the basics of baling and storing hay

It's time to bale hay! In this video I cover the basics of baling and storing hay. I review how square and round balers work, how to check the hay to see if it's ready to bale, baling the hay, and knowing when the hay is ready to load into the barn. I use an International 656 diesel hydro tractor and a Farmall 504 tractor to do the work, as well as a Gehl 1860 round baler.
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[@markbuilt]

Brings back memories , when I was a kid we had a family small farm . My Dad did the baling 12,000 small bales , older brother did the raking I did the cutting . First with a 7 foot mower and then a Massey self propelled swather . My dad hired 4 high school guys plus the Barber boys Billy ( flyers) and Tommy to load and haul load after load . Our haying started the day school was out for summer and ended 2 weeks before school started in the fall . By the by my Dad passed away 6 years ago at 87 years young and was still putting up 170 to 200 big core 6ft round bales . My brothers and I still have the equipment and for the last 5 years I took over the drivers seat in the hay making but not to the scale of years before . Thanks for the info and sorry about being long winded. Be safe

[@sail72]

What a wonderful authentic post. God bless your father and the FLYERS!

[@alan30189]

Cool stuff! Thanks for sharing your experience.

[@donaldfornasiere1100]

Kay

[@brandywineblue]

Not at all! It was a joy to hear a family working together with neighbors. May your father rest in peace. God bless you

[@RockhillfarmYT]

As someone who records videos on a tractor you are honestly phenomenal narrating These

[@dalefullenkamp8001]

From a 5th generation farmer from Midwest Ohio thank you for the information given in the video. I just graduated high school last year and have been buying equipment and getting myself into farming through baling straw and hay and raising bottle calves. I couldn’t agree more with your statement on making hay like a real farmer with a cabless tractor. Thank you again for the great content!

[@longlowdog]

Glory be! Someone who knows the chemistry of bales. When I heard you say anaerobic I knew I'd found someone I could watch without shouting at. Regards from Scotland.

[@MyClutteredGarage]

What a great series! Thank you for your great presentation style. A lot of work! -Ed

[@davidnaegle5911]

I bucked "small" hay bales in Wyoming as a teenager in the 70's, I'm humbled to hear you and your wife put up thousands of bales alone! Thanks for the videos, you have a great delivery style.

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Thank you David!

[@llamawrangler8964]

AND .... 50 years later .... a wife/husband duo bucked 14"x18"x3' (1400) grass bales off 30 acres taking 5 days. AND ... these two .... where 69 years old. No membership in any athletic facility needed. we call it "Ranch Therapy".

[@richardmuntz3496]

Excellent explanations. I use a 5209 grey NI discbine. It takes a few more horsepower, so I used my 986 that I traded services for. It has a lot of blow by, and either needs a valve job or in frame overhaul. I rake with a Gehl wheel rake and a gas 656. I used to use my M, but I like the power steering on my 656. I bale with a 4020 hooked to a JD 447. The 4020 was my first tractor on the farm 22 years ago and will never leave. I found an old GMC 7000 flat bed with a hoist that will haul 11 bales. That sure beats pulling them off the wagon. I can load in the field, haul it a mile and a half and dump in front of the barn. As a member of ffa (father farms alone) that helps. My wife has asthma, so no hay work for her. Your system and mine are remarkably similar, except that we have highlands rather than dexters. Farming beats working for a living any day. I do get a bit jealous of my daughter and son in law, who have over 4k acres and very large, very nice, very expensive, and very comfortable equipment. I enjoy helping them, but I do like my old equipment. My Farmall M and I were born the same year, and my Ford 8N is a year older than I am. I hope to last another 10 years at it.

[@bradr8717]

I learned to cut and bale hay (in northern Kansas where it's dry and windy) with a self-propelled swather that cut the grass and left it in a windrow. My buddy ran that while I chased him with a little White tractor pulling a square bailer and a 6-bale wagon. When the 6th bale was complete the wagon dumped the bales as a set. We'd then use a tractor with a square front load pickup that would pick up the 6 bales and they'd be stacked on the wagon. We rarely had to touch a bale. My buddy's dad had a hay farm where he put up 70,000 bales per season. I also made extra spending money for several years bucking bales on other farms. Never made a lot of money but my favorite job was on an old preacher's farm who at the end of the day provided all the ice cream we sweaty boys could eat. Good days, great memories.

[@AngeliqueKaga]

I'm not a farmer, but I do enjoy watching you work you're farm.

[@frankcadillac9151]

Very informative Pete, if I didn't read your history would have guessed you were/are a teacher.

