Feedlot Base 4

[EVallone]

Am installing a 40' X 60' base for horse feed lot and composting area. Located in SE PA. Base is 3' clay. Suggestions welcome regarding alternatives such as fly ash, hydrated lime applications, or compacted stone...

 

[Ron]

What characteristics do you hope to achieve, such as drainage, load capacity, shear strength against punching loads, stability under load, and others?

 

[EVallone]

Horses will use the area. 1000 lbs on small hooves. 20 of them. Its a rescue/feedlot. Backhoe will access this pad to scrape away waste hay and manure (4 ton backhoe). Can be used carefully to backdrag without digging up the surface (I use it). Impervious surface won't do - hard on horse joints. Drainage is not an issue; site has been graded to eliminate and redirect surface water, and 3' of clay has been leveled as a base. Looking for a surface that will hold up long term to horses, backhoe, and freeze/thaw.

Thanks so much Ron for responding.

 

[MEM1]

Here in SW Kansas we use the onsite soils for feedyard pens unless the area is really sandy. Why not just use the clay? Or, build the pad up with your clay to provide the needed drainage then add 6 inches of compacted cow manure on top. Tell the person that cleans the pens not to remove the cow manure.

 

[Ron]

I agree with MEM1...you already have your base. As long as it isn't sloppy and unstable, go for it. It might need some surface redressing and recompaction from time to time.

 

[francesca]

If you have rescued horses and you're feeding hay on the ground, the horses are going to eat a lot of sand with the hay. If their bodies are stressed, they're not going to do well with sand impaction colic and your vet bills will be high. If drainage isn't a problem, then I would go with wood or rubber chips as a good base for their joints. Pea gravel probably would be gentle enough on their feet, but you can probably buy a lot of wood chips for the cost of pea gravel. Of course, you could also concrete under the haying area.

 

[Ron]

francesca...good insight.

 

[EVallone]

Elevated feeders; wood chips break down and work into the soil to make deeper muck...rubber does the same. Not a real drainage problem but at 40" rain per year this is just a fact of life. Concrete and hard surface ruin horses' joints and hooves.

 

[francesca]

I would go for a small concrete pad under the haying/watering areas and a sand base. I'd also favor haying on the ground in a round bale feeder; that way the concrete pad would only need to be as big as the feeder. The horses will spend minimal time standing on the concrete but won't be eating sand. What kind of shelter do you have?

 

[EVallone]

The hay feeder is not the problem. it can sit on anything. horses in the mud with manure and waste hay - that's the problem. horses hooves mixing hay and manure and rain - that's the problem. hay feeders don't need concrete.
Sand does not hold up at all to backhoe or tractor scraping. on top of that, manure mixes with sand and so does hay and that would make an incredible mess indeed.

thanks anyway.

BTW I came on here hoping for expert advice but I can see livestock is not part of engineering school. So, thanks to all but I think I'll go ask a farmer or two now.

Warm regards,

E

 

[ClaytonL]

Have you resolved this issue? I worked 12 yrs on a ranch in the Inland Northwest and resolved this for a cattle feedlot by adding 4-6 inches of clean 1 1/2-inch drain rock over the native silty sand. This would drain and after a bit of hay was wasted on it was a decent surface for cows and calves, this was for 150 cows so the manure would become a problem in February to March however there was attached pasture to escape to after feeding. In the spring the dozer operator would remove until the rock became visible and stop. I should mention that the existing surface was graded to drain before placement of rock.

 

[oldestguy]

I'd call up or somehow communicate with some University Agricultural-Engineering schools and ask of those who deal with animal husbandry. When I was at Cornell U. I found those engineers very well versed in many engineering situations as strictly related to agriculture. I'd go for those located away from the big cities (such as NYU, Columbia, etc.). Some that I know of with AG departments besides Cornell are Iowa State, Wisconsin (at Madison), Purdue. How's about your own Penn state? You may also go to the cable channel RFD-TV and see some state agriculture departments with programs where contacts can get started.

 

[EVallone]

Hello, all and thanks for your time. We dug down into the clay about 8" and laid a gravel/grit mixed base that sets up tight (here its called shotrock). After a very wet winter, no problems. Backhoe doesn't budge it, and manure/waste hay peels off like an orange peel. All is well.

By the way, the PA Ext. Agent recommended this solution, too.