Drag Harrow Pasture Management and Soil Health Tool

Drag Harrow: Pasture Management and Soil Health Tool
Heifer USA Ranch Manager and Land Steward, Donna Kilpatrick, describes the uses and benefits of a drag harrow for improving soil health, including spreading hay, manure, and more!
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Heifer USA trains farmers, gardeners, and homesteaders in regenerative agriculture, combining sustainable horticulture and market gardening with ethical, regenerative livestock management, implementing proven methods to improve soil health. We offer virtual training through livestreams, workshops, and long-form video tutorials. Subscribe to be notified every time we publish a new video with information to improve your farm, ranch, or organic garden!

[@jean-yvesdurocher8467]

Great advice, very clear instructions. Bring more videos like that.

[@charmainevandiford6622]

I purchased a lot one time that was a field and I made one with a piece of chain link fence and strapped some weight to it and pulled it with a four wheeler. It worked great and I watched a guy use a old bed Spring mattress and it worked fine. I guess anything with some weight would work right. Cool video.

[@charmainevandiford6622]

I made one with a chain link fence and some weights and it worked great behind a four Wheeler. I watch a guy use a bed spring once that worked.

[@d.conraddoctor5465]

Thank you for taking the time to explain provide understanding for How, When and Why….

[@HeiferUSA]

You are welcome! Thank you for watching!

[@StoneyRidgeFarmer]

Great video and great info! Thanks

[@HeiferUSA]

Woot! Thanks for stopping by Stoney Ridge Farmer!! We love your channel and content. Thanks for giving ours a look :)

[@jayaacharya8153]

Thank you! The explanation is very clear. I really learnt something very useful. I have a small farm and I am trying to buy a drag Harrow. Your video was perfect for me to watch first before I buy. Thanks again.

[@leslieleslie5849]

Excellent you answered all my questions

[@NeverTakeNoShortcuts]

Super useful. Thanks

[@lmt12606]

Thank you for mentioning TSC Tractor Supply

[@HeiferUSA]

It's a great resource for farmers!

[@anndrake492]

Excellent video! Thanks. I am a 71 year old female farmer.

[@Lialan226489]

Love this lady!

[@HeiferUSA]

She's got the BEST advice!

[@peterlloyd1434]

Helpful info, thank you from New Zealand😊

[@HeiferUSA]

We're so glad it was helpful!

[@missyandromeda]

Great information! Thank you.

[@HeiferUSA]

Glad it was helpful!

[@clem1914]

Wonderful information. Thank you

[@HeiferUSA]

Glad it was helpful!

[@robertboulet7686]

Very instructive, thank you

[@HeiferUSA]

You're welcome!

[@MrRutabager]

Great, informative video!

[@HeiferUSA]

Thank you for watching!

[@patrickwears229]

Super helpaliacious!!!

[@HeiferUSA]

awesome to hear! thanks.!

[@sherrieblake8674]

Great idea!

[@HeiferUSA]

Glad you think so!

[@robertgommer7244]

I just started working on a farm with 80 mini horses and they didn't have a drag. I found about 30 feet of old (mostly flattened ) fencing, and turned it into a drag. Works great so far !

[@HeiferUSA]

Very clever! We always encourage farmers to reuse old materials for new purposes. That's a great tip!

[@dennissimmons1348]

Hi : would the use of the chain harrow with tines down de thatch my yard? Would it benefit existing grass to regrow/re-establish and to help new fescue seed to germinate better? I have an atv so this would enable an easy drag around

[@kinseybarnard]

I have an area of approximately 3 acres that was once used as a pasture. I have no livestock so for the past 20 yrs I have maintained it as pretty much a lawn, primarily for fire suppression. The past 2 years the grass has worn out in many places and I have gotten an infestation of gophers. As a result the ground has become extremely rough. I nearly jog my guts out mowing it. I am wondering if dragging and/or harrowing would help? Well, I'm sure it would help but I'm wondering how much. Obviously, I am late to the gate on this but I'm hoping I can still do some good without messing things up to much. Would you have any suggestions? 👩‍🌾

[@Billy-jf6rb]

Thank you, Heifer USA for all your awesome videos! Yins (yins=yall but from a northeastern vernacular) have inspired and educated us! I'm cleaning up a tree line (honey suckle, multi rose etc.) and I think using a chain harrow like this would be a good way to loosen some of the soil and mix in the left behind litter before I seed it. do yins think thats a good idea?

[@HeiferUSA]

Might be worth trying! Just don't spread more of the stuff you are trying to get rid of!

[@marriedaprince1]

Thanks for your videos, question: if you don't harrow when grass is lush, what do you do with manure? I know you do cattle, and I'm more researching for possible horse pasture management//rotation in future....I know leaving horse poop can increase parasite ingestion..and I wouldnt be rotating the horses everyday....so what to do with poop during lush season? If any horse people see this too I'd love advice thanks! 🐎 🌱

[@blanchemontesi1830]

I would love to use this this spring, but I am probably 2-4 weeks away from grazing the pasture. The clover has germinated. Is it too late to use a drag harrow, tines up to spread manure?

[@theblacksheep5038]

What size is the harrow that you demonstrated in the video?

[@mirandapaton9664]

Thank you! Does the weight of the bar at the front of the drag matter? It seems to me that the ones made of pipe-- round and heavy-- would be best. Amirite?

