# Clearing limbs from hay field



## Paul Watts (Jun 17, 2007)

I have a hay patch with several large pecan trees in it. While I enjoy the trees, still anyone who has dealt with them know that they continually shed limbs. Before each hay cutting I have to pick up a BUNCH of limbs, what a pain. I have been wondering if a landscape rake might do a good job of raking up the limbs in what is usually 1 to 2 foot tall grass, or if the grass would interfere (clog up the rake)?? 

If anyone has solved this, or a similar problem, I would be grateful to hear about your solution.

Thanks


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## Country Boy (Mar 18, 2010)

I just took a chainsaw and pruned my trees at the ground level. That's about the only way you will eliminate the branch problem. If you want to keep the trees, obviously that won't work. How big are the limbs? If they are 2-3'+ in length, a utility grapple on a skid steer or tractor loader might work for you. I have a utility grapple on my Bobcat and it works very well for raking branches out of grass. I used it to pick up whole trees and cut them up when I was clearing the fence line this past year, and then I would rake the ground with it and pick up all the branches that I cut off. Here's a picture of what I am talking about:











Either that, or get a discbine instead of a regular hay mower and just run them over!


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## Paul Watts (Jun 17, 2007)

Thanks for the suggestions, Country Boy. "Trimming" the trees at ground level; as tempting as that sounds; just isn't an option (the wife has a shotgun, & knows how to use it!) The limbs vary from just a few inches long, to as large as the one shown in your picture. The big ones aren't a problem, because there are so few of them - maybe 1 or 2 a year. The small ones are my problem just because there are so many of them; I usually fill my 16' utility trailer with limbs before each cutting. I actually don't have a problem just baling them up (the small ones), but I sell my hay to horse people & I have had some 'comments' about the 'twigs-to-grass ratio" in some of my bales. I think the comments were all made in jest, but still I would like to be able pickup more of the 'twigs', & I think the only way to do that would be to 'mechanize' the process. I have seen grapples similar to yours, but I have some doubts it would work for me. I do not have a Bobcat, & I think maybe the grapple may be so close to the front of the tractor that I couldn't see the tines well enough to get them under the limbs without digging into the ground (the hood blocks my view). Also the tines are so far apart that the twigs might slip out between them. Your suggestion did get me to thinking, & I believe I might be able to build my own "twig comb", based in no small part on the design of your grapple.

Thanks again for your input!


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## Country Boy (Mar 18, 2010)

If you build one, just put a guide wheel on it so the tines can't tip too far forward and dig into the ground. Google "hay sweep" and see what they looked like. They were used mainly out west to gather cut hay into piles instead of baling it. Would probably work on a smaller scale for your situation.


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## gbuechner (Aug 17, 2011)

My granfather welded 2" pipes about 5' long to a plate that bolted in the front end loader to gather limbs in his orchard after pruning. Adding a wheel on each side would keep it from digging in on uneven ground.


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## stickerpicker (Sep 16, 2003)

Dump Rake maybe.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOKFDbRTlZQ[/ame]


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