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Frozen Manure Spreader
Topic Started: Nov 30 2007, 08:59 AM (344 Views)
CDE Driver
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It'll be an adventure! We're going on an adventure!
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Does anyone have any tips on dealing with a frozen manure spreader?

We clean stalls and paddocks into the spreader and this time of year it freezes into a solid block of poo and then we can't empty it. :brickwall:

We deal with this every year and every year I wish that there was a solution. I have some pretty lame ideas but was wondering if anyone else deals with this and has brilliant idea for me :sigh:
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Yaksmom
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Thomas H. Cruise!
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The whole thng freezes???

I park mine in the barn aisle over night, and empty daily. Maybe try sprinkling CaCl in it when it is empty (what they use on roads). The only problem I see with doing that is the corrosion of the metal.
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DairyQueen2049
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DRAGON BREATH. DRAGGIN' BUTT
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Old farmer tells me

'spread it right away, don't let it sit' <_<

'shovel it up hot and send it right out' :psycho:

'store the spreader in the barn' :lonely:


and the one I won't do

'put some anti-freeze on it' :,(

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jn4jenny
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Is the meadow on fire?
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I'm no help, but for a second, I thought you were asking if there was a device out there designed to spread frozen manure. :psycho:
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OTF
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You're BANNED!
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I think DQ is probably right, spread it before it freezes.
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headlesshorseman
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Can you burn it???? wouldn't that be a nice bonfire??? I know they burn cow patties..ha ha..

I guess she doesn't have many horses, and it takes time to fill it up before she dumps..

That is bad..I'm REALLY lazy..I pick around the peepee areas and leave the manure..the birds eat it and scatter it around..and it gives my horses a soft bed to lay down in..NOW, before you kill me...I DON'T really ride my horses..and if there is a smell to them..that's ok..but the stalls are dry and really soft..I used to buy shavings..and went broke on 7 stalls..they are 12X20...so one day, the shoer was out..and I was picking and wheelbarrowing each stall..and I asked him what he does with his horses in the Winter..and he said..just pick the wet, or dry it out..and leave the rest..and that's all it took..I don't pick poop..in the winter....summer time....different story..I do so everyday, like everyone else..

HH :)
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CDE Driver
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OK, a little bit of information that I left out :rolleyes:

We have 14 horses.

The poo is frozen already in the morning when cleaning takes place. They are all out in big pastures during the day and in the barn or paddocks with run in shelters at night. So, no steaming fresh poo to be had.

My bright idea was to wrap the spreader in heat tape and put one of those thermal survival blankets over the top. Not a very good idea... but it's the only thing I could come up with :sigh:
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goodhors
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My horses go out in the AM, tie stalls are pushed out, shoveled into spreader about 3p when daughter gets home from school. May be frozen or not. Spreader is dumped after filling EVERY day. If you fill spreader earlier, then dump after filling. Frozen poop balls go right out the back. I REALLY don't want to deal with a solid lump of poop in the spreader, make daily spreading a priority.

If something should happen, like spreader chain breaks, tractor gets stuck in snow or mud, we have to empty spreader by hand using forks and shovels. I just don't ever let spreader sit full when there is a chance of freezing. Not going to be chunking manure out with a pickaxe. Husband would laugh himself silly!! No help there.

For being good about daily emptying, you add years of life to metal parts, spreader bars and chain. Not being soaked for hours in urine, slows rust and corrosion. Makes the floor last longer as well. Everything works better, much less upkeep.

Two years ago our friends with the boarder barn let their HUGE spreader get full. Actually overflowing since they have a barn girl doing stalls. She is supposed to tell them when spreader is full so it can be emptied. She didn't, they didn't notice manure until spreader was encased in manure. She had filled and kept dumping while manure ran down the both side until it leveled up even. Manure had frozen solid in that cold, solid from inside the spreader, to all the piled stuff around it. It STAYED frozen, until about May, such a mass that cold was retained. They had to buy another spreader for use in the meantime, Jan onward. Owner tried to to pull big spreader out of shed, could not move it. Solid load stopped the PTO of monster tractor "cold", turned the tractor motor off. Not sure what they did about hired help, but owners personally checked spreader after that. Each thought the other had been emptying it when help didn't approach them.

I think about that, every time I consider not emptying the spreader, really inspires me! Daily emptying takes very little time, 15 minutes TOTAL for me, 7 horses worth of overnight poop. Even if you just back up and dump spreader onto a pile, it is now empty, no chance of freezing.
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