In agriculture, the poly tarp has many important uses. You
can use it on the farm or the ranch, for example. Farmers
can use the modern poly tarp to protect crops and
equipment, shelter livestock, or temporarily repair a roof.
They can also be used during any time of the year under any
weather conditions. You can use them in any region or in
any climate condition. They are perfect for humidity, rain,
snow or even sun. Poly tarps are so versatile that they
have become an indispensable tool for farmers and ranchers.
However, there are special considerations you must take
into account during more extreme weather conditions; still,
poly tarp benefits far outnumber any disadvantages coming
from the extra maintenance required to keep poly tarps in
usable condition.
Animal Protection
Using a 100 x 100-inch heavy-duty poly tarp, you can
provide shelter for your livestock and protect them from
the elements. You can give them shade and give your animals
a place to get out of the hot sun or the driving rain. For
example, you can fasten the end of the tarp between two
trees, and form an open shelter or lean to for the animals.
If it's raining, construct the shelter on ground that's
elevated, so that the water will roll off and won't stand
in the shelter itself. You can also do this with a tarp
that is 60 x 100 inches and is made of heavy-duty poly as
well.
When you make a shelter for your animals, place the tarp
high enough so that the horns of the animals, such as those
from the bulls, do not brush against or possibly poke the
tarp. You should also not hang the tarp too high, because
this could cause rain to blow under the tarp and defeat its
protection to the animals.
You can also fashion a shelter for your animals by using
PVC pipe and creating a frame that you can then drape the
tarp over. You can secure the edges at the bottom of the
frame. This will let sides be created, which will give your
animals more shelter. Particularly when you deal with cows
or sheep, though, you should probably leave two sides open
and close two sides in. If you leave just one entrance or
exit point, this can cause your animals to panic so that
they might tear down the shelter and even hurt themselves.
Regardless, this would cause them not to have any
protection from the weather.
Protecting Equipment
Tarps come in a wide variety of sizes, so you can use them
to cover just about any type of equipment and machinery you
own on your ranch or farm. You can cover your tractor or
larger equipment such as threshing machines with them when
these pieces of equipment are not in use. This is
particularly of use if the region you live in is more
humid, such as the Northwest United States or the Northeast
and far Southern United States. In these particular
climates, dampness and humidity can cause vehicles and
equipment to rust. If you cover your vehicles with a tarp,
you'll offer them some protection from this oxidization,
which will extend the life of your equipment.
Protecting Crops
You can use lighter weight poly tarps to cover your crops
and protect them from an early frost or freeze. However,
you have to take care that moisture and water do not become
trapped beneath the tarp. If this happens, you'll
essentially be drowning your plants. In addition, be aware
that tarps can protect crops from being burned by the
intense sun, but it can also deprive them of the very light
they need that's vital to their survival.
You can also use tarps to line irrigation trenches and help
drive the water to specific areas. You can also use them to
cover haystacks and hay bales out in the field so that they
are protected from mold. The mold can be harmful to
livestock.
Protecting Outbuildings
Barns and other outbuildings can gain protection from
heavy-duty poly tarps. With a heavy-duty poly tarp, you can
repair a roof or block off an area in which you are going
to hose down livestock. Tarps are waterproof, so they
provide an efficient barrier against moisture between your
hose down area and your stalls, for example. Lighter and
less expensive blue poly tarps are often used to repair the
roofs of buildings (for example, the Army Corps of
Engineers uses them for disaster victims after tornadoes or
hurricanes and other disasters), but many farmers and other
property owners prefer heavy-duty poly tarps, which provide
added protection.
Heavy-Duty Poly Tarp Benefits
If you've been through a disaster stricken area, no doubt
you've seen the blue tarps utilized in homes where damage
has occurred. These are very effective even over the rather
long term. However, ranches and farmers usually prefer
heavy-duty tarps, because they are sturdier. They last
longer and can better stand up to adverse weather
conditions than can the less expensive but lighter weight
blue poly covers. In addition, heavy-duty tarps have UV
inhibitor protection added to them, which prolongs the
tarp's life during the very hot summer days. They can even
protect against reflected sun from the snow, which can be
equally damaging.
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Author Bob Page has worked in the poly tarps industry for
well over 25 years and has built up a wealth of knowledge
of the tarpaulin industry.
Bob can be contacted at Tarps-ToGo tel: 239 919 2923 email
bob@tarps-togo.com or the web site at
http://www.tarps-togo.com
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