Drag pastures?

[TxBrangus]

Do you any of you drag your pastures to spread the patties? If so when do you do it?

 

[dun]

I just leave it the bugs, turkeys and critters

 

[kenny thomas]

As soon as I can get on the ground in the spring. Actually done some this past weekend.

 

[Lane]

I try to drag everytime I rotate pastures (usually about 3-4 times/year). Our
soil is mostly a heavy "gumbo" and it helps to level out cow tracks, knock down
fire ant mounds, and spread manure. I feel like the drag is probably the most
important piece of equipment I own.

I have two 12' drags (will fit thru gates single) that I hook up side by side. The
actual drags are 2- 6'X4' rectangles of 3" heavy angle iron that are hinged along
a 4" pipe so that each rectangle can flex independently. I ran some heavy rebar
in a "checkerboard". The front shears and the manure bounces thru and is broken
up. Works pretty well as long as ground is not too wet or too dry.

Lane

 

[farmwriter]

I don't have much need for it when the grass is up and they're scattered out grazing. It's more of a fall/winter need when we have more loafing areas from feeding hay. Warm rainy weather, active bugs, and splattery piles from the grass make it pretty obsolete.

 

[dun]

I don't have much need for it when the grass is up and they're scattered out grazing. It's more of a fall/winter need when we have more loafing areas from feeding hay. Warm rainy weather, active bugs, and splattery piles from the grass make it pretty obsolete.

That's why we use a sacrafice area for feeding hay. It's a spot that needs some fertility anyway or it's one of those spots that you really can;t do much with otherwise.

 

[TxBrangus]

Thanks for the good info. My grandma swears that's what my grandpa did and what I should be doing, as our pasture has a decent amount of patties. Do I need to drag before a rain or does that not really matter?

 

[LRTX1]

Thanks for the good info. My grandma swears that's what my grandpa did and what I should be doing, as our pasture has a decent amount of patties. Do I need to drag before a rain or does that not really matter?

I do it 6-8 times a year, more in the winter. I find it keeps the weeds down around the piles that the cows wont eat around. Before a rain will break it down faster. After a rain the hard uns spread a bit more.

 

[tsmaxx47]

we drag our pasture in the early spring. i hooked up two semi tires with a cable and drag them behind the tractor. it breaks everything up pretty good and levels the gopher mounds...

 

[dun]

At the price of red diesel you might need to rethink the value of dragging vs the cost of fuel

 

[LRTX1]

At the price of red diesel you might need to rethink the value of dragging vs the cost of fuel

Thats why I drag 'em with a 140 farmall. Can drag all day for a couple bucks.

 

[agmantoo]

I seldom spend money needlessly and I am opposed to unnecessary work. I do drag and I drag the paddocks as needed. I want the forage as uniform and as vigorously growing as possible. In recent years it seems as if the weather has failed to cooperate as much as possible. Even so, with the attention to the forage the results as still acceptable. There has been no commercial fertilizer applied. I do believe that Winter is on the downside and that a Spring burst of growth is within near reach. The herd is on nothing but stockpiled grass and mineral supplement and here is how they looked this afternoon. There is no creep for the younger stock either.

 

[circlew]

I try to hook my tire drag behind the bushhog in early spring and drag the patties while I'm hitting the dead and new weeds.

 

[bird dog]

It is on the agenda for this weekend for me. I like the soil damp. I try to feed my hay in the area with the sorriest grass and drag around this area a couple of times per winter. I use an old David Brown 45 HP that goes pretty far on a gallon of Diesel and a home made drag that has shear studs for teeth.

 

[shaz]

On the agenda here too. I actually started using a drag because some of the other posters seemed to get the kinda results I wanted.

 

[novatech]

At the price of red diesel you might need to rethink the value of dragging vs the cost of fuel

Not to mention I have better thinks to do. Never saw were it did anthing better than what the bugs did, Besides they put it down in the ground not just on top.

 

[garseer]

Just had mine done last week right before the last cold front.

 

[agmantoo]

Just a brief question?

For those of you that do not do rotational grazing what would be your guess as to how much fuel per brood cow do you consume producing, processing, storing and feeding hay, spreading fertilizer, applying herbicides, managing manure?

 

[shaz]

Just a brief question?

For those of you that do not do rotational grazing what would be your guess as to how much fuel per brood cow do you consume producing, processing, storing and feeding hay, spreading fertilizer, applying herbicides, managing manure?

I do rotational. 40 acre paddock, 20 acre paddock, 15 acre paddock and of course the last one is 150plus acres. See the problem?
Rotational or intensive? My system is one step up from continuous :???: But it's rotational ..more less.

 

[Brute 23]

Just a brief question?

For those of you that do not do rotational grazing what would be your guess as to how much fuel per brood cow do you consume producing, processing, storing and feeding hay, spreading fertilizer, applying herbicides, managing manure?

Not near as much as it would cost to fence off every 40ac.

I drag some stuff where we feed alot, around the house, maybe a hay field after we take the cattle out. Can't really say there is a noticable benefit other than it looks nice and helps keep the pasture smooth.