The Accidental Smallholder Forum

Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Greenerlife on June 07, 2011, 01:48:45 pm

Title: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Greenerlife on June 07, 2011, 01:48:45 pm
 ;D ;D

no seriously - just seen on another thread someone talk about picking up the pig poo, and wondered if I should be doing that?  i oticed this morning that there is an awful lot of it about!
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Roxy on June 07, 2011, 01:52:28 pm
I poo pick the horses fields, and poo pick where the llama is (only because he poos in one specific place, and its easier to pick up than goat and sheep droppings!).  If you can pick the pig poo up easy enough, they I would, because it reduces smells and flies, and helps keep the field/pen  in good order.

My two pigs poo in one corner of their area, making it easier to pick up ....although, with the recent hot weather, when I went to collect it, it make me feel rather sick!!!!

Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Greenerlife on June 07, 2011, 03:01:00 pm
Well - I went to pick pig poo.  Half filled a feed bag full, followed along by all 6 of my boys.  Arsene (lead bully) bit the bottom off the bag.  Alex then chewed it, and then Avram got hold of it between his teeth (terrier like) and shook his head so violently that my end of the bag flew up and open and spread the poo all over the ground again!  I am so glad my OH wasn't there with a video.

i will go back at feeding time - it will probably be a little easier with them so distracted!  ;D
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Dan on June 07, 2011, 04:27:26 pm
Well - I went to pick pig poo.  Half filled a feed bag full, followed along by all 6 of my boys.  Arsene (lead bully) bit the bottom off the bag.  Alex then chewed it, and then Avram got hold of it between his teeth (terrier like) and shook his head so violently that my end of the bag flew up and open and spread the poo all over the ground again!

 :D :D :D

Great names. Do you have a José too?  ;)
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: SallyintNorth on June 07, 2011, 04:32:28 pm
Well - I went to pick pig poo.  Half filled a feed bag full, followed along by all 6 of my boys.  Arsene (lead bully) bit the bottom off the bag.  Alex then chewed it, and then Avram got hold of it between his teeth (terrier like) and shook his head so violently that my end of the bag flew up and open and spread the poo all over the ground again!  I am so glad my OH wasn't there with a video.

i will go back at feeding time - it will probably be a little easier with them so distracted!  ;D

Clearly this post should be in the 'recreational items for pigs' thread !   ;D
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: nelson on June 07, 2011, 04:36:42 pm
Made me chuckle too;D ;D - do you have a Sam ??? - I wondered where Avram went - I have a 'arry'  ;D :wave:

Nelson (WHU fan  :( )
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Greenerlife on June 07, 2011, 04:41:23 pm


 :D :D :D

Great names. Do you have a José too?  ;)
[/quote]

I have Alex, Arsene, Avram, Kenny, Roberto and Carlo!  ;D.  these boys are all for the chop!  (I am a Spurs fan, and I couldn't possibly get rid of a Harry now could I?)
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Bionic on June 07, 2011, 04:47:22 pm
Greenerlife,
I am obviously not with it today.  I thought you meant you have 6 (male) children. I did think it odd that one of them would bite the bottom off of the poo bag   ???  ??? and then by the time I got to the end of your mail I was thinking what a very strange family you have. 

All has since become clear   ;D
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: SallyintNorth on June 07, 2011, 04:54:02 pm


 :D :D :D

Great names. Do you have a José too?  ;)

I have Alex, Arsene, Avram, Kenny, Roberto and Carlo!  ;D.  these boys are all for the chop!  (I am a Spurs fan, and I couldn't possibly get rid of a Harry now could I?)
[/quote]

I thought it must be some cult telly thing so didn't try to get it, but then I got it when I saw them all listed out like that.  It's a good job I don't have boars, I would never keep any long enough to do their job!  (Sam, Kevin, Joe, Alan, Chris, Alan ...  :D)
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Eastling on June 07, 2011, 05:36:09 pm
I poo pick every day usually with one of them trying to tip the bucket over. The compost pile is getting bigger!
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: thestephens on June 07, 2011, 06:39:50 pm
i also poo pick, keeps the field tidy and i find it quite theraputic on a nice warm evening!
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Greenerlife on June 07, 2011, 06:44:36 pm
i also poo pick, keeps the field tidy and i find it quite theraputic on a nice warm evening!

glad I am not the only weirdo out there then!   :P

my second attempt today was, how should I put this...fruitful?   ;D
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: OhLaLa on June 07, 2011, 07:03:41 pm
A shavings fork picks it all up quite nicely. Pop it onto the compost/muck heap and then your veggies will benefit in due course too.

