Almond Mulch for Pens?

[Honey Tree]

They are still telling us that the drought is a long way from being over.  Unfortunately, we are under some serious mud right now.  With lambs due any day, I'm worried about lambs being born and wandering away from mom and into the mud.  I lost several lambs five years ago when storms left us with boot-sucking mud.  The lambs get hypothermic the moment they lay down.

While on Craigslist I ran across an ad for Almond Mulch being advertised as Livestock Bedding.  While I wouldn't consider it as bedding in a lambing jug, I'm thinking it might work for turning the mud into a passable footing.  Any thoughts?  Our mud is 6" or more in most areas where the sheep walk and every other low spot.

http://modesto.craigslist.org/grd/5393527533.html  It's $8/yd.  Is that reasonable?

[JDS]

Laura,
About as close as we get to almond mulch in east central Indiana is a Hersheys chocolate bar with almonds.  I have no experience with mulch.   However,  I do have some questions.  Over time the mulch will decompose and quite possibly your next rainy spell you would have more mud than you have right now.  In our area we have access to crushed limestone.  In my experience I would lean to stone because you would have solid footing for years to come, if it is available to you.  I would not see a problem with using the mulch in the lambing pens assuming it is somewhat dry.  I would make sure that almond mulch is not toxic to sheep. $8 /yd. does seem like a lot of material for your $. I assume there would be some transportation cost on top of the $8?

[EmsoffLambs]

I was thinking the same thing, that if you have so much mud you are actually losing lambs in it, I would be looking for a more permanent solution, such as adding ground fill to raise up the pen and get some solid footing underneath, doing some excavation work to add some slope, etc. I remember reading an article a few years ago in a horse magazine that recommended incorporating lime (like for concrete, not the fruit ) into the mud to firm it up. It's something I've been considering doing in my pens when they thaw out. They are solid now just because they are frozen but I know when all that ice melts, it's going to be a muddy mess and while we have never lost lambs from it as they have access to a solid barn, they do get filthy and scours seems to be a constant problem.

[Honey Tree]

The seller replied to query about delivery cost.  It's $35 for the load.  As far as toxicity, I checked with a nutritionist and was told there is no problem with that.

We have very sandy soil (bad for horses) that provides great drainage.  The sheep area is a bit higher than the rest of the property.  When we get a lot of rain in a very short period of time, combined with the livestock trolling around, the soil changes from nice firm to deep mud.  When we have a balance of rainfall and dry periods, the ground seldom ends up deep in mud. 

The ewes will go to firmer areas to lamb but its when the lambs wander away from the ewe and end up in the mud that we can lose them to hypothermia. 

I'll have to check on limestone and/or lime to see if it will work as well as the cost for the quantity I would need.  Would the soil need to be fairly dry to properly incorporate the limestone or will it work just as well when we are under boot sucking mud?  By top dressing the sheep area with the mulch, I think the sheep will squish it into the mud, similar to making bricks.  (disclaimer: I have no working knowledge of brick-making!)

I have a real barn on my wish list but that could very well be years away.  A tractor would also be nice.  As it is, I'll have to use my trusty 7 1/2 cu ft Rubbermaid cart and pitchfork to move all 35 cu yds.  I figure thats somewhere in the neighborhood of 140 trips   That should fulfill one New Years Resolution to lose some weight

[Don Drewry]

Rock of any kind, limestone, river rock, would all work high quality gravel.  If  you dump it on top it will either partially work into the sand or make a layer on top that they can walk on.  Either way it will help.  Nice thing is all are "dirt cheap".  Obviously, the closer you can get them to dump it the better.  If there is any chance they can back the truck up to your area they can gradually dump it while moving the truck.  You'd save yourself enough work that it would be worth taking a few posts out of the fence to get the truck in.

[Honey Tree]

I don't think they could navigate a truck between the structures plus make the turn directly behind them.  We have an impossible neighbor and there is no way he would let us take out a couple of posts to give the truck enough room to pull forward and back up and around to the area that we need to get to. 

As far as limestone or other material, doesn't the ground have to start out fairly firm before dumping it?  When it's already deep in mud, doesn't the stone just sink in instead of being able to pack down and making a firm footing?

