what to do with all these ruts

[plbcattle]

I know I am not the only one with knee deep ruts EVERYWHERE. I know it is not dry enough now but what are some great tips for smoothing the ground back out. a heavy rooler,box blade or a disk. what are you going to do. Thanks

 

[HandB]

wait till it's dry enough(but before it turns to concrete) and run a small D4 over it or another tractor w/ a scraper blade attached.

 

[Mahoney Pursley Ranch]

wait till it's dry enough(but before it turns to concrete) and run a small D4 over it or another tractor w/ a scraper blade attached.

Then lay down about 4 inches of limestone with some fines and roll it in. ;-)

 

[TheBullLady]

In this lovely black soil, if you don't do something about the ruts before they totally dry out, they are like concrete. I just run the big tractor over the high spots until they are all relatively flat again. I made the ruts putting hay out last week, so yesterday when I refilled the rings it was about perfect to smash them back down.

 

[J Baxter]

I tend to prefer running a disk over them as to avoid compacting the soil even more. A roller will just compact the ground and a box blade will do nothing to aleviate the compaction that has already occurred. A subsoiler would do wonders.

JB

 

[Jake]

I tend to prefer running a disk over them as to avoid compacting the soil even more. A roller will just compact the ground and a box blade will do nothing to aleviate the compaction that has already occurred. A subsoiler would do wonders.

JB

After a while of compacting it though you won't get the ruts you used to, then go and put a couple loads of gravel or limestone on it and go in all weather with no worries.

 

[mwj]

If you can lay your hands on one, a tractor mounted tiller is the cats whiskers. Two passes whike it is still damp and scatter some oats and grass seed and you are set to go.
your friend
Mike

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

PLB --- I've had some enormous ruts, in years past, that would darn near swallow a calf. But this early in the feeding season I wouldn't do anything with the ruts, except cuss at them a little. I wait until I'm just about through with hay feeding, usually late Feb. and then I try to disc out the bigger ruts, which usually leaves the area plenty muddy. Then when it finally dies off enough I disc several passes again and then run a harrow over the area. I also do a bit of pile burning if they have any size to them (whatever hasn't been sufficiently trampled into the mud by the cows)


By the way, and I know it's very early, but how's your big time Camp Cooley bull working out in his new home?

 

[Rookie]

I know I am not the only one with knee deep ruts EVERYWHERE. I know it is not dry enough now but what are some great tips for smoothing the ground back out. a heavy rooler,box blade or a disk. what are you going to do. Thanks

Why fight em??????? Let em fill with water in the spring and stock em with catfish