Haying 2013

[sean518]

Donn, George, and Billy:

I have some questions regarding haying and sheep. We currently have 16 Jacob Sheep ewes, we’re working our way up to 50, and we just bought our first Cormo crosses, which we’d also like to get up to about 50 ewes. So all our sheep are primarily fiber animals, though we also sell freezer lambs.

It seems like you use some of the same fields for haying and grazing. What’s the best mix of plants to have in those dual purpose fields? Do you also have other fields that are dedicated to just haying, and what’s ideal in those fields?

Is it really worth the extra labor and hay to keep the lambs through the winter? Is it not possible to hay the spring flush, or is the weather just typically too wet at that time? Or is it just not possible using horses?

I have a lot more questions… but I’ll keep it to those for now. I’d love to check out your farm sometime, Donn, if you accept visitors. We’re not all that far away.

– Sean

[Does’ Leap]

We ended up mowing 3 acres on Monday and another 5 on Tuesday. We plan on bailing everything tomorrow before possible thunderstorms on Saturday. Here is some mowing footage:

Sean,

I think taking that spring growth off as hay is perfectly acceptable. We generally do not graze our hay land as we have plenty of pasture for our goats and horses. Although I have frost seeded clover in past years, I have lived with the copious amounts of orchard grass we have in our hayland. I am not a big fan of plowing and reseeding hay land. In new pastures I have been seeding perennial rye and alfalfa along with oats to serve as a nurse crop. I also have seeded a clover mix.

George

[Carl Russell]

Got some baled today

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[sean518]

How many pounds of hay per acre does everyone in the northeast expect to harvest?

[Jeroen]

Hi George,

Magnificent video and your team seems a real pleasure to work with.

The lunchbreak however sent shivers down my spine. Had to look twice to believe my eyes. Leaving your team without bridels or even halters attached to the mower is breaking every rule in my safety book. Please unhitch!

Jeroen

[Does’ Leap]

Carl:

Nice pictures. You mowed Monday night correct? How many times did you ted and what did you ted with?

Jeroen:

If you look closely in the video, the mower is actually chained to the 6×6 barn post. The horses aren’t going anywhere:). I like this system b/c it saves a lot of time not having to unhitch/hitch the horses.

George

[near horse]

Nice video, George.

[Carl Russell]

George, we mowed Monday night, then tedded Tuesday afternoon after the rain stopped and the sun got hot for a few hours. Then we tedded twice on Tuesday, and mowed another acre in between. Tedded both pieces yesterday, then raked and baled the first. Tedded and raked the second this AM, will bale in a few hours.

Basically Tuesday was a throw away day, we just tedded then because we were trying to keep up, but it got soaked pretty good from the rain. I cut on Monday even though I knew Tuesday was going to be wet, just to get the mowing out of the way before the weather broke in our favor. I’d much rather have green grass get rained on, then to have almost dry hay get wet, or sit through overcast.

I’m using a Nicholson GD fluffer/tedder behind my Barden Cart. It really does a pretty good job, provided there is hot sun to dry the hay.

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[Carl Russell]

Here is a clip of the tedder and Timber…

[Carl Russell]

Here is a clip of the baler in action….

[Livewater Farm]

George for some reason I can never get your videos to work error sign keeps coming up after starting video and getting thru the title

Carl looks like the baler is working good for you always made a good bale for me just could not handle my big thick windrows at anything less than a crawl
Bill

[Carl Russell]

Yes, Bill we sheared a bolt the other day in double windrows, so in the clip you can see I made them more reasonable…. that way the horses can walk along comfortably…

George, I meant to say that we had hay in the field on Wednesday night, but didn’t have time, or energy to rake and/or bale that night….. then we chose to ted again Thursday morning to knock the dew off… probably added another 1/2 day for sure, but the weather was good enough to have more flexibility.

Carl

[Donn Hewes]

There are a few pictures of us baling hay yesterday on my web album. Here is a link!

Baling a few more today.

[Ed Thayer]

Having a hard time getting the hay to dry today with limited sun. Baled 141 bales yesterday and the old girl only missed one tie. Pretty happy with that. All in the barn and waiting to bale another field today.

Ed

[Does’ Leap]

We had 600 bales or so to bale yesterday and I blew apart the universal joint on my baler after one load. I tried to weld it, baled another 30 and it blew apart again. I called a neighbor to see if he could come bale for me (he was baling himself, of course). He made it to my place at around 7:30 pm. We got it all baled by 9:30, constantly loosening the bales. Even with the dew, I think it will be all right. It was raining this morning and pouring now, so I feel lucky and thankful he pulled through.

Carl, thanks for sharing the videos. I have my 11 year-old son driving as well. Your horses look great. I especially like your gelding and the way he carries himself. Ted, right?

Donn, nice pictures. The third one is deserving of a frame and a place on someone’s wall. BTW, any tips on ho I get Kristan to stack hay while I drive the horses?

Bill, try copying and pasting this into your browser: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ib4zEuHD9hA

George

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