The Accidental Smallholder Forum
Smallholding => Land Management => Topic started by: toaster on June 29, 2012, 05:54:48 pm
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I have about 1.5 acres of long weedfree grass. My local paddock maintenance chap advises its not really worth trying to find a contractor to deal with baling such a small area
He is happy to top it for me though
Is it possible to gather up at least some of the grass and dry it in 'boxes' made from pallets with solid roofs?
We only used about 6 bales of hay last winter so if we could make a similar amount ourselves we could be self sufficient in hay
Or is it just too much hard work?
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you could certainly make a few more than 6 bales before getting exhausted and abandoning the rest. But I would be tempted to cut it by hand (with a scythe), as toppers arent hay mowers (more violent and dont cut as close to the ground as a hay mower) and they bruise the grass quite a bit, which can lead to problems if you try to make hay as fermentation can be rapid.
Makes sure your bale containers are (i)raintight and (ii) allow a lot of ventilation (tricky balance to achieve outside of a building)
But theres no reason at all why you shouldnt make nice hay, much better than the stuff you can buy.
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Ok, I am interested in this.
More the scythe than the hay (I use too much to make hay by hand myself, though I like the idea of making some 'treat' bales for the goats ;D)
But I am very sick of trying to start my petrol strimmer and then the noise when I use it, which I find stressful.
Can anyone recommend a good scythe for a 5'6" female and how hard is it to learn to do?
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Oh yes I can Jay Kay. I love my scythe - its beatifully light and totally set up for me (Im 5' 4") Didnt take long to get the hang of as it comes with a really useful booklet (I wish I could afford to go on one of his courses mind you). It's from http://www.thescytheshop.co.uk (http://www.thescytheshop.co.uk/) and Simon will sort you out with the right handle and blade/blades for your purpose (ideally a different blade for haymaking / rough weed choping). I recon I could cut an acre or 2 no problem - but the turning and stacking would be a killer for me - but with a few mates (beer and a barbie for bribery). Once youve got into a rythm (and as long as you stop to sharpen quite regularly), its very satisfying and theraputic.
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Oh yes :thumbsup: thank you :-*
I'm going to get one. Mainly it'll be weed chopping for me too, I can't tell you how much I loathe that strimmer. I'm a real fan of quiet ;D
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thanks for the link fib.
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I remember as a young child 1950's in Ireland my friends mother, Father and uncle cutting hay with a syth (spelt wrong) and building hay stacks by hand. It was a small meadow only a few acres at the most.
As it looked hard work for the adults, my friend , his sister and myself made cages ot of reeds in which we put small frogs. The frogs were all released.
I suppose its possible but if you got the cash buy in.
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I got my Scythe from the scythe shop too. It's fabulous. I just spent an evening topping docks with it. I like that I can just take out the dock in a clump of grass and leave most of the grass intact and can wander about the fields in blissful silence ;D
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Toaster - I can't quite picture the 'boxes' you mention. The usual way to make hay is to leave it where it falls, whether mown with a scythe or a powered mower, then to turn it each day with a pitchfork or tedder until it's dry. Once dry you can either stack it loose or bale it, either by hand or machine.
If you are making hay by hand it would be best not to be too ambitious about the area you mow in one go.
So far this year it doesn't look as if we will ever get enough dry weather to make hay here - we usually make ours in late July.
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I posted something about making hay and bales by hand not so long ago. I used a large cardboard box ( light to carry about) and layed 2 lengths of string in it before packing the hay in. after tieing it of I tipped it out and tied it length ways. I made 10 in about 40 minutes I guess. Hot work though. The grass was very tall so and I think that the long grass made the job easie - less effort to turn and fork up into the box - and it baled well (tight)
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I'm interested in making a hay stook like they still do in places like Romania. Amazing things. But try hard work.
I too have an Austrian scythe from Simon Fairlie. They are fantastic and very contemplative.
http://www.leafpile.com/TravelLog/Romania/Farming/MakingaHaystack/MakingHaystack.htm (http://www.leafpile.com/TravelLog/Romania/Farming/MakingaHaystack/MakingHaystack.htm)
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Does no-one watch the Victorian Farmer series then? Shame on you. A real wealth of information for those who shun (or can't afford) much mechanisation. Apart from that, power equipment is so noisy it upsets our chickens.
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we are going to make about half acre of loose hay, cut the grass with long handled hedge cutter rake and fork about for a few days . I shall stack it loose on pallets and cover to keep dry.so all we need now is some summer weather and cider! :fc:
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Does no-one watch the Victorian Farmer series then? Shame on you. A real wealth of information for those who shun (or can't afford) much mechanisation. Apart from that, power equipment is so noisy it upsets our chickens.
