Hay equipment and Haying 2024
- Thread starter cjet69
- Start date
We've been talking about getting a spare or even another complete mower. Not a lot of these machines in this area. A few of the online salvage yards offer a rebuilt wobble box but they say availability is hit and miss and they may need to rebuild your core. We have a local farm equipment sales and salvage yard that could probably find one for us so we may go that route.
Mowed with the John Deere 40. Not a lot of fun in heavy partially lodged hay. Went about as expected and I only have one more section to cut for the year. I'll try and get that done tomorrow.
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One time about 10 years ago while "on call" at work, I had to go in at 2am to fight a lightning caused fire on a pile of 10 to 15 big round bales out in one of the fields. Security that went through a few times every night called me but didn't bother to call Rapid Valley Fire Dept. I called them as I could see that the fire was getting pretty intense. One small tanker showed up and I lead them to where the fire was in a pickup. The in charge fireman said, we will never put this out with our truck unless the burning bales get knocked down and spread out some. He asked if was had a dozer or some kind of heavy equipment. All we had was a very old beat up JD backhoe. I went and got it and it actually started! No lights so had to go it kind of slow driving out there. I turned it around and backed close to the middle of the burning bale pile to use the backhoe reaching into the blaze. The "fire chief" stopped me and said he wanted me hit it with the bucket, push it over and spread backing out. I couldn't do that without driving right into the flames but like a duma$$ I did what he said. Somehow that leaky old JD didn't catch fire with me in it! They were able to hose down the spread out burning hay.
Sorry about the long-winded story!
DAC
Sorry about the long-winded story!
DAC
Dad was a volunteer firefighter and went on many barn fires. One had all loose hay in the loft that wasn't fully cured when the put it in. It was smoking bad but no visible flames. They used a dozer with a long cable and hook to drag the hay out and as it got air it would erupt in flames. The had several lines ready to hose it down. Saved the barn but the farmer lost all of his hay.
Every once in a while we will have a hay bale fire some place. Fortunate in two areas though. Most of the big bales are stored outside so no building involved. We are in the rolling hills area of Iowa so not to hard to grab a bale set it near the top and roll it down the hill. Easy and safely put the fire out that way.
Yesterday they were calling for all sun until Thursday. Got up this morning and noticed a few light clouds. Wasn't too worried. By the time I got the rake and baler greased up and raked 2 rounds I could see the dark clouds coming. The reports this morning said this would be a Dry Storm again but got hit with a little shower so no more hay work today. Hope it clears up tomorrow thru Wednesday and I might be able to get this last bit of hay in the barn.
The sun did come back in the later afternoon yesterday and dried the hay out so I ran the tedder over everything again. We have clouds this morning with reports of some clearing by this afternoon. Temps are cool at 62°F right now and calling for low 70's for the high.
I was able to get one of the remaining sections raked, baled, and hauled. Raked around 10:00 AM and was able to start baling at 3:00 PM. Made 190 bales and finished hauling and stacking in the barn at 9:00 PM. One more section left to do that should be around 300 bales. The total in the barn is now at 1438.
Hi cjet will you be selling some of the bales or will it take that much to feed your cows?
Last year we put up 1019 bales and fed them all. We will only have 6 cows after we sell the 2 steers for beef in late August. I need to do some calculating to see how many bales we need but it will be less than last year. Might sell some or we may buy a couple yearling steers to raise and sell for beef next year. Just finished baling for the year with another 302 bales. That makes 1740 bales total and only 130 came from my cousins fields.
Wow, I bet that is a huge relief getting all that done, CJet! Time to kick back and have a cold one, but I bet you are getting right after something else tomorrow!
DAC
For the past 25 years I have mowed my runway because I was using it as a runway, but a year ago I sold the Kitfox and decided to not mow the runway anymore and let to grow, for that same period I've let my neighbor and good friend mow the hay field about 8-9 acres. Hay production of course varied with weather conditions last year we got virtually no rain and I think he got 10 bales late in Sept. This year we got rain and are still getting it but off the 8-9 acres plus about a 1/4 of the runway he got 470 bale and he had the 336 tightened down some much that he could hardly get his fingers under the twine, after a week of rain he got the rest of the runway and a small area on the east side of the ditch mowed and he got 450 bales off it but he did loosen up the springs a bit as one of his horse lady customer complained she couldn't get a hold of the bales and that they were heavy. total acres now with the runway is about 12-13
Its nice to have it all baled. I hauled 3 loads this evening which is 168 bales. I have 134 more still in the field for tomorrow which will be 2 full loads and then 22 bales in the final load. Then I will be completely done. Next thing is to finish my farmall 230 and start prepping for the tractor show that starts the last day of July. I also wanted to get the new clutch put in my Ranger before the tractor show and try out the new HF trans jack. Don't know if I will get that done but I will try. Then I still have the Haybine to get repaired for next year. The "to do list" is never ending.
Its amazing how the hay crops can vary so much from year to year. We have some small fields that range from 30 bales up to near 100. I try to make the bales around 50 lbs avg. but they will range from around 40 to 60 depending on the type of grass and maybe one part of the field has more moisture in it. During our hottest weather I had the tensioner springs cranked all of the way down and still couldn't make 50 lbs. The grass was to dry and slick.
This is where the hydraulic press or tensioner is really nice. Can get a lot more uniform bales in the varying hay conditions. I took a press off an old NH baler and put it on my Super 88. Sure made a difference, also ran preservative on the higher moisture hay.
A hydraulic tensioner might be something to look into. Dad looked at the preservative set up years ago but didn't want to spend the money at that time.
A preservative set up is not that costly anymore. The applicator is self-contained with 12V dc from the tractor. I mounted mine right over the packing chamber where the hay is fed in. Almost need a moisture monitor to go with the preservative to control when it is needed and not use it all the time. I mounted the senser as far forward in the bale chamber as possible and not interfere with the knotters, etc.
