So we had 8 tons of hay show up this afternoon. Tom had to scramble to get ready. I had just finished a shift at the hospital at 8:30 AM so tried unsuccessfully to take a nap before the hay arrived. We tried to get help as well. Here is the first 4 tons that are going to go in the hay loft.
And here are the 4 tons that are going into the hay barn. You can see the deep ruts the trailer made as our ground is still not totally dried out.
Here is Tom getting the hay elevator positioned in the hay barn.
These are my essential putting up hay supplies.
So Tom and I did the first 4 tons ourselves. I loaded the ~85# bales onto the hay elevator, and Tom stacked them in the barn. Thankfully, for once, it was not too hot, but it was muggy.
Here is the 4 tons in the hay barn.
At this point Tom’s son arrived after his day of work to help us out. This is Tom moving the hay elevator to the hay loft in our animal barn.
Steve was watching us intently.
I managed not to get any photos of us putting up the next 4 tons in the hay loft. I womanhandled almost every bale, loading them onto the now seriously inclined hay elevator, and Tom and Thomas arranged them in the loft. It was all a lot of hard work, and the bales felt much heavier as the day wore on. Thomas’ friend was supposed to help us too after he got off of work, but he arrived just as we finished. I am impressed that I was able to do this, but I am sure I will be paying a heavy price.
In the past we would put up between 16 and 20 tons of hay in a day. We are trying to downsize. Last year we purchased 10 tons plus three other smaller amounts and had ~1 ton left over. We will be butchering another cow in October, and our old flock is dwindling. We are hoping to be able to make some hay ourselves to get through the winter. But if that doesn’t work out, we will need to be buying some more.
Tomorrow I will get photos of the hay in the loft. It is such a pretty sight!
woo hoo! hay, beautiful hay!
Woo hoo is right!
We’ve got three tons of second cutting to pick up and shoehorn into our barn to join the 265 bales of first cutting we already got and the few tons we had left over from last year, but my mental calculations are telling me we might not have enough. It’s always hard to get it “just right”!
It is hard to figure out the amount and if you are wrong and run out early you have a real problem trying to find hay. Plus the next year’s weather plays a factor, making it even harder to figure out.
Whew! That was a lot of work, especially for you Donna, having just worked your 24 hour shift. I can’t imagine how you did it. How bad were the after-effects?
I know your critters will appreciate that beautiful hay wham winter comes.
That was a lot of work. I wasn’t sure I could do it. I am really tired and sore this morning. We shall see what, if anything, I can get accomplished today. I am hoping I will only have to suffer more than usual today and then I will be at my current baseline. I am glad I got my cardiac stress test last week though.
Well done! I bet it smells wonderful too.
Thank you! It does smell wonderful.