Ranch/ farm Tools

[SaddleTrail]

What tools do you use to keep your ranch farm clean so to speak? What tools do you use to clean stalls, surrounding areas etc?

Do you have a special tip to help get things done?

What do you feel is the best bedding for your stalls?

Ive been using straw and its a pain to clean out of ShotGuns stall. Ive also been using a old fashioned pitchfork and shovel with my ancient wheelbarrow and it is killing my back. Any tips or hints or plain out better way of doing things would be great.

I am on a strict budget and all I have is time heheh.

 

[End Level Farms]

Cypress Sawdust in my opinion is the BEST in the world. If not that then either pellet bedding or peat moss. The down side to peat moss is its dark. But easy to clean and great for horses that have breathing or lung problems.

I use a plastic pick. As my bad isnt great either.

We do have 2 wheel barrows that I swear are older than myself. And are planning on saving up and buying a 2 wheeled rubbermaid one. But thats still a little ways off yet.

We have several shovels. (Pointy Nose Flat Nose And one kinda in between the two) We also have a 24" rake that is used at times too. And a plastic garden rake.

 

[Millstone Farm]

We clean stalls and paddocks with Pooper Scoopers like this one:

Scooper Pooper

i haven't found a small manure fork that works well -- and I've tried a lot of the "mini" ones.

 

[Katiean]

I have a plastic shavings fork, a regular metal pitch fork and a flat shovle. I also use a muck bucket. It is easier to get it in and out of the stalls. I have a friend that bags everything up and takes it to the dump. But, I take mine to the top of the hill in the pasture and spred it across the top. The horses walk it down and it improves it to a quality soil rather than just sand.

 

[TheCaseFamily00]

One of my most used items is my lawnmower cart,I haul everything in it

. I also use a rake alot in the minis lot,for the small stuff that falls through the pitchfork. I got my lawn cart for around $70.00.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I use a doggy pooper scooper (like Millstone Farms) except the one I use is all one piece. The 2 long handles have a pin that goes thro them creating a scissor effect. I just open it up and close the 2 sides around a pile like a grapple bucket. Boy I'm bad at describing it. lol. This year I need to replace the handles since one of my puppies liked to chew anything wood. I intend to use broom handles and then there will be less bend needed.

It is more efficient tho on a smoother surface and doesn't sort out the bedding from the manure. I usually just rake the dirty stuff into a pile and then scoop it into a bucket.

 

[Reble]

We clean stalls and paddocks with Pooper Scoopers like this one:
Scooper Pooper

i haven't found a small manure fork that works well -- and I've tried a lot of the "mini" ones.

Now that looks interesting and light weight.

We use pellets would never go back to straw or shavings

Our wheel barrow dumps which makes it easier for us.

The rake we bought was for the pellets but is heavy and big.

 

[Miniv]

We use a Pooper Scooper like Millstone, with the small rake........for cleaning individual stalls. For larger areas, like a paddock, we use a wide lawn rake to rake things into piles and then revert back to the small pooper scooper(s) to pick up the piles.

 

[SaddleTrail]

Cool beans then!

Im basiclly using the right stuff. All my tools are old but don't splinter in my hands yet heheh. I do have a dump trailer to pull behind my quad or riding lawn mower, hubby just has to replace the tires for me and it will be ready to go.

I like the idea of shavings, because every video I have seen of them being used looked so easy to clean. The straw hay is cheap but a pain in the back side! The only time he is in his stall is to eat or when it is raining so I only clean it out once a week or sooner if needed.

The goats pen is what really gets bad at times.

I have been using all the dirty stuff for a compost hole. Now I just have to remember to go out back and turn it over once ot twice a month.

 

[osu_barrelracer]

Cool beans then!Im basiclly using the right stuff. All my tools are old but don't splinter in my hands yet heheh. I do have a dump trailer to pull behind my quad or riding lawn mower, hubby just has to replace the tires for me and it will be ready to go.

I like the idea of shavings, because every video I have seen of them being used looked so easy to clean. The straw hay is cheap but a pain in the back side! The only time he is in his stall is to eat or when it is raining so I only clean it out once a week or sooner if needed.

The goats pen is what really gets bad at times.

I have been using all the dirty stuff for a compost hole. Now I just have to remember to go out back and turn it over once ot twice a month.

