Found my way back... (with pics)

2012 is in the bag, last hay went under roof tonight about an hour after dark...

David,
Good to hear from you again. I hadnt heard from you for a while... Looks like you are back in the small square business with a stackwagon?? I have oat hay laying, and rain coming on sunday. Looks like its going to be wrapped on sat even if its 65%.....
How far are you from stanford KY? Just bought a 408 discbine down there. Know anyone that hauls up here to PA?

DAvid, I've been wondering about you for quite a while....didn't know what happened to you. 'Glad you're back. Hope your hay season went well....sure was a "short one" here. Dang drought anyhow. We had a total of 2.5 inches of rain between May 5 and Sept 1 this year. SInce then, we've had close to 12. I had alfalfa that was cut the third time on July 5. It literally "sat there" (nothing but stubble) until the first of Sept. 'Talk about screwing up a cutting schedule! I thought I"d lost some of it.....but it all made it. Now, it's too late, too wet, and too cold to make hay. 'Cows are gonna get some good grazing this winter!

I knew you guys got hammered worse than we did with the dry weather. I was luckier than most around here. Got a couple of one inch rains in June that were local pop ups (and of course I had hay down both times). Other than that we were dry May 10 to July 20. Still dry down deep, ponds still almost empty but a fine fall growing season.

I ended up taking a break. Didn't set out to, it just happened. Between making hay, hauling hay, revisiting my misspent youth with the ladies, and getting a T9 Cat rock saw at the same time everyone and there brother ran out of time on EQIP contracts I ended up off the computer for weeks at a time.

Glad you made it through the drought ok!!!

It was sort of accidental, lol. I shot my mouth off to my mechanic and he called me a few weeks later from an auction that they had this one. This makes the 5th time Ive quit and gone back. There are three jobs I love above all others on the farm. Mowing with a disc conditioner, running the skid loader, and running the square baler. I'd pay someone to do it for the therapy, lol. Plus, I sold 800 rolls to a rebaler. Good grass squares cant be found here at any price hardly at all.

Stanford isnt far from me, in fact Im within 10 miles of there every week on a hay delivery. As to hauling your way, I dont know right off, more freight goes out than comes in around here by truck. We have good rail access for raw inputs coming in to factories so its somewhat challenging getting an empty going out. I wouldnt care to run it for you but I'd have to get WVA and PA fuel and maybe over dimensional permits. I can check around, most everyone here expediting is at 3.00 a loaded mile at least. Wonder if they can load a flat bed or if it would have to be a trailer with ramps?

I'd be glad to bring it to the house here for you if that would help, it can sit here in machinery row until you get a chance to come get it or find a truck going out.

Glad to hear you have hay to bale. I am still baling fallow ground hay to get enough to feed the cattle.

I love running a discbine and skidsteer too. Dont mind a square baler, but I never had one with a good set of knotters....
I bought the discbine from a William Coleman. Farms a lot of tobacco in the stanford area. Seams like a straight shooter, so the machine will probably sit there till I find trucking. I didnt pay much for it so I bought it sight unseen. Its an 8 ft, so no permits needed for hauling.If you hear of anyone coming this way let me know. Thanks!
Just finished wrapping the wettest nastiest oat baleage ever.Laid 3 days with no rain, but didnt dry one bit. Had to bale it before the hurricane comes through. Had worst time even with the 650. Actually stalled the belts on the drive roll and started smoking them...Bales were so heavy the lift arm on the tanco wrapper couldnt even lift them. Had to help with the skidsteer...I wonder if the steers will even eat it....

They'll eat it, ... I had some wet nasty slimey stuff a few years ago. Similar situation only it was alfalfa in a bottom, weather guesser lied and it was cloudy for 3 days with a week of rain coming. That bottom will stand water until the creek gets below the drain tile outlets. Main thing I found with it was when its that wet it doesnt acidify so it spoils fast when the tube is open. Gets a vile butryic acid fermentation. Ended up selling it to a dairyman. Protein test was 24 pct and his cows ate it but it lasted 3-4 days tops out of the tube.

I'll let you know if I hear of anything. I might see if I can take a gander over that way at what kind of loading set up he has. That will affect what kind of trucking I need to look for. I talked to one hot shot today that hauls wire coils under the radar, they are getting $3.50 per loaded mile for trucks and goosenecks. I know I can run it cheaper than that for you if we can figure out how to get it on my freightliner flat bed straight truck, even with the fuel permits.

David,
Not sure what loading setup the guy has...I will have to give him a call in a week or two when the check clears.