[Lane Linnenkohl]

@HeeHawHaven 27997 wrote:

Love seeing this! I’d like to cut and rake this year if we can. Where are you in Northern Illinois? We used to live in lake Villa. We’d love to see your operation next time we’re in town – next summer.

Dave

In McHenry County. A small town called Bull Valley, between Woodstock and McHenry.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

Thank you all. This is the first year with the hay loader for us. It sure beats the hell outta loading it all by hand as we’ve done for the past several years.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

Thank you, Carl.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

$550 for Daisy, $150 for Dora, or $700 for the pair.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

The response doesn’t surprise me. With all the attention on local, sustainable etc, the public are looking for sources. It’s easy to get into veggies, but meat producers are slow to catch on. So yeah, the interested public is looking for meat right now.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

I hate to be negative or single out anyoneone’s advice, but I would not attach a loose pole between the horses and let them drag it. if your one horse decides to freak out, there’s nothing there to stop a disaster. I see that one potentially ending badly.

I agree with using a butt rope and sweaty collars. Also try hitching on different sides. Be patient with them.

Good luck.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

Very nice, Don. Thank for posting.

Whenever I’ve trained a new intern, the first step is always letting the intern and horses get used to each other. They catch, lead, feed, groom and harness until I see that all members have become comfortable. Then we start talking about driving.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

@sickle hocks 23710 wrote:

Hay looks good, Lane…did you have a guestimate for how many tons you fit into one of those stacks?? still adjusting my brain from bales…

It is only a guess and may not mean much, but I’d say it has to be at least a couple tons.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

I took a quick photo of a handful of hay from one of our hay stacks. As dry and green as the day we put it up.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

We cut anywhere from 6 to 10 acres. Most get two cuttings, some only one then grazed. Depends on weather, timing, help.

Heavy first cuttings I’ll only mow an acre or maybe two at a time. Later thinner cuttings we’ll mow from 3 to 5 acres. We load it all by hand so We don’t want more down than we can get up and stacked in a long day or day and a half.

Never used a pole system. I had read early on that if you don’t get the hay just right around the pole at the top, water can run down the pole and the whole stack gets ruined. Too scared to try it I reckon. The way we do it worked from the first and saw no reason to change.

You didn’t ask, but our wagon bed is 12 feet long and 6 wide. We get as much hay on it as we can for each load. Two wagon loads will make one of our stacks.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

Smaller stacks will work fine if they’re shaped right. Conical with a rounded top. We’ve been stacking on 4 wooden pallets set in a square. So the base is about 10 feet square. Make a solid base and go as high as you can go without toppling it. walk it down and compact it as you build it. It will still settle a lot after the stack is done. I’ve never tarped one. I’m guessing your climate might be drier than ours, so I doubt you’ll need a tarp.

Get hold of Lynn Miller’s Haying with Horses on Inter library loan if you can. He gives a good description of how they build stacks. Take your time and build good stacks. It’ll be worth it in the hay you’ll save. We tried a short cut last year and lost a lot of hay because of it. Went back to our old way this year and the hay’s much better.

I don’t let critters feed directly off the stacks. I work too hard making hay to see animals trompling half of it into the mud. I pitch hay off of stacks to critters.

Hope this helps.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

We have enlisted the help of a listing agent, so some things have changed in the original post.

We may also be willing to take on a renter starting around April 1, 2011.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

Longbow, I have a similar rake to yours. I’ll try to get a photo of the attachment for you in the next day or two. Hang tight.

[Lane Linnenkohl]

Ed, Jut my opinion, but Ozzie just needs more consistent work and more exposure to new and different things.

I wouldn’t worry too much about it. He looks like he’s coming along nicely. Be patient with him and keep him working. Nice job!

[Lane Linnenkohl]

@gwpoky 21526 wrote:

Thank you, I typed in CSA and the computer told me I wasn’t used enough words, I’ll check it out.

Try “Community Supported Agriculture”.

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