FINALLY Done....

It's been a long, hectic few days, but we finally got all of this years hay in the barn!

The saga started last summer when we decided to add some fertilizer to the hayfield. Not much, but things needed and added "boost". We also "over seeded" with a few seeds to thicken things up.

This spring, we could see the Red Clover coming in in several spots that we broadcast it onto the stand. It mixed in with the cool season grasses nicely. Normally, we get right at 100 small square bales from our little 7 acre patch on the first cutting. This is all of the fine stemmed grasses that the goats love so much. We NORMALLY get it cut and baled mid June.

Due to the wet weather this year, it was mid JULY before we got it taken care of. It also came in at 200 bales. It was QUITE a difference in yield.

Then, we waited for the grass to grow again, and the weather to hold so we could do a second cutting. Rain in the latter part of July, rain during most of August, and even rain in September, kept us from getting to it. This last week, the weather finally decided to cooperate enough for harvest to begin, and to allow us to mow hay.

Things were humming along nicely, up until I was about 2/3 done mowing. That's when my tractor decided to burn up a condenser and fry the points. It was dead in the field.

I went into town to buy the parts, but the one they sold me was the wrong one - and the replacement was the wrong one. Even the one we waited overnight to be shipped in was - you guessed it - the wrong one. After three days of waiting, I couldn't afford to wait any longer, so I travelled to a bigger city to buy the correct part.

Meanwhile, a friend lent me his tractor to finish baling what I had cut. Without that, I don't know WHAT we would have done.



It sure saved our hide on this - and is VERY much appreciated.

We ended up bringing in 220 bales from a little over 2/3 of the field.

On Sunday, I got my tractor back together, and cut what was left, then baled it today. There were 66 more bales out there, so our grand total for the summer is: 486 bales, over double our yearly total.

The cows and goats should be well fed this coming winter. We also secured 4 1200# round bales, just in case.

I enjoy putting up hay - the raking and baling parts - but I don't care too much for the picking up and stacking.

That's why I threaten to BBQ both Bovine milkers. The first thing they did when they came inside was - not go and EAT on the stack - but to go and RUB THEIR EVIL LITTLE NECKS ON THE STACK! I haven't extended the "snooker fence" out yet, so they can get up to the hay. I'll need to do it SOON, though....

I doubt I can get THEM to re-stack it....