[Bigiron59]

Anything is better than nothing. My electric company was again clearing limbs out of power lines. They chip this stuff and are looking for places to dump loads. I get a load or 2 every year for free . And do exactly what you propose. Along my feed bunks, any where a mud hole develops.  I also have a pile of reclaimed crushed concrete. Can get it for the trucking. Use both. The wood is also available, Some times the crushed concrete is frozen and can't get it loose. Is spread either if its icy as well. Never had a problem with wood needing replacing. True It decomposes ,in few years. That mud hole might get some new added yearly.
I had a soft spot at the feedlot i used to own. It took a 20 yard load of 6 inch rock every spring. Previous owner had done that for 20 years. It just kept disappearing.

[Honey Tree]

Did you put the rock down when the ground was already muddy or when it was dry?  Somewhere along the line I had heard that rock will disappear if you put it down when the ground is already muddy but if you wait until the ground is dry to spread it out that it will pack down and not disappear.

[Bigiron59]

I don't generally have mud holes when its dry.☺ So usually when its wet and sheep are getting stuck.
Seems to disappear no matter when I do it.

[Honey Tree]

Thanks Shane! 

This afternoon I picked up some walnut mulch for $2/cu yd.  Better than the $8/yd for almond but I'm weighing the wisdom of the decision to get it cheaper vs. paying a bit more and getting it delivered.  I have to pick up the walnut and load it myself.  When I went with my little trailer today I found it was very wet under the dry appearing exterior.  I quickly realized that a pitch fork would have the wise tool of choice.  After a hour of fighting with a shovel, I had managed to load a paltry 2 yards as the sun was setting.  When I got home, I used a pitchfork to transfer it into my little cart, wheeled it to the sheep area, and forked it out in about 20 minutes.  I expect I'll be pretty darn sore tomorrow!

I've started with the area that was like quicksand.  It's better now but still pretty mushy.  2 yards just doesn't go very far in deep mud.  I'll be going back tomorrow, with a pitchfork of course, to load up my little trailer with 4 cu yds.

I'll definitely look into limestone or other hard material when the ground gets firmer.

Much needed rain in the forecast on Friday and Saturday.   More unneeded mud!

[EmsoffLambs]

Let me know how it works. We've melted out here and one pen is a bog. More rain and snow on the way too. After four years of severe drought, this is the muddiest I've seen it in a long time!

[Honey Tree]

So far what I have out in the main pen is working really well.  The 2 yards didn't cover much area because I had to put it about a foot deep.  The area around the feeders had turned into quicksand.  When I went out this morning, two ewes were laying on the mulch chewing their cud.  A third ewe was about six feet away from them almost up to her knees in what looks like wet cement.  Pretty nasty stuff.

I went back today and got a full trailer.  Unfortunately, it's the last the guy has to sell since someone came in with big trailers and a loader.  I'll have to buy the 35 yards of almond which will cost more  but at least I won't have to load it

I think it's one of best ideas I've had in a while.  Anything to get them out of the mud.  I may have to spray a termiticide when spring arrives because I'm sure the termites will be in heaven!  So, I'm off to grab my friend the pitchfork to try to get the rest of my trailer load in with the girls before dark.

[Bigiron59]

In a former occupation, I worked at an animal research facility. We bedded our cloned cows with ground pallets. As do a lot of Dairy's here.  We used a semi load every couple weeks. The animal caretakers would "pick patties" a few times a day, and some new material was added once a week. Pens were "cleaned" once a month. Since all dead stock was  composted on site, that material was piled when cleaned from barns and used to compost deads. After a year,the pile was hauled and spread on ag land. 

[Honey Tree]

I've heard about composting dead livestock but I don't think I could ever get beyond the ick factor

One of our ewes lambed yesterday and I wanted mom and the twins to have a clean and dry area.  I need a bunch more mulch to cover the sheep areas.  So I just used two 4x6 pallets and two standard pallets and a tarp to make a little shed in a grassy area for them.  I added shavings for ambiance and the little family seems to enjoy having a hut to call their own!  I wish I knew of a place that had waste pallets.  I think I could do a bunch of Mickey Mouse building with them   I know, a new business venture.  How about Sheep Huts Unlimited?!

[shelia]

I have a friend who had a truck load of almond hulls put down onto the dirt driveway back to the corrals and let me tell you a big difference on the mud situation. He had it laid down really thick and  driving on  it has compacted it down. He also put some around  where the sheep walk to their water and it has kept the mud down. I was thinking on taking some 2x4's and making a frame  and then  fill them up with the almond hulls, kinda like a sidewalk.