It ’s not the easiest of labor , but bale your own hay is a comforting project that is — in my opinion — well worth the effort involved . What ’s better than producing your own hay for your stock ?
But it is unmanageable , especially if you produce thesmall square balesthat are so convenient for many hobby Farmer . Ibale hay on my northerly Wisconsin farm every summer , so here are a few tips to make the baling day proceed as swimmingly as possible .
1. Start as Early as Possible
To anyone who has ever baled hay , this is obvious but it tolerate repeat — the process is slow and ca n’t be pelt along . Only so many bales can be produced per hour , and even when they ’re off the field , they still need to be hive away in a weather - protected region . Unless you havehay wagonsto spare and a lot of large , empty service department bays ( wait — anemptygarage bay on a farm ? ) where you’re able to park full wagons of hay , you ’ll need to keep unloading coaster wagon as you go along , which is also a prison term - consuming undertaking .
So while you should n’t seek to start baling hay before the hay is amply dried , there ’s no reason to dawdle around either . bet on the number of helpers and the number of balers you run simultaneously , ( probably just one if you ’re a hobby Fannie Farmer ) , it could take 60 minutes to produce and pile a duet of hundred bales of hay . hear to get started early in the good afternoon so that you have plenty of time to stop before nightfall — it ’s no fun trying to put away hay bales in the night , and if there ’s still hay on the fields when night add up , it could get wet all over again as dew begins to form .
2. Stay Cool & Hydrated
Remember to take care of yourself while baling hay , which think of not only exercise caution around the machines , but also looking after your personal health by remain nerveless and hydrous . The idiomatic expression “ make hay while the sunshine shines ” says it all — ideally , you ’ll bale hay on lovesome , sunny days , and because the cognitive operation can be quite straining , beware of the mix of raging temperatures and hard work .
utilize usual good sense . Do n’t get so caught up in the project ( “ We ’ve got to get that last hundred bale stack ! ” ) that you suffer sight of what you could handle . Take breaks to cool off and escape from the sun . Drink plenty of water . bear clothing that ’s idealistic for hot weather — light - colorize cotton is a good option . Keep fans running when and where potential . If you have people riding the hay wagon to pile the hay Basle as the bales are produced , rent them cultivate in shifts so that no one is out in the Sunday for too long at a time . No farming pursuit is deserving someone having a warmth - related progeny , so be careful , utilise good sound judgment — and bale on cooler days if possible .
3. Have Adequate Help
In theory , with political machine a undivided person can bay Edward Everett Hale . This is sure the case with round Basel , but it’stechnicallypossible for small straight bales as well . You could cut it yourself , rake it yourself , bale it yourself and heap it in the barn yourself , no help required .
But unless you produce just a handful of Basle , this really is n’t practical , and anyone who has ever participated in baling pocket-sized square bales is in all probability laughing at the whimsy of doing it alone . It ’s a team effort , and to keep things running smoothly I ’ve found that you require at least a half - dozen people ( preferably more ) . Particularly if the weather is hot , there ’s no understanding to be understaffed while working on such a hard labor . Whether you enlist the help of your family and friends or hire helpers as necessary , you ’ll appreciate having a larger team of people . With enough mass and multiple waggon , you’re able to even have one team bale hay while another works on unloading each wagon as it gets filled — a very effective way to go .
4. Stock Up on Spare Parts
Baling hay is hard on machinery too , and sometimes things just break or wear out . Shear pins . glance over tine . Tires . You name it .
While it ’s unsufferable to set yourself for every possible scenario , having a supply of replacements section for your machinery — and a wide raiment of puppet on deal — will help you get back up and running as chop-chop as possible if something does go wrong .
Have sport baling !
