Next quetion: Haukaas leveling shovels

[Faster horses]

Folks around here are talking about these to make hay fields smoother.
Our fields are old and they are really ROUGH.

Has anyone reading this used these or know of someone who has used them? If so, what do you have to say about how they work:


http://www.haukaas.com/leveling-shovels/

 

[Hayguy]

BMR set up a cultivator this last spring with them,haven't heard or seen the verdict yet.....

 

[Faster horses]

Come to think of it, he mentioned that on another thread. Hopefully he'll show up here and will tell us more about it.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Yes i used them last spring. They do a great job on leveling out mole hills gopher and badger mounds. They don't really fill in the holes but smooth them out nice, I ran mine pretty close to the ground. they say 1/2 inch above ground. My fields were pretty rough and some mounds were grassed over. I think it's is worthwhile just to get rid the mounds as i am sure the fields are smoother riding.
They aren't cheap at about $82 each but the wear plates are reversible and the replacement wear plates are hardened steel.

I put mine on a 29 ft Morris cultivator but they fit all kinds. they even have i think 42 and 50 degree ones to fit different shanks.

 

[Mike]

We have to deep plow and level several hayground plots here every 5-6 years due to compaction.

It's even worse with cows on it. Depending on soil type.

 

[Faster horses]

We have to deep plow and level several hayground plots here every 5-6 years due to compaction.

It's even worse with cows on it. Depending on soil type.

What kind of plow do you use, Mike? We bought a moldboard plow and everyone stood back quite a ways away from us.

They don't turn fields under here. Our soil is pretty much gumbo in some places. Some places it's blow sand. :shock:

We have been told the glaciers didn't come through here and that's why a soil map will drive you nuts.

Up on the hiline in Montana, the glaciers stirred that ground up really well, hence they have good soil and can grow most anything.

We have 80 acres we are trying to seed back to alfalfa. Last year we did all the right things, even had the field rolled. We planted hay barley. It came up and then nothing. So we just left it. This spring we had a lot of trashy stuff there, some good, some not so good; so we had the neighbor disc it all under to make some humus. He will do that one more time before winter.
Hopefully we will get something planted next spring. Not sure what. Would be nice to go in and plant alfalfa. Nurse crops here aren't the best thing as
they tend to choke out the alfalfa. This field has been un-productive for 2 years now and that is what needs to happen before planting alfalfa.

If I sound like I know what I'm talking about.......I don't. :shock: Just
listened to conversations.......hard to be a farmer when you just.......aren't.

 

[Faster horses]

Yes i used them last spring. They do a great job on leveling out mole hills gopher and badger mounds. They don't really fill in the holes but smooth them out nice, I ran mine pretty close to the ground. they say 1/2 inch above ground. My fields were pretty rough and some mounds were grassed over. I think it's is worthwhile just to get rid the mounds as i am sure the fields are smoother riding.
They aren't cheap at about $82 each but the wear plates are reversible and the replacement wear plates are hardened steel.

I put mine on a 29 ft Morris cultivator but they fit all kinds. they even have i think 42 and 50 degree ones to fit different shanks.

Good to know, BMR. Thanks. We have a 14' :shock: something-or-other that Mr. FH would put them on so it wouldn't take too many.

 

[littlejoe]

We have to deep plow and level several hayground plots here every 5-6 years due to compaction.

It's even worse with cows on it. Depending on soil type.

What kind of plow do you use, Mike? We bought a moldboard plow and everyone stood back quite a ways away from us.

They don't turn fields under here. Our soil is pretty much gumbo in some places. Some places it's blow sand. :shock:

We have been told the glaciers didn't come through here and that's why a soil map will drive you nuts.

Up on the hiline in Montana, the glaciers stirred that ground up really well, hence they have good soil and can grow most anything.

We have 80 acres we are trying to seed back to alfalfa. Last year we did all the right things, even had the field rolled. We planted hay barley. It came up and then nothing. So we just left it. This spring we had a lot of trashy stuff there, some good, some not so good; so we had the neighbor disc it all under to make some humus. He will do that one more time before winter.
Hopefully we will get something planted next spring. Not sure what. Would be nice to go in and plant alfalfa. Nurse crops here aren't the best thing as
they tend to choke out the alfalfa. This field has been un-productive for 2 years now and that is what needs to happen before planting alfalfa.

