Loose Hay Stacks

A little off topic but related to buck rakes and hay stackers. Does anyone know where to find instructions on how to build a loose hay stack to withstand the weather? I understand it is more of an art than a science.

Thanks
Pat

After he moved to ND, he figured JD would never find out so he made one each for himself, my Dad and an uncle. My first job in the hayfield was driving the team that pulled the load of hay up and over to dump the hay on top of the stack. My two older brothers kept the stack tromped and level.

Dad ran the horse drawn bucker. If the horses tried to run away, he'd step off the back seat that balanced the bucker and let those long teeth jab into the ground - - that stopped a runaway real quick.

In the winter, we used a team-drawn sleigh with a big hay rack on it. We used a hay knife to slice down through the stack for ease of loading with a fork.

Dad got a Case hand-tie wire baler in 1946; that was the end of making stacks of loose hay for us.

Mower and rake later modernized by making hitch for tractor.

KEH

Here's the hard part:

Put the hired man, the wife, your son, a salesman or any available warm body on the pile with a pitchfork with instructions to "Tromp it down while pulling the hay out to the edges and corners".

Continue setting the hay on the pile with the loader. At about 17 or 18 feet tall, hollar up and tell 'em to start bringing the edges "in" to form a rounded "roof".

Last step is to let the hired help down off the stack by riding the loader head down.

Under no circumstances should you ever take the pitchfork into your own hands. :>)

Allan

steveormary