Storing hay

[Coville]

A local farmer gives me a better bale price if I take it off the wagon in the field. I stored 380 bales this year for my wife and daughter's 2 horses. With a friend's trailer I can bring in 50 bales at a time Not a full load. My barn is 24' by 36' w/ 4 stalls. I use one of the 12x12 stalls for hay storage and got about 300 bales in there before putting the last 80 bales in my 10x20 tent. The barn is just over 2 years old and I still need to work on the drainage in front (among all the other pending jobs including finishing the barn). Our summer in NY has been so wet the one time I tried to get the trailer to the barn I sunk it in the mud/clay pit in the front. Found working by myself it was best to put up to ten bales at a time in the loader to move them from the trailer to the barn. Not a full bucket load. After the pile started to grow I got smart and realized that instead of taking of a bale and climbing the pile it was much easier to climb the pile then pull off the bales 10 feet in the air. The pile is about 15 ft at it's highest point! Having a tractor to carry and lift sure was a BIG help!

 

[DOUBLEG]

I am also learning in my old age. Right now I am working at building a set of bucket pallet forks for my tractor. That way I can use them for lifting bales into the hay shelter. We stack them about 10' high.

We pick up the bales right from the field which isn't too bad with a carhauler trailer. But getting them stacked is a pain and I mean pain. I am still recovering from my back going out.

Think about building or buying a set of forks.

Good luck.

 

[Spark_man]

I hire 2 teenagers and pay them $10/hour. Loading and stacking 300 bales of hay doesn't take more than about 2 hours. $40 is a lot cheaper than a day laying on the floor with a sore back!

 

[Egon]

The only good hay/straw bale is one that does not have to handled by hand!

 

[Coville]

Forgot to mention the 50 bales I got that were reject by my wife AFTER they were in the hay stale. It did give me some good loader practice. I loaded up 10 bales at a time, then had to dump them over the electric fence. Good practice keeping the bucket level as it goes up 8 feet in the air. Didn't want a bale in my lap or damaging the fence. Farmer didn't charge me and didn't want them back. Wasn't worth his time and effort to sell as mulch. Anybody want some mulch hay?

 

[Egon]

Ues it for bedding.

 

[bloody_peasant]

The only good hay/straw bale is one that does not have to handled by hand!

Ugh, no doubt, that was one job I hated as a teenager, picking up bales and throwing them up in the barn for less than $3 / hour yuck and I've got pretty bad hay fever too double yuck

Dirty, sweaty, covered in hay dust, and snot, no fun.

 

[junkman104]

I used to get 50 cents and hour to throw bales, mmmmm that was a long time ago.

 

[Thurd Ferguson]

I was paid 5 cents a bale back in the 80's. Hayfever too, just like bloody peasant covered in sweat and snot.


Not anymore, though.

 

[Spark_man]

Builds character - that's what my dad told me and that's what I tell my kids. In other words, that's my story and I'm sticking to it!

$3.00 per hour - now your just dating yourself