Astro turf on top of grass

[BobbySusie]

Hi, I need to construct some spur roads for cows to access outlying paddocks. There are two sections of 150m.

Im thinking of getting some AstroTurf and lying it on the grass and off I go. No machinery just cows on it.

 

[milkloss]

Now or for in the spring? How many cows and where are you?
Just trying to help you get the right answer

 

[jimmer]

NO!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Beef farmer]

Now or for in the spring? How many cows and where are you?
Just trying to help you get the right answer

There is only 1 answer.

No way

 

[BobbySusie]

Now or for in the spring? How many cows and where are you?
Just trying to help you get the right answer

For spring I’m trying to save funds. Last year I used to create a temporary track and it would be cut up. I was hoping to use astro turf to avoid cutting up.

 

[som farmer]

we put astroturf on dirt tracks this year, and have put some on top of old stone tracks, surprised at above comments, as our cows think its great ! Not sure how long it will last, but would be interested in knowing why the above comments came.

 

[Beef farmer]

we put astroturf on dirt tracks this year, and have put some on top of old stone tracks, surprised at above comments, as our cows think its great ! Not sure how long it will last, but would be interested in knowing why the above comments came.

Stone tracks are better than a grass strip

 

[som farmer]

Stone tracks are better than a grass strip

the grass strip ones are farthest paddocks, and usage not great, have just completed some lovely new stone tracks, curtesy of mid tier. Has been suggested we put astro turf on them, very fine surface though, comments ?

 

[Beef farmer]

the grass strip ones are farthest paddocks, and usage not great, have just completed some lovely new stone tracks, curtesy of mid tier. Has been suggested we put astro turf on them, very fine surface though, comments ?

Wouldn't bother. Decent stone tracks shouldn't need anything

 

[som farmer]

how do other farmers do tracks, concrete sleepers have got dear, we are lucky enough to have our own stone, so that's 1 expense less.
We dug a ditch to one side, came in 3 feet, and stripped of top soil to a depth of 9 inches, by 12 foot wide, filled up with 12/15 ins of stone, thought some stone was to big, so found some smaller and put another 6 in's on, that was unnesssary, contractors, came in with 2 'stone rotavators' and ground it down to fine, they had a wacker plate on a tractor, the result is a really level, smooth track, water doesn't lie on it, so cant must be ok. Found lots of suggestions on the net etc, But would be interested how others have done similar. The big problem is finding money to do a lot more ! you soon see why people say they are a must

 

[Beef farmer]

Lay 2ft of home dug stone ontop of soil and put in with a dozer with a decent run on it. Vibrate roll with a self propelled roller until its sat in tight. Usually sink away in 1ft. So left with tracks 1ft proud of the paddocks.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

how do other farmers do tracks, concrete sleepers have got dear, we are lucky enough to have our own stone, so that's 1 expense less.
We dug a ditch to one side, came in 3 feet, and stripped of top soil to a depth of 9 inches, by 12 foot wide, filled up with 12/15 ins of stone, thought some stone was to big, so found some smaller and put another 6 in's on, that was unnesssary, contractors, came in with 2 'stone rotavators' and ground it down to fine, they had a wacker plate on a tractor, the result is a really level, smooth track, water doesn't lie on it, so cant must be ok. Found lots of suggestions on the net etc, But would be interested how others have done similar. The big problem is finding money to do a lot more ! you soon see why people say they are a must

What was the ditch at the side for?

I have a lot of sleepers that I managed to get when they were cheaper.

The stone tracks are a foot of recycled concrete on terram topped off with some fine stuff. They're alright but not great. We concreted the first 100m of stone out of the parlour last year and that is brilliant. I'd love to concrete all the stone tracks.

 

[Cows 'n grass]

This is about the worst of my stone tracks and it's still holding up pretty well really. This has 500 over it each way every day and a couple of loads with the slurry tanker because my dirty water pump has died again. It could do with the field edge scraping back with a digger.

Cows are really starting to slow down now

 

[Beef farmer]

That track looks fine

 

[Cows 'n grass]

I'm seeing a lot of bruising and white line at the moment which I think is from a combination of lack of feed space and stones on the yard. Bringing bales into the feed yard with a loader tractor is a lot of trips from stone to concrete and we have to run the slurry tanker across the feed yard to. Plans are in place for a clamp next to the feed yard and proper slurry store so that will largely sort this issue by next year I hope.

 

[som farmer]

I'm seeing a lot of bruising and white line at the moment which I think is from a combination of lack of feed space and stones on the yard. Bringing bales into the feed yard with a loader tractor is a lot of trips from stone to concrete and we have to run the slurry tanker across the feed yard to. Plans are in place for a clamp next to the feed yard and proper slurry store so that will largely sort this issue by next year I hope.

that's what we find, the older tracks are fine, until we get to this wet weather, then we see the cows slow up, and pick their way over them, we have laid some astro turf along the one nearest the yard, the difference is obvious, they speed up. The original tracks were laid 30 odd years ago, as dual tractor, cattle tracks, and have been 'topped' up over the years, it would be interesting to know how deep some of it is ! And, next year, we will loosen them up, and grind down the top again ! It's easy to get over keen on the making of the tracks, and all sorts of 'recipes' for laying them, are available. My neighbour, is not at all happy to use his own stone, having been told, 'it's not suitable', chap that did the finish of ours, said it was really good ! So, it's nice to hear what others have done.

 

[jerseycowsman]

This is about the worst of my stone tracks and it's still holding up pretty well really. This has 500 over it each way every day and a couple of loads with the slurry tanker because my dirty water pump has died again. It could do with the field edge scraping back with a digger.

Cows are really starting to slow down now

Yep, our cows don’t wanna go anywhere now, as of about 10 days ago!

 

[som farmer]

What was the ditch at the side for?

I have a lot of sleepers that I managed to get when they were cheaper.

The stone tracks are a foot of recycled concrete on terram topped off with some fine stuff. They're alright but not great. We concreted the first 100m of stone out of the parlour last year and that is brilliant. I'd love to concrete all the stone tracks.

to take surface water, I think we might have got a bit too keen there ! some of the ditch would be useful, but it does look good !! that's why its good to ask what others have actually done !!

 

[jimmer]

200 cows
Minimum width needed please?

 

[som farmer]

probably wider than we went, but that was the width we were told, on the astro turf, they keep 3 or 4 abreast, but they go up several gears, which for us is amazing, they normally stop and look at you, the only time ours will speed up, is to the parlour for cake, or if they have got out ! It's both nice and frustrating to have a quiet herd of cows !