manure on hay fields

rick165

Member
do you guys put manure on your hay fields during the winter.didnt know if it would be all gone come time to bale hay .
RICK
 

I believe that it is against the law under the clean water act due to probability of run-off in the case of heavy rains. But in reality nobody is going to bother a small operation, while a large operation would be in trouble. When we had animals we always spread fairly early as in late April, and some in the fall. Makes a difference also weather or not the ground is tilled. So unless you get very little rain it will be in the ground by the time you cut.
 
It's best to spread it in the winter, it has time to get into the soil. It will not go away like commercial fertilize, take several years for it to be gone. Use about three tons per acre, that's what is needed here, and within three years your production will pick up and get better as you keep using it. It's a one time per year job not 30/40 days before cutting.
 
If you have to, a pass with a cultipacker in the spring will help break up the chunks, and put things down on the ground a bit better, so not picked up with the haying equipment.
 
Here it is now against the law to apply between November till march when they think the ground will be frozen. The ones that are wanting to keep livestalk have to build manure storage facilities to hold all the winter manure untill time you should be doing the field work. It is because a lake here was having problems and they tried to place the blame on the laundry soap makers but when they found out the soap makers had too deep pockets they backed off and went after the farmer that dosen't have the deep pockets to fight them. EPA doing more dammage than good again. Not farming any more and just 20 mile outside the watershed that so far has been included but the farmers that are planing on keeping livestalk are building those sheds for when it is expanded to here.
 
Spreading in the winter, besides the run off issue, you loose most of the nitrogen from laying out so long before getting in the soil.
 
I'd haul on them all year when I had that V-Max spreader,but the box spreader tends to hurl too many lumps that don't break down all that well.
 
Here in MN, I like to haul it out in late fall, just before the snow comes. It is always way to wet to haul manure on hay fields in the spring. Just rut them up. I always walk my fields with a pitchfork when done and scatter any clumps the spreader left, and by spring the fields are perfectly level and ready to grow with the warm weather.
 
Any time I do manure I try to get it done as early in the winter as I can. That way the weather breaks it up and soaks it in so it can do what it is there for and be ready for spring cutting
 
thanks for your replys,i am just a small operation and been putting it down for a month or so when the ground is fit
RICK
 

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