FROZEN MANURE ON BUCKETS

[patti24]

My wife bought my daughter a young mare when my daughter was 13. My daughter was in love with that horse until she went off to college. Then she found other things to keep her interest. My daughter is 36 now and we still have the horse. Since then, I am the one who gets to feed the horse every day, brush her out, clean her stall, haul the hay, pay the farrier and pay vet bills. I don't even particularly like horses. I suggested selling the horse once. You'd have thought I was suggesting selling one of my kids by the reaction I received. Hence my suggestion.

I was thinking the same thing, but then I thought maybe her conditions are different?

But yeah, just shake the bucket when dumping each one on the pile. I must be missing something?

And are you really using the backhoe bucket to do this? Instead of the front loader bucket?

Why??

Yes! Backhoe because I have a HUGE skidsteer bucket that is heaped with wood snd I don’t have time to unload it right now (And I’m NOT dumping it in front of the shop, only to have to bend down to the ground to pick it all up AGAIN to take inside to stack! )
Where do you live? I live in the snow belt in Ontario, Canada. It was +6C (43F) yesterday during the day (a rare event in December here)…and it was -11C last night.

Probably one of those deals where one stall a day gets mucked into the bucket. It sits around all week till the bucket is full. And frozen solid.

yup! It usually is!
Yesterday it was 6C(43F) and by evening it was -11C (12F), high winds, 4” of snow and everything frozen solid, until I went out at 4:00am and it was 5C (41F) and almost all of the snow had melted!!! So the snow that was coming down fast & furious while I was cleaning the paddock was also filling the backhoe bucket (and the dump trailer). After working in that crap, I was wet and frozen, and the LAST thing I wanted to do was drive out back & dump it- because at that point my fingers were so cold they were tingling & I was losing feeling!!
So, yup it froze. And a snowstorm is descending upon us as I speak. And -14C tonight!
So THAT is the craziness that helps contribute to buckets sitting & not getting dumped!

 

[patti24]

Yes! Backhoe because I have a HUGE skidsteer bucket that is heaped with wood snd I don’t have time to unload it right now (And I’m NOT dumping it in front of the shop, only to have to bend down to the ground to pick it all up AGAIN to take inside to stack! )
Where do you live? I live in the snow belt in Ontario, Canada. It was +6C (43F) yesterday during the day (a rare event in December here)…and it was -11C last night.

yup! It usually is!
Yesterday it was 6C(43F) and by evening it was -11C (12F), high winds, 4” of snow and everything frozen solid, until I went out at 4:00am and it was 5C (41F) and almost all of the snow had melted!!! So the snow that was coming down fast & furious while I was cleaning the paddock was also filling the backhoe bucket (and the dump trailer). After working in that crap, I was wet and frozen, and the LAST thing I wanted to do was drive out back & dump it- because at that point my fingers were so cold they were tingling & I was losing feeling!!
So, yup it froze. And a snowstorm is descending upon us as I speak. And -14C tonight!
So THAT is the craziness that helps contribute to buckets sitting & not getting dumped!

sorry! My first reply got cut off and sent when my screen closed itself.

 

[patti24]

My wife bought my daughter a young mare when my daughter was 13. My daughter was in love with that horse until she went off to college. Then she found other things to keep her interest. My daughter is 36 now and we still have the horse. Since then, I am the one who gets to feed the horse every day, brush her out, clean her stall, haul the hay, pay the farrier and pay vet bills. I don't even particularly like horses. I suggested selling the horse once. You'd have thought I was suggesting selling one of my kids by the reaction I received. Hence my suggestion.

But…I bet it kept her out of trouble!!

 

[patti24]

I mean really? You just have to shake the bucket, or if you don’t want to beat up your bucket pins, use a flat shovel to scrape it out.

Yup!! Really!!!
Where do you live?
I just put a post up describing out weather here in the snowmelt in Canada over the last 24 hours! Check it out…pretty much explains it!

Shake out the bucket???
I drop the bucket- as hard as I can- at least 20 times, at every angle, from every height and it doesn’t budge!

