Irrigating Pastures someone answer please

[backhoeboogie]

Get a pencil and paper. Calculate how many gallons are in a cubic foot, that will cover 12 feet in 1 inch. The figure out how many square feet are in an acre. At 250 gpm, it takes a long time to put an inch on an acre. The 3/4 line is going to be a killer for you. I don't see how you could do much good with a line that small. I run a 4 inch line and it takes forever to put an inch on a small field, pumping out of a river, with a 250 gpm pump.

 

[MrBilly]

This was covered in another discussion theme on this board, but we have K-line and love it. We use a lake, did not run dry during this drought. We only installed enough to cover 35 A to give it a try, we are using a ten horse, single phase motor, and the cost is less than$10 per day for electricity. If you get into gas or diesel, your looking at ten to twelve hourse per day of fuel drain - at $3/ gallon you will loose compared to electric.

Kline is a low pressure system and requires about 40 psi to run. It is low flow, so no run off and pooling.

Billy

 

[Central Fl Cracker]

Running Arrow Bill
I have a 8" well on my 135 ac pasture with a turbine that hooks up to a diesel motor. Last year I thought I would make it active and irrigate during early spring but the old gurus thought I was crazy because of the cost. The pasture was an old citrus tree farm which froze out 20 years ago and there is numerous 8" connections throughout the pasture.

 

[Terry Smith]

Heavy duty portable sprinkler carts are available at Smith Irrigation Equipment. The SSW125 cart can be supplied with a 3/4" to 1-1/2" hose and a choice of sprinklers from 3 gpm to 50 gpm. The cart has large wheels to easily roll over most terrain and can be moved by pulling on the hose even with the water turned on. Low cost and effective for low volume pasture irrigation. See them at http://WWW.WATERREELS.COM or call 1-877-488-3270 for help. They can also help you with larger sprinkler systems and pumps.

 

[Stocker Steve]

This was covered in another discussion theme on this board, but we have K-line and love it. We use a lake, did not run dry during this drought. We only installed enough to cover 35 A to give it a try, we are using a ten horse, single phase motor, and the cost is less than$10 per day for electricity.
Billy

How many months during a normal year do you irrigate?

Did you calculate how much you had to irrigate to pay for the system and your time?

 

[MrBilly]

This was covered in another discussion theme on this board, but we have K-line and love it. We use a lake, did not run dry during this drought. We only installed enough to cover 35 A to give it a try, we are using a ten horse, single phase motor, and the cost is less than$10 per day for electricity.
Billy

How many months during a normal year do you irrigate?

Did you calculate how much you had to irrigate to pay for the system and your time?

I don't know what normal is. Sure hasn't been normal here for quite a while, so that is why we put in irrigation. This year we started irrigation around March, as I recall, and were still irrigating in early November. If we hadn't irrigated this summer we would have been putting out about 4 round bales per day - say at $40 a bale for several months. That is about $5000 per month. The cost of irrigation is roughly $300 per month. The system cost about $45,000 or slightly more, so it should pay off farily quickly if we continue to have a major drought situation. Moving the pods takes about 1 hr per day and my hourly pay is $0, but should be more, much more!!!!! :roll: Based on this and continued poor moisture, it should pay for itself in three to four years being very very conservative in my estimates. Time will tell.

Billy

 

[dj]

Is my aquifer the only one dropping? Short term (my lifetime) irragation sounds good. But do I really need to water the grass now knowing when my grandchildren need the water it won't be there.
Do you really think oil is going to be reason for world conflict??

Stolen fron here: http://www.mideastnews.com/WaterWars.htm

"Muslim Fundamentalists, currently active in the region, have recently begun to include the water issue in their radical literature as they interpret the laws of water sharing with non Muslims along Islamic lines in a way designed to deploy water as another weapon to continue few ongoing conflicts in the region"

I don't expect this post will last long once the moderator sees it.
Well it's been fun joining in the discussions the last 2 days.
I'll get back to just reading now.
A Happy New Year to all.