The increasing interest in places for boarding horses and structural changes in the agriculture business have made boarding horses more attractive to farmers. Based on this need is an increasing interest in information on co-coordinating and economizing labour in this kind of business.
There is varying information in literature about the labour requirement for routine work in boarding horses. Because a uniform database is missing, one cannot compare the various labour requirements given. A uniform database can only be reached in a model calculation.
As a basis for the calculation, three model barns (M1-M3) with an average population of 25-30 horses were created. These represented the different kinds of barns: Single-stall with adjoining paddock and run-in-sheds for small and large groups of horses. To calculate the work-time needed, a functional and animal-friendly barn was planned according to examples given in literature and the estimated need of space.
Six farms (P01-P06) were selected, two with Single-stalls and four with herds, based on these model farms. For the calculation there was a questionnaire for the farmer and a time measurement using the time-element-method. From this information we were able to establish data for the task times and a work routine for daily jobs.
Time was measured by a digital stop watch and hand-written. Using our data and existing time calculations for cattle and pig farms, we were able to create new task times. The statistical evaluation and documentation was made in Microsoft - Excel program. Task time models for boarding-horses are supplied, based upon the calculation tables for pigs in AZKEX (work-time-calculation in Excel).
With the help of these tables, the labour requirement for the model farms was calculated. Based on the results, we concluded that the most time was need in keeping Single-stalls with 140 hours per horse and year for all work including 121 hours per horse and year for routine work. When kept in small herds the time needed was 85 hours per horse and year including 67 hours routine work. When kept in big herds the smallest amount of time was needed, 60 hours for all work and 45 for routine work per horse on an annual basis.
The result showed that out of the comparison of the routine work at the different model farms, for the mucking of the stalls 30 -40 % of the time allocated for routine work was needed. Exactly 20 % of the time was needed for bringing the horses out to pasture and back. The time required for feeding had a large variation, falling between 15 and 32 %.
The results of this examination show a big difference between the model calculation and the existing literature. Because the models had the same database, big differences can be seen between individual feeding and the feeding of groups. In mucking out you have the same difference between the mucking of Single-stalls and the periodic cleaning of run-in-sheds.
Because of the big variety of methods in the horse-keeping-business more calculations and time-measures are necessary to provide statistical date for task times. By adding a larger variety of routine work to the calculation model, you can acquire more precise calculations for horse boarding in the agricultural business.
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The increasing interest in places for boarding horses and structural changes in the agriculture business have made boarding horses more attractive to farmers. Based on this need is an increasing interest in information on co-coordinating and economizing labour in this kind of business.
There is varying information in literature about the labour requirement for routine work in boarding horses. Because a uniform database is missing, one cannot compare the various labour requirements given. A unif...
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