bobcat-mounted scraper or chain-pulled scraper, what do you use for manure....

[Andy]

I wonder how, I wonder why, lol

 

[Boynton Family Farm]

I wonder how, I wonder why, lol

We use a 10 foot piece of chain link fence with a couple of old tires on top. Pulled by a compact tractor. Smears the fresh manure nicely, and breaks up the dried patties pretty efficiently.

 

[Andy]

We use a 10 foot piece of chain link fence with a couple of old tires on top. Pulled by a compact tractor. Smears the fresh manure nicely, and breaks up the dried patties pretty efficiently.

I have seen half tire mounted on a tractor, chain link fence with tire on top is interesting.

 

[Dave]

Are you talking about talking about a scraper for scraping manure off of a slab? Or dragging a field to break up and spread the manure?
Over on the coast I had a fair amount of concrete by the feeder. I scraped off the manure weekly with half a tractor tire mounted on a three point frame.
Here where all the cows are out side 100% of the time I use a pasture harrow to drag the fields. Thai is done this time of the year when the cows have gone to the hills.

 

[Buck Randall]

When you say chain-pulled scraper are you talking about the automatic scrapers like they use in freestall barns? I'm not a fan.

 

[Andy]

When you say chain-pulled scraper are you talking about the automatic scrapers like they use in freestall barns? I'm not a fan.

Yes, that is what I am referring to, pulled by electric motor in free stall barn.

 

[Andy]

I mean confined animal's manure scraper, either off the slab or into the gutter. Yea, half tire seems always work well.

Are you talking about talking about a scraper for scraping manure off of a slab? Or dragging a field to break up and spread the manure?
Over on the coast I had a fair amount of concrete by the feeder. I scraped off the manure weekly with half a tractor tire mounted on a three point frame.
Here where all the cows are out side 100% of the time I use a pasture harrow to drag the fields. Thai is done this time of the year when the cows have gone to the hills.

 

[Buck Randall]

Yes, that is what I am referring to, pulled by electric motor in free stall barn.

I wouldn't install one. Cows get dirty walking through the big wave of manure in front of the scraper, and eventually you'll have a down cow get dragged by the scraper. That's never pretty.

 

[Dave]

Before I retired I worked with a lot of dairies over a big area in Western Washington. All of them are 100% confinement in the winter months. The majority used the half tire. Some pushing on the front of a Bobcat but most pulling on a tractor 3 point mount. Only 2 that I worked with had the chain pulled scaper. One only had it in a portion of the barns and they controlled the switch. The other place was fully automatic. Chain scraper for the manure and robotic milk parlor.

 

[Andy]

Before I retired I worked with a lot of dairies over a big area in Western Washington. All of them are 100% confinement in the winter months. The majority used the half tire. Some pushing on the front of a Bobcat but most pulling on a tractor 3 point mount. Only 2 that I worked with had the chain pulled scaper. One only had it in a portion of the barns and they controlled the switch. The other place was fully automatic. Chain scraper for the manure and robotic milk parlor.

thanks, Dave, informative. Btw, what is the bedding material for those barns, like shaving or sand?

 

[Dave]

thanks, Dave, informative. Btw, what is the bedding material for those barns, like shaving or sand?

The vast majority use shavings. Western Washington has a big timber industry, thus lots of shavings at a reasonable cost.

 

[Andy]

The vast majority use shavings. Western Washington has a big timber industry, thus lots of shavings at a reasonable cost.

Heard shaving bedding has more pathogen than sand, and good thing with shaving bedding is no need to separate sand and manure afterwards.