If I sound like I know what I'm talking about.......I don't. :shock: Just
listened to conversations.......hard to be a farmer when you just.......aren't.

I was done farming a patch this spring, was gonna park 4 wd and 24' duckfoot and come back with smaller tractor and get 26' pasture harrow and drag hayfields. Thought whatthehell, hooked pasture harrow to duckfoot, set shovels so they kinda skated on top, geared up, throttled back---maybe 10mph so so, it kinda flowed---seemed to work fine.

FH---with the moisture you got, maybe look at planting willow creek winter wheat---beardless forage wheat---everybody seems very impressed with it---

 

[Faster horses]

We have to deep plow and level several hayground plots here every 5-6 years due to compaction.

It's even worse with cows on it. Depending on soil type.

What kind of plow do you use, Mike? We bought a moldboard plow and everyone stood back quite a ways away from us.

They don't turn fields under here. Our soil is pretty much gumbo in some places. Some places it's blow sand. :shock:

We have been told the glaciers didn't come through here and that's why a soil map will drive you nuts.

Up on the hiline in Montana, the glaciers stirred that ground up really well, hence they have good soil and can grow most anything.

We have 80 acres we are trying to seed back to alfalfa. Last year we did all the right things, even had the field rolled. We planted hay barley. It came up and then nothing. So we just left it. This spring we had a lot of trashy stuff there, some good, some not so good; so we had the neighbor disc it all under to make some humus. He will do that one more time before winter.
Hopefully we will get something planted next spring. Not sure what. Would be nice to go in and plant alfalfa. Nurse crops here aren't the best thing as
they tend to choke out the alfalfa. This field has been un-productive for 2 years now and that is what needs to happen before planting alfalfa.

If I sound like I know what I'm talking about.......I don't. :shock: Just
listened to conversations.......hard to be a farmer when you just.......aren't.

I was done farming a patch this spring, was gonna park 4 wd and 24' duckfoot and come back with smaller tractor and get 26' pasture harrow and drag hayfields. Thought whatthehell, hooked pasture harrow to duckfoot, set shovels so they kinda skated on top, geared up, throttled back---maybe 10mph so so, it kinda flowed---seemed to work fine.

FH---with the moisture you got, maybe look at planting willow creek winter wheat---beardless forage wheat---everybody seems very impressed with it---

A friend of ours was thinking of planting winter wheat for hay but he didn't know what kind. Your post here was very timely. I will pass this along. Might be a plan!!!!

So then when would you plant alfalfa?

 

[Faster horses]

So now HIS thinking is taking a detour. ........how about railroad irons. BMR, do you think that would level the mole hills, etc? He thought it would be worth a try and a neighbor has a couple of RR irons...

 

[Mike]

I use a heavy tandem disc in sandy loam or moldboard plow when in heavy soil.

 

[littlejoe]

What kind of plow do you use, Mike? We bought a moldboard plow and everyone stood back quite a ways away from us.

They don't turn fields under here. Our soil is pretty much gumbo in some places. Some places it's blow sand. :shock:

We have been told the glaciers didn't come through here and that's why a soil map will drive you nuts.

Up on the hiline in Montana, the glaciers stirred that ground up really well, hence they have good soil and can grow most anything.

We have 80 acres we are trying to seed back to alfalfa. Last year we did all the right things, even had the field rolled. We planted hay barley. It came up and then nothing. So we just left it. This spring we had a lot of trashy stuff there, some good, some not so good; so we had the neighbor disc it all under to make some humus. He will do that one more time before winter.
Hopefully we will get something planted next spring. Not sure what. Would be nice to go in and plant alfalfa. Nurse crops here aren't the best thing as
they tend to choke out the alfalfa. This field has been un-productive for 2 years now and that is what needs to happen before planting alfalfa.

If I sound like I know what I'm talking about.......I don't. :shock: Just
listened to conversations.......hard to be a farmer when you just.......aren't.

I was done farming a patch this spring, was gonna park 4 wd and 24' duckfoot and come back with smaller tractor and get 26' pasture harrow and drag hayfields. Thought whatthehell, hooked pasture harrow to duckfoot, set shovels so they kinda skated on top, geared up, throttled back---maybe 10mph so so, it kinda flowed---seemed to work fine.

FH---with the moisture you got, maybe look at planting willow creek winter wheat---beardless forage wheat---everybody seems very impressed with it---

A friend of ours was thinking of planting winter wheat for hay but he didn't know what kind. Your post here was very timely. I will pass this along. Might be a plan!!!!

