Farm roadway opens up new land

This week I feature a new farm roadway. The farmer involved is in dairying and when a chance arose this summer to buy a block of land across the road he took it. He has now built an underpass and this roadway through the middle of the new ground. Building work was done by Chris Keane of Tallow, Co Waterford, and fencing by Michael Power Fencing from Dungarvan. Weather and ground conditions were very dry when the road was made – always a big help.

Picture one

At 1,000m, the new road is long. It’s also quite wide at 5m. The farmer is expanding cow numbers and wanted width to allow cows walk four and five abreast. The new underpass is 4m wide. To ensure rainwater flows off, the road is raised very slightly in the middle and slopes down a little to each side.

Picture two

Because this land can be wet, the farmer wanted the road raised over the surrounding field area to ensure it would not be flooded. Therefore, Chris Keane did not strip off the topsoil along the route of the road. Instead, the base material was laid directly on top of the grass. This material was taken from the home yard, where an entrance was widened for the milk lorry and other work was carried out. The material was stony, with large rocks through it. Next, a 2in down material was brought in from Power Aggregates’ quarry in Youghal. “We spread a layer of about 3-4in of this material,” the farmer said. “It filled in the hollows left by the rocky base material and gave us a level surface.” This is the white/yellow sandstone material and we can see it was used to make a straight edge along the side of the road.

Picture three

Finally, the surface was blinded off with a fine grit supplied by Jerry O’Shea of O’Shea Sand & Gravel. The blinding on a road is the material the cows’ feet make contact with, so it has to be suitable. A good material is dusty, with small grit size. The material used here makes a good surface for cows to walk on. “We used the absolute minimum as it’s costly,” the farmer told me. “From past experience I know it’s best if it can be given a chance to settle before cows walk on it. If you could put it out at the start of the winter it would get a chance to harden.”

The end result is that the top of the new road is up to 12in higher than the surface of the surrounding field area. “It’s a bit higher than I actually wanted but we had to go to that height, to cover the bigger stones.” On any but the driest land a farm roadway should be made at least 2in or 3in higher than the surrounding field to reduce the risk of it being flooded. The slope on the surface is slight. A steeper slope leaves blinding more at risk of being washed off by heavy rain – that can then leave sharp rocks exposed. Meanwhile, not stripping off topsoil meant there were no spoils to be removed, eliminating a cost.

Picture four

The roadway was fenced by Michael Power Fencing based at Coolnasmear, Dungarvan. Strainers are 8in to 10in and sunk 3ft into the ground. The wire is 12 gauge high-tensile Tornado. Michael Power used Brise Insul tubing to carry live wire around posts.

Picture five

Intermediate posts are 4in to 5in diameter and buried 2ft. They are spaced 12m apart where the road is straight, 6m to 7m apart where there is a bend. Michael Power told me he spaces up to 15m apart in paddocks.

Picture six

There is just one bend on the road – near the underpass - and the farmer was careful to keep it gradual. “It’s not a 90 degree angle. I learned from hard experience not to do that.” Sharp bends make a bottleneck that causes bunching of cows.

Costs

Jerry O’Shea told me the blinding used here is made from hard shale rock which is first blasted, then crushed and finally screened through a 1in screener. “If possible it should be spread on top of clean stone – that allows good drainage. It should be spread thinly – the best way to do it is with a land leveller – and there should be a small fall to let rain run off. If levelled right, it will last for years.” For this material he charges €9.50/t to €12.50/t plus 23% VAT depending on delivery distance and weight. “Farmers get the VAT back.”

“All of the fencing posts used here are creosoted for long life,” Michael Power told me. “The day of using ordinary preservative on fencing posts has gone. They just don’t last. Creosoted posts of good timber are lasting over 20 years.” He told me he recently relocated posts for a dairy farmer who was adjusting paddock size and the 25-year-old, creosoted posts were sound enough to be lifted and driven again along the new fence line. He priced the job featured here at €1.50/m. “The 2in down material is made of sandstone,” Peter Power of Power Aggregates told me. “It is very kind on cows’ feet, it’s not sharp. It contains plenty of dust and if it’s rolled the fat comes to the top, leaving the surface very smooth. Farmers tell me it reduces their hoof paring bills.” He is based at Carrigtwo hill and has three quarries in East Cork and West Waterford. He will deliver 2in down material at a price of €7/t to €15/t plus VAT, depending on quantity and distance.