Standing in mud

[Kell-inKY]

My cattle are standing around the hayring in mud, I hate it when I see that on other farms and have not had to deal with it before. This years weather has been awful, lots of snow and ice with LOTS of rain in between means the ground was usually muddy underneath the snow. I have tried moving them in the woods under pine trees (lots of pine needles), and here and there but even when I myself move around in one spot it turns muddy. And the cattle make it really muddy, maybe not knee deep but way more than I would like, and soupy at that.

So, can I put some gravel in the corral for next year or is that bad on their hooves? Should I be too worried about this anyway? I am sure it is much healthier for them to not stand in the mud all day. Don't have the money for concrete, just a small farm, thanks, Kelly.

 

[tistis]

I made some pads out of gravel seems to be working got to keep them clean off

 

[Jake]

My cattle are standing around the hayring in mud, I hate it when I see that on other farms and have not had to deal with it before. This years weather has been awful, lots of snow and ice with LOTS of rain in between means the ground was usually muddy underneath the snow. I have tried moving them in the woods under pine trees (lots of pine needles), and here and there but even when I myself move around in one spot it turns muddy. And the cattle make it really muddy, maybe not knee deep but way more than I would like, and soupy at that.

So, can I put some gravel in the corral for next year or is that bad on their hooves? Should I be too worried about this anyway? I am sure it is much healthier for them to not stand in the mud all day. Don't have the money for concrete, just a small farm, thanks, Kelly.

If you can move the feeder every time you put a bale in it so you don't get the accumulation of manure and they won't wallow in one spot as much. If that's not possible, rock or concrete are about your only option.

 

[Bigfoot]

I am considering getting some rolls of cornstalks. Spreading them 2 feet thick, and feeding on top of that.

 

[Kell-inKY]

I move it every time, it takes less than a day for it to turn to 8" deep mud, it is just that bad around here right now. If rock is ok and won't damage their hooves then I will have to do that for next year, can't do it until it dries out around here.

My driveway is gravel and it is mush too, so I may be in trouble (truck just sinks as I drive), but it is red gravel and does not stay as firm as the white, I would use white rock in the corral.

 

[Bigfoot]

I move it every time, it takes less than a day for it to turn to 8" deep mud, it is just that bad around here right now. If rock is ok and won't damage their hooves then I will have to do that for next year, can't do it until it dries out around here.

My driveway is gravel and it is mush too, so I may be in trouble (truck just sinks as I drive), but it is red gravel and does not stay as firm as the white, I would use white rock in the corral.

IMHO, rock is a viable solution around a feed bunk, but not to feed rolled hay on top of. It might work if a person had a few head, but not for very many.

 

[Jake]

I move it every time, it takes less than a day for it to turn to 8" deep mud, it is just that bad around here right now. If rock is ok and won't damage their hooves then I will have to do that for next year, can't do it until it dries out around here.

My driveway is gravel and it is mush too, so I may be in trouble (truck just sinks as I drive), but it is red gravel and does not stay as firm as the white, I would use white rock in the corral.

I believe there is a mesh you can put down under the rock that helps solidify the base. I'm sure others have more experience with it than myself. I just know the product exists, don't know much about it.

 

[Littlejohn]

NCRS programs (if you can get it) and/or Kentucky cost share (CAIP), will provide assistance on building a heavy use feeding area. I use one to feed on. I use a box scraper about one a month to clean it up and push the manure in a pile to spread later. I put a layer of lime on it ever other year, to keep from getting down into the large rock or fabric. The Geotextile Fabric is a must, if you don't put that down, the pad starts to disappear after a while.

http://www2.ca.uky.edu/agc/pubs/aen/aen79/aen79.pdf

 

[dun]

For the soupy areas we put down crushed limestone (road base)

 

[Kell-inKY]

Sounds good, thanks guys. I remember the extension agent bringing something up about feeding pads but they kept repeatedly telling me they don't really know anything about cattle, only row crops. That seems to be a reoccurring theme in my area, it's funny how many times I have heard that (cattle are not my area...), not to say they weren't helpful or wanting to help, because they were.

 

[Supa Dexta]

Mine have to stand in it for months some times. No use moving the rings all the time, or I'd burn thru a couple hundred acres, and wreck it all.

 

[Littlejohn]

Kell, what county are you in?

 

[Kell-inKY]

McCracken, did not mean to sound like I did not get any help, it is just that this county has ripped out all the fences and went to rowcrop, or subdivisions...

 

[branguscowgirl]

I have wasted money on rock that just disappeared into the ground. Would not recommend it without putting something down first.

 

[Lazy M]

I fooled around with rock pads for years, but finally bit the bullet a couple years ago at one of our places and formed and poured a pad for my feeding area. It's expensive but I absolutely love it. Easy to scrape clean and no more dead calves stuck in the mud. I made it big enough to fit 5 rings with 8' of clearance around the rings and 12' in between.

 

[M.Magis]

Saw a post on another site a few years ago, maybe Agtalk? The post showed the process of putting in the fabric and heavy layer of stone. It also showed the results the following year if I recall. It may have been a tractor path rather than a feeding area, but the same principle applies. The results were very impressive, and the amount of work didn't look that bad.

 

[Bigfoot]

Neighbor blacktopped a spot. I like it. Problem with any permanent feeding area wether its rock, concrete, black top, you name it. The area around it, just as bad as the mess you are trying to avoid. Ive got a feeding barn. Sounds good in concept, but I don't use for its intended purpose. It just gets so funky around it. You rock that area, and it grows the next year. Its hard to prepare a feeding area for very many head.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I fooled around with rock pads for years, but finally bit the bullet a couple years ago at one of our places and formed and poured a pad for my feeding area. It's expensive but I absolutely love it. Easy to scrape clean and no more dead calves stuck in the mud. I made it big enough to fit 5 rings with 8' of clearance around the rings and 12' in between.

What are the overall dimensions of your feeding pad?

Thanks,

TT

 

[Lazy M]

22x90 as best I can recall. We formed it with 2x6's because I was afraid 2x4's wouldn't be thick enough.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

30x90 as best I can recall. We formed it with 2x6's because I was afraid 2x4's wouldn't be thick enough.

90'! Wow! That's a runway. I've got a spot up close to my new corral system that I'd like to put in concrete but it'll be more like 40'X50'. I'm feeling your pain on this mud too this year.