Mak'in Hay with John Day

5030 · Aug 15, 2004

Re: Mak\'in Hay with John Day

Kyle:

The Percherons are my wife's, not mine. I'd prefer a few feeder cattle. Anyway, they consume about 120 rounds per year. The squares are for selling. The drafts only get first cut rounds.

Actually, I was on the hay wagon too. I though about taking some pictures from atop the pile, but with the swaying, I was afraid I'd fall off. John was having a good time. I gave him the straw hat in lieu of a cab. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Hay is right through the roof here. Most growers got rained on, on first cut. Some just chopped it, others turned it over and over and over and finally bailed some really brown crap. Second cut went the same way. We lucked out on first. I had a 4 day stretch with no rain and good drying temps. I rounded all the first. Second went well too. I have a feeling I am in the drivers seat so-to-speak as to the hay market here this year. I am not selling any bales until after the first of next year. Sort of like money in the bank, I mean, barn. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

Phred · Aug 15, 2004

Re: Mak\'in Hay with John Day

( turned it over and over and over and finally bailed some really brown crap. )

I resemble that remark.. /forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif

But then again around here the first cutting was crap for everybody. You just could not get more than 2 days of dry weather and then the sky would open and drop another inch or two.

Good work guys. Your series makes it clear why most guys now use round bales!

Fred

Cliff_Johns · Aug 15, 2004

Re: Mak\'in Hay with John Day

So how come the horses aren't out there working up a sweat?

Very nice photo sequence. Thanks for posting it. Haying is fun when it's not your hay or worries. It's hard work, but it feels like such an accomplishment when you're done. You can see the results in the stack and the clean field.

Farming type work in general is that way for many of us who do not farm (or do not farm anymore). It's actually fun for a day, but then you get to go home and your done. No worries.

I suppose if someone around my area had similar work they were doing on a weekend, I'd chip in. (Especially if I drive the tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif ) That kind of work gives you a feeling of accomplishment that working at a desk or a hobby is never going to provide.
Cliff

5030 · Aug 15, 2004

Re: Mak\'in Hay with John Day

Cliff:

That gives me an idea.......How about a TBYNet Get-together doing what else.....Hay

The desk types could get a real feel for some manual labor and we could all take turns running the bailer. Then.....we could put it in the barn. That's FUN. Nothing beats filling a loft. There is no air movement in there and it's about 100 degrees near the roof and the hay gets stacked to the roof. We have a real nice bale loader, at least it gets it up there but it has to be stacked by hand. Lets see, plenty of refreshments, wives sitting around amazed by the super human efforts of the stackers and everyone calls off on Monday because no one can get out of bed!!

Of course, there is quite a bit to do before the bailer comes out. It has to be cut and crimped, then I crimp again with a roller crimper (that allows the hay to dry faster). Then it's raked and then raked again. The raking is the boring part. I tend to turn the am-fm on and sing along with the country music. Remember, mother nature has to cooperate too. She is a FICKLE woman, however. /forums/images/graemlins/shocked.gif

Horses working up a sweat, no way. They are SHOW horses. They show me how much hay they can eat and poop they can make.

5030 · Aug 15, 2004

Re: Mak\'in Hay with John Day

I might add, though I say this with reservation, that kids today want nothing to do with the manual labor involved in haying. That's why we do round bales. Rounding is a one man job, all tractor work. I can do all the haying myself if I have to. Squaring is another story.

Cliff_Johns · Aug 15, 2004

Re: Mak\'in Hay with John Day

Well, I did do this as a kid. I was always the one up under the roof stacking because I couldn't throw the bales up into the mow from the wagon. My brothers did that. My father had them convinced that it was great practice for football.

I know it's hard work -- and uncofrtable and hot and itchy and sweaty, but I also know that for almost any JOB, there will be people who like to do it once in a while because it's NOT their job. I can't explain it, but as an example, I took a stone masonary class. Two weeks of breaking rocks and mixing mortar under the hot sun in increadible humidity and I WAS PAYING THEM! What's with that? Well, to the instructor, stone masonary was work, to me it was somehting completely different. Did the same thing with timberframing. Again, I paid them. I don't have an explaination, some people just work that way and I'm one of them. I plan to take a blacksmithing class one of these years. Likely in the summer. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

And before you ask, no I will not pay you to let me help you bale hay. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

Cliff

AndyM · Aug 15, 2004

Re: Mak\'in Hay with John Day

 That gives me an idea.......How about a TBYNet Get-together doing what else.....Hay 

Daryl,
Actually, Henro and NIXON and I have jokingly talked about an official "TBN work day", where several TBN members all bring their tractors to one member's house and knock out several tractor related projects in one day.
Sort of like a outdoor version of "Extreme Makeover Home Edition".

Gotta run-- I start a new job in the morning! /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

scout180 · Aug 16, 2004

Re: Mak\'in Hay with John Day

I recall in Indiana late '50s-mid '60s we worked either the baler wagon or the mow/elevator for a penny a bale.... The best feeling was fresh hose water washing off the chaff! Straw was like a party compared to alfalfa and timothy....

Cliff_Johns · Aug 16, 2004

Re: Mak\'in Hay with John Day

( Daryl,
Actually, Henro and NIXON and I have jokingly talked about an official "TBN work day", where several TBN members all bring their tractors to one member's house and knock out several tractor related projects in one day.
Sort of like a outdoor version of "Extreme Makeover Home Edition". )

Or perhaps "Tractor demolition derby?"

Cliff

ronjhall · Aug 16, 2004

Re: Mak\'in Hay with John Day

Daryl

I would like to take you up on the offer as long as I can operate a tractor. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif
Did my share of hay bale handling a few years ago. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

If I trailered my B2910 down.
What could it do?
Haul the Igloo water cooler. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif