Winter Feeding Area - Bigfoot & Highgrit

[inyati13]

Remember the pics of when I put down the mine waste rock for a winter feeding area. In the beginning I had trouble with the cows walking on it. Both of you guys had comments on how it might turn out. Well, I am very pleased with it. The debris from winter feeding has choked-off the rock. I cleaned it today with my FEL and it polished off real nice. Here are the pics:
First, a pic before I put it to use:

Now the pics from today:

 

[M5farm]

nice, does blue drive the ranger or the tractor cause you cant drive 2 at a time.

 

[inyati13]

nice, does blue drive the ranger or the tractor cause you cant drive 2 at a time.

You don't know how many times I wished he could drive.

 

[Bigfoot]

I can't remember if I was supportive of the idea or not? Looks good. Definatly better than a mud hole. I've got a feeding barn. I usually give up on it by end of February. It's so messy leading to the rock, that leads to the barn. It's easier just to skip it.

 

[Dega Moo]

Inyati,
Just what kind of mine waste rock is that anyway? Did you add lime or 'ash'?

 

[highgrit]

That looks great Ron, I'm still wearing rubber boots. The mud got so bad at the gate to the pen, I had to use my 4x4 tractor to pull my hay trailer through it. I have plans or dreams of rocking and putting a roof over my sorting and working pens. Now all you need to do is take a rotor tiller and mulch it all up, it should make the finest kind of compost.

 

[tnwalkingred]

Ron,

That hay area looks great! After dealing with all the mud and ruts this year I plan on building one for myself before next winter rolls around. May I ask you how you built it? Did you put anything done before you had the rock brought in? Did you compact the rock?

Kyle

 

[inyati13]

Ron,

That hay area looks great! After dealing with all the mud and ruts this year I plan on building one for myself before next winter rolls around. May I ask you how you built it? Did you put anything done before you had the rock brought in? Did you compact the rock?

Kyle

Kyle. I put down a layer of Number 2 gravel then choked it off with Limestone Mine Waste Run. I did not put down fabric. That would have been expensive over such a large area. The number 2 is expensive but the mine waste run is free. You only pay hauling. The tractor does compact it as you put it down.

 

[tnwalkingred]

Ron,

How big is yours and how many inches of each type gravel did you put down?

Kyle

 

[inyati13]

Ron,

How big is yours and how many inches of each type gravel did you put down?

Kyle

Not big enough.

Kyle, I noticed that gravel sizes are not always the same or what they are suppose to be. I got my invoice and the base layer is #2 gravel from the Hilltop Stone Company. It is a large crushed stone that is uniform in size and most of the stones will be in the 2 to 4 inch range. There are no fines so clearly it is screened stone. These larger gravels make a good base because the size prevents them from being easily pushed down into the soil. The base layer was maybe 3 to 5 inches thick. The base stone is then choked off with what is called mine waste run. It is what results from the screening process. Thus it ranges from dust to 4 inches. I put on just enough to choke off the surface of the #2 gravel and fill the voids which is what the term choking off means. The area is a rough triangle in shape. I would guess it is an area of about 50 yards by 75 yards. I used 56 tons of #2 and 75 tons of mine waste run.

 

[tnwalkingred]

Ron,

Thanks for the information. What you call mine waste we call crush and run here. I only wish it was free. I'm guessing you used two truck loads of #2? The big dump trucks here carry 23 ton per load. I'm surprised two loads did such a big area. Did you consider using fabric and not because do the cost or just decide to do it without?

Kyle

 

[Nesikep]

we have a limestone mine in our area, they have about a 1" screening crush that works really nicely on driveways, etc... It's over an hour to the mine, one way, so trucking gets pretty expensive and no one around here has a big enough truck to make it worthwhile... I hauled a load on my flatdeck trailer with the stock rack on.. got nearly 4 yards into it (1/2 a bucket from their loader) and that was a pretty good pull... They charge $40 to load smaller vehicles, and $100 to load a dumptruck. We have a machine shed we put some in 15 years ago and it's been great, as well as in our little 12x20' greenhouse.

If anyone remotely close to my neck of the woods needs good fabric to lay down before rock, we have 10 acres of Ginseng tarp, it's *really* tough stuff... $100 for a 24x240' (640 sq yd) roll.. you pick up It's also good for windbreaks and shade (80% shade)... Doesn't begin to show signs of UV breakdown after 20 years

 

[inyati13]

Ron,

Thanks for the information. What you call mine waste we call crush and run here. I only wish it was free. I'm guessing you used two truck loads of #2? The big dump trucks here carry 23 ton per load. I'm surprised two loads did such a big area. Did you consider using fabric and not because do the cost or just decide to do it without?

Kyle

Kyle, I made a mistake. First, it was five loads of # 2. I had another invoice that I was not finding. They were actually 25.50 tons per load. Second, I was told if you put down a good base of #2, I would not need the fabric. I have used the fabric before. It is difficult to manage when covering a large area. If it is not held down real well, it often moves as you spread the gravel. The mine waste run is free but I paid $150 perload to have it hauled. It is inconsistent, contains a lot of fines and you have to walk the surface because it often contains debris (metal, wire from blasting, bolts, etc.) I will not use it in senstive areas like in my handling facility where I use pea gravel. But it is cheap and due to the loose lime in it, it sets up with a solid almost concrete nature. The surface of this area is extremely solid. The cows walk on it and they do not track it. I noticed with the warm dry weather and wind in the last two days, it is very nice. The cows come up there and like to lounge on it. They spread out and seem to enjoy the surface for laying in the sun. Sweet!