I hate shavings. Such a pain, so wasteful, they don't compost well, and are not that absorbant. We use peleted wood shavings. Lonestar is the absolute best. You're barn will never smell like amonia. They are super absorbant, compost GREAT and you waste almost nothing when you clean. Exspecialy with minis. We have all matted stalls and clean throughout the day so they are really easy to keep clean. All we keep in our barn: manuer cart, manuer fork, shovel, and a broom

 

[WhiteTailsMinis]

Hi - great topic - I would like to hear more about the pellet bedding please? Where do you get it? Bulk or bagged? What is it actually called?

My main question on this topic is whether you still use those pellets in foaling stalls? I had heard many times to use straw during foaling as shavings or sawdust would stick too much to the baby (at least the first few days) so we use straw in the stalls for mares waiting to foal - and yes, it is a pain in the butt to clean. You end up mostly stripping the stall to get the dirty parts out. Problem I have is that I bring my expectant mares up at least a month before their due date - so it's lots of work to clean up straw waiting on that baby. LOL They get turn out during the day but they are are in that stall long enough to mess it up - I'm a clean freak for "maternity stalls" because I don't want her laying in a dirty stall to have that baby.

We use wood shavings rest of the time because I can get a truck-bed load (8 foot bed) for $6 bucks at my local Amish sawmill. Have to load it yourself but can't beat the price. I do find the shavings much easier to handle than straw (and less costly as well).

So, pellet info is greatly appreciated or even the pete moss that was mentioned (as in do you still use for foaling stalls)- Thanks a bunch

 

[SaddleTrail]

I would also like to hear more about the pelleted bedding. I see in my mind those little round pellets for wood stoves and don't understand how they would work so well?

ShotGuns stall has a dirt floor and when he pees it goes straight down to the dirt through the straw. Talk about a pain to have to fork it all up and then scrape the ground enough to get it half way clean. ugh My back!!

I don't mind the work, but after wards it is hard for me to straighten up!! I thought of pouring cement but that just doesn't seem comfortable enough if and when he decides to lay down. Apparently he is laying down out side at night because he doesnt in his stall unless I lock him in. He has the run of the place to do as he pleases. Yes a bit spoiled, loved, cared for and he comes when I call his name, which makes this old heart jump when I hear him call back to me.

What would be the best flooring, is the dirt still the best with a good cleaning once a week?

 

[Taylor Jo]

We clean stalls and paddocks with Pooper Scoopers like this one:
Scooper Pooper

This is what I use to clean the manure up with ( the scooper is the flat metal one with the big pan) and then to clean the urine up with I use a large mini fork. Works well for me. I've been doing it this way for 3 years now. ONLY thing I wish is the pan was a little bigger so I could fit more manure in it. TJ

 

[targetsmom]

I use pelleted bedding - started with Woody Pet, that got hard to find, then I went to whatever my local feed store carries. If you do use pelleted bedding, read the instructions - it is best if you wet down a batch first, other wise it is like ball bearings in the stall. I use a plastic muck bucket/water tub for wetting it down. I did find out that in this brutal cold we have been having, I have to bring it in the house or the bedding freezes before it swells up.

All our stalls are rubber matted over dirt. I do love shavings and I use those for my big horse and when it is bitter cold, because I think it keeps them warmer. Also, I have straw for the foaling stall.

I use a Fine Tines Junior manure fork (I'm small) with the handle cut down to fit in small stalls, a Strongid C container (the green ones) for a muck bucket, and in good weather, dump manure into a small manure spreader. The wet bedding gets recycled - either to cover the ice in the winter, or spread out in the sand ring the rest of the year. Also, we use the wet bedding to make a pee spot for my big horse to use so he doesn't pee in his stall. Works extremely well!!

My other main tool is a broom to sweep the feed areas so they get fed on a clean surface, and of course to knock down the cobwebs.

I have my grain, supplements, shavings, and pelleted bedding (and anything else I want to order over the phone) delivered every 2 weeks. It used to be free until last year when they started charging $6. Still a bargain.

 

[lilmiraclesfarm]

I use the large sweeper spools for my horses to scratch on. They enjoy a good scratch and saves me time on grooming out their winter wooleys by spring.

Found a picture of my pippers useing one of the scratchers

 

[SaddleTrail]

Since we are on a fixed budget now, my hubby is no longer able to work so we have finally been approved for his retirement. When you go from $5000.00 per month down to under a $1000.00 it is a huge shock. Luckily for us, our home is paid for, basically everything we have is paid for except a few credit cards which if I manage it right will be paid off at the end of this year. I have a savings account for Shotgun in case of vet bills and it will only be used for vets bills.