[@HeiferUSA]

Great question! That depends on the task you're hoping to complete with your drag harrow. Lightly scratching the surface doesn't require much weight or pressure, but certain tasks may be best accomplished with a heavier harrow structure.

[@illbooyahveiws4823]

Hi Heifer USA, down here in Australia we are 10 days away from Spring. Do you think it would be OK to harrow the paddocks this early ?

[@HeiferUSA]

For sure! Harrowing should spread out animal waste and promote healthy growth throughout the spring. Hope you have an awesome spring!

[@OneBrightLightTN]

What size harrow are you using in this video?

[@davmatheophilus159]

Two springs ago we bought an eight acre plot that had been row cropped forever, and we'd like to use to rotate graze a few small ruminants, but it's all weeds right now. , the first spring noting but buttercups came up, but now there are all sorts of broad leafs, LOTS of oxalis, nutsedge buttercups, very little fescue, just stuff not even goats would eat. We don't want to use phosphate or 2-4-D (again, because it did not work the first time, which was what the local extension highly recommended). A month ago we had it limed, and all the recommended nutrients. I wonder if we should we flail mow and shallow cultivate a couple times this fall, winter to control these weeds and drill into the 'cover' with native grasses, or what? Do you to consultations? 😁

[@KaleidoscopeJunkie]

Do you have any weight limitations to recommend? Have you found a minimum or maximum to be beneficial or damaging? Thanx -KJ

[@HeiferUSA]

Hi KJ, if you are referring to weight limitations of the device you use to pull the harrow, it really depends on soil structure, recent rainfall, and forage quality. We recommend the lighter the machine used the better. Just don't leave ruts in the soil if you can help it!

[@2001Artfull]

I don't have cattle but geese graze about 2 acres. Also, the sod looks like it would benefit from being torn up a little. Any suggestions?

[@HeiferUSA]

Hi Greg! It is hard to say without knowing more about your operation. But using a Drag Harrow under the right circumstances can be really beneficial. Feel free to shoot us an email at [e-mail] if you want to explain your situation a bit more, and perhaps we can give some better guidance.

[@bryce099]

Would this help my situation. I have a field that I've been filling in and re grading it. But I'm still having high and low spots creating puddles.

[@HeiferUSA]

I certainly don't think it could hurt! how effective the procedure will be depends on a lot of factors, but it is certainly worth trying!

[@mlindsay527]

Can you show a harrowed vs non harrowed area (same field) side by side at a later date?

[@HeiferUSA]

Hi, Mlindsay! We'll look into it!

[@odiswhite8429]

Will running a drag harrow, or even a disc harrow, over Coastal Bermuda to prepare to overseed with rye grass in South Texas help or harm the Bermuda for the next growing season? I would understand that you being in a colder environment with more rain may not have experience with my situation. Any help or input would be appreciated.

[@HeiferUSA]

Hi Odis, that's a tough call to make without knowing all the factors, but a disc harrow might actually do less damage to perennial Bermuda grass than a drag harrow with the tines down. Might not want to disc it too heavy, just enough to scratch the surface for seed/soil contact.

[@KKIcons]

I would love an update. This is the type of thing I have to plan in SE Tx. I want to improve my soil and not have a monoculture. Gosh I wish buttercups were a cash crop lol

[@gordonhildreth4969]

You made a comment about spreading seed while pulling the harrow? Was that correct? Is this for a cover crop? If so, what kind of spreader attachment are you using? Or would you have to use a disk harrow before seeding? Thank you!

[@HeiferUSA]

Hi Gordon, The video mentions using the harrow to scratch the surface with the tine side facing down. If you want to broadcast seeds after using the harrow this way it can be a good time for it. usually just for grass seeds. We use a no-till drill for covercrop planting.

[@KKIcons]

I will look for and look forward to that video.

[@featherspreaderinc3146]

Could you harrow in fall and seed just before winter??

[@HeiferUSA]

Hey Feather Spreader Inc! Depending on what type of cover crop, yes. We have harrowed before in the fall and did not see a substantial difference in germination or plant growth, but every pasture is different. We've found the best practice to be graze hard, plant, wait 4 days, and then clip short. Harrowing causes too much soil exposure in our experience for the goals we are trying to achieve. Thanks for the great question!

[@hanisaad]

So when harrowing to break-up the manure, do you do it with the tines facing up or down?

[@HeiferUSA]

Tines up

[@hanisaad]

@@HeiferUSA thank you for your response. i have heard from some people that say they do it with the tines down, so i was curious on your thoughts

[@mirandapaton9664]

@@HeiferUSA So tines up actually spreads the manure better? Here, I'm thinking of horse manure rather that cow manure. Thanks!

[@timooten5333]

Will a drag harrow work to collect debris near the surface (e.g., sticks, rocks, etc.)?

[@HeiferUSA]

worth a try!

[@jimmywilson1388]

Well you answered my question about what a drag harrow is… What do you think I should ask for a couple of them that are around 100 years old? They’re still functional believe it or not…😂

[@frankwright8721]

How do you get your tines untangled when you can't lift your harrow by yourself?

[@HeiferUSA]

Hi, Frank. if we need to lift the harrow we usually do so with the forks on the tractor.

[@gmoac]

nature can do this for free, ..dung bettles, worms, others insects, fungi...etc...

[@HeiferUSA]

over a much longer period of time