Storing hay

[Timber]

Dam am I having childhood nightmares. I so hated hay delivery day. We got them by the semi load and conveyor them into the loft but you still had to pack them in. I wish I got paid. I'm itchy just thinking about it

 

[Farwell]

We didn't grow hay but the neighbors did and I was first in line when it came to helping out pitching bales. I loved it. The thought of getting paid to work the hay fields never entered my mind. That was around 45 years ago, back when a neighbor pitched in to help if it was needed.
Farwell

 

[roermo]

in the late 60's I was 12 or so, went to the uncles farm, bucked hay onto the wagon then to the barn, had to dodge the bull, then we got lucky had a barn loft 15 ft up that the bails had to make its way to. But we had a conveyor belt that took it to the loft, we made stairs of the bales to get to the top. We also made a game of how many black snakes or corn snakes we could find. The best part was the great country meals we had which made the 2 cents a bail a bit easier to sallow.

 

[TBigLug]

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.

Man, you were making $10.00/ hour in the '80's stacking hay! That's good money back then. I pay $8 - $10 for my help nowadays.

 

[pitt_md]

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

There is a reason to have/use big round bales or large square bales. you can't lift them by hand so you have to have a tractor.

 

[AKfish]

Don't forget the black ants that seem to migrate to every bale laying in the field!!

Nothin' like throwin' the bale overhead to stack higher on the wagon or in the barn and having a cascade of black ants down your shirt and all over your head...

We got 6 cents a bale - split 3 ways. And we had to pick them up in the field and haul them to the barn and stack them either in the barn or build a stack outside between the buildings.

One stack was next to a pig brooder house and there were probably 30 sows with small pigs... we'd catch a little pig (electric fence) and haul 'em up a couple bale levels and just hold 'em --- whoee; you've never heard such a ruckus with 30 sows roarin' around the side of that stack! (The things that a 13-year old will do...)

Forks and a big wooden pallet. Can haul 20 small squares into the barn.

AKfish

 

[bbowman]

I made $1.50 an hour and glad to get it...thought I was making a fortune!

That was a while back!

 

[Sniggle]

The last few years I have used my horse trailer to haul 50 bails at a time....meaning I had to handle them twice + drive time.

I found a local farmer who will bring a hay cart right to my hay barn full of 150 bales...I just have to unload and stack. The hay is not quite as good as the other hay I was getting but the savings in handling time and drive time more than makes up for it.

I do still need to replenish the horse barns hay storage every couple of weeks, but that is accomplished with 2 quick trips with the loader.