Loading the spreader and composting

[gwpoky]

Hello,

Not sure where to post this, here or on the fabrication side, but I’ll start here.

Situation: we compost all of our winter pack manure. In the spring we usually rent a skid loader for a day or two so we can windrow the packs. We do not own a tractor anymore and do not plan on buying one. Currently I load my spreader with the completed compost by hand. What I am looking for is ideas on non gas/diesel to make this job a little easier. I have thought of a belt elevator system that I could scrape compost onto which then would be lifted by the elevator, maybe an electric type tractor that could be charged off solar panels??? Any ideas or input would be great. how are you all moving your winter poo? The hand method was ok in the beginning, but we are getting to a point/size that this is becoming impractical.

Thank you

[Billy Foster]

George
I have pondered your question many times. I use a bucket tractor to load/flip compost and clean the barn yard. My eventual goal is to remove the tractor all together. One of the ideas I had was to compost the manure on a concrete dock and pull the spreader up next to the dock to load it. To load the spreader I would use a push blade, set up like a buck rake. I figured one would have to break the pile down/apart from the composting size before pushing it.
I have seen a couple tractors converted to electric, an old AC and a Deere. Our farm is all PV so I have thought about the electric angle of approach as well 😉
Billy

[Jay]

We used to load all our manure by hand – I enjoy the work- but it ends up taking 3 weeks to spread it all. The most 2 of us could load in a day was 8 loads and that was pushing it and we weren’t good for as much the next day. We made a conscious choice when we got the horses to not have a tractor as well. We would rent, trade for or borrow one for specific tasks and that is what we do now for loading manure. I can on a good day load and spread 20 loads by myself. Load spreader before chores, hitch up and spread first load, park team, load, spread, load, spread, etc. etc. We now have 2 spreaders and teams so if we have the drivers we can have 2 spreaders going and 1 person just loading. I have come to the feeling that a loader is sometimes appropriate use of petroleum- but I don’t want the weight of that tractor on my fields. We’ve been 30 years without tractors on the fields at all and I think it has made a significant difference in the productivity for the better. Not having the tractor here all the time means I really have to think and plan what I want to do with it when it is here and not do frivolous things but stick to the most important/best uses of the tool within the limitations we have set on our use of it. Jay

[mink]

i dont know alot about composting but wouldnt it make more sense to even spread a load of manure on your fields every time you figured you had a spreader full? all the amish here spread almost daily.

[Jay]

I did an experiment one spring as we were cleaning out the manure shed. I put one load of fresh manure straight out of the barn in between many loads from the shed. Later you could see very clearly where the load of fresh manure had gone – it wasn’t a green strip like all the other loads, it looked as though nothing had been put there at all. Since that time I try to never spread any fresh manure. I want it all to compost so I get more of the nutrients on the field and stable (not volatile). Fresh manure doesn’t seem to have the fertilizing affect or staying power of manure that has set for a while. Jay

[gwpoky]

Yep, we compost to get the nutrients in a more stable state using carbon ie. wood chips and straw. Has anyone seen a small skid steer converted to electric? If a guy could find one with a blown motor and convert it at least for loading the spreader it would be nice and quiet wouldn’t need it for the heavy work, that the hoses can do with a scrapper. Keep the ideas rolling we’ll get this figured out yet.

[Iron Rose]

George

Have never seen a electric skid steer, but anythiing is posssible. Although cost could be a big factor in doing it or not. I’m not to well versed on electric motors, but maybe using a golf cart motor(they go up to a48 volt system maybe more ,not sure) to run the loader. I have seen them used to run hydraulic pumps.
Another idea maybe a electric fork lift could be modified to use for your use, I worked for a packing house years ago and they had a bucket on an electric vechicle. Keep us in touch and let us know if you figure something out
Good Luck
Dan Raasmussen

[Anonymous]

http://www.northerntool.com/shop/tools/product_531_531 It would be easy to swap the Honda motor for an electric motor.

[gwpoky]

KC63,

That would be the ticket, I wonder what size electric motor you would need and how many batteries to get it to run for a reasonable amount of time? Thanks for sharing.

[Anonymous]

I’d keep the power source as is, but change the bucket for a grab. I’d imagine changing the source of power would get to be expensive unless you were close to a mains supply and then it would just need an electric motor and an extension cord.

[Roscoe]

Why bother with electricity? Here they burn coal to produce power, so it is not greener to run an electric then a gas / diesel motor!
And the batteries are not enviromental friendly either.

[gwpoky]

What I would like to do is have an electric loader charged with a solar panel, if I can get a few hours of run time that will be all I need.
I have found some good ideas on youtube and “The Farm Show” magazine. The one northern tool has would be nice, but it is larger than I really need and much to expensive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wNFAzGrjGM&context=C35aed0cADOEgsToPDskJ1l5j2uICdMDOjjrIAKgrg

[Simple Living]

Here is a video, and many more from this guy, that shows a small electric tractor. Seems to work pretty well.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mm9TI2Tm2ko&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Gordon

[Donn Hewes]

Here a few more things to consider. Much like the rest, I use a tractor to clean out the sheep barn pack in spring and turn those piles to improve the composting. I then use the tractor to fill spreaders that are pulled by horses. Like hay making, I believe this system is open for improvement. Over the years, I will continue to think about and try new things, both to improve the nutrients conserved and to use less fossil fuels.

Here are some examples. Unlike my sheep barn, the horse barn is cleaned every few days summer and winter. I don’t feel nutrients are all that well preserved in the winter and spring rains if kept outside in compost piles that are not heating and leaching. Last year I built a spreader shed next to my horse barn and began spreading horse manure from the barn every few days. This has cut tractor use and leans I can spread almost two loads a week, all loaded by hand. an improvement on this system might be covered storage for winter produced compost piles. Given the open winter we have had this year it has worked well to spread every few days. I have also built a typical pile on the few days when ice, snow or rain, prevented me from spreading.

Another option to reduce tractor use is pigs turning piles in covered pens. These pens could be be emptied to spreaders by hand, provided there was a good ratio of workers to animals. If the sheep pack was on a concrete slab, pigs could be used to turn this as well, but the proper scale would be critical. Practice and experience would be important before ramping up to full production.

[Lanny Collins]

I collect horse manure around the barn and in my pens to keep flies down and to prevent mud and odors. I have 5 horses and a mule and all of them spend the majority of their time in turnout but still collect quite a bit of manure because they come up to get mineral under the barn shed and if they see me out they like to get a scratch. In the winter time I keep hay out under the shed protected from rain/snow so they defecate quite a bit, even with 100% turnout. I don’t like to pile it outside (close to the barn) because it smells, attracts and provides an environment for next years fly population. I pick up manure piles about every day or two and store it inside my barn in half barrels made of plastic like the ones that protein is supplied for cattle. Anyway, I try to mix in an adequate carbon source in order to get the heat cycle started. Once I have enough half barrels collected to fill my 25 bushel fimco spreader I dump the barrels into my spreader and spread it with either my 4-wheeler, zero trun lawn mower, or I can hook it behind my forecart.
I like the tub system because if I really wanted to I could transfer one tub to another to get the second heat cycle. They say the best compost should go through 2 heat cycles and if you have the correct amount of nitogen/carbon/moisture/air you can get compost in several weeks.

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