[karl t pfister]

The ash comes from wood fired power plants around New England, I think they claim there are 5 or 6 .I can’t remember the price
now its been so long since I ordered it , but it seemed reasonable compared to chemical,of course it won’t work like petro either but I haven’t used any of that for a few years. Resource Management inc. is the distributor ,they have a web site .
Yeah we have had snow 10″ ,it;s gone for now ,guess we have a window till wednesday at least .
Photos ,I ‘ll try again ,with the old forum I never managed to post a one ,technically challenged it is
probably easier now??

[karl t pfister]

Hay ,The only thing I’ve seen thats innovative is shredding newspapers . The shredders aren’t cheap but the paper is . A dairy farmer here used to use it and i would trade hay for manure, it felt a little like littering at first ( the un -digested headlines ) but I got used to it and kind of thought it was an appropriate use for the newspaper mans thoughts .

[karl t pfister]

Another way to start to get the feel of working with horses is to do a workshop . An intense 3 -5 days could help alot ,especially as one of you has considerable horse experience . I would recommend both doing a workshop you could piggyback on your gals knowledge . And you get a
“mentor ” for at least the workshop and possibly longer, albeit usually long distance . Goodluck

[karl t pfister]

Hay Donn Good luck , guess I have always liked the classic black Percheron cross Mules . Glad to hear that the boy has recovered from all his maladies and is clearing feeling up to the job ! !

[karl t pfister]

Same vaccinations as Mr Plowden We just took some horses up tp Acadia National Park Me. for some great horsing around ,and they required rhino .I had not run into that before . karl

[karl t pfister]

We tried to get out on a hay field to begin picking up debris but still too wet ,did divert a streamlet that was settling in to cut across the field permanently.
Next started on a culvert actually 2 culverts 4′ diameter plugged tight on a farm road , up stream 1/2 mile a beaver dam let go . I feel very lucky cause the stream jumped the town road when the culvert couldn’t take the flow and took 1/2 the road for 120′,so it could be worse .

I can’t really think about all the damage at once too depressing ,just tackle a job the best we can and go on . Got to admit I feel a bit like a bag lady complaining, but a little venting here and there probably doesn’t hurt nor does the visits from folks getting out and about and hearing their tales of houses ,covered bridges and the like floating off. I feel grateful for the little losses we had,but I would rather be making 2/nd cut hay in this beautiful weather than cleaning up after the mad women Irene’s temper tantrum…

[karl t pfister]

What is worse drought not seen in 20 years or hurricanes that flatten hay and runs muddy water through crops with logs and debris .

It’s one thing to read the weather and the maps and listen to the fortune tellers of the weather and it’s something different to think you’re prepared for epic tragedy involving livestock,crops and peoples lives . I guess I’m glad again not to have a tv the radio is bad enough,and what of generations past that had no warning whatsoever ,WOW, no wonder Wrath was a word in common usage then.

Got some good hay in today , the calm before the storm,I am grateful . Monday’s sunshine will not shine the same as todays,peace

[karl t pfister]

Bob, That That looks great for the field ,what do you do about storing in the barn? We roll ours in by hand and flip them onto the flat side, next course same as the 1/st except much harder , footing poor with holes . I have thought of skidster except the barns are designed for loose hay with 8″x8″ beams at 70″s off the floor. We do square bales too and stack them on top of rounds , kind of works .
I have thought of the old loose hay track systems , the ones a horse would power with a harpoon fork , but don’t know if they could stand up to 500 pound round Bales , also wonder about the floor ,dropping the bales from the ridge ? any body have any experience ? Thanks

[karl t pfister]

Wow Donn ,that is wicked bad luck ! Very hard to make sense of that. Our hopes are some how it will turn out better than you think , sorta like mowing late second cut hay based on a weak high weather report ! Farming is legalized gambling ,but then you know that , One Eyed Jack , karl

[karl t pfister]

Yeah not an easy year to hay especially compared to last ,when the weather seemed to come from Camelot, just the right amount at just the right time. However this year too much rain too hard ,it seems as though we are just getting out of the Spring pattern of slower to clear from storm fronts and the highs not lasting and not as high, but this last 4 days has been great.
We have 14 acres to go on 2 pieces ,and our 2/nd crop is certainly not burning up from lack of moisture .
Happy Haying !

[karl t pfister]

Carl I appreciate the photo and your explanation .When I use a White Horse cart I can get the whole picture to look similar ,and it gives one an appreciation for the D-ring design.
What I was trying to say is that the height of some carts puts the evener so low that it is difficult to get ones knee and thigh behind it , and get it singing tight . Or perhaps it is a function of age and things not bending as they once did!!
I learned from Ken Demers,his theory was its hard to get the d-ring harness too tight,but do yourself a favor and get it tight enough so the yoke doesn’t fall off the pole , horses are forgiving and the more they feel you helping them the more they try and help you. Happy trails ! karl

[karl t pfister]

Is another variable of the evener height, the “ease” of pushing with one’s thigh or as some carts end up with the evener at shin height.

[karl t pfister]

Hay Ethan I’m around the corner in Londonderry ,vt give a call 802 824 4663 . or email ktpfister@wildblue.net I have a few drafts and a draft X perhaps we could work something out somehow . Karl

[karl t pfister]

Another thing I wondered about are the “new rotary rakes since they only push the hay 5′-6′ is there less roping coiling effect as with
a rollerbar rake which I think slows the air movement thru the winrow. We used to have a Grimm tedder it would fluff up a winrow pretty well,but it kept beating itself to pieces , Do they still make parts for them?
Anybody go to Horse Progress Days and see the latest stuff to dream about ?
Happy 4/th of July !

[karl t pfister]

Hay Tim, As you brought up moisture content in the thinking of the field as solar collector post, 80% to 18% ,I know you didn’t say you baled at !8% but the hay preserve companies say you can ? I like to get square bales down to 12%-14% and round bales into the 10% for dust “free” hay, although at that point the leaf shatter is producing its own dust . I do like my moisture meter . It has cut off a day in June ,more than once , we usually don’t get into 2 day hay (1/st cut ) until mid July .And in years like this with so much moisture in the ground and 70 degrees ,the meter doesn’t lie . The art and science of making hay ,thanks for dry hay in the barn on this rainy 3/rd of July .

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