Mystang's Homesteading Circus

[animalmom]

You sir are truly blessed.

 

[Bruce]

The second video is more of what was supposed to happen.

Unfortunately it looks to be the same video as the first but I'll take your word for it that the process improved to where it worked as it should

You did have quite a set of trials but you had some all new to you "environments" and things to learn. Hopefully you or one of the kids took notes on how to set up the equipment for various grass types so it will be easier next time around.

All in all, a job well done. Now, when are you going to jack the house up 2 feet so you can get to the next plumbing problem?

 

[mystang89]

Unfortunately it looks to be the same video as the first but I'll take your word for it that the process improved to where it worked as it should

this is what I get for posting this at 12am after a day of work lol. Thanks for the notice. It's been corrected and here's the correct one.

Hopefully you or one of the kids took notes on how to set up the equipment for various grass types so it will be easier next time around.

Excellent advice! That is definitely on the to do list as soon as I get a few moments. I was thinking of doing just that. Having a journal for tractor settings, garden times, hay times etc. This will help me and the children in the future.

Now, when are you going to jack the house up 2 feet so

When I'm 6 feet under, this that crawl space will then be 7feet above me.

 

[thistlebloom]

Mystang, I sure enjoy reading your journal! I love your perseverance and your humor. Sorry about the plumbing issue. My husband would rather walk over hot coals than deal with plumbing. He does do the plumbing of course, but it makes him very grumpy.

You have a fine family. Loved the videos.

 

[farmerjan]

I am in AWE of your perseverance through the trials. And yes, every field is different, every type of hay/grass is different, every time you cut it will dry differently, especially with the varying humidity levels. Yes they pick up dew from the ground, and are "wet" .
Your cutter does not "crimp the hay" as it goes out the back I am sure.... so the thicker stalks will not respire as fast, will not dry as fast.
Older balers will have problems with the knotters. They wear. We had ours completely reworked and spent over $500 but it ties like it should now. When you are doing 2-3,000 you just don't have time for it. We were having about every 10-20th bale not tie on one side, had to take it apart and rebale. I can fully sympathize.

My boss in Ct when I went to work on the dairy, and learned to mow then bale hay.... told me something VERY HELPFUL and IMPORTANT. Keep your RPM'S UP and SLOW DOWN YOUR GROUND SPEED. He said, gear it down while keeping the rpm's up will make the baler work faster as you are going slower and it will not get clogged up nearly as fast. Some balers can tolerate some "wetter" hay.... meaning higher moisture in the hay, not actually wet.... Some balers will not tolerate any moisture.

Yes you will have to readjust the tension for each different kind of hay, and even different moisture in the air. Bales need to be a little looser if the moisture is higher so they are not as compacted. They will heat and cause a fire if they don't stop up the baler as you found out.
The hay grabber/forks is different from any I have ever seen. But it did seem to work pretty good once you got it figured out. I like it. BUT again, it is ALOT OF WORK. As you are finding out.

If I had known you were going to try to cut a field that had been bush hogged, I would have told you to keep the cutter up high as there is so much "junk" from the bush hogging that will just jam it up, and get all caught up in it. All that dead grass/hay/weeds will make it a mess to try to cut through. The best thing to do now that you have cut and baled it, go back over it with a bush hog at very slow ground speed, bush hog running fast, and try to chop the left stuff up into smaller pieces...like grinding it up.... cut it as close to the ground as you can.... like mulching it more. It will eventually rot down into the soil.
Yes, cutting a field that you don't know, with low spots, swales, gullies and ROCKS, will tear up equipment. A new bar is very expensive as you had to find out. The best thing you can do is to make a "diary" of each field.... and if you aren't good at remembering, as I am not, then to even draw yourself a map to try to jog your memory before you go in there again. We have gone so far as to use old "cones" that they use on the roads for the state workers, like to make you go into one lane and such..... and perched them on top of rocks in some fields. But when we tear up a set of cutters on a discbine.... it is 1,000 a set where the turtle shell they attach to gets busted up. 8 sets to our discbine.... blades are a couple hundred a set.... but you can turn them around and use the other side if they only get the edge chewed up or they get dull. Can't do that when they get broken off. If you go to any farm sales, look for old cutter bars, most farms had a couple for spares, and try to pick a couple up.

