Loose Hay

Willow Lane · Apr 4, 2022

You don't need to go back in time to see loose hay being harvested. It appears that they gather it when still damp and then finish drying in the barn.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XVxVQwCocB8

The second video shows them baling and bundling the hay

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4YkqOFTfx1w

I can't figure out how to get two links to work in the same post, so copy, paste and enjoy
Untitled URL Link

gene bender · Apr 4, 2022

loose hay does not and never did dry in the barn it better be on the dry side before putting in the barn or you will either have spoioled hay or a big fire

RayP(MI) · Apr 4, 2022

My thoughts exactly, Gene.

showcrop · Apr 4, 2022

You are apparently correct that they are finishing the drying in the barn. They are blowing a lot of air through it. It is certainly a revolutionary way of producing hay, but by reducing the amount of time in the sun the feed value will be higher. Years ago many dairy farmers stacked nearly dry bales on a drying platform that pushed hot air through the bales. When they were dry they were removed and stacked in the barn. Higher fuel and labor costs ended that practice. A high quality dairy ration includes some dry hay for best herd health and production. High quality dry feed reduces the amount of expensive grain needed.

caterpillar guy · Apr 4, 2022

Dad's uncle used to put hay up just a bit wet probably more like a little tough and blow air through it with pipes in the mow. His hay was blown in loose and would dry that way of course the spout could be moved to spread the hay out more over the pipes. Shallow layers with lots of air would dry hay in a mow if there were doors that could be opened.

Timmycornpicker · Apr 4, 2022

I like the 21st century version of the hay carrier.

rustred · Apr 4, 2022

i remember dad used to sprinkle salt in the loose hay as it was stacked.

Ken Macfarlane · Apr 4, 2022

All hay dries in a barn until it reaches the stable value for that climate. Loose fluffy hay dries best, in thin layers. The denser the hay, the slower it dries. Hard core round bales and large squares are so dense they won't naturally dry fast enough to be useful for management of quality at all.

Small squares if not too dense can be spread in a single layer and handle a couple of % higher moisture than if packed into a pile. Loose hay is a couple of % more than that.

Best to monitor 2-3 times a day with moisture meter and temp probe if playing this game with bales, around day 2 things heat up fast if you guessed wrong.

redforlife · Apr 4, 2022

Neighbor must of carried this tactic right on into the days of small bales. He'd put a layer of small bales in the barn, and take to throwing rock salt over the top of them, Another layer of bales, some more rock salt.

Needless to say, the barn no longer has a hay loft in it anymore. After years of salting hay, all the salt completely rusted out all the nails in the loft stringers and flooring boards, and become un-safe. They tore out the loft, and never put it back in.

Kansasredneck · Apr 4, 2022

A hay barn near me went down in the December wind storm. I have purchased a few bales from him. He salts his hay. First I'd heard of it.

Bruce from Can. · Apr 5, 2022

My dairy barn still has a hay dryer in place. We stacked square bales on a false floor, and air was blown through the false floor, and went up through the hay. We dried thousands of bales of hay this way, that otherwise would have been dusty and full of mould, might have even caught fire. Loose hay would dry the same way, but chopped hay settles and packs down tightly if the moisture is high, so air doesnt move well through it.

Loose Hay

Willow Lane

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gene bender

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RayP(MI)

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showcrop

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caterpillar guy

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Timmycornpicker

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rustred

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Ken Macfarlane

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redforlife

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Kansasredneck

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Bruce from Can.

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