Is spreading ripe chicken muck 'completely unacceptable'?

[Daniel]

Its that time of year again when the muck store gets emptied and spread, and i'll be honest, it really stinks.

However for years we've spread on one farm with no complaints. 18 months ago we took on another farm a few miles up the road. I spread some muck there yesterday late afternoon with a hired muckspreader.

Early this afternoon, inside the 24hr limit for incorporating, I recieved a phone call from the arable farmer across the road (who has never troubled himself to come and say hello to his new neighbour) telling me it was totally unnaceptable to spread chicken muck and that he would be reporting me.

I'm cultivating it in at the moment, but that isn't going to stop the smell immediately.

What do the collective think? The muckspreader had sat here a week in the rain doing nothing so the hire company are keen for me to get on, I don't have the cultivating capacity to keep right up tight behind it, should I expect more leeway from a fellow farmer?

I mean the stuff stinks, but I assume he eats eggs, surely he realises the sh*t has to go somewhere?!

 

[Farmer_Joe]

does he not spread sh!t?

its not nice and it smells rank but surely its better now than in a heatwave,

and who is he reporting you to?

My response would end with off...

 

[br jones]

Yes

 

[betweenthelines]

does he not spread sh!t?

its not nice and it smells rank but surely its better now than in a heatwave,

and who is he reporting you to?

My response would end with off...

If he doesn't spread sh!t, he certainly talks it!

I can just imaging his reaction if you got on the phone every time he got the sprayer out, or complained about clouds of dust when he's combining.

Is his nose out of joint because he didn't get the farm and you did?

 

[farenheit]

It is absolutely horrible, especially when done on a nice spring weekend . Plant as many wildflower margins as you like but it’s the quickest way to lose the goodwill of your customers.

 

[Daniel]

If he doesn't spread sh!t, he certainly talks it!

I can just imaging his reaction if you got on the phone every time he got the sprayer out, or complained about clouds of dust when he's combining.

Is his nose out of joint because he didn't get the farm and you did?

Don't think so, it was a council farm I took on in my own right, he already owns and farms several hundred acres.

I mean it does stink, but to my mind a few days air pollution in early spring is an inevitable side effect of having readily available food on the shelves.

 

[Daniel]

does he not spread sh!t?

its not nice and it smells rank but surely its better now than in a heatwave,

and who is he reporting you to?

My response would end with off...

Its not a big livestock area, so no he doesn't spread any himself.

 

[Daniel]

Yes

It is absolutely horrible, especially when done on a nice spring weekend . Plant as many wildflower margins as you like but it’s the quickest way to lose the goodwill of your customers.

Interesting. And what would your solution be, landfill the muck and get the N out of a bag?

 

[7610 super q]

I live next door to one of the biggest free range broiler farms in the country.
You get used to it.
But it's surprising what you can get used to, right ??

 

[Bald Rick]

Try spreading blood and guts if you think chicken muck is bad.

Anyway, I am beginning to truly hate farming now with this constant barrage of being reported for the slightest thing. Our Council has an app now that allows you to report anything immediately
FFS

 

[Matt L]

Nothing wrong with it at all. Provided you are cultivating within the 24 hour rule not a lot else can be done.
you certainly can’t make it smell any better.

 

[Daniel]

Nothing wrong with it at all. Provided you are cultivating within the 24 hour rule not a lot else can be done.
you certainly can’t make it smell any better.

Yeah well, i'm missing the rugby to get it done, the definition of cruel and unusual punishment!

And yes, I know you have a 6 metre Joker on the forecourt! Maybe next year....

 

[farenheit]

Interesting. And what would your solution be, landfill the muck and get the N out of a bag?

No not at all, just be understanding that not everyone is a farmer and try and do it at a time which isn’t just convenient for you but has the least impact

 

[Lexion1000]

Its that time of year again when the muck store gets emptied and spread, and i'll be honest, it really stinks.

However for years we've spread on one farm with no complaints. 18 months ago we took on another farm a few miles up the road. I spread some muck there yesterday late afternoon with a hired muckspreader.

Early this afternoon, inside the 24hr limit for incorporating, I recieved a phone call from the arable farmer across the road (who has never troubled himself to come and say hello to his new neighbour) telling me it was totally unnaceptable to spread chicken muck and that he would be reporting me.

I'm cultivating it in at the moment, but that isn't going to stop the smell immediately.

What do the collective think? The muckspreader had sat here a week in the rain doing nothing so the hire company are keen for me to get on, I don't have the cultivating capacity to keep right up tight behind it, should I expect more leeway from a fellow farmer?

I mean the stuff stinks, but I assume he eats eggs, surely he realises the sh*t has to go somewhere?!

Sounds like he’s a bit of a pain, fair enough, It stinks and it’s not that pleasant but to go straight to saying he would report you is a bit offside. He must have an axe to grind.

I think the main thing is to have the cultivator as close behind as you can and not spread hundreds of acres at once. Avoiding weekends is a good idea too.

 

[Matt L]

Yeah well, i'm missing the rugby to get it done, the definition of cruel and unusual punishment!

And yes, I know you have a 6 metre Joker on the forecourt! Maybe next year....

Well I’m watching the rugby just to add to your suffering but I wasn’t going to go down the joker route, time and place ???

 

[Scholsey]

Yeah well, i'm missing the rugby to get it done, the definition of cruel and unusual punishment!

And yes, I know you have a 6 metre Joker on the forecourt! Maybe next year....

Tell him it’s a shame he feels like that as you were about to offer him your next couple of sheds worth of muck to him for free.

 

[Daniel]

No not at all, just be understanding that not everyone is a farmer and try and do it at a time which isn’t just convenient for you but has the least impact

Sounds like he’s a bit of a pain, fair enough, It stinks and it’s not that pleasant but to go straight to saying he would report you is a bit offside. He must have an axe to grind.

I think the main thing is to have the cultivator as close behind as you can and not spread hundreds of acres at once. Avoiding weekends is a good idea too.

Sure, but avoiding spreading on a Friday with a hired muckspreader which has been on stop for weeks, with a que of farmers waiting to get it.....?

 

[Wombat]

Did he loose out on that land? Some people always have axes to grind

 

[Netherfield]

Honestly think pig muck and silage effluent smell just as bad. We had quite a lot of litter muck which doesn't smell as bad as the stuff that came straight out of the laying cages.

 

[shumungus]

Wouldn't worry about it, as has been said before you have probably put his nose out of joint by renting on his doorstep, too bad so sad. If you are of a mind to humour him contact him after you have it worked in and apologise for the inconvenience, at the same time ask him does he know of anyone that needs chicken muck as you have some spare. This will have one of two outcomes.
A: He takes you up on the offer of some free fertiliser and so cant say anything moving forward.
B: He explodes and goes into orbit.
Personally with the way he has approached it I wouldn't give a sh!t, literally.