is.

Bear in mind, some fields would be easier than others to pull/push a barrow through and some have the muck pile far from an easy spot to empty. Especially winter muddy conditions could slow you up. So that would impact how many barrows you’d do in a day. Poops spaced out over 5 acres will take ages compared to half acre poops all at one end due to horses behaviour.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I paid for it when I hurt my neck. £10 per hour, Oxfordshire.

I really am considering paying again just because it was so nice to have the help.

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I wouldn't, as I check fences as I go etc.

A friend who was long term unwell had a lad come every Saturday to do her 4, worked very well till he was sick one weekend and promised to do double the following weekend, then never turned up. A few of us went over to help as there was a fair bit as you can imagine.

Set yourself decent rates, be prepared to take your own tools too and factor all costs in.

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

No, I wouldn't we have a field vac and cross-graze with sheep. I like the nutrients to go back into the land.

 

[Jeni the dragon]

I did a couple of winters ago! Things were busy plus my Gran wasn't well so it was just one thing less to worry about. But she wasn't terribly reliable which was a pain!

 

[FFAQ]

I tried to employ people to help out with poo picking and was willing to pay £10-15ph, but I just ended up with a teenager who missed half of it, was so slow I swear I saw a snail overtake her, and kept hounding me about riding the horses. The whole point of paying someone was to give me a spare hour to ride, but I used to feel so mean about riding while someone else was doing my dirty work that I knocked it on the head in the end!

 

[Leam_Carrie]

I’ve had someone do this in the past. They did twice a week and fed the horse / did her rug. It was £25 for the two one hour visits.

 

[spacefaer]

I'd rather pay for ragwort digging, despite how much I hate poo picking

 

[Enfys]

If l had the spare cash l might in one field that is too steep to safely get a vehicle and trailer in, you wouldn't catch me going in there with a barrow. I harrow my dry lots though. Going rates? Hmm, minimum wage l guess.

 

[blitznbobs]

I do pay - i have a groom to do it for me, she mucks out etc too …. And is worth every penny i pay her

 

[planete]

I have somebody poo pick for me when I am away and I will probably pay her to do it this Winter as I am beginning to find Winters hard to survive. I pay £12 an hour and I know she is super reliable and efficient. Somebody else on the farm pays £7 per wheelbarrow.

 

[Cherryblossom]

I pay someone to poo pick once a week. With working a 48hr week and having two preschool kids at home it is worth the £30 for 2 hours to be able to spend what little free time I have doing fun stuff with the horses rather than just cleaning up after them!

 

[Tarragon]

I enjoy poo picking and I do my field daily. The ponies are on very short grazing so it looks like a lawn and a pile of poo is really obvious. I am even tempted to pick up the sheep poo when it gets bad as the field is cross grazed!
I would pay for someone to poo pick my field if I was away for a while as the thought of coming back to a week's worth of poo is enough to deter me from leaving!

 

[Lipglosspukka]

I have somebody poo pick for me when I am away and I will probably pay her to do it this Winter as I am beginning to find Winters hard to survive. I pay £12 an hour and I know she is super reliable and efficient. Somebody else on the farm pays £7 per wheelbarrow.

£7 per wheelbarrow!? Sign me up!

I'm going to be loaded!

 

[SEL]

I've paid £5 per barrow - but only when I couldn't do it myself for some reason

I wouldn't buy it in as a regular service. Injured, sick or on holiday I tend to use a freelancer who does all the feeding etc as well as poo pick

 

[Beachbabe]

I wouldn't use it unless in an emergency, but I would expect to pay £15 ph. It's an awful job which can be in dreadful conditions and massive fields, so yes, £15 ph. Those that need or want it will pay it. Don't do yourself down.