Getting Hay

The next day after barcoding the sheep, hay was ready to move.

While we have a hay baler and other haying equipment we used in the past, making enough hay for our needs now is problematic from a time and hayfield standpoint.  Eventually we will get back to it, but for now we are buying hay.  This is the third year we brought hay out of a hayfield just east of Picayune, 22 miles away from the house (a little less than 30 minutes drive).

For over the past month or two, it's been raining nearly every day.  Impossible hay production weather.  Finally there was a patch of hot, dry weather.   On Saturday, we got a call from Brian, he's cut hay and would start baling the next day.  We would need to get the bales out of the field before the rain started up again.  Quickly. 

Months ago Jeffrey bought a trailer frame to rebuild into a hay hauling trailer. 

After some welding, rebuilding the axles, mounting new lights, wiring, painting and cutting oak planks for the deck, it was ready to go.  Well ready enough to haul hay, with some more work to do later. 

With Jeffrey's truck and trailer and my new truck and old trailer we hauled 142 bales of hay back to the farm, last load in at 2:00 AM Monday morning. 

Monday afternoon, the last of the hay was in barns, under cover, with storms threatening rain all around us.