Loose hay

[wolc123]

Who remembers bringing it in loose ? We brought it in that way, until my grandad bought a square baler, when I reached my teens. We used an old sheet metal loader, that attached to a wagon. Grandpa would be on the tractor and my dad and uncle would be leveling it out on the wagon.

I fondly remember those days. It was so nice to not have to deal with twine or wire, and to just go up in the loft and pitch down what you needed at chore time. The nightmares began for me with that baler. Handling those heavy bales up in the hot hayloft was tough on this skinny kid.

Grandpa loaded the elevator, down in the cool breeze, while I roasted up in the loft, stacking them bales. How I missed the loose-hay days.

The old barns that my great great grandad built, shortly after the Civil war, fell into disrepair, and I am currently in the process of taking them down. I hope this old hay fork and trolley dont get busted up too bad when I pull down the frame of the last one that is still standing. I would like to hang it up in my new pole barn, as a reminder of the good old days of loose hay

 

[stuckmotor]

My grandfather had two barns with trolleys. He was having the hay baled by my day and I only saw him use the trolley once for a small load, when there was no baler around. The pick-up had double spears instead of a grapple.

 

[wolc123]

I still remember the clouds of dust when that fork dumped a load up in the loft. I also remember one time when something broke on the trip mechanism, and my grandfather got up on an extension ladder to fix it.

My dad wanted to do it, but I remember grandpa telling him, "I'll do it because you got young kids at home to take care of". I am a little scared of heights myself, which is why I am not going to make any attempt to recover that fork and trolley until the barn frame is smashed down on the ground.

The other barn that I took down had a rail all the way across the top, and this one only goes about half way. I removed all the siding from that timber frame structure, and cut out most of the diagonally braces. I noted a slight lean to the frame after that. The next day, it fell down on it's own, with the weight of 4 layers of ashfault roofing on top of cedar shakes pounding it flat as a pancake.

I have the current one cabled to a tree out back, to keep it from falling before I finish removing the siding. It already has a good lean in the opposite direction and would certainly go over on it's own otherwise, before I finished stripping the siding.

 

[Hay Dude]

The barn in which I store hay had the system. It was built after the Civil war. The railroad passed by one day, shot up a lot of sparks from the steam engine and burned the barn down. The railroad took ownership and rebuilt the barn. That was over 100 years ago. The barn still stands, but the loose hay forks and system are mostly dismantled. I still have the forks and trolley. Never put up loose hay, just bales.

 

[Captain Dirty]

My grandfather would mow the hay in his orchard using a scythe, My father and I would rake it, ted it; and trailer it home to put in the loft of the sheep shed. I was the little guy whose job it was to compact the loose hay in the eaves. I was (am) allergic to grasses and would come out coughing and covered with hives. No pleasant memory there.

 

[5030]

Amish still do it that way.... Gentiles don't.

 

[Citydude]

I still remember the clouds of dust when that fork dumped a load up in the loft. I also remember one time when something broke on the trip mechanism, and my grandfather got up on an extension ladder to fix it.

My dad wanted to do it, but I remember grandpa telling him, "I'll do it because you got young kids at home to take care of". I am a little scared of heights myself, which is why I am not going to make any attempt to recover that fork and trolley until the barn frame is smashed down on the ground.

The other barn that I took down had a rail all the way across the top, and this one only goes about half way. I removed all the siding from that timber frame structure, and cut out most of the diagonally braces. I noted a slight lean to the frame after that. The next day, it fell down on it's own, with the weight of 4 layers of ashfault roofing on top of cedar shakes pounding it flat as a pancake.

I have the current one cabled to a tree out back, to keep it from falling before I finish removing the siding. It already has a good lean in the opposite direction and would certainly go over on it's own otherwise, before I finished stripping the siding.

The hand hewn mortis and tenon barns are a thing of beauty. Thanks for posting.

I've done some small projects using the mortise and tenon method along with hand hewing a few logs.

Those guys back in the day were real craftsman. No powered tools or winches.

 

[wolc123]

The hand hewn mortis and tenon barns are a thing of beauty. Thanks for posting.

I've done some small projects using the mortise and tenon method along with hand hewing a few logs.

Those guys back in the day were real craftsman. No powered tools or winches.

I repurposed many of the hand hewn posts and beams from my great great grandad old barns, to frame a loft, woodshop, and metal shop inside my new pole barn. I roofed and sided those with his old, weathered American chestnut barn siding and granary wood.

 

[Hay Dude]

Amish still do it that way.... Gentiles don't.

Not around here they dont. The Amish in Chester & Lancaster Counties make round and small square with engine powered balers pulled behind Percherons

 

[Fuddy1952]

Growing up 15m from here Dad (rip) and I got up hay loose for his horses. He & I built the small stable (still standing, I don't know how) he bought sawmill lumber and I don't remember using a level.
One bay he put down pallets. He would use hay rake into wind rows then I'd walk along behind trailer pitchforking it in, pulled by Farmall tractor. Pull alongside I'd pitch into that stall tight as possible, barely shut the door.
I'll see Mom (94) shortly for mother's day.
I'd pay $1,000 to relive one day with Dad.