Help to ID a creature

in the vale · #1 (**permalink**) 22-09-2010, 06:06 AM

I was walking my dog across the fields last night and she started rolling in the grass (as she does when she finds something smelly). I went to see what it was to check whether she needed wiping down and saw a long line (8ft x .5 in) of black, very smelly stuff. Does anyone have any ideas what this might be? An incontinent badger? Or even buzzard poo? I would appreciate any thoughts as I am puzzled!

Wild-Woman · #2 (**permalink**) 22-09-2010, 06:38 AM

Hello and welcome to WAB.
Does the field have livestock of any kind?

Eryri · #3 (**permalink**) 22-09-2010, 08:23 AM

It could be the result of slurry injection. There is a growing trend amongst farmers of 'injecting' slurry manure into the ground rather than using broadcast spreaders.The injection process involves the tractor pulling along an apparatus which scrapes the soil using a pointed gantry, and just behind the teeth is a tube, which pumps the slurry below the surface of the pasture. This method of application, although more costly to use, has better uniformity of spread, and less ammonia/gas/smelly pollution. It's not so good if the pasture has stones in the topsoil as the gantry injector is 'kicked up', and if the injector 'kick out valve' on the gantry is not correctly adjusted, you get a long line of slurry deposited. Slurry injectors are most commonly used to fertilise with human or large scale poultry vaste as it also has the advantage in the summer months of discouraging flies.The slurry goes through a sterilisation process, and artificial improvement in an agitation tank where 'useful' bacteria is introduced. If you spot big round tanks about 1m high with a stirrer in the vicinity of the farm, the chances are the farmer is using injection techniques rather than traditional muck spreaders.

in the vale · #4 (**permalink**) 22-09-2010, 05:57 PM

Thanks Wild Woman and Eryri. The field has not had livestock for a few weeks and this was fresh and wet (although bullocks are back in there this evening so I will be walking on another field). Eryri - there was no sign of recent tractor tracks etc. so I don't think so, although it did look a little like slurry. I walk these fields every evening (my neighbour's land - although rented out at the moment) so I am normally aware when vehicles have been in. Also my dog (Border Collie) doesn't normally roll in slurry, it's usually animal faeces. Also, it was certainly lying on top of the grass and there were no signs of soil disruption. Mystifying! I am starting to lean towards a liquid buzzard poo, dropped whilst flying which may explain the line rather than a lump? Thanks for your thoughts though!