Mystang's Homesteading Circus

[Baymule]

That sucks. I'm really sorry.

 

[Bruce]

Very sorry to hear it. IF it is meningeal worm, your other animals should be fine, it won't be transmitted to them since the normal life cycle was interrupted by them being in the wrong host.

 

[mystang89]

What do you do with moldy hay that is still in windrows @farmerjan ?

 

[farmerjan]

I am assuming that you had raked some hay, then it got rained on, and probably got more than one rained on time. We will tedd it out and sometimes if the windrows are thick, have to tedd it more than once. Now all according to the situation, as to what we do with it. If it is very light, have just left it tedded out to just "rot" back into the grass. If it is thick, we will rake it, once dry, then roll it, and then use it for mulch hay. We have actually rolled out a complete roll for cows to lay on in the field in the cold of winter or if it is very wet/muddy. Moldy hay is not "feedable" and animals normally do not want to eat it. Basically, it is bedding, but we only use it out in the open, rolled out in a field, not in a barn. Even dried, mold spores can make them sick, and will make a human sick just from handling it. It will make great mulch in the garden, anywhere you are trying to improve the soil. You could just rake it up and pile it near/or even in your next year's garden and leave it. The top layers will dry out some by the time you want to use it in the spring and can be used as normal mulch. The very bottom layers will already be turning into top soil by the worms. We had alot of hay get wet last year with all the rain all summer, and there were some moldy spots in some of the bales. The cows will normally just pick around it and lay on the crappy stuff.

 

[mystang89]

Thank you very much. That's pretty much what happened. Got rain, the day of sun, let it dry that day and flipped it, next day rain, next day rain, next day rain. Apparently it doesn't take long for hay to mold but it's good to know that so that work isn't going to be going to waste at least.

I think I'll take my baler out there and bale just to try to get my bales the size I want them for next year, then I'll put it in the garden over the winter.

 

[mrs.mystang89]

@mystang89, I want to say thank you for all of your hard work and dedication that you put in day to day. I know that things have been harder than usual lately on the farm but your strength and encouragement is why the rest of us will "keep on keeping on". I love you!

 

[mystang89]

@mystang89, I want to say thank you for all of your hard work and dedication that you put in day to day. I know that things have been harder than usual lately on the farm but your strength and encouragement is why the rest of us will "keep on keeping on". I love you!

Thanks hun. I love you much! I'll make some chicken just for you when you get home.

 

[mystang89]

On another subject, the children started home school again. They are taking to it MUCH better than myself. They are normally up before 7am, have or at least have started their assignments by the time I get up and have a generally positive attitude about it. Afterwards, if there is work to be done on the farms they are normally my shadows. I just wish shadows could lift as much as myself lol

 

[Baymule]

I made every footstep my Daddy did. I learned much, tagging along at his heels. Your children have a life rich in real life experiences. They learn more than just school. They will grow up Blessed in being able to live on a farm and having time with their parents.

 

[mystang89]

I went ahead and baled the hay yesterday and used that time to "fine tune" the baler so the bales wouldn't come out so lose next spring when I hopefully get to bake the hay then. It worked out fairly well to. The bales started to come out packed and not loose. Heavy as all get out but I'm going to say that was because of how wet it was. I'll get them picked up out of the pasture today or tomorrow and throw them in the garden for when I do my fall tilling.

There really isn't much else that makes my heart as happy as seeing the children in the field with me working on the hay. I don't know exactly what it is about it, but I thoroughly enjoy it.