draggin pastures--who does it and with what?

[tncattle]

How many of y'all drag your pasture and with what? Also, is now a good time to do it or wait a little longer closer to spring?

 

[M5farm]

How many of y'all drag your pasture and with what? Also, is now a good time to do it or wait a little longer closer to spring?

I drug one of mine yesterday. 3 big tractor tires chained together. under the front 2 tires I have an old hog panel. it does a good job of scattering the manure and knocking down ant beds and mole hills.

 

[3waycross]

an old set of bed springs with some cinder blocks and a couple of ties wired on top. :lol2:

 

[TexasBred]

an old set of bed springs with some cinder blocks and a couple of ties wired on top. :lol2:

When the grandkids get a bit older you can let them ride on back and have a ball. :lol2:

 

[shaz]

I drag on occasion when I'm broacasting clover seed.

 

[Dega Moo]

We try to rake pastures several times a year. We use a 24' pasture rake.

 

[branguscowgirl]

I mow and flood irrigate. Both of those things do a pretty good job of spreading the manure. One smaller paddock I have to drag. Use the Mule with chain link fence weighted down with anything.

 

[bellboer]

I use a old 16 foot gate made with heavy 2" pipe with a cattle panel welded on it. I have a log chain welded about 2 foot from each end with a clevis I attach to farm pickup hitch. It used to be a pain getting out and reattaching before I welded chain.
I believe it provides more good for the meadow/pasture than any other low input cost you can do...drags old vegetation down, levels mole/gopher workings, fireant mounds and redistributes nutrients by scattering cow piles and hay feeding areas.
This makes it easier on hay mowing equipment and just makes the land more attractive here in NE Texas.
bellboer

 

[suzorse]

piece of chain link with old tires on it ,and 1 section of harrows pulled with my truck , I will drag in about a month depends on when I can get out there without churning mud
Suzanne

 

[highgrit]

I have a heavy duty chain drag that we use all the time. When I mow the pastures it goes behind the rotary mower. When we plant with a seed drill we drag it behind that to. A good drag is very usefull, it probably gets used the most out of all of our implements.

 

[Lucky_P]

Like shaz, I only drag if I'm overseeding a badly pugged area.
Have seen more than one respected pasture guru indicate that the only real economic benefit to 'dragging' is wealth transfer from one generation to another - paying your kids to do it, and writing it off on your taxes. Probably not really worth the fuel and wear/tear on the tractor to do.
Though, for some folks, tractor seat time beats time with a mental therapist. Can't fault 'em on that point...

 

[inyati13]

Like shaz, I only drag if I'm overseeding a badly pugged area.
Have seen more than one respected pasture guru indicate that the only real economic benefit to 'dragging' is wealth transfer from one generation to another - paying your kids to do it, and writing it off on your taxes. Probably not really worth the fuel and wear/tear on the tractor to do.
Though, for some folks, tractor seat time beats time with a mental therapist. Can't fault 'em on that point...

Me one! I cannot wait until I can sit in my air-conditioned cab, play the stero and mow my pastures. When I had my dozer, getting into the seat and hearing that Cat engine was like a tall glass of beer!!!

When I get too old to run my tractor, I think I will find a mean, ornery bull, put him in a small pen, and get in there with him and see who wins a hand to horn contest.

 

[Lucky_P]

Umm, Ron. Love ya man, but I'm betting on the bull.

 

[inyati13]

Umm, Ron. Love ya man, but I'm betting on the bull.

Me too.

 

[Dave]

I use a railroad tie with chain link fence behind it. Generally just do the winter sacrifice area after the cows go to grass in the spring. I am not a big fan of dragging or mowing pastures unless you have time and/or money to waste.

 

[houstoncutter]

Very large ships chain

 

[Banjo]

Just dragging pastures for the sake of dragging to "spread out manure piles" is a waste of time and fuel IMO. That manure pile is a habitat for all kinds of soil life especially earthworms. When you drag or scatter them out, you turn it into lots of tiny little pieces that become exposed to sunlight, and wind, that will just dry up.

 

[inyati13]

Just dragging pastures for the sake of dragging to "spread out manure piles" is a waste of time and fuel IMO. That manure pile is a habitat for all kinds of soil life especially earthworms. When you drag or scatter them out, you turn it into lots of tiny little pieces that become exposed to sunlight, and wind, that will just dry up.

Exactly.

 

[houstoncutter]

Just dragging pastures for the sake of dragging to "spread out manure piles" is a waste of time and fuel IMO. That manure pile is a habitat for all kinds of soil life especially earthworms. When you drag or scatter them out, you turn it into lots of tiny little pieces that become exposed to sunlight, and wind, that will just dry up.

I think fellas you might have to take into consideration the location of afore mentioned cowpaddys. Theirs a heap of difference between cowpie in your neck of the woods and mine. What we feed for hay would be considered bedding for you. A 8 percent protein hay fed here can make a cowpile that can last a very long time.

I dont know about the cows in your part of the world but mine did not like the grass around a cow turd. That could mean the loss of a lot of grazing area.

 

[suzorse]

same here as my pasture goes nuts growing after I spread the manure with my drags, makes a better pasture, and if it is a hay field also you are not baling cow pies in your hay,as I hate paying for cow patties Suzanne