Your daughter looks so proud of herself driving the tractor. Good for her and good for you in letting/teaching her to do it. It will make driving a car, a lot easier down the road.

 

[farmerjan]

We buy shear pins by the dozen or by the box. Don't feel like you are the only one.....they are supposed to break so you don't tear up something really expensive in the flywheel or pick up or the sweep..... be thankful they are breaking. It is telling you that something isn't right. As you found out about there being some "wet hay" in it. We call it "green hay" or green spots...... EVERYONE GETS THEM.

Also, congratulations on the new baby. So sorry she seems to be "defective"..... maybe you just haven't found the proper button to push to hit the "mute".....
God Bless you both.... but especially your wife because that will wear you out and work on your nerves.

 

[mystang89]

When you are doing 2-3,000 you just don't have time for it.

Wow! I couldn't imagine doing that many plus having the twine break or not tie on you then having to redo them again. It already takes forever just with 100 ish. There's simply no way you'd be able to finish before it rained.

Keep your RPM'S UP and SLOW DOWN YOUR GROUND SPEED.

I learned that one through trial and error. I keep it in low first gear full throttle. Only time I do different is when I'm just picking up the straggling hay.

But it did seem to work pretty good once you got it figured out. I like it. BUT again, it is ALOT OF WORK. As you are finding out.

Compared to having to take 3 bales in a front loader, be lifted up almost to the hay loft door, the try to lift up one at a time and toss it over the lip. This is much easier lol.

The best thing to do now that you have cut and baled it, go back over it with a bush hog at very slow ground speed, bush hog running fast, and try to chop the left stuff up into smaller pieces...like grinding it up.... cut it as close to the ground as you can.... like mulching it more. It will eventually rot down into the soil.

That's exactly what I've done. I went over his pasture with a finish mower and will continue to for the rest of the grass season. This will weaken the weeds and stalky grasses and encourage the prairie grass to grow in it's place. Might have to do the same to half the pasture next year as well but time will tell.

We have gone so far as to use old "cones" that they use on the roads for the state workers, like to make you go into one lane and such..... and perched them on top of rocks in some fields

That is a great idea!

It will make driving a car, a lot easier down the road.

Lol, perhaps in a few years. She had it in first gear low with no gas, just troggling along. Even then she would daze off or look at the neighbors and start to drift towards the side of the road lol.

We buy shear pins by the dozen or by the box.

The baler came with a bunch of shear pins when I bought it and I didn't know why. I took them out and thought I'd use them for some projects around the house.... They are now back in the baler lol.

 

[farmerjan]

Just a bit of advice. Make sure you buy shear pins.... so they do break. They are designed for that. Do not ever use a hardened bolt, did that once in desperation and nearly tore the baler apart because it did not shear off.

 

[Bruce]

It's been corrected and here's the correct one.

Looks like everything is working as it was designed to do over 100 years ago I assume the hay door also works as designed? Nice that you had your hay stackers up top.

When I'm 6 feet under, this that crawl space will then be 7feet above me.

I had a crawl space like that at this house. In places it was "Army style" belly crawl only. Occasionally push a piece of ancient firewood out of the way. Never enough headroom to actually crawl on hands and knees. Then we found out there were so many problems with the foundation and other parts of that piece of house it was totally gutted and a new foundation dug. It is now comfortable "knee crawl" height. The only original parts of the house are the 5 sided hand hewn ridge pole, 5 hand hewn posts, the 2 hand hewn top plates, 1.5 of the beams that tie the sides together and most of the angle braces. This, of course, was NOT the plan when we bought the place.

 

[Mini Horses]

I built my current house and knew I would be the one going under there most of the time. I have a height that I can sit up under! Lovely & dry. Also had a way wider & deeper footing put in.....just not wanting settling issues. So far, so good. 20 yrs. Hard to believe i's been that long.