Putting Up The Hay

It was forecast to rain, so Guv'nor only had a day or two to get the hay put up under shelter. Round bales can be left out, but square bales need to be under cover. They can get too wet and can mold.

Guv'nor was working alone using our trusty Kawasaki Mule. (Where are those farm hands when you need them?) Each bale is densely packed and weighs about 65 pounds. The mule can only carry 6 bales at a time without becoming unstable. That is about 400 pounds of hay at a time.

He had calculated the amount of hay that could be stored in our cow barn. He put boards on the ground to keep the bottom bales off the ground. The front half of the barn could hold 150 bales: 5 wide by 5 high by 6 deep. The back half of the barn held the last 25 bales, along with bales from the first cut. Guv'nor figures he picked up 5 tons of hay! He not only picked up the bales but had to stack them neatly, which was a challenge at times because the bales were irregular. Some had to be lifted above shoulder height! Who needs a gym when you can put up hay by yourself?

We hope we have enough hay now to last us a couple of years and to feed the goats and support the cows we hope to be getting soon. 

Thanks to Guv'nor for all the photos, too.