Wednesday, December 28, 2011

Poopsicles

My corral has been covered in snow for 27 days. 
The manic manure manager in me is about to have a mental meltdown.

I diligently scoop poop from the stalls and the few bare spots where the snow has melted,


but underneath the snow and frozen to the surface are miles and miles of piles.


By late afternoon on a sunny day, some of the poopsicles have thawed enough to scoop up and cart away,


but semi-frozen poop clogs up the poop spreader. So instead of spreading the poop, 
I haul the spreader out to the poop track and tip it over.


I'll run the harrow over the poop hills once the weather warms up and they thaw out.

Obviously I've been thinking way too much about equine poop lately. 
I'm also reading about it:

Just when I thought I knew everything I ever needed to know about the subject, along comes this book, with instructions on how to make paper from horse poop:
1. Soak dried manure overnight.
2. Place manure in an old pillowcase and hose it down.
3. Cook the manure in soda ash for two hours.
4. Rinse well and pulverize in a kitchen blender.
The end product can now be used in a paper mold just like any other paper pulp.

I don't need another hobby, but I must say I'm intrigued. I wonder if the same technique would work to make paper out of pig poop...or porcupine poop? I could start a whole line of stationery.


This, by the way, is porcupine poop. I found the pile at the base of Mr. P's tree yesterday.

33 comments:

  1. at first I thought "you spilled some beans" then found out it was porcupine poop!
    veeeeeeeeeely interesting eh!

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  2. ha ... I can honestly say I learned something new today, in the wee hours of the morning!

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  3. I'm glad they specified "old" pillowcase, in case anyone had thoughts of using the one on their bed. Funny, they didn't mention "old" kitchen blender.

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  4. Step #4....Rinse and pulverize in kitchen blender.....

    I would hope there would be a "dedicated" blender for this process, otherwise I think I'll skip the marguaritas if I ever visit your ranch ;-)

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  5. Note to self: never accept a blended drink or loose change from Linda.

    Last nite we had a detailed conversation about UTI's while dining on sashimi. This morning I'm reading about frozen poop while sipping coffee. I hang out in strange circles.

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  6. You know you are now going to have to try this and let us know!!! :)We'll never get over 'wondering' about it unless we hear your report...paper from poop...just think how many trees would be saved!!!!!!!!!!!!! It would help the air quality...I'm liking this...I'm wondering if the paper from pig poop would look/feel different from chicken poop/porcupine poop/donkey/poop/horse poop, etc.????? I need coffee now...

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  7. Make paper and print a 7MSN newspaper where we can see all the poop that's fit to print.

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  8. Is that HIS quarter?

    I look forward to your etsy shop with 7msn wrapping paper.

    I imagine poop management is a big job with the herd, giving a hole different dimension to spring cleaning.

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  9. Porcupine poop cards. Who knew?

    I feel so much smarter after reading this blog, but I'm with the other gals that wonder which blender you're gonna use...

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  10. I wonder if it would be worth while to place a salt lick out for the porcupine. I remember my grandfather said they chewed anything with salt like hand tools or salt on car tires etc. They can be a bit of a pest like that. Just sayin'.
    Best always, Sandra

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  11. Carol in Colorado12/28/11, 7:32 AM

    Ok, I think you have had a long winter already. You must have cabin fever too with all the talk about poop. I am skipping breakfast for a little bit after reading the part of using the kitchen blender. If you decide to make paper and need pig poop let me know. I have a supplier.

    have a great day!!

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  12. Estella from Co.12/28/11, 7:32 AM

    Can you imagine all the trees that could be saved :) Watch out Great Northern, I don't know if they are still in business a paper company back in Maine. Great idea Hugs to all

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  13. Well, now I can say I've seen porcupine poop! Interesting!

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  14. Last week I was reading about making manure "bricks" to burn in the woodstove. Husband was not really that interested in my plan to heat our house with horse and donkey fuel!

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  15. Be on the lookout for quills!!

    http://jewelrywhore.com/2010/06/give-me-quills/


    sorry about the name for those who may be offended

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  16. It's official---you need a hobby. Not paper making. :)

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  17. I received a notepad made from cow poop paper for Christmas last year. Glad to see the trend is spreading. (Groan.)

