Want to build a drag to level cow patties. Looking for ideas.

[BayouMan]

I've watched a guy in South Louisiana use a long (15-18') piece of I-beam. He had a chain attached to each end and was using about a 90 hp tractor to pull it. His pastures always look great.

Like someone mentioned earlier, down here the patties end up being fire ant nests.

 

[Egon]

I'm wondering how a Tedder would work on breaking up and spreading cow paties??

 

[JerryG]

My favorite patty drag is truck tires bolted together. The first row will have four tires and the second row with three tires. Lay them flat, then drill holes through the tread portion. The best way to attach it to the tractor is to bolt a pipe across the front row then weld an eye to each end so that a chain can be attached.

 

[BayouMan]

Hey JerryG,

Do you have a picture of that tire set-up? Sounds like a neat idea.

 

[LSUalum]

BayouMan ,
Here is a link from the LSU Ag Center with the details on this type of drag:

LSU AgCenter . Pasture Drag

 

[Renze]

I saw this thread last week, and i wasnt going to tell you about the purpose built pasture drag chain and combs they sell in the Netherlands, because it probably ist available in your country anyways...

Now today i was just thinking of the old truck tire drag, and saw that it was just posted here...

the Dutch tire drags usually have the tires radially cut up through the center of the running thread, so it makes 2 tire halves. With the cut up tires, the thick running surface of the tire hit the ground, which is more agressive than the rounded sidewall of a whole tire.
It gives a lot better levelling and aerating job, but cutting up a tire through the tread is a h3ll of a job with all the steel plies in the carcass. A disk grinder smokes like who knows, and a circular wood saw doesnt quite bite through the steel ply belt.

 

[Champy]

And if you needed the tire-drag to be a little more aggressive, you could load them up with QuickCrete and a little water to add weight inside of some or all the tires. Wouldn't do too much depending the HP of your tractor though........