Some of the topics on V Farm are available as clips on youtube too. Altho I guess for totally hand harvested hay we would be looking at the first (and best) series, Tales from the Green Valley, which was set in the 1600s in the reign of King James. By far the best, esp the voiceover and music, which is wonderful! (and the amazing setting)
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Some of the topics on V Farm are available as clips on youtube too. Altho I guess for totally hand harvested hay we would be looking at the first (and best) series, Tales from the Green Valley, which was set in the 1600s in the reign of King James. By far the best, esp the voiceover and music, which is wonderful! (and the amazing setting)
Do you have a copy? Could I borrow it ;D
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Do you have a copy? Could I borrow it ;D
Too precious to let out of my sight!.....But Amazon have it for a tenner
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-From-The-Green-Valley/dp/B000BND09Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341141936&sr=8-1 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Tales-From-The-Green-Valley/dp/B000BND09Y/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1341141936&sr=8-1)
and you can get it and Vict Farm together as a bundle too for less than £15
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Victorian-Tales-Green-Valley-Collection/dp/B002GP7Q18/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341141936&sr=8-2 (http://www.amazon.co.uk/Victorian-Tales-Green-Valley-Collection/dp/B002GP7Q18/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1341141936&sr=8-2)
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I make hay by hand each year :)
The grass is cut with a push along strimmer and I leave it to dry in the sun, its usually ready by the next day's afternoon. Its raked into rows and then the rows are raked into a big pile of hay.
I use a feed bin (or black rubbish bin) and lay the bailer twin inside it in a X shape with the bits hanging out the end. The hay is then stuffed in until pretty solid, the string is tied and the bale lifted out, its hard work but the bales do stay together.
I used to use a cardboard box but the hay can be compacted much more in a solid feed bin.
I have to admit that this will probly be the last year we have made hay, due to us needing the grass for grazing and being supplied with big bale hay for free. So not much point in making it any more
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What a good idea - We have hay drying and rather than use a cardboard box I will borrow the re-cycle bin. Bit warm to gather too much tomorrow but I want to try the technique you describe.
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:thumbsup: great!
If you stand it up near somewhere or hold onto someone's shoulders then its easy to stamp it right down. Although my bother uses the "sit in bin" method and squishes it down that way...
We got 19 bin size bales from a 3rd of an acre, trying to find a photo but seem to have lost them...
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have a look on utube
http://youtu.be/Cs8qiucZZx0 (http://youtu.be/Cs8qiucZZx0)
and
http://youtu.be/VLikshKMi_I (http://youtu.be/VLikshKMi_I)
Or if you want to build an old fashioned hay rick in a high wind get a large woman and build it in her lee :innocent:
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I pick up my scythe today ;D
The trouble with that technique Tizz is that I would be both the woman and the person building the stack :-J
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before machinery were invented all hay and harvesting was done by hand
and it was the woman or a lot of them that did the binding stooking and stacking with the children helping
scything in the morning was more productive than during the day it has to be cut before it can be air dried every stage has to be just right or it will just decay even baled out of stacks it can heat as it is compressed tighter :farmer:
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I pick up my scythe today ;D
Oh that's three reasons to come and see you soon! :D Well, as soon as it's dry enough to play with the scythe and the quaddie topper. Whenever that will be... Hey ho, just as well there's a third reason, huh :D
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Haven't even tried to get the quad topper started! That might be a summer holiday project. Just managed to get the strimmer going, I was going to say nasty, noisy thing but at least it started and it does round the rocks and walls which would damage a scythe. Might have to acquire a sickle too for the small fiddly bits ;D
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Ok, I have brought home my scythe and tried it out on the very lush rye grass that substitutes for my lawn ;)
Didn't think I was doing amazingly well until I raked up the grass I'd mowed, which was a lot! It's knackering mind you, I need to develop the arm muscles that I need to sharpen the blade and my back and stomach muscles for turning it.
Do I like it better than strimming - oh yes! But I can only do about 5 minutes at a time at the moment. Still, this could be the new green gym - by the end of the summer I might have scythed myself a waist and my deltoids will be as disgraceful as my biceps :D
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Do I like it better than strimming - oh yes! But I can only do about 5 minutes at a time at the moment. Still, this could be the new green gym - by the end of the summer I might have scythed myself a waist and my deltoids will be as disgraceful as my biceps :D
;D ;D ;D
And there's your diversification - green gym!!
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Found this lovely site whilst looking for a nearby 'improvers' course (I need to get onto peening and I'm sure there is a lot more I can improve in terms of technique/postureto increase my stamina). Cant wait till the 28th. Anyone interested in a Hay making course in North wales (Ive asked him if he wants to put one on at our place)? I'm so miffed I missed the hay making 'social' on Sunday.
http://scythecymru.wordpress.com/hand-hay-making/ (http://scythecymru.wordpress.com/hand-hay-making/)
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I have made half acre of hay from saturday through to wednesday,2-3 hours a day .I cut it with hedgetrimmer and turned with rake and fork,.With the help of my dad and son we loaded it on a large taupaulin dragged it down to stack loose on pallets.Hard work but hopefully worth it,smells lush.
