The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Livestock => Pigs => Topic started by: Button End Beasts on July 31, 2012, 05:37:23 pm
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Hi :wave:
Can anyone recommend a good tool or home made contraption for picking up pig poo? I'm currently using one of those rakes and bucket things for horses but doesn't work too well on uneven ground. I've also tried one of the plastic dog pooper scoopers, lasted for about a week before breaking.
Thanks!
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Rubber gloves. ;D :pig:
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A fire shovel, large size, and a bucket :)
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Your hand?
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I hate those shovel things, I use disposable surgical gloves (NB I do use them again) from eBay and just pick the poo up and into a standard bucket. Much much quicker and I can get every bit up.
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why do you all pick up the crap :farmer:
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why do you all pick up the crap :farmer:
well Robert i do it to help keep worms down, although we rotate/rest the paddocks between batchs of pigs i still like to remove as much as i can to the compost heap, generally pigs poo in one corner so its not too an onerous task, also by poo picking you can keep any eye on any differences in it, colour, solidity/liquidity, whats in it etc. Also when they're in for the winter its a matter of hygene and smell, nobody wants to sleep in a crappy bed, yes pigs like mud but you will find they always do their business away from their sleeping place and love clean new straw. I always say you can tell the calibre of the pig keeper by the state of their pigs bed.
mandy :pig: :pig:
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Also it rots down the veg. matter in the compost bins, good for the garden and for the grass. My pigs crap all over the place, if they did it in one corner the job would be easier!
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shoveling s**t and brushing concrete exercise areas is mandatory with pigs kept indoors and certainly is an indication of the welfare given to the pigs under your care but to continue that outdoors in pig paddocks is going ott especially if they are large ours are about 0.75 acres each well three of them anyway
but each to there own i am now wondering if the same dedication is lavished on the sheep and cattle that are owned by the peps on here :farmer:
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Robert you have made me feel a lot better.
These are my first weaners, so a complete novice, and apart from the first 2 weeks when they were in the stable I haven't poo picked anything in their outdoor pen. Reading this thread I thought I was doing something wrong brought on by my inexperience. Phew.....
Sally
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why do you all pick up the crap :farmer:
We don't. When the pigs are moved on to a new patch I just harrow it over and let it fertilise the weeds. I've got a big enough compost heap from the chickens without adding to it any further.
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When I poo pick the ponies I use the long handled 'bucket thingy' , but forget the long handled scraper as too unwieldly So I use a garden hand fork and yes does involve more bending but way easier ;D
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Faithfull-5-Tines-Stainless-Steel-Soft-Grip/dp/B003KIUJ8W/ref=sr_1_37?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1343769412&sr=1-37. (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Faithfull-5-Tines-Stainless-Steel-Soft-Grip/dp/B003KIUJ8W/ref=sr_1_37?s=outdoors&ie=UTF8&qid=1343769412&sr=1-37.)
This is a more posh version than I use :eyelashes:
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I'm certainly not blessed with huge pig pens and tons of land so pick up the poo as best I can so that it doesn't get too disgusting in there. It really doesnt take too much time, 5 mins max and makes sure i check all the fences, see what the pigs may have discovered in the ground (like pieces of glass), and let's me look for worms. Also our pigs are kept near houses so I hope it keeps the smell of the pigs down and the neighbours don't complain. Our sheep have much, much more land to run over, their turds are not really comparable to some of the giant elephant turds we find that the pigs have laid.
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We only poo pick the small farrowing pens, for the same reasons as BEB, smell, close to other houses, and to stop them looking like guano factories - 20 piglets/weaners (lots going to new homes this weekend) produce a mind boggling volume of s**t every day, revolting if I leave it for 2 days. I use any implement that can scoop it into the long handled horse bucket pan as fast as possible - rubber glove, spoons, trowels, long handled hoe, but never the object the horse rake, which is useless in grass or on rough/dug up ground. Tamsaddle
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Some of you have too much spare time ;D
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I think if your pigs are in a small area, then you should poo pick, but in a large paddock or field then no. I recommend poo picking only if the pigs are let out during the winter in a small area for a bit of excercise. I have used the horse poo shovel that comes with its own picker upper. :)
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Berkshire Boy - poo picking is underated in my mind ;D I don't poo pick the pigs as loads of space, but find my daily poo picking in the pony fields is really relaxing. Maybe I am mad :excited:
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Yep when i have too much spare time I visit our 2 pigs , take a bucket and collect outdoor poo for the compost. They have a sleeping, feeding and poo area in the piggery and I clean this out regularly.
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Get the children to do it!!!
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Where can I buy some children? ;D ;D