So what ever is the cheapest and easiest for me to use will have to do at this point. I am lucky that ShotGun normally only goes in his castle to eat and when it rains which hasn't been hardly at all this year. So his stall isn't that dirty. I pay $6.00 a bale for straw hay and so far it has lasted a month between him and the goats. I have also listed one of my goats for sale on craigslist and as soon as the doe has her baby and it is weaned she will either be sold or given to a good home. That is going to help alot. I won't have to feed the goats like I do now, I give them some of Shotguns hay in addition to all the grazing they can handle. Which they have cleared a acre already heheh.

Ive been using my old wheelbarrow and leaving it out side his stall but maybe using a muck bucket might make it easier on me. so will try that. My kids and all there friends are also saving up there fresh vegetable peelings etc for the goats, which also helps in feeding them.

I have this huge hole that my son dug in the very back of the property for composting, which will be used on my garden this year. So my shovels, pitch forks all come in handy!!

 

[The Simple Life Farm]

The only time my horses are stalled is when they eat. So, I do not use any shavings at all as they are on dirt floors. I use a garden rake and dustpan to scoop the poop and place in 5 gallon bucket. When bucket is full, I dump into front end loader on tractor and hubby hauls it to the burn pile.

 

[osu_barrelracer]

Hi - great topic - I would like to hear more about the pellet bedding please? Where do you get it? Bulk or bagged? What is it actually called?My main question on this topic is whether you still use those pellets in foaling stalls? I had heard many times to use straw during foaling as shavings or sawdust would stick too much to the baby (at least the first few days) so we use straw in the stalls for mares waiting to foal - and yes, it is a pain in the butt to clean. You end up mostly stripping the stall to get the dirty parts out. Problem I have is that I bring my expectant mares up at least a month before their due date - so it's lots of work to clean up straw waiting on that baby. LOL They get turn out during the day but they are are in that stall long enough to mess it up - I'm a clean freak for "maternity stalls" because I don't want her laying in a dirty stall to have that baby.

We use wood shavings rest of the time because I can get a truck-bed load (8 foot bed) for $6 bucks at my local Amish sawmill. Have to load it yourself but can't beat the price. I do find the shavings much easier to handle than straw (and less costly as well).

So, pellet info is greatly appreciated or even the pete moss that was mentioned (as in do you still use for foaling stalls)- Thanks a bunch

We may have some of the pelleted shavings underneath, but we bed our foaling stalls in hay or straw. Usualy hay. We buy LoneStar pelleted shavings. They have been the best I've found. They're amazing

 

[Leeana]

I remember a long time ago when i used pine shavings thinking i would never ever use pellets, but they work and last soooo much longer. Take up less room to store in bulk as well. I put down 1-2 bags @ 4.99 per bag of pellets in the stalls and they last near a week longer then shavings. When picking through them in the stalls, they sift easier so while you would toss out some shavings with the manure you pick up over the course of a week...you just dont loose that with the pellets as it sifts right out and just manure goes in the wheelbarrow instead of tossing out $$$ with the manure as well. I've been bedding with pellets for about two months now, i am totally sold on them. I do keep a bag of shavings in the barn though as i toss a scoop of them in from time to time ontop of the pellets as they loose that "fresh pine" smell...i love that smell

.

Now, on the flip side...if i was attending say, a weekend show i would not use pellets i would use shavings since that is just a weekend show and i would not be worried about the bedding lasting long term.

I like the regular size plastic forks, i tried the mini scoop and that would take forever to clean my stalls as i like to sift through everything in the stall and toss out the wet areas.

I don't wet down the pellets as that seems to me would be beating the whole idea..

 

[WhiteTailsMinis]

I'm confused over the "wetting down" pellets? I guess I'd have to see the pellets and see their consistency to grasp the idea of wetting them down. Do they then dry out? My stall floors are also dirt. I'll google and see what I come up with for better understanding. I haven't seen that in our local feed stores that I remember. they have the compact block of shavings wrapped in plastic and just last night at Tractor Supply I saw some bag that said "new product" and it was pine something or other - looked like sawdust to me - not pellet form. I'm invisioning pellets like woodstoves burn or rabbit food - maybe that's not what they look like? LOL

I tried using hay as bedding like some of you mentioned, but my horses just EAT it! LOL

Thanks for all the good info.

I've got 34 horses (and 12 babies on the way) so with that many, I've always got a couple up in the barn for short periods of time for one reason or the other. Especially the expectant mothers-to-be. So, we have to clean stalls daily. Nice for us when the barn is actually empty - we get a break.