To hay or not to hay ? That is the motion for many farmers . If you ca n’t pay the land to get out grass , know that many farmer see that buying hay for winter farm animal feeding from a reputable germ cost about the same as purchase and maintaining equipment require to get hay .
There are reasons to make hay , though . Namely , if you have more land than you use for pasture , it makes dependable sense to grow hay to overwinter your creature and sell to members of your farming community of interests .
grow your own also let you produce the highest - lineament forage for your animals , and , if being chemical - free is important , avoid costly constitutive hay .
Mowers
First , you need to turn off that tall supergrass so it can dry out out and be stored — and neither your push nor your tantalise mower will do . Three basic variations of mower exist : the old - school reaping hook , disc and barrel .
reaping hook - legal community mower cut grass at one point between two bar - mounted shearing blades . These date back to the days of draught horses . A membranophone lawn mower , meanwhile , is a modern , hydraulic - barren fond regard that uses geared wheel - turned drums and attached blades .
You ’re most likely to use a magnetic disc mower , considered standard in hay production . magnetic disc mowers employ tender taproom - mounted discs with attach knives that spin and slice Mary Jane . They cut fields quickly and are n’t dependent to foul . However , proper maintenance is significant .
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It ’s easiest to take advantage of schedule maintenance inspection from your dealer , but if you ’re the DIY character , inspect the knives , lifter and disk for harm , ensure that discs are set 90 degrees in relation to each other . Move the discs to check for overweening diarrhoea , which indicate internal wear . Also see the lubricant level on each mental faculty , refiling any that seem low .
Tedder & Rake
Once it ’s cut , hay must be gather to dry out . A tedder will help reduce dry time , specially in humid mood or after a rain , by expose buried grass ; tine grab smoke and send it through the back , send it out .
Hobby husbandman might not want a tedder ; a combination tedder - rip might fit the bill . Many farmer just go directly to raking , though , and there are a few option for pucker forage into long lines of piled hay ( called windrows ) .
Wheel rake are among the most popular for their abject price and minimal sustainment requirements . roundabout and knock rakes , however , produce higher - quality pasture that ’s free of debris and can handle heavier loads , though many people favour the belt crease for its small size , ease of use and versatility .
Baler
in the end , you need a baler togather everything into a storehouse - ready shape . rotund balers create monumental bales typically store in the bailiwick ; these make waste matter because of background touch and photograph to the elements , and they can be difficult to delight .
Mini round and straight balers , however , gather and bind hay into shapes transferrable by one individual ( bales average about 50 pounds ) for storage indoors . Mini round balers need less horsepower , are smaller and require less upkeep , while square balers create classic bales that pile easily and function much faster ; a square baler can drop a Basle every 10 seconds , while a mini round baler deal doubly as long . ( Do n’t overlook the need forgloves . )
Hay Now
While hay dry in the bailiwick , food are lost and the forage caliber is subside . consort to John Porter , a dairy consultant with The University of New Hampshire Cooperative Extension , these loss come for several reasons .
Hay Stacking Suggestions
Jimmy Henning and Howell Wheaton , in the department of agronomy at the University of Missouri , drop a line in “ make and Storing Quality Hay ” that there does n’t seem to be much difference in storage loss of hay Basle when set side - by - side versus those coif remnant - to - end . They do note that bales place terminal - to - end should be the same size , and cone - shaped Basle or Bale of different diameters placed final stage - to - end often stimulate excessive spoilage on the ends of Basel .
To help reduce away storage going , they offer these suggestions :
you’re able to also consider using anelevator .
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This story earlier appear in the July / August 2018 matter ofHobby Farmsmagazine .
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