Grass harrow

kevmyyster

Hi,

I purchased a grass Harrow last year, can anyone advise on the best time ever of year to use it and its main benefits.

I am currently using once during grazing months and once at the closing of fields in late autumn to take away dead grass.

Just looking for assurances I'm not mad!!!

Appreciate any Comments

nhg

It's one of the best buys we made, great improvement in the growth of new grass in old sward (leased land). Unreal the amount of dead grass that gets lifted, one field (boggy enough area) was so bad that we had to remove the dead grass with tractor trailer & loader!

Our reseeds will never have had a roller on them except at seeding stage.

kevmyyster

Great cheers, what time a year do you use it? And how many times would you do a field a year?

nhg wrote: »

It's one of the best buys we made, great improvement in the growth of new grass in old sward (leased land). Unreal the amount of dead grass that gets lifted, one field (boggy enough area) was so bad that we had to remove the dead grass with tractor trailer & loader!

Our reseeds will never have had a roller on them except at seeding stage.

Reggie.

kevmyyster wrote: »

Great cheers, what time a year do you use it? And how many times would you do a field a year?

We always harrow here just after cows are housed and just before they are let back out again

nhg

As this is our first year with the Rakeman 3000 (as recommended by Reggie) we used it everywhere when we bought it back at the beginning of the summer, the worst fields were done at a few different times during the year when cattle would be off it, we really see a big difference to these fields.

On one particular 10acre field (divided into 2 paddocks with pigtails) one side was done about a month before the other & you could really see the difference in the two paddocks, these will be some of the last to be reseeded if ever as we only have them leased, by end of 2015 we would hope to have half of the farm reseeded and will continue to do a bit every year as we can definately see a big improvement in grass quality & growth.

We also bought a sprayer (600L Delta Force as most of our paddocks are 5 acres with four 6 acre ones so that one fill does a paddock).

It is important to use the rakeman in two different directions, up & down the field and then over & back across the field (instructions given to my cousin by an animal nutritionist).

Once everywhere starts to soak off following this weeks deluge we will give the fields which have been closed a run of it to fill in any hoof marks & repair any damage to have the ground ready for fresh growth in spring.

We started to house the heavier cattle last weekend as they finished grazing off paddocks, we still have the weanlings out on last years reseeds as still good cover on them, probably another's week's grazing left on them.

Once we have the Sward in good order twice a year will be plenty to give the fields a run as posted by Reggie above.