An Old is New again experiment

[RSL]

We typically swath graze, and last year tried grazing corn. The corn game is too rich for my blood, and with our tough winter we wound up feeding quite a long time last winter (90 days).
We have permanently decided that this is not going to happen again, so...
1) we still have a lot of swath grazing
2) we have a ton of bale grazing out and are participating in a research project with PFRA in this regard.
3) I got some scientific papers from a friend who is kind of a forage guru and this is the result
Step 1 - cut meadow brome alfalfa hay

a 14' windrow

3 together

Step 2 - break out the big guns

A pulley block we hooked up so the rope in the cab pulls down on the foot pedal

This is a view not seen out the back window for many years

Rake bunches

According to the research the top cures down and even if they get wet they basically turn to haylage. With the added height/volume they should provide easy access even in deep snow. We will see what wind does.
The bunch raking was fast, cheap and easy. I actually wish all my farm equipment worked that way, park it in the bush for 60 years, pull it out, grease it up and it was good to go.[/url]

 

[Anonymous]

When we were selling some of the old equipment we kept the old dump rake just for that reason.... Works great to bunch up windrowed wheat straw- to let the cows bunch graze...

 

[Silver]

That looks like a great idea. I wonder what it will look like later next spring? Boy I'd like to try something like that, if I could figure out how to keep the elk out of it.

 

[Hayguy]

would you try this on second cut, pretty much straight alfalfa?

are the windrows still wet? or have they dried down.

 

[perfecho]

I hope to bale some swath grazing up this year, but not put any twine on, just drop and leave it for winter. Hoping this will overcome the drifts if last year is a repeat.

 

[per]

I hope to bale some swath grazing up this year, but not put any twine on, just drop and leave it for winter. Hoping this will overcome the drifts if last year is a repeat.

After last winter I was planning on bunching some hay and green feed up with a soft core baler, just drive and open and close the back door without stopping.

 

[burnt]

I hope to bale some swath grazing up this year, but not put any twine on, just drop and leave it for winter. Hoping this will overcome the drifts if last year is a repeat.

After last winter I was planning on bunching some hay and green feed up with a soft core baler, just drive and open and close the back door without stopping.

Now that is fast baling!


RSL - don't loose that pulley block. You won't find another one like it at the hardware store!

 

[RSL]

I am not sure where this experiment will go. The hay was dried right out. I now know the rake won't handle 42' of swath, but take 28 pretty well.
We have experimented with our baler, but stuff bunches up on the roller on the bottom and you have to clean things out every 3-5 attempts.
I can pull the rake faster and cheaper than the baler too.
As for the pulley block, I think we have a couple more around here somewhere. All that stuff that was cursed as junk my forefathers left behind, are actually invaluable agricultural parts (maybe).
We have also kept our hay sweep and will try that another year if we get around to fitting it to our loader.

 

[Hayguy]

neighbor 2 miles down the road has a really nice restored dump rake on his front lawn

wonder if he'd miss it for an afternoon :lol: :lol: :lol2:

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

neighbor 2 miles down the road has a really nice restored dump rake on his front lawn

wonder if he'd miss it for an afternoon :lol: :lol: :lol2:

I bought a nice 24 ft Rowse hydraulic dump rake for $250 a couple years ago.

New they are only :wink: $5,200

 

[Denny]

I think I'd just bale it here our fall rains would leave you with nothing to feed but a rotten pile.

 

[mrj]

Denny, do you happen to know a guy named Jerry Stalley?

He's a relative who talks about a 'Denny' who is a friend.

mrj....maxine jones

 

[jedstivers]

That might work good for our corn stalk grazing too. If it kept the stalks in better shape.