Loose hay

[lman]

Funny how this brings back so many memories. Dad worked at Sears many years ago. Somehow someone he worked with had kin in Vermont who was a farmer. That year his hay crop was about nothing, lack of rain I assume. He was desperate so called Dad (we had a lot that year), so one evening that Fall this old pickup truck comes down driveway, poor guy drove Vermont to Virginia! We felt sorry for him and loaded all he could carry. I remember it was cold and his door window missing, we taped clear plastic over it.

He hauled loose hay in his truck? Seems like it would have blown out unless it was secured some way.

 

[beenthere]

I remember the loose piles in the middle of fields. Don't recall details of progression from those to moving balers. Seems like someone had to ride along beside a baler for a while to tie off the bale, or something, before auto tie off. Think had twine first and then wire.

Yeah, remember also hauling rectangular hay bales. Last guy I hauled hay for was on a farm west of Stonewall, OK. A tornado came through a year or so later and killed the guy and 8 others.

Wire tied bales before twine.
Two guys riding behind, one passing wire through the boards between the bales, the other passing the wire back through to the first to make the "twist", while the board was moved forward by the second guy for the divide between the next bale. Dirty, dusty job !!
Loose hay? Been there, done that too.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

Yep, we did loose hay until dad bought a super 66 baler when I was a teen. He still has that baler and stopped using it about 5 yrs ago.
Our barn has the hay forks on the rail. We used a trip rake to rake into piles in the field, then had a buck rake on the front of an 8n to pick up the piles and create a large pile beside the barn. Then picked it up using the overhead forks.
My grandfathers barn has one also. Some of his pulleys for the rope are wooden.
As a kid my job was to pitch the hay to the side of the barn once it was tripped. Nothing like having a snake fall down on you with the hay.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

The wooden pulley.

 

[buckeyefarmer]

My grandfathers system uses a wooden rail, in addition to the wooden pulleys. The barn is log.

Ours uses a metal rail.

You can see it sticking out in this pic.

 

[Fuddy1952]

He hauled loose hay in his truck? Seems like it would have blown out unless it was secured some way.

He had a tarp and cord. That was one long ride. I assume (and hope) he made it back ok. It was cold here, maybe snow in Vermont.

 

[wolc123]

The lofts in my great great grandfather's 1883 barns were not designed for the increased density and load of baled hay, 14 ft long, 5" square cross beams on 37" centers were supported by a 5" square front beam that was supported by 4" square posts. That front beam is broke, as is one of the cross beams, from a time or two when we stacked a few too many bales up there.

I wont have that trouble if I ever decide to pack bales on the loft in my new pole barn. My 5" square cross beams are

only 12 ft long and I put them on 20" centers. They are also supported by a 9" square front beam, supported by 9" square posts (double 2x10's across the back).

My deck is also stronger. Great great grandad used 3/4" tong and groove pine. I used 1" chestnut, topped with 7/16" OSB.

 

[big bubba]

good ol' days?

 

[MoKelly]

good ol' days?

Ha. I’m thinking that poor guy on top of the hay pile with a pitch fork wouldn’t think back on those days as good! That was work!

MoKelly

 

[Steppenwolfe]

Ha. I’m thinking that poor guy on top of the hay pile with a pitch fork wouldn’t think back on those days as good! That was work!

MoKelly

Sure was... now with AC cabbed tractors and round bails the work is gone.