They Shingle Their Cow Paths

They Shingle Their Cow Paths LIVESTOCK Miscellaneous 30-2-35 Intensive grazers have tried just about everything as a surface for cow paths or lanes coming in from the pasture. The challenge is finding a material the cows won't slip on and water will drain from. Scott Ertl has compared chipped tires and chipped shingles on his farm lanes. He likes shingles the best. "Chipped tires require more maintenance because you have to regrade the lane once or twice a year," says Ertl, a Wood County, Wis., dairyman. "Shingle lanes hold up better because they stay put." Ertl gets his chipped shingles from a local source, Resource Recovery, Stratford, Wis. While most of the shingles were asphalt, some were cedar shakes. Regardless, nails and flashing were removed in the chipping process. Chip size ranges from granules to 1-in. square. Ertl placed 8-ft. wide spreads of tire chips on some lanes and shingle chips on others. He found that he needed a 3 to 4-in. layer in most areas with 6 to 8 in. of material needed in wet areas. Originally Ertl laid geo-fabric beneath the chipped tires, something he doesn't plan to do again. He found the cattle simply punched through it after working the tire chips off. Ertl notes that the chipped shingles do break down over time and may require resurfacing, while the tires won't. "I figure it is a wash on cost," he says. "The shingles are cheaper in the beginning and require less maintenance." Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Scott Ertl, 7775 U.S. Highway 10, Marshfield, Wis. 54449 (ph 715 387-1687; ertlacresgmx @tznet.com).

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