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Manure Spreader Help

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alabama

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Manure Spreader Help

I have never used a Manure Spreader and don't know much about them but I think I need one.
I have 5 or 6 triaxle dump loads of manure mixed with composted hay that I have pushed up in piles where I was feeding hay all winter. I would like to spread it on my pastures as fertilizer. I plan to do this every year about this time and then store the spreader until next year.
I think I can get by with one about 90 bushels capacity.
Do I want a ground driven or a PTO driven?
John Deere sells one made by Frontier. The MS1108 that may work but I have never talked to anyone that has one. The ground driven one will run about $3800 new if I can't find a good used one.
Please help by posting what you know about manure spreaders and please give advice.
Thank y'all
Alabama
 
Alabama, in what condition is the composted hay/manure that you want to spread? If the hay is long and not well composted or rotted down, it will be extremely hard to spread. It can lump off over the beaters and land in big solid clumps on the ground, breaking beaters or drive chains, not to mention smothering the grass where it lands. This has been my experience. Unless it is fairly well composted, you might be better off with a PTO driven spreader.

Leaving it to break down for 6 months or so makes all the difference in the world. I usually push it into a pile and try to turn it over with the loader a few times to help aerate it. Those little microbes like a gulp of fresh air every now and then. This results in a more stable fertilizer source that is far easier to spread and takes less toll on your equipment.

I came to hate spreading that stuff that comes from around the bale feeders. until I started leaving it till late summer or fall when it had rotted down some.

Here is another idea - I started listening to a few guys on here and now unroll my bales in a clean strip in the field every day and have greatly reduced the work of spreading manure. Almost no bedding required as well since the girls sleep in the field instead of in or around the buildings. And I think they waste less hay this way than they do pulling it out of feeders.
 
I've used both ground driven & PTO types, and definitely prefer PTO. PTO types can drive a apron chain or a pusher blade with a bulk head. I use rear discharge type; have seen side kicks, but never used one as they are built more for slurry applications. I have always had New Idea brand & had good luck with dependability & customer service/parts when needed. There's a ton of models available, but definitely get one big enough to minimize your trips & not overload your tractor............
 
Big Muddy rancher said:
Rent one or hire it spread. Why own something for a days work. :)

I wish. I can not even find a used one in the southeast that works to buy rent or hire out.
Shoot I can't even find some one that knows where one is. :( :(
 
alabama said:
Big Muddy rancher said:
Rent one or hire it spread. Why own something for a days work. :)

I wish. I can not even find a used one in the southeast that works to buy rent or hire out.
Shoot I can't even find some one that knows where one is. :( :(

Go with the PTO driven one and rent it out to others.
 
The salesman that sold us our Manure Spreader said it is the only machine that he won't "stand behind". :lol: :lol:

have a cold one

lazy ace
 
Alabama, no one spreading chicken manure in your area?

I agree with burnt...let it compost for a while and spread it before planting rye/ryegrass.
 
Go with PTO....we've had both here on this place and the PTO is the best option.


We sold our " honey wagon" . I sell the compost now to people who want it for their garden and such, they load it themselves .

No ckn litter to be had near you?
 
Oh well,
To bad you don't live close to Cali!!I find those things all day long around here.How much you want to pay for shipping???JK,be way cost prohibitive!Probably find one by this fall when that pile is nice and composted.I'm just a small operation, so i run a little old john deere from way back,works though.Good luck!! 8)
 
I can't get chicken litter around me. There is plenty in other parts of Alabama but I think I live further from a chicken house than anyone in Alabama.
I will keep looking but I sure would like to use it to fertelize my summer pasture. Most of it has composted already. I piled it last summer from the winter before and then we fed hay all summer due to drought and then I just piled the winter stuff but it was mostly composted as we had a warm winter.
 
I was discussin this with hubby last night. Weve got a friend that keeps all her horses stalled at night, and is continuously cleanin stalls. She has a huge pile of horse poop that they were gonna load up on a trailer and hand spread in our pasture. After talkin to Mr Lilly about you wantin to find a manure spreader......he had a brilliant moment, and said, "hey we can load all that horse poop up into one of Uncles Chicken poop slingers, and spread it that way.

Maybe you could contact the Chicken company that's down there and see if they have any old chicken poop spreader trucks or whatnot that you could buy and maybe do a lil fixin up on to get it in workin order.
 
you might wanna look for "top dressers" in your area-might be more around.they're just glorified crap shooters anyhoo.you can get em pto or hydraulic drive and the bigger ones will hold a couple of yards...

maybe theres a turf outfit around you could get a wrecked one and convert it...
 
codymccue said:
you might wanna look for "top dressers" in your area-might be more around.they're just glorified crap shooters anyhoo.you can get em pto or hydraulic drive and the bigger ones will hold a couple of yards...

maybe theres a turf outfit around you could get a wrecked one and convert it...

LOL our minds are movin in the same direction. Buy somethin ya hafta work on.
 
Hard to believe there's not one handy in alabama,not that i've ever been there.But don't you guys have either a online or on radio swapshop??Or mabye if a guy could get one for free or real cheap it would offset shipping from a different county or state close by???Sounds like you'll have to be creative on this deal.Or better yet post a classified ad in some local papers,ag weeklys in your area??
 

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