Asphalt in pens?

[ChrisB]

I was on a cattlemen's tour a couple of years ago and one of the places that we stopped at had asphalt in their pens. I'm not sure of any details such as thickness, how long had it been in, or if it had heaved and cracked since it had been in.

I would like to pour some concrete, but because of cost it will probably have to be done section by section and could take years before I would be done. I was wondering if anyone here has used blacktop in their feed lots or if you know somebody that has. When we did a bit in front of the house, asphalt was less than 1/2 the cost of concrete and didn't include the labor for the concrete. I'm not concerned about how hot blacktop would be as this pen would only get used from early fall to late spring. I'm more concerned about how bad it cracks and if it would last enough years to make it worthwhile.

Climate may be the biggest factor I know. I'm always amazed at how nice the roads are when I drive about 7 hours south.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Asphalt life, like a lot of coverings, really depends a lot on the base.

Class 5 over heavy landscape fabric is my alternative to concrete.

 

[Jlane]

Concrete gets slippery when covered in sh!t. A good friend of mine had his horse slip right out from under him while working cows in a concrete pen.

 

[Kscattle]

Get a good base and keep asphalt sealed up when it cracks. All our roads are asphalt and they do fine. You can easily put "rumble" strips in asphalt before it cools to keep from getting slick in wet conditions.

 

[Son of Butch]

I'm more concerned about how bad it cracks and if it would last enough years to make it worthwhile.

Go for it Chris. [or should I say gopher it] :D

I've never seen it done, and would like to know the result.
I'm in Minnesota too and have certainly thought about trying it to see, for the same reasons you mentioned.

 

[ibetyamissedme]

I was on a cattlemen's tour a couple of years ago and one of the places that we stopped at had asphalt in their pens. I'm not sure of any details such as thickness, how long had it been in, or if it had heaved and cracked since it had been in.

I would like to pour some concrete, but because of cost it will probably have to be done section by section and could take years before I would be done. I was wondering if anyone here has used blacktop in their feed lots or if you know somebody that has. When we did a bit in front of the house, asphalt was less than 1/2 the cost of concrete and didn't include the labor for the concrete. I'm not concerned about how hot blacktop would be as this pen would only get used from early fall to late spring. I'm more concerned about how bad it cracks and if it would last enough years to make it worthwhile.

Climate may be the biggest factor I know. I'm always amazed at how nice the roads are when I drive about 7 hours south.

It fails at least twice as fast as concrete in a feedlot.

 

[branguscowgirl]

"Feed lot cattle " are one thing, terminal. I personally would not want my bulls or cows on it for any length of time with out heavy bedding. (Hard on their joints.) Then if you add heavy bedding, you have a cleaning and scraping issue to think about. Will it hold up to that?

 

[ibetyamissedme]

"Feed lot cattle " are one thing, terminal. I personally would not want my bulls or cows on it for any length of time with out heavy bedding. (Hard on their joints.) Then if you add heavy bedding, you have a cleaning and scraping issue to think about. Will it hold up to that?

Are you suggesting feedlots don't provide care for their cattle?

 

[branguscowgirl]

No. Not at all. I am suggesting that the cattle do not have to live on the asphalt long enough to see arthritis from standing on the hard surface day in and day out.
I have seen the injuries and/or wear and tear on the joints of horses working the yards everyday for years on the asphalt/concrete. Also the stiffness and soreness of show cattle on concrete for a week at the fairs. It is hard on them. (And that's with bedding.)

 

[ibetyamissedme]

Do you always put your cows and bulls in the feedlot?

 

[branguscowgirl]

Do you always put your cows and bulls in the feedlot?

Never. I may have interpreted the op as referring to a general area for cattle, rather than an actual "feed lot" for terminal cattle. For that is my misunderstanding, I apologize for my confusion.