[AT] Small square hay bales?

[Bill Bruer]

My bales are 36" long, and tight.  In clean orchard grass, they run 50-55
lbs.  If there's some clover mixed in they may go 60 lbs.  As others have
said, the 36" length makes for good stacking anywhere.  It especially works
well in the utility-style trailers so many people use that have a 6' wide
bed.  My customers seem happy with the weight.  It's about as much as most
want to handle and they can see they're not buying a lot of air.  The
hauling crew is quick to tell me if I'm giving the customers too much of a
good value  8>)

Spencer mentioned how quickly hay can pick up moisture from humidity
increases in the air.  When that happens, we say that the hay is going "in
case".  We see it happen almost every evening, well before there is any
actual dew, and that is the time to stop baling for the day.  It may also
happen when there is an approaching storm.  Is anyone else familiar with
this expression?


Bill Bruer
Murfreesboro, TN


----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Robinson" <robinson at svs.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Thursday, April 08, 2004 9:55 AM
Subject: [AT] Small square hay bales?


>     When I bale hay I tend to make fairly large "very"
>tight bales. I haven't ever weighed any of them but suspect
>most run around 70 to 80 pounds or more out of the baler.
>Maybe I'll go weigh one this evening after I get done
>planting some hay.
>     I was just curious what size small bales any of you
>that bale are making? What length do you shoot for? And how
>much do they weigh.
>     How about some of you that buy hay?
>    I have heard a few people complain about bales being
>too heavy for them. I know that they are getting too heavy
>for me...      I am going to shorten mine a little this year
>to get the weight down but don't want to go too short. I
>still want them tight. I hate bales that are sloppy and keep
>falling apart and a tight bale holds feed value better.
>     I am finding that a lot of my hay buyers are ladies and
>some have trouble with the weight.
>
<snip>
>
>"farmer"