And ‘flat shovel’??!?!?

HAHAHA
I mean, really???

Nope. Not a chance.
I have an extremely sharp, HEAVY-duty ice chopper…and I am no weak little thing…and it has literally taken me HOURS to scrape, chop,pry stuff out of the bucket!!!
And that was even after keeping a tarp over the bucket!!!
This isn’t like dealing with scraping cow manure out of a barn or barnyard en masse and dumping it right after. With horses, manure is an ongoing (never-ending) daily thing…so takes awhile for the bucket to fill! Not going to start the backhoe every day to take a few shovelfuls of manure way out to the back!!

 

[patti24]

I had a horse for exactly six months. That's how long it took to figure out - it was a mistake. Sold the horse to a young girl. Her dad didn't appear too happy either.

I was thinking the same thing, but then I thought maybe her conditions are different?

But yeah, just shake the bucket when dumping each one on the pile. I must be missing something?

And are you really using the backhoe bucket to do this? Instead of the front loader bucket?

Why??

OHH… you misunderstood…because I didn’t use the right terminology!!! When I say ‘ ‘backhoe bucket’ -I’m generalizing!! I mean ‘the bucket on the whole ‘backhoe’ itself!!! I DO use the front loader bucket of course (not the excavating bucket!) IS that what you mean???

I

 

[patti24]

Why are you using a backhoe to scoop horse manure? What is your bucket width? The narrower the more it cakes in.

Just realized that when I say ‘backhoe bucket’ you guys think I’m referring to the actual excavating bucket Noooo! I’m generalizing!!! I load it into the front loader bucket!!
Horses need manure picked up every day or so and that’s why it’s sometimes sitting in the bucket for a period of time!!

 

[Jstpssng]

sorry! My first reply got cut off and sent when my screen closed itself.

You can edit a post.

 

[patti24]

Just do what other horse pet owners do ... take them for rides and crap all over public roads.

Thanks!! I’ll take that advice into consideration!

 

[patti24]

You can edit a post.

Well actually the whole thing disappeared, do I had to go back in and open it up again, and just started writing. I didn’t even realize that part was there until I was reading through posts later! But thanks- next time I’ll delete it!

 

[patti24]

I had a horse for exactly six months. That's how long it took to figure out - it was a mistake. Sold the horse to a young girl. Her dad didn't appear too happy either.

You have to tell me….are you male or female??? My money is on…male!!!

 

[patti24]

I like the idea of getting rid of the horses, wish I could talk the wife into it.

Like I said….you’ll never hear a female utter those words!! Only the male species!!!
Have you ever asked yourself WHY it is that women keep horses???
Yes, they are a HUGE amount of work….
but they’re STILL lower maintenance than the 2 legged mammal in the house!!!

 

[patti24]

If getting rid of the horses is a no-go, then the next best thing to do is move where it doesn't get so blooming cold.

Where I grew up the average low in January is 0 degrees F. My land here in Texas? Average low is 33. Not much freezing to worry about down here.

BLOOMING COLD IS RIGHT!!!
MY DREAM…to live somewhere WARM!!
I used to live in the Dominican Republic (for 3 years)…and man do I miss it!!! I WISH I could move to Texas, or Florida, or Arizona….even for the 3/4 of the year that it’s winter up here!
I’ve actually been trying to find a hauler for my horses for the last few weeks…but decided not to take them when it was going to cost me $6000+ CAN to take 2 horses to Florida & back, just to hang out for 3 months!!

 

[patti24]

I would try using your front end loader, it might work better than the backhoe.

yup… I do I was generalizing… I didn’t mean the actual excavating bucket!!

 

[patti24]

Thinking about this issue it occurs to what might be happening is a matter of convenience gone awry or volume.

Likely the backhoe is sitting near the horse barn or paddock and the horse dung is just getting scooped up and dumped in. So it can be moved somewhere later.

If this is the case, get a large rubber livestock tub/trough and leave it sitting in the loader bucket. That way it will still get to where you want it and it wont stick to any of your backhoe parts. If you get an oval one you can throw a strap on it if your worried it might get bumped out on the way.