 :pig:
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: manian on June 07, 2011, 07:08:21 pm
we poo pick..........well i say we its usually my OH
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Berkshire Boy on June 07, 2011, 07:23:47 pm
Blimey you lot should get out more,poo picking no way. ::)
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: suziequeue on June 07, 2011, 07:31:49 pm
Yes - poo picking is great!!.

Pig poo goes onto the compost heap.

Sheep poo goes into a teabag with nettles for liquid manure.

Dog poo goes into the dog poo wormery

Sadly I haven't yet convinced hubby about a composting loo for our poo ;D ;D ;D

Nothing wasted :-)
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: OhLaLa on June 07, 2011, 07:35:29 pm
..........and also - sheep poo goes into a teabag with nettles for liquid manure.

...into a teabag........... for liquid manure.......phew, for a moment there.......

 :-\
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: OhLaLa on June 07, 2011, 07:45:40 pm
Blimey you lot should get out more,poo picking no way. ::)

Go out..... hmmmm vaguely remember what that means.....   
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Berkshire Boy on June 07, 2011, 07:52:15 pm
I don't waste mine just don't go round picking it up. I leave it and when the pigs are moved to another pen I harrow and sow stuble turnip and forage rape,boy does it grow well.First time i did it last year even surprised the "real" farmers. ;D
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Olly398 on June 08, 2011, 02:17:14 pm

Sadly I haven't yet convinced hubby about a composting loo for our poo ;D ;D ;D

Nothing wasted :-)

Get him to read the incomparable John Seymour!

Now the human being is a very strange beast with capabilities good and bad 
Not frightened of nature, no not in the least our follies are often quite mad
The toilet that flushes fills our souls with glee
A brainwave by Thomas Crapper
Mixes poo with clean water and pours out to sea
As if the dirt did not matter.
 
Out of sight, out of mind, muck shoots down the pipes
An incredible fabric of magic
Squandering food for soil as the water we spoil
Its a tale that is terribly tragic.
 
But all is not lost for at a marginal cost
Another solution comes easy
The composting loo; yes that's our riposte
And your tummy need not feel too queasy.
 
The vent goes up high, sending gas to the skies
And the lid fits snug so no entry to flies
Two years it will take, our compost to make
And our river's not sorry the flush to forsake.
 
No water, no tricks its all built with bricks. The poo and kitchen waste too
All go together making food for the soil in our marvelous Thunderbox loo


But does anyone on here have a "Thunderbox" loo?
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Greenerlife on June 08, 2011, 03:49:53 pm
That's great Olly398!

My OH is keen on one, but I have enough other things to occupy him with before we get one!  It does remind me though of paddling down the Grand Canyon years ago.  because of the fragility of the ecosystem down in the canyon we had to take out EVERYTHING.  Peeing was allowed in the water but pooing was done into old Ammo boxes which were packed up every morning and taken with us in the boats!  They were oblong and metal, which led to their being termed "groovers" as they left impressions!   ;D
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Hilarysmum on June 08, 2011, 04:10:47 pm
As is common here we have a fosse septic.  Loo works as normal the fosse contains lots of little digesting bacteria, eventually the poo is broken down to a nice layer of sediment, the clean water (filtered by a reed bed and sand) returns to the stream.  Until recently once in forever, a local farmer would pump out the sediment for shoving on his fields.  Now though it has to be pumpled out every 4 years regardless of how little is in the tank, and the sediment treated before being shoved on the fields.  Still have to use clean drinkable water to flush the loo though.
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: SallyintNorth on June 09, 2011, 12:09:44 am
The toilet that flushes fills our souls with glee
A brainwave by Thomas Crapper
Mixes poo with clean water and pours out to sea
As if the dirt did not matter.


But does anyone on here have a "Thunderbox" loo?

I worked with a lady whose surname was Crapper, and sure enough she was a great-granddaughter (may have been more than one great, can't now remember.) 

I have used a lot of different composting loos, none of them have smelled any worse than the conventional type - in many cases they smell sweeter.  I was told that the secret is putting enough sawdust down to keep the carbon-to-nitrogen ratio right.
Title: Re: Should I be picking pig poo?
Post by: Sylvia on June 09, 2011, 07:33:27 am
My neighbour has built a wonderful composting lav. The actual house is made of hay bales and looks like an African mud hut without the mud (mind you, he has also built a very impressive eco-house too :P)
As regards pig poo, I do pick up if my back allows otherwise the dogs do ::)