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July 17, 2007
Time for hay . .
Here is my new category: FARM!
(as requested by SeeJane Mom)
This is the time of year when the hay is mowed, raked, baled and brought in. We had one of the Parson's Brothers come and do the work. The deal was this - we got 110 square bales, and he put the rest of the hay in big old round bales, and kept the round bales for himself in payment. Seems pretty fair to me!
It's very nice brome hay. no weeds at all. However, the yield was not what it should have been because it never got fertilized this year due to Mr. Camp's (the previous owner) illness and death.
Nonetheless, we should be able to get by for most of the winter with the square bales (which are actually rectangular) for our two horses. They will have plenty of wonderful pasture until late in the autumn, then we can start supplementing them with hay.
John and I brought some of the hay in tonight, but those bales of fresh hay are pretty heavy, and lifting them up into the Ford 4x4 is extremely strenuous work, so John did the bulk of the work. We still have probably 50 bales to get into the barn tomorrow - Have to try to do it after the dew is off the hay and before it rains tomorrow night.
And then, we will need to move all the hay to the other barn as soon as it is repaired - because I don't want all that hay in the big barn, It makes me sneeze and I'm afraid it could be a fire hazard.
John decided that next time, we are going to have a party to bring the hay in - with a prize to the person who brings the most bales into the barn from the field. And beer. A keg, maybe! That would be a lot more fun, and we can get our friends to share the work.
This is our first crop! John took pictures, hopefully he will get them posted tomorrow.
Posted by Beth at July 17, 2007 10:57 PM
Comments
Congratulations! I have vivid memories of walking behind the baler, throwing the hay up into the truck. :)
Posted by: pam at July 18, 2007 6:33 AM
Hay hauling is work..been there and done too much of it. By the way, did you know that if the dim-a-crits take the White House one of their priorities is gonna be to outlaw those round bales? They allow that even livestock has a right to a square meal...
Posted by: GUYK at July 18, 2007 9:50 AM
I accompanied the Hubster on a couple of hay baling and/or pickup outings, enough to know I'm glad I didn't have to do it all the time ;-) Although learning to drive the Kenworth was fun.
I hope these are the little 2-wire bales ;-)
Posted by: Barb at July 18, 2007 10:38 AM
Heh. Yes, they are the two-wire (or in this case, twine) bales.
And there are 170 of them. Not 110.
Oh my aching "I didn't sign on to be a farm hand!" back...
And there are pics up. Here.
Posted by: John of Argghhh! at July 18, 2007 2:25 PM
OH THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!!!
Living vicariously through you will have to be good enough until Hunky Husband hits the twenty year mark with Uncle Sugar (in R-5 years!).
Oh I can't WAIT to delve into this>>>you were SO sweet to honor such a pathetic widdle request. OXOXOXOXOX
Janie
Posted by: seejanemom at July 18, 2007 5:40 PM
Yeah - it's funny that we all call them "2-wire", but it's been twine for years and years. I helped the Hubster feed his critters a few times back in the 80's, and the bales were definitely held together with twine, not wire.
Oh, and for the record? Cows are REALLY stupid creatures. Just sayin'. Angora goats sound kind fun, though. My cousin-in-law has several mini-goats who are among her pet collection, and she loves 'em to death :-)
Posted by: Barb at July 18, 2007 7:28 PM
I helped bale straw again this year. There's no way I could do hay ever again...too heavy and I'm too old.
You've got a nice blog site. Glad I found you!
Posted by: Jerry at July 18, 2007 11:35 PM