So then when would you plant alfalfa?

Hell---don't do what I do, it'll all die! Anyhow---I know some guys who grow alf to feed and also for seed and do a pretty good job. They try to get all their work done before the year that they plant alfalfa---by that I mean any leveling, weed control (altho you're never done with that) etc, What they really like to do is seed into clean grain stubble---it kinda protects like a nurse crop w/o competing, you ain't working out any moisture, the seed bed is firm, etc.

Alfalfa has to have 3 sets of sets of leaves----not explaining it good, but if you look at baby plants, you'll savvy---to survive winter. You can plant it in august, and if it comes up fairly quick it'll get to this point---and annual weeds won't even sprout, they kinda know they aint' got enuf time to set seed----

The seed growers I know, some of them clean, test, bag and tag their own seed over the winter. The seed co's I know buy it from them---with the work already done---and mark it up 100%. Winnett, Mt area--and ya they sell direct---don't know what kinda yr they had this yr for alf sd---but I can ask, if anybody interested. Came by there the other day, then on thru Judith basin-----round bales everywhere, country looks great---

 

[Faster horses]

I was done farming a patch this spring, was gonna park 4 wd and 24' duckfoot and come back with smaller tractor and get 26' pasture harrow and drag hayfields. Thought whatthehell, hooked pasture harrow to duckfoot, set shovels so they kinda skated on top, geared up, throttled back---maybe 10mph so so, it kinda flowed---seemed to work fine.

FH---with the moisture you got, maybe look at planting willow creek winter wheat---beardless forage wheat---everybody seems very impressed with it---

A friend of ours was thinking of planting winter wheat for hay but he didn't know what kind. Your post here was very timely. I will pass this along. Might be a plan!!!!

So then when would you plant alfalfa?

Hell---don't do what I do, it'll all die! Anyhow---I know some guys who grow alf to feed and also for seed and do a pretty good job. They try to get all their work done before the year that they plant alfalfa---by that I mean any leveling, weed control (altho you're never done with that) etc, What they really like to do is seed into clean grain stubble---it kinda protects like a nurse crop w/o competing, you ain't working out any moisture, the seed bed is firm, etc.

Alfalfa has to have 3 sets of sets of leaves----not explaining it good, but if you look at baby plants, you'll savvy---to survive winter. You can plant it in august, and if it comes up fairly quick it'll get to this point---and annual weeds won't even sprout, they kinda know they aint' got enuf time to set seed----

The seed growers I know, some of them clean, test, bag and tag their own seed over the winter. The seed co's I know buy it from them---with the work already done---and mark it up 100%. Winnett, Mt area--and ya they sell direct---don't know what kinda yr they had this yr for alf sd---but I can ask, if anybody interested. Came by there the other day, then on thru Judith basin-----round bales everywhere, country looks great---

When we were in Wyoming, we leased an irrigated place. We grew good alfalfa there. Since then, we have tried more times than we have succeeded! We do have a couple of new fields of alfalfa and they were planted in the stubble, just as you mentioned. We planted the alfalfa with a rangeland drill. We have a neighbor that broadcast his alfalfa seed and you should see the stand he got! I should go take a picture of it. We were able to cut some second cutting here this year for the first time in 20 years! And now the alfalfa has grown back so much that it looks like irrigated alfalfa!
Of course, we won't cut a third cutting off of it. Mr. FH wasn't sure about harvesting the second cutting. It was early enough in the year, that knowing about those 3 leaves having time to grow back, he did cut it. And the three leaves grew back and then some!!! It looks so nice!!

The problem with this year is........it will be hard from now on knowing what it can be like around here.........when it rains!!!

We are very thankful. We had another Thunderstorm warning tonight again.
The clouds looked terrible. Then the thunder and lightening started. It was over with in 1/2 hour and we didn't get any hail from it. We wound up with
a quarter inch of rain. We just got 1/2 inch on Saturday. We aren't complaining, mind you..........we :heart: it!!

The strangest thing is going on here, too. The hay that hasn't been cut, is still growing. It's thicker and greener than it was earlier. Crazy!!

We lease some ground right next to us and a lot of alfalfa grew back in that field. We are going to let it go and see if alfalfa seed will set on it. Maybe we'll have some seed to harvest and for our own use!