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My ex-husband and I once cut a one acre field with a scythe, turned it by hand and carried it all home, bit by bit.......on the back of his motor-bike. So, anything can be done if you're determined :)
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We have just got our neighbour to top a couple of areas of overgrown grass in two pastures. It was long and altough we turmed the thicker areas we didnt manage to get it all fully dry before the rains were due last night. We decided to rake it all up and stuff it into those big open sacks that you get building materials in and wheelbarrow it into the stables to finish drying off.
We can toss it and turn it in there and hopefully it will finish off in there without moulding.
The areas of cut pasture are part of a lagrer area of grazing that will soon have sheep on it. Is there anything that I can do to give the cut area a boost before the sheep go in it?
:farmer:
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I reckon it will ping up with fresh green grown quicker than you ever expect, ours certainly does, and once the sheep go on it their dung will accelerate that process. You might feel mean for a day or two but there will be no shortage of food after a few days.
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I'll be interested to hear how you get on drying your hay inside, Buffy. Hereabouts I'm told we need sun and wind (or at least, breeze) to dry hay, or a fan to make a draught if barn-drying. But we're a lot cooler and more moist up here, I suppose.
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The majority of it is dry ( about 70%) its just that it was a bit thick in places an laid a bit heavy. Drying in doors is not ideal but we have a week of rain forcast so its better than leaving it out.
Our stables are in a block like a big barn which has lots of air circulation so I hope it will work. Basically its got two choices ;) It should have been cut a week earlier really but I was in hospital so we have missed the very hot spell two weeks ago.
I will let you know how we get on with it but tossing it and turning it will be the only way to get the air to it.
The cut grass looks better for the rain and only half of each pasture has been cut so the sheep will have something to eat while it flushes through.
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sorry to disappoint you but sally is right with what she says you will need a very good current of air blowing through your shed to dry it out and even then it wont dry out completely as some will heat and go mouldy :farmer:
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Its one of the things I love about over here....LOADs of scythes and people who use them (Sadly not me yet...the one I bought needs hammering then sharpening or so Im told and its on the 'to do' list)
round here its a lovely mix of the 1940's/50's and very modern high tec farming!
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Local farmer makes for his sheep by hand, he builds the old fashioned hay stack and puts cover and nets over them.
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We have an Allen scythe, where the (3ft?) blade is across the front of a little engine, handles from the back. It's slow but steady, gives a good regular cut.
I started to make some hay last year, with rake and pitchfork, doing OK, then got a contractor in for the main fields, so didn't bother finishing mine, I wish I had, contractor brought a lot in still wet, goats sensibly won't touch it, but what do I do with it?. probably about 20-25 bales.
My thoughts on hand made hay.
It needs turning at least twice a day, rowed up before the evening damp, spread when dew dries off. Don't leave any long grass, spreading hay onto this seems to draw moisture out of the living grass, dampening the hay. needs longer than 2 days round here, like Sally, air is often damper in these parts (Pennines).
I have goat books which show a 'wigwam' (ash poles?)where you build hay round and up to make a high mound. I had some chestnut paling fence which I ran 2 lengths out, interlocking the tops to make a long tunnel, piled grass up and over that so air could get underneath and through. I still shook it up every day when it was dry, it was doing OK till I made the mistake of abandoning it for the contractors efforts. I think I'll try again this year, if it ever stops raining.
I also use the large box idea, again from a goat book. if you stamp it down in the box, pull and tie strings tightly (re-use baleband) it holds its shape, like a miniture hay bale.
It's a lovely feeling shaking the hay out on a lovely summer(?) day, with only the sound of sheep and a distant tractor. Unless of course there are dark clouds coming over the hills :(
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I have a stable full of dry hay and another stable which had dry hay mixed with some not quite dry bits in it. This has now been turned and had the moist bits removed by tossing to sift out the lumps of green which are easy to spot. Hillbilly is quite right. The reason that I have some bits that didnt dry is that the topper left some strips uncut and these prevented the cut grass that laid over them from drying out fully.
Sallyint, you are right that wet grass will not dry indoors but the bits that I have had begun to dry so will be spread thinly on the stablefloor and turned. Any that is still holding sufficient moisture to heat up, yellow or moulder is disguarded and any that continues to dry out sufficiently gets added to the rest of the dry hay in the next stable.
Its all very time consuming I suppose but very rewarding at the same time. Though I'm not sure that using a topper counts as making hay by hand?