Hay June 2016

It's been a good year for hay, and last week was perfect hay-making weather—dry, hot, and windy. Our hay isn't finished yet. The Brown Farm is still  in progress, but Polecat Creek and Smith Farm are done. Polecat Creek made 75 bales; Smith Farm 72.

Here are pictures of the point and front fields at Polecat Creek Farm and the front field at Smith Farm:

 

 

 

 

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Smith Farm Hay

Hay was cut yesterday on Smith Farm. It was raked and baled today.

The tractor is in place and ready to start raking the front field.

Unraked hay in front field.

Hay partially raked.

Close-up of raked hay

Same field, different view.

Finishing a row.

Hay raked in side field.

Smith cabin behind the side field.

Close-up of hay rake in back field

Raked hay in back field.
The edge f the trees leads downhill to a spring.

Baled hay in front field.

Close-up of a fresh bale.

While clouds piled up during the day, no rain fell. Part of the hay is baled on the Brown Place, but some was too wet to rake. Maybe tomorrow. . . .

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May Hay Day

Our hay is usually cut in June, but Polecat Creek Farm was ready in May.  Yesterday, May 24, was a perfect day to rake and bale the hay that was cut on Friday. The sun was bright, there were few if any clouds. A gentle breeze was blowing.

Raked hay on the point field. 

Another view of point field.

Raking the back field.

Another view of the back field.

Waves of raked hay.

In the top field.

A few rows raked in the top field.

Hay waiting to be raked in the side field.

Baled hay on the point field.

Baled hay on the top field.

Closeup of a bale.

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Just Made It

Hay-baling was done on Polecat Creek Farm. Because the ground was still wet from last week's rains, it had taken the cut hay an extra day to cure out. Saturday and Sunday's bright blue weather had given way to clouds on Monday and and an overcast sky on Tuesday.

Tuesday afternoon, the hay was dry enough to make. My husband raked and his partner followed with the baler. The point field was the first they finished.

The top field—our biggest hayfield—was next. 

In the picture below, you can see my husband raking the hay into windrows for the baler.

When he finished raking the top field, he headed for the side field. 

The unraked hay lay thick.

Soon, under the cloudy sky, he was making some headway . . .

. . . and making some windrows.

I didn't stick around to watch this field being baled. But, when it was done, Polecat Creek Farm produced 57 bales total—which was pretty good. 

Even better, the baling was finished before the rain came—which it did Tuesday night. My husband and his partner finished just in time. 

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Fair Weather Day

Today was the first clear nearly cloudless day we've had since I don't remember when. Absolutely no threat of rain! Look how blue the sky was:

Because Melody has a small hoof abscess, she had been wearing her big blue Davis boot for over a week (with a bandage change mid-way). Now, with the pasture drying, she could up-grade to a bandage made of a diaper, Vet Wrap, and duct tape.

 First I shaped the duct tape and assembled the other materials so they'd be easy to reach.

After removing the boot, my husband held up Melody's hoof while I diapered it (newborn size makes a nice hoof bandage) and wrapped it in purple Vet Wrap.

The I slapped on my duct-tape bandage, pulled the edges up, and added a few more strips of tape to secure it. The duct-tape will help protect the underlying layers.

When we opened the gate, Melody fairly pranced into the pasture where she grazed under a clear blue sky.

Because we're due for several days of clear weather, it was a good day to cut hay on Polecat Creek Farm. This is our point field—and the hay is down. 

Here's another view, taken from the edge of our top field.

Here's the hay being cut in the top field.

. . . and here's hay on the ground.

This evening, we rode by the farm to check on things, and the smell of curing hay was wonderful. My husband will rake it in a day or two.

"Make hay while the sun shines," the old saying goes.  

"And change a horse's hoof bandage," I might add.

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