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  18. Being someone who has in the past made "homemade" paper, and used lots of "natural" and recycled materials, none of which was poopy in nature, I'd like to pass along some advice......don't. I do think I understand the poop paper because all of it has a very unique smell to it as it is drying. As I said I made (past tense) paper. If you want to give it a go, I can get the screening and some pretty molds to MBF for ya if you are gonna start Carson's newline poo paper.
    I am totally educated about Mr. P poo....very interesting.

    Is this a sign of early cabin fever???? just saying

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  19. Um...ewwww? ;)
    My husband says my German Shepherd Laya poos like a herd of bulls in our backyard. We also scoop it out, but we just toss it in the woods. Not even gonna think about making paper from poo. :p

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  20. Nothing worse than frozen poo!

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  21. Well, if you do make poop paper, you'd have to do a newspaper and call it the Daily Pooperscooper.

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  22. Northern AB Gal12/28/11, 10:31 AM

    Well, if today's post doesn't make you snort and chuckle, reading the comments certainly will. By the size of the poo pile under the porcupine tree, can one safely assume that that is his toilet tree? Will you be scooping that as well?

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  23. Your post is very fitting... I just came in from trying to wrestle with 5 days of poopsicles! I chip at it with a flat-bladed shovel - need to find my adze though... it works the best! My problem is that my wheelbarrow doesn't have snow tires!! (I do usually try to take care of it daily... but have just gotten back from a trip - the horses weren't allowed on the plane!)
    I've thought of making "Poo-poo pals" out of composted poop. I figure I could press it into a mold and make cute 'fertilizer' thingies!

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  24. Fascinating as always but I wonder why you are surprised at the porcupine poop under the tree when you are clearly paying him! The poop paper sounds strange enough. I suppose I shouldn't mention the expensive coffee that is made from an animal's poop. It's times like these that make me wonder if the green movement hasn't gone a tad too far.

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  25. I've actually helped make paper out of poop before, but it was elephant poop (I was living in Tanzania at the time) not horse. It works really well! I wouldn't recommend using anything other than horse or donkey manure however. The paper is made out of the leftover plant fibers in the manure (since horses/donkeys/elephants don't have a super effective digestive system). Pigs (being omnivores) don't have enough plant matter in their fecal waste, while porcupines have a super efficient digestive system that breaks down all the plant fibers they eat.

    I think you should go for it!!

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  26. Gee, if porcupines chew on wood and their poop looks like pellets for a pellet stove, I wonder if you could dry them and burn them in one? 27 days of snow would have broken me by now, you're a very strong woman.

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  27. Oh I feel your poop pain... just like finding dog doo in WI under the snow. Gah... first day it melts get the buckets because there's so much. You think you're doing good at keeping up... ha ha ha NOT.

    LOL we don't have any snow (knock on wood) this year yet! I'm so happy!!! I'm managing the poo here terrifically...and it's frozen. Even better. No snow and frozen poo.

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  28. title that last picture
    "No Thanks, You can keep the change"

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  29. "I could start a whole line of stationery."

    Yeah.
    Okay.
    But don't expect anybody to ever want to sleep at your house or eat o drink anything from your kitchen.
    Ever again.

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  30. wow, mr p is full of $hit...or at least he was! the p must stand for poop!!!

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  31. As a Minnesota poop scooper, I highly reccomend a mattock for poopcicles.

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  32. I think about horse poop a lot too! AND I was gonna write about it in a book- but it looks like I am a day late and a dollar short on that one!

    Never have seen porcupine poop though... so that's a new one!

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  33. We have the same problem here - snow's not melting and lotsa poop frozen to the ground. Intriguing about the paper. I'll take the lazy way and keep buying mine at the store. I saw a porcupine napping on the end of a tree branch at the zoo last Friday. I'd never seen a porcupine up so close; he looked like he could leap right off that branch and jump on our heads. I trust the zookeepers know he's not apt to do that? It was nighttime, about 30F, and he looked like he was snoozing soundly despite all the people wandering right by his roost. Fascinating critter; he was my favorite animal at the zoo that night.

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