Muckpreading dilemma

[dormant374]

I'm helping to look after a fairly large smallholding, and I need to find a way to spread muck (there's a large pile) onto the fields, preferably cheaply.

My main idea is to drag a trailer of muck around the fields slowly with someone shovelling a little at a time out the back, and then to go round again with a harrow to spread it out.

Problem is I don't have anything to pull a trailer off road...

I've thought of a few ideas; there are plenty of horses about the place, and we have harness for driving, so I thought I could maybe make a cart of some kind (I don't have one). They're not huge horses though, and they're not used to that kind of heavy work. I don't want to overload them.

Another idea was to look at getting a quad, small tractor or even an old battered 4x4 to pull a trailer. I can't find any within budget though.

The only other thought I've had is to make a sort of tractor out of car parts. Obviously it'd be a bit ramshackle, but apparently people did it a lot in the states in the 30s.

Any bright ideas? I'm a bit stuck.

[pumpy]

could always invite a load of friends over to a "muck-chucking" party!

[MINESAPINT]

I have yet to see a heap of muck that cannot be shifted with a wheelbarrow or two. Some folk pay good money for exercise. You have the opportunity of getting plenty for free!

[ina]

Doesn't the smallholding have neighbouring farmers who'd be willing to lend a hand with a quad or tractor for a day? How is everything else done on the smallholding - if it's a "fairly large" smallholding, surely there must be some machinery around?

[dormant374]

I have yet to see a heap of muck that cannot be shifted with a wheelbarrow or two.

I'm talking 22 or so hilly acres here. I'm sure I could do it with wheelbarrows, just like I could dig a pond with a teaspoon. Given the distance and terrain involved it would take forever.

Doesn't the smallholding have neighbouring farmers who'd be willing to lend a hand with a quad or tractor for a day? How is everything else done on the smallholding - if it's a "fairly large" smallholding, surely there must be some machinery around?

There are local farmers who said they'd help - at cost. If I'm going to spend hundreds of pounds I might just as well spend it on my own equipment. The only machinery that's already around is the horses. So far everything else that's been done has been done by my fiance and I with sweat and hand tools.

Maybe some background would explain the situation better; The smallholding belongs to my fiance's mother, it's home to about a dozen horses, and the land has been badly neglected up until now. The mother in law is getting on in years and has a bad back, so she's found it hard to deal with the necessary work around the farm. She's accepted our offer to help her out with the place, in return for a promise that once it's in a half decent state we can keep a few animals of our own there. I've now spent all of my spare money on fencing, which badly needed doing. The pasture has been badly managed and needs fertilising if there's going to be much grass next year. I have fertiliser (in the form of a big ol' pile of crap), so my problem is to find a creative way to shift the muck onto fields that are fairly large and a good way away from the heap. Something ingenious. (That's where I was hoping you guys might help).

[contadino]

Hmmm. I can appreciate the problem. How big is your pile of muck?

Maybe you'd be better with some sort of low-level sled thing for the horses to pull. That way you wouldn't need to lift the poo up too high and it would be easier to slide it off onto the ground.

I don't know much about horses, but wouldn't it be more of a case of not loading the trailer too much. Many shorter trips rather than fewer heavier ones...?

Animals, eh Why can't they poo where you need it?

[ina]

I'll think it'll be a lot of work in the long run if you want to do it all without machinery... Maybe you will have to invest in something or other (old tractor, or at least a quad). Much as I like to do the green thing, I know that it really might not be possible without either lots of manual labour (i.e. more workforce), or machines. Or, at least, equipment that can be worked with horses - but are they able to do that? You need to train a horse to pull that kind of equipment...

I have, in the past, spread muck by hand by pulling it off a low trailer, and then spreading it further from the small heaps I'd made. That trailer had been pulled by a tractor (which has the advantage that it doesn't get impatient if it has to wait about a while in the field without moving!).

[Peggy Sue]

Please make sure the horse are broken to harness if you are going to use them.. I have visions of some poor surprised creature looking terrified at the thought of a cart

By the way horses don't have to be that big to be strong enough to pull quite a weight, but they DO need to be trained

[Ratty]

You could always sign up to Help Exchange to look for some help too? http://www.helpx.net/about.asp or ask on Freecycle or Just for the Love of It http://www.justfortheloveofit.org/thedeal.phpfor help? If I was local to you I'd happily help

[DJL]

i to have same problem .i have 9 acres ,2 cows,4steers,37sheep,about 80 mixed poultry,2 rabbits, about 20 guinea pigs and occasionly some weaners this lot make quite a large manure pile,which is made up in 3 sections like composting 1new,one 1 year old with pumpkins growing on top and one ready for use on garden or fields.now what i am about to say sounds a bit mad or sad and i am not the everything neet and tidy type unfortunately but this works.i use a time and motion type idea every time i take a weelbarrow of fresh to the heap i put it on to the fresh pile and reload with well rotted to be spread my hand with the muck fork.as the rotting reduces the weight and bulk of the material from fresh to rotted there is less to spread than you put on the first time so on some trips to the muck heap i can not bother ie in the rain or dark. i hope this helps you and saves a lot of time and effort on making something mechanical.the important thing with lots of big smallholding jobs is to make them smaller and spread them out a little every day.

[Jean]

Couldn't you just relocate the horses for a bit? Temporary fencing would be ok and it would save a lot of heavy work.

[Marc]

It's possible to build a sort of tractor from car parts, but not easy - depends on your skill level and time available. Also it's probably not so easy with modern cars, my brother built one many years ago from Morris minor parts, using an old bed frame for a chassis. It was great, and we drove it around the farm for years.
A 4x4 Mot failure sounds like maybe the best bet and I would think you could find something for a couple of hundred pounds or so. If the ground is not too steep or too wet you could maybe just use an old car, maybe cut the back off to create a sort of pick-up, I've seen it done and can be very useful. Mind the sharp edges though, do something to cover or protect them, don't want any sliced body parts
Good luck,
Marc

[happy place]

i echo the sentiment that horses need to be trained to pull anything and they also need to be fit to work (just like you they can't go from a life of rest to hard work with out getting fit first) in the short term could you hire some equipment in. as for cheep places to buy equipment look out for on the farm sales and agri auctions as you can get some real bargains espcially if you arn't worried about looks

[Thurston Garden]

The traditional way of muck spreading by horse and cart was to use the cart to take the muck to the field (every morning from the cattle sheds!) and leave it in piles 5 yards apart. When the whole field was dotted with muck piles then they were spread out using a muck fork. Look for "The Last Horsemen" book/DVD. the farmer spreading a couple of tons of muck every day in life is in his 70's in the DVD.

I bet there will be someone who would lend - either for nothing/swap of labour or even a local land rover nut: any excuse to get off road!

With 22 acres, some sort of tractor needs to be high up on your priority list. I managed 2 by hand but have a land rover and trailer and chain harrows.