cow pile spreading

[cornfarmer62]

Does anyone have any good ideas for spreading cow piles in a pasture?

 

[MO_cows]

Some kind of drag. You are only limited by your junk pile and imagination.

 

[Isomade]

A cattle panel works great. Hook a chain on each end and set the middle over the ball on your atv, truck, tractor ect. For a little added weight you can wire a post or a couple cinder blocks to it. 16 foot cattle panels were $15 last I checked.

 

[LRTX1]

We have always fastened some chain link to an old gate. Through some tires on it for some weight.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I spend 3 hours this past Saturday driving a Gator pulling a 6x9 foot harrow around several horse paddocks and pastures and that did a great job spreading the horse poo around.

 

[SRBeef]

These work very well if you don't have a very big junk pile yet:

http://wingfields.com/dragharrow.htm

They have all sizes. I have a 10 ft 3 point and it is great for spreading cow pies also dragging gravel drives and I use it to drag in some seed now and then. Prefer to drill but broadcast on some worked ground then drag it usually produces a very good stand.

Jim

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Pretty much what I was using.

 

[Calman]

I just use a couple of tractor tires chained together and pull them with my 4 wheeler.
Like was said just raid your junk pile.

Cal

 

[circlew]

Saturday morning I tied five old tractor and forklift tires together and drug my pastures. Boy they sure look a lot better.

 

[sim.-ang.king]

I made one out of a 7ft angle iron piece and three old car tires bolted on. Then chained it to the bale fork on the back.

 

[Beefy]

i drag an old bridge railing.

 

[momt5]

You guys are really creative!

 

[gonzo]

Idrag an old security gate it's heavy enough to do the job but not so heavy that it rips up sod . I pull it with my 4 wheeler turf type tire instead. of ag dose less damage

 

[kjonesel]

Out county rents a flexible drag harrow that folds up hydraulically for $75 a day. We rent it because it's 24' wide and run it over the hay fields also where we spring seed.

 

[Crazy Farmgirl]

I have used old metal bed springs wih cinder blocks for weight, old tires joined together and currently I have a rock screen out of a screening plant at the gravel pits

 

[Rhune]

Sorry for the noob post... But when and why do you drag pastures? Kinda sounds fun and I have several ideas for some drags.

 

[SRBeef]

Sorry for the noob post... But when and why do you drag pastures? Kinda sounds fun and I have several ideas for some drags.

I try to alternate dragging with a harrow and clipping with flail mower with full width roller in back as soon as my cattle rotate out of a pasture. Dragging (or in the picture below, rolling) the manure piles essentially eliminates the natural avoidance zones next time they graze this pasture. and as important dragging spreads the fertility. In WI I generally go 3-4 weeks between grazing a given pasture depending on weather and growth. We will probably get a good rain or two in that period which will wash this spread manure into the soil as fertilizer.

I am always amazed at just how much manure is left in a pasture after high density grazing and also how well it is distributed in the pasture. It needs to be turned from a liability to an asset. Dragging helps that. Alternating with clipping as shown keeps control of some un-grazed weeds like Canada thistle. I try to set the flail at 4-5" high. The benefit of a flail over a rotary is the roller plus it cuts everything into small pieces which seem to disappear compared to a windrow often left by a rotary.

Here is a picture I took last year which shows the distribution and spreading of manure after high density grazing pretty well.

I hope this helps.

Jim

 

[Rhune]

Jim,

Thanks for the info and pic. After dragging, would it be advisable to reseed as well?(thinking about preventing pioneer species). Also, I don't have a flail, just a brush hog.. Could that work as well or just stick with a drag?

 

[SRBeef]

Jim,

Thanks for the info and pic. After dragging, would it be advisable to reseed as well?(thinking about preventing pioneer species). Also, I don't have a flail, just a brush hog.. Could that work as well or just stick with a drag?

I would do a combination of both drag and mow/clip.

Mostly drag for manure spreading but if you see weeds left after a rotation and uneven growth just mow it once in a while at about 4-5" height to even things up so the less desireable grasses and weeds don't go to seed and take over eventually. And most folks clipping pastures probably use a brush hog type rotary mower. That will be fine as long as you don't let it get too rank.

I have in some pastures broadcast a clover mix in the spring then drag it in to a thin pasture or one that has lost its nitrogen-fixing legumes. A drill is better but dragging it in in early spring along with a timely rain will get at least a partial stand in an existing pasture. I have come to the conclusion that no matter how bad your pasture is, renovation/interseeding (best with a no till drill) is in the long run better than tearing it up and starting from scratch. But maybe that is just in my situation.

But before wasting time and money on seeding I would recommend doing a couple soil tests to check fertility and very importantly the pH. good pastures with legumes need to be above 6.0 and even better around 6.5-7.

Good luck.

Jim

 

[Rhune]

Great info. Thanks again