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Hay is down!
- Thread starter BigAl
- Start date
It is around here too.
I took a nice country drive to see my doctor earlier, out of town.
Hay bales as far as the eye could see.
I took a nice country drive to see my doctor earlier, out of town.
Hay bales as far as the eye could see.
JimVT
Bronze Member
Can you get a second cutting?
It's raining here Al. Looks like you may get some rain too:
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USID0279
http://www.weather.com/weather/tenday/USID0279
fogtender
Now a Published Author
Sounds like a fun thing to be doing!
Hope the Weather stays good for you to get the work done!
thcri
Gone But Not Forgotten
Why so long??? Gee around here we cut one day and the next morning we rake it and by afternoon we are baling it. A week you take a great chance of losing it here.
BigAl
Gone But Not Forgotten
This is High Mountain Reeds Canary Grass . Very green and about 4 -5 feet tall . It needs to dry really good before baleing or you will lose a lot to mold .
The bales of hay lying around in the fields here are the round ones.
Do they even bale hay in squares anymore?
I haven't seen those in years.
Do they even bale hay in squares anymore?
I haven't seen those in years.
BigAl
Gone But Not Forgotten
Yes I bale square bales . They average 75 pounds but I can make a 1/2 bale( 30 pounds) too . Some folks like the smaller bales .
How do you move them?
I know from my younger son doing farm work that they had to pick them up with large tools hooked into the bales and then thrown on a wagon.
Now I'm wondering how they move the big round bales?
Ya know, I ponder these things whilst on country drives.
Being one who is smack dab in the middle of Ohio farm land, I do appreciate what the farmers and their families do around here for themselves and our community.
I am surrounded by Fort Jennings, Ottoville, Kalida, Spencerville and Venedocia.
All small farming towns, just like mine.
Not to go off topic, but a patient of mine who recently had a hip replacement was on the cell phone with his son last week, while I was in the room taking his vitals.
Seems the son and crew harvested the wheat too early, or at least a day too early or whatever.
He could have gotten $6 for the wheat instead of what he got because of the one day's difference.
Man, we're still hearing about that.
Seems the son and crew harvested the wheat too early, or at least a day too early or whatever.
He could have gotten $6 for the wheat instead of what he got because of the one day's difference.
Man, we're still hearing about that.
muleman
Gone But Not Forgotten
The round bales are moved by using a spear on the loader of a tractor or skid steer. There are also spears that mount on the back on the 3 point hitch to lift them. I have both and use them to move 2 at a time when we are loading the special wagon for round bales. The round bales can run anywhere from 500 to 1500 lbs. There are also big square balers that make bales that hold even more than that. Their advantage is they are easier to stack and haul. You need a bigger tractor and loader to handle those. They also make grapples that grab 12-20 at a time of the regular square bales and lift them.
Trakternut
Active member
Around here, we call 'em "Idiot Blocks", because some idiot has to stack 'em and haul 'em, and stack 'em again.
Been there, done that.
Yes, the square bales are still relatively common.
There's several factors on which baler type is used. Here's some common ones.
Terrain - If you're in hilly terrain, round bales can be a problem. Keeping them from rolling down the hills as well as moving them without tipping.
Size and age of farm - Smaller and older farms still do a lot of the square bales. The older barns have the hay loft so you put the squares in there. Newer farms don't have lofts. Also, a small farm may have a hard time justifying the cost of a round baler (next point).
Cost - Balers aren't cheap. An old square baler (20-40 years old) in good, operating condition will still set you back a few grand. Round balers can easily fetch $10k+.
As for how you collect your square bales, there's 3 common ways.
Kick baler - The baler has a kicker in the back that throws the bale up in the air. When you have a wagon (with sides) in tow behind the baler, the bales are shot directly into the wagon.
Chute into wagon - Again, with a wagon in tow, there's an extension on the back of the baler that allows someone standing/riding in the wagon to grab the bale, move it to the back and stack.
Walk it. You bale with the bales landing on the ground. When done baling, you disconnect the baler and connect a wagon. One driver going down the field slowly while a few people pick up the bales and get them on the trailer. Time and resource consuming but it gets it done.
BigAl
Gone But Not Forgotten
Thanks Bill and Brian!
Very nicely said and explained Boomer !
I never knew you were an old farmer !
Thanks Poobah.
Never owned a farm myself where baling was needed but have lots of years of being the low man on the totem pole doing the square bales.
As a kid, I grew up on a large dairy farm. We'd bring in over 10,000 bales each year.
As an adult, I'd do it just to help out friends when they needed it or trade my labor as partial payment towards sides of beef.
EDIT TO ADD:
Yes, I'm the idiot... Each bale may need to be handled 4-5 times from field to loft.Around here, we call 'em "Idiot Blocks", because some idiot has to stack 'em and haul 'em, and stack 'em again.
Been there, done that.