4Diamond said:
RA you are lucky to be able to put up hay. Any hay that was standing down south here has wilted under the 100* temps all week. A big fire started west of us yesterday when a bearing went out of a baler. It's too dry to attempt haying here and there is nothing to bale. Count your blessings.
You bet, I feel lucky to have a good stand of hay to put up this year! I usually winter a few horses on my hay ground, then graze cows on it in the spring, give it a short break, then hay it, then give it a short break and graze cows on it til Christmas......this year with no more cows than I have I didn't graze it early and didn't have horses on it last winter either. So I have a ton of undergrowth and a ton of clover this year.
I'm getting dry here now....and it has been HOT! I think I have a few underground springs in a few places out in my pastures though and some of my hay ground is on the same level as a river....spots are green and growing still while everything else is burning up some now????
I hope ya get some rain!
katrina said:
Congrats RA!!!!! You da man!!!!!!!! Knowledge is something no one can take away from you!!!
Ah, I'm not the man, but thanks though!

I have an even better handle on my baler now even since I posted this thread....feels good!
EastWind said:
Your hay looks real good, I wish I had some baled already but because of that other stuff falling from the sky and cold weather ( not complaining, wish you guys that need it could have some) I hope to start this week. the first baler I had was a 14T, I now have a 224T as a backup to my NH and it never misses a beat. We use to run sickles then went to Haybines that have a sickle bar but because of the little critters we have ( Moles) :x the dirt always plugged it. Then we went to a small 5 disc three point hitch mower that flies through the hay and mole hills. We now run a 7 disc mower. As you go up in Discs and also ad a conditioner you will need to substantially increase your tractor horse power. Kind of a long winded response.
Hey, the longer the better in my opinion! Thanks! It didn't seem long winded to me at all! I hooked on learning all I can on hayin' now and LOVE reading all this stuff! I'm looking forward to the day I can have back-ups, more options to go with and just a lot more knowledge in general. What hurt me the most this year was just me absolutely not know a thing about square balers and mechanical stuff in gerenal!