Spreader spreader for seed and manure?

tomrscott · Jan 5, 2005

Is there any sort of rotary 3pt spreader that will work for both seed and horse manure?

I'm thinking that if no one has made one like this, still, it should be possible. Would sure be nice.

Seems like it would need a bigger feed port, maybe some rollers to feed the contents, and blades on the spinner to chop up any hay that comes through.

Okay, this is a whacky idea... What if you put the manure through a brush chipper first to chop it up finer, and then used regular rotary spreader?

EquipmentJunkie · Jan 5, 2005

I don't think that it would work to spread after the shred. But, I could be wrong.

Just don't make me sharpen the brush chipper's blades when you are finished!

theboman · Jan 5, 2005

Yep. Let me post the pic of the one in the garage. There's some issues. It's manual. It's better at manure than seed but it can be done with technique. Oh, you don't connect it to your 3pt hitch.

tomrscott · Jan 6, 2005

theboman:

I guess I asked for that didn't I? /forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif

Nevertheless, I have used that method and it takes too long. I still want something that is powered by my 25 hp PTO! /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

Hummm....

tomrscott · Jan 6, 2005

EquipmentJunkie:

Horse manure is not that bad after it dries out a bit.

Not near as bad as cleaning up after the dog, or fixing a septic line.

EquipmentJunkie · Jan 6, 2005

I figured that the hay & straw would be a problem. I thought that the spinner spreader still may get clogged. Hey, give it a try. The worst case scenario would be a mess that needs to be cleaned up.

In the area where I live, Millcreek, Pequa, Lancaster, and a few other manufactureres make smaller versions of conventional spreaders. I just figured that if there is a better, less-costly way of spreading, it would have been attempted already.

I am used to horse manure since the underside of my truck gets coated with a water/manure slurry when it rains here is Lancaster County, PA! The Amish and Mennonite's horses give the road random treatment with organic matter and when it rains, the resulting slurry makes its way to the underside of my truck.

MadDog · Jan 6, 2005

I don't think that any of the rotaries are designed to handle manure or manure mixtures. My owners' manual expressly warns against such use.

I suppose that if it was completely rotted AND dried out, you could run it through a chipper/shredder and reduce it to a fine enough particulate so that a rotary might be able to handle it.

It's probably simpler, and more efficient in the long run, to get a small tow-behind (wheel driven) or 3ph manure spreader that is specifically designed for this use. I think the small ones run about $1000.

Robert_in_NY · Jan 6, 2005

Are you wanting to spread the seed at the same time as the manure or do you just want one implement. I know of farmers who overseed the fields they spread manure on by just putting a bunch of seed on the manure load. Then when you spread it in the field it spreads the seed with the manure.

tomrscott · Jan 7, 2005

Yeah it would just be real handy to overseed and spread manure all at once with one implement. Not that much acreage, but life happens, we get busy. Anytime I can do two jobs with one implement and save a buck, I'm gonna.

Wilco farm store has a red funnel shaped 3pt PTO spreader ("____ 500", I forget the name) for $429 that looks pretty well built. It would do seed and weed/feed, etc.