To worry about the smell of whatever they're spreading on the fields?

[MrsWinnibago]

We live on the outskirts of the countryside and our route to school is down a long country lane bordered by farms.

The lane is about 2 miles long...for the last two days it's smelled really badly...it's not muck...as in manure...it's something else but I don't know what...something more pungent and I keep worrying about what it IS exactly? Can you tell me? Could it be toxic? How can I find out?

Ask the farmer?

pig shit smells v pungent.

Son I wouldn't know which field it was coming from! There's loads and I can't SEE anything...just smell it.

Why would they put anything toxic on the fields? It would just kill anything that grows/grazes there? Do you know what normally grows or eats in there? It could be lime if its cattle or horses, or fertiliser if its crops? There are strict rules regarding what farmers can spread, I doubt it will be anything bad :)

There are a variety of perfectly legal gubbins that can be spread on fields to fertilise them. Whilst I wouldn't say never, it's highly unlikely that a farmer would spread something toxic on their land as they wouldn't be able to use it then for feeding their animals or growing a crop on it.

DO they use that on fields Susan

Its fertiliser its rank our fields were done last week

it's the countryside, things that are spread on fields are basically shit of one sort or another, it rots & it smells.

Do you think if it was toxic Farmer Giles would be spreading it on his precious land??

If you are near Glasgow it's on the news

Marple I know that....but it doesn't smell "right". It doesn't smell like normal manure that they use....

MrsJay what fertilizer? Chemical fertilizer?

It could be the liquid from sillage. It smells quite sour. Have they been cutting a lot of grass lately? If so it's probably from the sillage making. Nothing sinister - just fermented grass 'juice' that runs off.

It is definitely natural it smells like death natural a farmer wouldnt put toxins on his fields if you think about it

No I think its shit

it definitely won't be toxic.

Why would a farmer poison their own fields?

could be pig poo or hen poo, very very ripe cow poo, possibly lime or some kind of funky fertiliser. Its also been very warm which may make it smell worse than it usually does

If you tell us what usually grows/ grazes in the fields we might be able to give you a better idea.

Blood and bone?

Could it be insecticide? That smells pretty horrible.

It doesn't smell like shit though....it smells wrong. It smells chemical...and it REEKS. And I do think some farmers use toxins yes...one done for spreading human waste today...I just read that thanks to Exciteds post..

Difficult to say without knowing the crop, area, farm type etc.. If it is 'manureish' just stronger, catch in your throat type smell it could be human sewage being used as a fertilizer. It seems to be commonly used on the rapeseed crops around where we are. Gross as it is, it has been treated so poses no health risk and is apparently an excellent and economical fertilizer

I second asking the farmer if you want to find out exactly what it is.

If it smells like death it could be blood and bonemeal? It's used to fertilise organic feilds (hence why I don't eat organic food!!!)

I think there is a kind of abattoir waste that can be used. That would smell pretty dead-ly...

Sausage I think it's wheat...

Just asked DH (who appears to be an expert in shit, he kept this talent hidden until recently) if it smells like death then its chicken shit.

Glasgow stinks at the moment...

We're in Cheshire Bog

Ehm. It's slurry surely?

Smells like Satan's nappy but goes after a couple of days.