Cutting Hay

Local Artist For Farmers

Second Cutting

The last of this season's hay - "2nd cutting"  - softest greenest hay - used to feed cattle a burst of nutrition- also used to maintain the diet of an older horse.  Our eldest horses - first Smokey Boots into  her 30s.  Now June Royal,  is showing the later signs of aging.

The gray on her face - the thin body - she's holding her weight pretty, but the ribs are starting to show.  She gets extra senior feed.  June, susceptible to laminitis from too much grass - from pastures plush and large - can stay on pasture all the time now.  In the winter, it is the 2nd cutting that will keep her in good stead.

The Amish Way of Making Hay

Time is set back at the farm.  The setting is some time in the 1950s.  For the Amish, it may be back in the pioneer days.  Hay is a difficult undertaking, and for the Amish, horses provide "horsepower", not tractors.

they work together for many of their undertakings - "manpower"

They gather the hay and haul it like this - "horsepower"

than bring it into the barn  - but first it is baled by a stationary setup using a small gas powered motor for baling.

we use this 30 h.p. New Holland tractor just for the tedding and row making parts of the job.

This is the cutter, the initial part of the job.

Hay Time!

For us, the first hay is a Godsend - because the weather plays the ultimate role in achieving great horse hay...

First it is late, we are ready to bale today after much summer rain - since spring went without rain this year - the rain Gods sent it to us later.

It is July 12th - the timothy headed out 2 weeks ago - approximately - an is going to seed - see photo.

so what you want ideally is when that is just nice and full and green - newly formed.

however the alfalfa is in good stead.

Gene is working the tedder - which takes the hay cut the day before  - spins it outward to fluff it - to dry in a single layer - sun and wind acts to preserve it - dried to perfection.  Gene will typically ted twice the 2nd day - once the day we bale - today - and he will rake it before baling it.   The rake pulls the hay into a row for the baler to swallow easily and put out square bales.  Since the ground was wet on Day one - he also raked it afterwards to dry the ground out underneath.

Gene is dressed with a hoodie to protect himself from all the bugs that fly into him and bite in the process of messing with tall grasses.

and we do it all for these beautiful horses and customer's animals, to keep them healthy in the winter months.  Hay is the ultimate in preserved foods...

The Hay Season

as we approach another hay season, what it means to us:
waiting until July
getting equipment ready
buying baling twine
clearing old hay and sweeping out the barn
watching the weather again and again
mowing the perimeter of the hay field
mowing the hay field
teding the hay
raking the hay
baling the hay
working in 80 degree weather directly in the sun
working a minimum of 3 days to get each batch
heavy lifting, lots of it, to stack  hay
working inside a hot barn
weeding out any bales not dry enough to store
having equipment fails and scrambling to fix them
having lots of green dry nutritious hay for horses and farm animals

when hay is done well it is a rare commodity, Gene does it really well! Thanks Gene...

Hay Season in Review

It was very touch and go this season with record consecutive weeks of rain.  Last year, it rained non stop.  This year it rained one day a week - that one day is enough to ruin the hay.  It was pretty STRESSFUL  to think of the animals (horses and goats) this winter without hay.

This is the equipment to make square bales - the best quality hay, especially for horses.

It takes lots of capital, fuel, land taxes, and time - for only $2- $4 a bale - it is a wonder anyone does it... but that just shows our love of animals.

As Gene bales - the hay is sent into this wagon which is than dumped by the hay elevator behind the barn.

This was taken on Sept 20th - Gene loading a dumpster for a customer who got hay right off the field - for the lowest price - we are having a hard time getting paid from him.  So it goes - farming -  nobody does it for the money!!!!!

above is a cute picture of Assisi with the hay - just hanging out with us as we loaded the elevator to put hay into the Barn!  It was such a nice experience for us.  Being around young animals and young humans reinforces the gift of life...they are uplifting due to their playfulness and joie de vivre!!!

Hay

Gene makes the most splendid hay! This is second cutting. 
Green and Great. Our Horses and Goats l o v e HIM!!!!  So do I...Gene has been making hay suitable for horses since he became a farmer in 1996.  Not an easy task, haying has a small and crucial timeline.   Equipment will break down and troubleshooting on the field in the middle of haying is commonplace, because the weather is unpredictable even with the Natl Weather Service, because implements are not easy to move around and change, because hay is heavy to lift and stack for proper curing, because when you make hay the sun has to shine so it is hot and sweaty work.  Need I say more?

On behalf of all the cattle and equines that rely on farmers like Gene for sustenance off the fields and in wintertime - I thank you!