Groomer Rakes Sand In Stalls

Groomer Rakes Sand In Stalls LIVESTOCK Miscellaneous 32-1-4 A homemade stall groomer greatly reduces the time it takes to do the weekly job of raking sand in 250 stalls at a 1,100-cow dairy near Elba, New York. "We can do the job in a half hour or less, and it looks like a freshly plowed field after you're done," says Chuck Norton, who owns the dairy with two brothers. "It fluffs the sand, which is much more comfortable for the cows." Norton and employee Matt Geissler built the groomer out of old farm parts and about $200 in new parts, including two quick couplers and hydraulic hoses. "We started with an old tire scraper frame and built everything off of that," Norton says. A hydraulic cylinder from an old Deere skidloader operates the 6 1/2-ft. groomer, which is made out of 4-in. channel with cultivator teeth bolted on every 6 in. A screw jack allows the pitch of the rake to be adjusted. "You just have to make sure the rake clears under the stalls," says Geissler, a high school student, who Norton calls an enterprising, right-hand man. "We are really impressed how it makes the stalls look, and we didn't have to spend a lot of money," Norton says. Stall groomers can cost $3,000 to $4,000 so Geissler, who is a Farm Show subscriber, wanted to share their inexpensive version with FARM SHOW readers. They add fresh sand every other week and groom it once a week to level out the humps and make it more comfortable for cows. Prior to building the groomer, each stall had to be hand-raked. With quick couplers, the groomer detaches easily so the skidloader can be used for other chores. "The groomer is pretty maintenance-free," Norton says, noting that it has become an indispensable implement at the dairy. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Chuck Norton, 6258 Oak Orchard Rd., Elba, N.Y. 14058 (ph 585 757-9399; norton farms32 @ yahoo.com).

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