Yessss…you’ve got it!! It’s not like cleaning a whole barn/barnyard at once! It’s ongoing!!
Well now there’s a good suggestion! I could spray the bucket with cooking oil too- it would likely slide out of plastic easier than metal!
Thanks for that idea!!

 

[patti24]

I was thinking the same thing, but then I thought maybe her conditions are different?

But yeah, just shake the bucket when dumping each one on the pile. I must be missing something?

And are you really using the backhoe bucket to do this? Instead of the front loader bucket?

Why??

Just realized that when I say ‘backhoe bucket’ you guys think I’m referring to the actual excavating bucket Noooo! I’m generalizing!!! I load it into the front loader bucket!!
Horses need manure picked up every day or so and that’s why it’s sometimes sitting in the bucket for a period of time!!

 

[patti24]

Probably one of those deals where one stall a day gets mucked into the bucket. It sits around all week till the bucket is full. And frozen solid.

Yes!! Exactly!!

 

[Gregster613]

patti24, Why don't you try lining the "inside" of the bucket with a cheap plastic tarp, placing the waste on that instead and when you dump the whole shebang should come out.

Granted it might be frozen to the tarp, but you won't have to scrape any more bucket metal. Just use another tarp. In the spring just grab an edge of the tarp and pull it out for next years usage.

Of course, dump in separate piles to make it easier to retrieve the old tarp. If you plan to reuse that is.

I don't know for sure but it seems as if it would work. Greg

 

[patti24]

That’s not something a group of male viewers can answer... and the OP hasn’t tuned in since you asked.

HAHAHA
Welllll… I can’t speak for alll women….(but probably the majority! )
They ARE a lot of work…but they’re STILL lower maintenance than the 2-legged creatures in the house!!! jk

They are great listeners!!!
They don’t talk back(well they do…but it’s okay if it’s from a horse!)
They keep you active & fit (and broke!!! Haha)
They don’t mind hanging out with us!
They give us a quiet place where we can be alone.
They’re not demanding (wellllll…)
They help calm you, refocus you, let you forget about life’s stresses because you have to ‘remain present in the moment’ around them.
Even just brushing them brings a sense of peace and calmness.
Research has proven horses are sentient beings- meaning they experience the same breadth & depth of emotions that humans do. (You should SEE some of the research on how horses grieve… it is truly incredible!!)
Mares nurture their young for as long as they can, and I think women relate or feel a connectedness to that nurturing trait.
When women look into the eyes of a horse…and I mean really look… it’s like you can see their soul…and they see yours. Can’t really explain it….you just bond with them on a unique level.
And..well… they’re just plain cute!!
Hope that offers some insight & helps you understand us ‘crazy horse ladies’ a little better!

 

[patti24]

patti24, Why don't you try lining the "inside" of the bucket with a cheap plastic tarp, placing the waste on that instead and when you dump the whole shebang should come out.

Granted it might be frozen to the tarp, but you won't have to scrape any more bucket metal. Just use another tarp. In the spring just grab an edge of the tarp and pull it out for next years usage.

Of course, dump in separate piles to make it easier to retrieve the old tarp. If you plan to reuse that is.

I don't know for sure but it seems as if it would work. Greg

Yah! That is a good idea! Some of that heavy-duty clear 6ml plastic sheeting you can get on rolls at TSC! Dual purpose… cut it to fit the bucket AND enough to fold over the top to help keep snow/rain out!
( Duhhh… Why didn’t I think of that!!) thanks!

 

[CausticUrbanCoast]

patti24, Why don't you try lining the "inside" of the bucket with a cheap plastic tarp, placing the waste on that instead and when you dump the whole shebang should come out.

Granted it might be frozen to the tarp, but you won't have to scrape any more bucket metal. Just use another tarp. In the spring just grab an edge of the tarp and pull it out for next years usage.

Of course, dump in separate piles to make it easier to retrieve the old tarp. If you plan to reuse that is.

I don't know for sure but it seems as if it would work. Greg

It starts disintegrating and breaking, does not work as well as it seems.