A highlight of my younger days was haymaking time.
When I was old enough I got to 'turn' the hay with the tractor and conditioner. It was a good way to get a tan!
It was fun rowing up the bales behind the baler, ready for the hay gang to pick up. The hay gang was usually the local rugby or young farmers club, who for an amount per bale, and a few beers afterwards, picked up the hay, stacked it on the trailer, then took it to the shed to stack in the barn. It was great fun. I got to drive the tractor for picking up the bales.
We used to line up for a 'sip' of beer. DB Draught in those days in the big 750 ml bottles!
Brian and I haven't made hay for years. Now it is all pretty mechanical, we use big gear, and get it made into big bales, which are moved by tractor and front end loader. We haven't needed hay in our system up to now, due to good pasture growth rates and good soil conditions here on the peat soils.
But with the run off, and it's poor draining soils, hay will be a good option. It seems to keep animals satisfied in the cold and wet, which makes them more settled, and hopefully they won't do too much pasture damage.
The grass gets cut for hay tomorrow night. The weather is looking good - fine right through, (good for the Rotorua HIM). Most of the hay will be in big bales, but a couple of paddocks will be in the smaller, conventional bales - so I can feed them out in July/August in the wetter months.
I'll be driving the tractor to turn the hay - we went down and 'borrowed' Dad's hay conditioner today.
Ok, not related to exercise, but thought you might be interested!
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