Anyone know about hay baling?

Question

Last year I had a guy bale my field in my front yard because there were too many large mounds of clumped cut grass and I couldn't mow over it from the year before. I told him to go ahead and bale it (I don't get a percentage of the bales). I just wanted the clumps removed. It yielded him 17 large round bales last year.

He just got done baling this year. I think he baled early in hopes of getting another batch around September too.

But the thing is: when he went to actually bale the hay, now there are long rows of clumped grass all the way across the yard that didn't get picked up by the baler, which defeats the whole purpose of wanting him to do it in the first place.

Why can't a baler pick ALL of it up rather than leaving rows of cut grass everywhere? Does anyone know about baling?

Answer 1

The reasons a baler won't pick up all the hay is because the operator is careless and not keeping the row centered in the baler pickup or the baler itself is missing pickup teeth.  If the man plans on another crop later this year it is in his own best interests to clean it up.  It will be very difficult to mow with those old windrows of hay and he won't want that old black moldy hay in his bales.

Answer 2

I used to follow and load the hay on trucks and trailers when I was a kid...........but do not remember hay all over........that was the idea..........to cut and clean your fields so they are healthy........the only time you may have a problem is on tight corners........and you know why from watching.........turning radius.......sooooooooooo

Answer 3

Baling is a three step process after cutting the hay must be raked to insure proper drying and to pull the thatch from close to the ground up to the surface. The bailer will not pick up thatch and wet grass close to the surface it is very important that you go ahead and rake your field even now if possible or the thatch will cause bald spots and possibly spread fungus to spread through your crop