What have you done in preparation for the 2020 hay season?

[MH8675309]

I put new beams and cross members on this Oliver 5003 3 ton running gear. I stretched it out 1 foot as well. The one front zerk would not take grease and the front end was really stiff. I tried one of those gadgets you fill with oil and then drive the oil into the zerk but it wouldnt work. So I ground the head off of a spare zerk i had and brazed it on a short tube that was threaded inside on the other end. I packed grease into this and started a bolt into the threads and then screwed the zerk end into where the zerk would go on the spindle assembly. By tightening that bolt it forced the grease into area that I couldnt grease before. I had to repack this a few times but got it freed up. It is planked out with rough sawn ash that I paid $6 a board for 1x6x16. I also greased all the bearings on my JD 963. This is a 5 ton gear - both good old wagons that will keep going for awhile yet.

 

[Bigfoot62]

Made my first cut of the "horse" hay patch yesterday. (12 acres) I usually do this every Spring. Cut early and clean it up. Gets rid of the weeds and winter grass. This cutting will feed cows. I don't sell it to horse people.

 

[PROFarms]

Off to make my first cut tomorrow in one 16ac field. Didn’t get a second cut when I could last year so a lot of dead grass underneath I want to get off so I can hopefully get a good second cut off of it! Looking like a fairly thick cut

 

[PROFarms]

Had a couple busy days making a first few acres of haylage today!

 

[Hay Dude]

View attachment 655667View attachment 655668
Had a couple busy days making a first few acres of haylage today!

Very nice.
Pretty countryside.
Please post more pics from across the pond if time allows. Love to see how others do hay.

 

[NC419N]

Preparation paid off 22 acres produced 865 square bales from the old 268
Drying time this year was really really slow and had to invest in a Bush Hog HT417H Tedder to help speed up the progress

 

[Hay Dude]

Preparation paid off 22 acres produced 865 square bales from the old 268
Drying time this year was really really slow and had to invest in a Bush Hog HT417H Tedder to help speed up the progress

You’ll pay that Tedder off in no time. Just one rainy summer.

 

[mikewood869]

We’ve been working on some wagons and a Tedder. I’m going to need to pull out the baler and haybine soon to check that out

 

[Rebeldad1]

Preparation paid off 22 acres produced 865 square bales from the old 268

What was it you did to get such a huge difference in bale count?

 

[Rebeldad1]

still interested in knowing...