Dexter Cattle For Sale Discussion Board

Having a bit of a local debate about whether muck can be spread on the fields straight from the overwintering barn (i.e. fresh), or whether it should be piled up and allowed to rot down first. Would welcome any opinions.

Regards,

Colin

Best if composted IMO. But, if the fields are not being used for a while, personally speaking I would spread straight out of the barn. If it was REALLY smelly though, I mean foul smelling, then maybe I wouldn't. It'll only compost if the mix of muck and straw is about right.

We often leave it in the shed for a year or two to leave a base in for the next year, prevents it being slippy, makes a deep litter, it rots down really well where it is and costs less to spread. It only works if there is still plenty of head room!

Stephanie

Clive/Stephanie,

Thanks for the feedback. Seems there's no right or wrong approach. We've piled up this winters muck with the intention to spread next spring. But there's other consideration to take into account when doing this.

Regards,

Colin

Last year, I had hoped to leave it in a muck heap to compost for a while in the hope that any nasties in the muck would break down with some time. It didn't happen because of lack of time and availability of equipment, so it was spread onto a field that was then cut for silage. We got two pretty good cuts of grass and grazed the field twice, so something worked out OK.

Colin wrote:Thanks for the feedback. Seems there's no right or wrong approach. We've piled up this winters muck with the intention to spread next spring. But there's other consideration to take into account when doing this.

I can't remember all the rules to do with muck heaps. I do remember we're not supposed to store outside over winter (I THINK!), because of run-off. And we have to keep moving the heap, not let it stand in one place for more than so long, but can't remember how long "so long" is!!! But it's months not weeks. And it all depends on what zone you are in. We're not in a sensitive zone.

Anyhow, all we do to make sure we don't hit the rules and have to look them up, is to not compost for more than a few months, then get it spread, or we spread straight from the barn onto aftermath, then let it stand for a while if we can before letting stock on to graze.