Haying time!

[DMF]

Unfortunately, not for me...

My family helped get in two loads of hay in for my partner-in-hay: Art. He is in his late 70's and has been teaching me a lot of the years; he is a very good friend as well as a mentor. Him and his wife raise miniature horses and we took almost 400 bales out of his small field. My daughter (just turned 6) is enjoying a ride on top of the load. Art's wife took a family group picture just before we pushed this wagon into the barn. Being laid up last year after ankle surgery for several months didn't do much for my physical shape...I think I may have done too many 12 oz. curls during that time as indicated by my gut...(I think I was sucking it in too... ) Now that I'm more mobile and the farming has started up I have been losing weight, but I have a ways to go yet.

Right after we got his field picked it started raining and hasn't stopped long enough to cut my fields or any of the other we do...

 

[KennyV]

much better to have it uncut and raining than CUT and raining...
I would guess that things are going great. KennyV

 

[DMF]

much better to have it uncut and raining than CUT and raining...
I would guess that things are going great. KennyV

You got that right! Still...the long range weather calls for thundershowers right up until Sunday...

 

[Duffster]

much better to have it uncut and raining than CUT and raining...
I would guess that things are going great. KennyV

Only to a certain point. If you have absolutly no window to cut then there isn't much you can do but if first crop isn't cut yet it is deteriating fast even if still standing.

We are cutting second crop around here know.

 

[Birdhunter1]

Finally this past week we have been able to get in hayfields around here. Up till last week you would have about 3 days of no rain, then 3 days of rain off and on. last two sweeks has been dry though, lots of mowers and balers running around my place.

 

[DMF]

Only to a certain point. If you have absolutly no window to cut then there isn't much you can do but if first crop isn't cut yet it is deteriating fast even if still standing.

Right, that's what I'm afraid of...

We usually don't get our second cut until August and we usually get a third... not looking too good this year for a third...

 

[DMF]

Well, we cut 2 small sections of the back field this weekend and got it all baled and hauled in Monday before the rain came back. 235 bales of not-too-good hay...it had a lot of dock weed in it (where that came from I have no idea...never had it before?); the Timmothy looked good but the other grasses has lost most of it's color and a lot of the clover was gone by as well. Walked into the house at 9:58 that night...showered and then had supper...then right to bed; not the best combination! I fell asleep right away but then I woke around 3:30 and tossed the rest of the night... I was draggin' a bit at work on Tuesday!

 

[flusher]

Unfortunately, not for me...

My family helped get in two loads of hay in for my partner-in-hay: Art. He is in his late 70's and has been teaching me a lot of the years; he is a very good friend as well as a mentor. Him and his wife raise miniature horses and we took almost 400 bales out of his small field. My daughter (just turned 6) is enjoying a ride on top of the load. Art's wife took a family group picture just before we pushed this wagon into the barn. Being laid up last year after ankle surgery for several months didn't do much for my physical shape...I think I may have done too many 12 oz. curls during that time as indicated by my gut...(I think I was sucking it in too... ) Now that I'm more mobile and the farming has started up I have been losing weight, but I have a ways to go yet.

Right after we got his field picked it started raining and hasn't stopped long enough to cut my fields or any of the other we do...

Nice looking family. Good looking hay.

What haying equipment are you and your partner using?

 

[DMF]

Nice looking family. Good looking hay.

What haying equipment are you and your partner using?

Thanks!

We have old stuff... Vicon disc cutter, Vicon tedder, Kuhn tedder, NH rake, MF rake, NH 65 baler and another newer NH baler who's model number escapes me...

 

[DMF]

My wife just sent some pictures over but not all of them from two weeks ago.

This is me raking with the 1552 with the (blue-painted) Massey rake behind.

 

[Duffster]

How old is that hayrake?

Is it 3pt mounted?

I have never seen one like that before.

 

[DMF]

Not quite as old as dirt, but **** near close!

It is 3-point mounted. We use a NH rake that is very similar except TSC'c prices on the teeth are much cheaper for this rake so it sees most of the use. My partner uses a Ford tractor so most of his implements gets painted blue over time...one of these days when I have some MF red in the gun I'll get it looking good again...

 

[DMF]

She just sent a few more pics:

 

[Duffster]

She just sent a few more pics:

Frogive my ignorance, but why does everyone drop the bales on the ground?

 

[scott_vt]

Frogive my ignorance, but why does everyone drop the bales on the ground?

Good Afternoon Duffster,
Darn good question ! I just helped the local farmer bring 800 small squares last week and after loading and unloading all those bales my 58 yr old back tells me a kicker and haywagon would be a better deal !

 

[chrisdvorak]

i just finished baling a second cut in a smaller field right before the rain came, right when i got it under cover it started pouring

 

[flusher]

Not quite as old as dirt, but **** near close!

It is 3-point mounted. We use a NH rake that is very similar except TSC'c prices on the teeth are much cheaper for this rake so it sees most of the use. My partner uses a Ford tractor so most of his implements gets painted blue over time...one of these days when I have some MF red in the gun I'll get it looking good again...

Nice rake.
Mine is a JD350, also 3pt mounted. Got it last year for $800. Came with new teeth all round. Works fine.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

Frogive my ignorance, but why does everyone drop the bales on the ground?

When I have people that want to buy hay I ask them how many bales they want... Then I will leave that many laying on the ground, and they will bring their trucks & trailers & load it themselves...A lot of people do it that way, and you can get hay cheaper if you load it out of the field yourself.

If I have hay already put up in my barns and someone wants to buy hay, then I charge more because I loaded it out of the field myself and stacked it in the barn.

 

[JohnDeere4300]

Nice rake.
Mine is a JD350, also 3pt mounted. Got it last year for $800. Came with new teeth all round. Works fine.

Nice rake!

$800 is a great price.

 

[atgreene]

We have yet to cut any, and I only know of a couple folks who have done some. We haven't had 3 days w/o precip. for over 50 days now. The fields are so wet even if we get a 3 day window we can't cut. Price is going up every day for what hay there is around here.