Fixing a Mud Hole

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slick4591

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I have a lane between two pastures that is so deep in mud some of the girls are belly deep when walking thru. I'm at the point where I'm worried about a smaller calf getting stuck in it. This spot has not been so bad but with all of our extra rain this year it's getting concerning. I know it's a temporary fix but my thoughts are to get a truck load of cheap rock and dump it in for the time being. My brother says it won't work like I think and we'll be throwing money away. Never had this problem before to know the best way to handle it.
 
Get 2 loads of rock and then you'll have it. The first load needs to be good size rail road rock and the next load crush and run. I've done a lot of this in my high traffic spots with good success.
 
True Grit Farms":2t4g2gxi said:
Get 2 loads of rock and then you'll have it. The first load needs to be good size rail road rock and the next load crush and run. I've done a lot of this in my high traffic spots with good success.

Thanks. I was fairly sure it could be done. Just didn't have a clue how to go about it.

talltimber":2t4g2gxi said:
Has it got a bottom on it? hard pan?

No, it's the Blackland dirt which has clay underneath. Seems every time something goes thru there it just gets a little deeper.
 
Can you dig it out and let it dry some, eventually? I would get it to as firm a bottom as I reasonably could and let it dry as much as I dared to wait. Lay you a geogrid mat in the bottom of it, then go with TG's recommendation. 3 to 6" clean, or at least 2"- 3" clean. Go with a foot of it at least, 18" will be better. Fill it and spread it out evenly, don't try to pack it down. Then come with a 6-12" topping of 2" minus to cap it with, and drive over that some to compact it. If it gets to moving around, get off it immediately and let it lay. With rain, then drying in the heat, that should eventually stiffen up, but be aware that a heavy load may break through until it's settled good. That would be my go to for problem areas without going off the deep end for major remediation practices involving area tile/drainage, if even possible.

The grid is an important part of this, do not under estimate what that little bit of material can do for you. Without it, your brother is correct most likely.
 
Yes, if your cattle are standing in mud all the time, gravel can be a little ouchy for them. I doubt you'd have much of a problem with the minus rock on top though. If a guy thought he might, top it with a thin lift of 1" minus or something smaller on top of the 2" minus to soften the edges of that. If cattle are fast, then it may be better slowing them down to where you can keep an accurate count!
 
Brute 23":29otgylq said:
Adding rock will help but you will need to dress it with some thing or its really hard on the cattle's feet. Long term you will have to figure out how to divert water from that area or help that area drain better.


Brute hit the nail on the head.
You need to either divert the water or speed up how it runs off the spot. Everything will be a patch until then.
 
slick4591":1tjnvoi6 said:
I have a lane between two pastures that is so deep in mud some of the girls are belly deep when walking thru. I'm at the point where I'm worried about a smaller calf getting stuck in it. This spot has not been so bad but with all of our extra rain this year it's getting concerning. I know it's a temporary fix but my thoughts are to get a truck load of cheap rock and dump it in for the time being. My brother says it won't work like I think and we'll be throwing money away. Never had this problem before to know the best way to handle it.

I had a calf get stuck in mud and die last year its really no joke... First you should dig out all the mud if its possible let area dry if possible without having a danger to cattle or people. If not dig the mud out and put it somewhere out of the way and fill the hole up a good 3/4 way up with large rock I use the big 8-12" river rock then bring in some clay if yall have that there or whatever dry dirt available. If area gets muddy they will only sink down however deep the dirt is that you put over the rocks. :2cents:
 
My guess is I'll only be able to pull a small amount of mud out with my FEL. It's not really a spot where anything really drains into it. We've just had so much rain lately that it's holding water because it can't drain. Thanks for the suggestions. Just need to order some rock now.
 
slick4591":1wyy1cff said:
My guess is I'll only be able to pull a small amount of mud out with my FEL. It's not really a spot where anything really drains into it. We've just had so much rain lately that it's holding water because it can't drain. Thanks for the suggestions. Just need to order some rock now.

If a big place or deep rent a backhoe for a few hours that way once you fix it you will be done for good and if they run it up when it dries you can just run a box blade over it.
 
I hope Jogeephus will chime in on this subject, he works in a swamp. We put rail road rock in the creek crossings and drive log trucks across them all the time. And after the second load of rock there's usually no problems.
 
skyhightree1":5gdu5mk0 said:
Can you drive in it scoop most out?

I might be able to once it dries out a little. Putting equipment in there right now would probably just make it worse. We are under a flash flood watch at the moment so it's a waiting game now.
 
I don't think rock alone will solve your problem. A hoof can punch down thru rock if you don't bind it with some thing and pack it right. That's a lot of weight per sq in

Focus on draining the swamp. Use the dirt from cutting ditches to elevate the problem area.
 
True Grit Farms":3n68h4vp said:
I hope Jogeephus will chime in on this subject, he works in a swamp. We put rail road rock in the creek crossings and drive log trucks across them all the time. And after the second load of rock there's usually no problems.

Here that wouldn't work

slick4591":3n68h4vp said:
skyhightree1":3n68h4vp said:
Can you drive in it scoop most out?

I might be able to once it dries out a little. Putting equipment in there right now would probably just make it worse. We are under a flash flood watch at the moment so it's a waiting game now.

I understand
 
put down some filter fabric before you put down any rock....put the rock on top of the filter fabric and then you will have a bottom....big rocks first and then smaller rock on top....

get your nrcs and soil and water district folks to come out and look at it....they can at the very least give you some ideas and probably design a fix....
 
I've been using a concrete byproduct in driveways and water areas. Around here they call it clincker. Im not even sure what it is. Its very powdery and needs to be rained on soon after but dries and packs its almost like cement . Its seems better on hooves than rocks and really tightens the ground up. Its about 20% cheaper than rocks too. Maybe use fill dirt first and clinker on top.
 
we have used a product referred to as decreted concrete ....sounds like the same thing...

our local source dried up and have not tried to find it lately....we have used it to fix some erosion problems in the past....
 

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