Q: I’m looking to buy my first manure spreader for my horse farm, but there are so many options I don’t know where to start. Help!
A: Spreading manure or compost on pastures improves pasture health and puts horse manure to good use. A chore-efficient manure spreader makes it easy to distribute manure evenly, providing nutrients without smothering grass plants.
If you’re in the market for a manure spreader, here are some key points to help you choose the right one.
Types of Manure Spreaders for Horse Farms
Manure spreaders come in two basic types: either ground driven or PTO (power takeoff) powered. Ground driven means that as the wheels on the spreader turn, the belt moves the beater bars and throws out the manure. A ground-driven manure spreader can be pulled by a variety of vehicles, including an 18-horsepower (or larger) riding lawn mower, an ATV, or any four-wheel drive (FWD) vehicle. We pull ours with our humble 24-year-old all-wheel-drive Ford Explorer.
Power takeoff driven means the PTO on your tractor powers the drive unit on the spreader, which pushes out the compost. A PTO-driven manure spreader requires a tractor with a PTO to pull it, but not all tractors have a PTO. You also need to be sure your tractor’s size can handle the spreader you purchase. Usually, but not always, PTO-powered spreaders are larger, heavier duty, and better suited for larger properties. Choose a spreader your existing equipment can handle unless you are prepared to purchase a new piece of equipment to pull the spreader.
Factors to Consider When Choosing a Manure Spreader
How many horses you have, whether your horses stay in stalls and you use bedding, and how often you spread manure affects the type and size of spreader you need. A horse produces about 50 pounds of manure each day, while smaller equids, such as ponies or donkeys, produce less. Adding bedding to the scenario creates even more waste. Select your spreader size based on how much stall waste your horses produce—and compost from that waste—and how often you plan to spread stall waste.
One large equid or a couple of smaller ones only need a compact, ground-driven manure spreader (about 8 to 10 cubic feet) that, again, could be pulled with a riding lawn mower or an ATV. Consider a larger ground-driven spreader (about 25 to 50 cubic feet) if you have four or more equids. You will also need a larger 4WD vehicle to pull it.
The amount of land you plan to spread manure on will affect your spreader decision. A smaller, ground-driven spreader works well for one to two acres. Covering more land or having more horses calls for a larger spreader to handle the situation.
Also consider if you plan to spread manure and stall waste or compost. These products differ in nature and texture.
Compost is a rich soil enhancement that improves the health of both plants and soil and helps the ground retain moisture. It contains micro- and macronutrients that benefit plants. The composting process kills pathogens and parasites in manure.
Compost (It?) is also more evenly textured, whereas straight stall waste or stockpiled manure is likely to be either very fine (if it has a lot of bedding in it) or wet and clumpy.
Consider how you will load your spreader. Some farms use muck buckets to dump stall waste directly into the spreader. For those who compost their bedding, typically they need a tractor with a bucket for this task but, in a situation with one or two animals, you can load a small spreader using a shovel.
When loading by tractor, choose a spreader that’s wider than the tractor’s bucket. A bucket that’s larger than the spreader will end up dumping a great deal of material on the ground during the loading process, creating waste and mess.
If you plan to store manure or compost in the spreader for several days or weeks until you spread, consider a stainless-steel model instead of galvanized metal or wood-sided spreaders, which deteriorate and corrode easily.
Take-Home Message
Spreading manure or compost on your horse pastures can help improve their quality and provides an efficient way to eliminate waste. Choose a manure spreader that matches your needs based on your towing vehicle, property size, the number of equids on your farm, and whether you’ll be spreading manure and stall waste or compost.
