Cleaner Pastures

Have you noticed that some of your pastures are full of manure, to where it looks like a mine field? In the winter it is just a mess but in the summer it is like Spring Break week for flies. You don't need those blood suckers breeding and laying eggs everywhere. It's time to pick it up or spread it out, and move the Dexters to a new pasture so this one can rest. Also, if your pasture is getting that worked over by the cows traffic it likely needs a good rest and some attention.

In the winter our Dexters tend to roam around all day and stay close to the shelters at night. They poop all in the same area each morning and evening. That is easy to remove and put in our compost pile. Read about composting hay and manure HERE. For the manure that is randomly left behind in areas of the pasture we tend to save those for the “drag.”

You can buy a manufactured pasture drag harrow for several hundred dollars OR you can make a homemade version that works great too.

1. Long cattle panel, in good shape ( You do not want to leave metal pieces everywhere in the pasture. That would be VERY bad for your Dexters and could lead to hardware disease.)
2. 1/2 in solid braided nylon rope, or bigger if you can find it.
3. Carabiners or other solid metal clips ( you can also just tie the rope to the panel

Here is my homemade drag that we use on our ranch. For those of you in my age range (40s)……dragging your pasture is like playing a game of Pac Man. It also feels like you are vacuuming your pasture.

Above: My barn pasture with manure piles everywhere. P.S. that is a finished compost pile in the pic too.

Above: Drag hooked up and ready to work. This same cattle panel has been on the job for 5 years. I really need to replace it with a new one.

Above: We normally use rope only but I decided to try it with some chain leaders. It will help make the ropes last a little longer. You really need to use rope so you have that give when you go over bumps.

Above: VERY IMPORTANT to bend the front edge up like a sled or you will jam a corner when you make a turn. Make it look like a sled or water ski.

Above: Pulverizes the piles and spreads it out. This was one pass. If I have time I will go back the other direction and the smear disappears.

Above: This was a fresh manure pile, broken down by one pass with the drag.

Above: Pasture is clear of manure piles. Free fertilizer for our pasture. Best to do this right before a good rain. This winter pasture is ready for spring and will be so lush and full for the Dexters.

Above: Early Spring grass. Mix of cool blends with clover. The dragging all winter helps produce this response by improving the topsoil and providing it with some moisture retention.

Above: Pasture good blend of legumes and cool spring blends before the summer heat hits. This was in March when the leaves were still budding on the trees. This pasture is dragged monthly year round.

Above: Happy fat Grass finished Dexter Steers.