Spreading muck from horses

[Dickyfarmer]

Hi
Amateur question is image but hey ho
We have 35 acres and grow our hay we have never used fertiliser in 10 years and had successfully grown enough to last us a winter for approximately 10 horses and 50 sheep
Our flock is growing and considered fert this year, we have a huge muck heap from our stables but I’ve been told spreading muck that’s got wood shavings is a bad idea
Can anyone shed any light on this?

 

[Still Farming]

Agri College around here used shavings for cattle for years and spread and grew good grass/ crops ok .

 

[Agriimark]

Hi
Amateur question is image but hey ho
We have 35 acres and grow our hay we have never used fertiliser in 10 years and had successfully grown enough to last us a winter for approximately 10 horses and 50 sheep
Our flock is growing and considered fert this year, we have a huge muck heap from our stables but I’ve been told spreading muck that’s got wood shavings is a bad idea
Can anyone shed any light on this?

Personally only ever spread it on ground that is going to be ploughed over, how many tonne roughly have you got to spread?

 

[nick...]

Wood chips can lock up nitrogen and all the grass seeds in horse muck coukd end up costing you a fortune in spray.id never take horse muck,ever for that reason.maybe ok spread on grass though
Nick..

 

[Nearly]

The shavings would need nitrogen to help soil bacteria break them down.
If the muck heap is a few years old then the shavings will have aleady started to break down.
Is shaving muck is just this winter then it will drain N from the soil rather than add anything.

 

[bobk]

It's what you would call sh!t sh!t .

 

[nick...]

No flies on you @bobk
Nick...

 

[rob1]

Hi
Amateur question is image but hey ho
We have 35 acres and grow our hay we have never used fertiliser in 10 years and had successfully grown enough to last us a winter for approximately 10 horses and 50 sheep
Our flock is growing and considered fert this year, we have a huge muck heap from our stables but I’ve been told spreading muck that’s got wood shavings is a bad idea
Can anyone shed any light on this?

Spread hundreds of tonnes a year of horse muck, not had any problems yet, if yours is rotted and doesnt contain lots of unrottedhay/straw then it will be fine, if it does then spread it in the autumn so you dont have all the unrotted bits in the hay,

 

[deleted user 837354]

It will have nearly zip real nutrient value. Spread it in autumn I would unless it is well rotted.

 

[Still Farming]

Better than this Council household ,kitchen,garden waste stuff they try and dish out ?

 

[Exfarmer]

Wood chips can lock up nitrogen and all the grass seeds in horse muck coukd end up costing you a fortune in spray.id never take horse muck,ever for that reason.maybe ok spread on grass though
Nick..

Nick, they want to spread it on grass

 

[Exfarmer]

Agree though nitrogen lock up is an issue, but it will. Release in a few years

 

[Selectamatic]

I spread a bit on my land, I sell them the straw, then get paid to take it away again. That's a win in my book!

I don't really care what fertiliser it provides, it's a bit of organic matter for the ground. Just dung and straw though, nothing else.

 

[multi power]

It will be fine, just let it rot for a year or two first

 

[d-wales]

you'll be fine, especially if it's from your own shed, well rotted etc

If taken from neighbours you'll probably spend a day after picking up all the rubbish they leave in the stack, water buckets and hay nets are a common extra

 

[Brisel]

I import around 500 t/year of horse muck from a guy who rents out hook loader skips. Mostly it's ok but the odd yard leaves some rubbish in it. I spread it thinly as it's usually shavings based so the high C:N ratio is no big deal.

 

[samsung]

Turn it a couple of times. It'll compost down to nearly half the volume and heat should kill any unwanted seeds.

 

[Dry Rot]

Turn it a couple of times. It'll compost down to nearly half the volume and heat should kill any unwanted seeds.

......and worm eggs.