[@84953]

He might not be a teacher in the strictest sense of the word (college education and degree), but he is an educator.

[@arturobarbosa6744]

Arquitecto!!!

[@robertgonzales5515]

Good video. My sweet wife helped me cut and bale hay for 20 years . she knows how your feels. thank you and God Bless.

[@darrelpatzner9926]

We had a Gehl 1450. I miss the farm. Dad decided to sell out in 1988. The year of the drought in western Wisconsin. That baler did a amazing job

[@AaronDwyer]

I never knew what went into making hay. What an involved process. And the inventors that come up with farm machinery never ceases to amaze me. Great video series.

[@michaelclever9864]

Use to bale my grandfather's farm with my dad. We baled approx 30 acres. Just the two of us. Now im trying to bale 20 with a friend and wishing dad was still young enough to help or give advice. Thankfully I found your series! So much info but not too much. Great job!

[@ES-zt8sj]

Well done. I have never heard such a thorough explanation of making hay. Not even on the internet!

[@chrisjanes15]

loved seeing the old baler in action! interesting how they work without all the electronics to activate the prcoesses

[@Vickihuskey]

I appreciate your clear explanations of all your equipment! Your awesome!

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Thanks Vicki!!

[@g.r.4853]

Love that shirt, I live 15 or 20 miles from Syracuse and when I was a teen on the farm 6 or so decades back there was only square bales, well rectangle which we had to stack in the barnexplanation on round bales was terrific.

[@jarrett2800]

This is one of the most thorough explanation of hay baling videos I have seen. Great video. Thanks.

[@allenmeinhold7038]

What great videos, Thank you Sir! Butch Ashland Ohio

[@CaptK-py8rq]

I don't miss throwing small bales for a nickel a piece when we were kids. Great presentation, I had made all the grand kids watch at first, now they look forward to your videos!

[@rnagel54]

Thanks so much for your videos- you do a great job- and remember- never in the history of the world have so many people been so well fed by so few farmers for such little money

[@anitaculp683]

Another great video!!! I just have a “feel good “ feeling when I have hay in the barn for winter!! Thank you for sharing.

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Me too Anita!

[@jackallen7680]

I really appreciate how you explain how all the machinery works; and how you show the whole process of making hay. Thank's a lot!

[@SeattlePioneer]

I live on a single family lot in urban Seattle, but videos like this have helped me manage my property better. I like to compost, and have ample room to do that--- I currently have three 4x4x4 spaces i use for composting. I used to have too much grass during the growing season from lawn cutting, then be inundated by leaves fro the neighbor's oak trees in the fall. Not the recommend green and brown mixture for composting. Now, with videos like this, I spread the grass on the ground and let it dry like hay, turning it with a fork until it's dry. Then it gets stacked in one of the 4x4 spaces. When it starts to rain after our summer seasonal drought, it's easy to cover with a tarp to keep that grass dry. When the leaves arrive, they get pulled to the compost heap on a tarp, and then mixed in with grass/hay to form a good composting mixture. Food waste and waste water gets mixed in with the compost as well. Pete has given me the basics to be an urban hay farmer! And hay! No square or round baler needed at all!

[@roxsanakourov.4513]

I used to wonder why Farmers were making hay when I was commuting to work in Midland Michigan. I put a lot of miles on my Alero, but then working at Meijers at the gas station I had pretty good health care, but I'd watch the farmers make hay, now I know wwhy, because you make these videos on how to do different things on the farm, keep making these informative videos Pete.

[@HowardsMF155]

Hello, I really enjoyed this 3 video series. While I grew up on a farm, we never did any hay and it was such fun to go through the operation with you as you explained it.

[@meredithjones-newhoused.c.7576]

I loved watching this series. You really did a great job of explaining the process and how the machinery worked, what you need to look for to prevent spoilage and over-fermentation.

[@cryptidoutlaw8707]

I grew up throwing bales up on trailers in summer on family dairy farm in the heat of summer. I do not miss square bales lol but glad I did it as a kid probably kept me out of trouble. Love your channel.

[@apophis_SVK]

This channel is awesome. Cant stop watching it. Like how you explain everything. True farmer and hard working man. Good luck and health to you!

[@TheBaken1]

I love your tractors. My grandparents grain farm in nw Illinois had, a 966, a 560, a super H, and a '39 Allis Chalmers and I've spent many days on all of them. Your videos bring up many fond memories for me. Thank you

[@carltonwallace249]

You have done a fantastic job in these videos - so easy to follow. I also run a small cattle farm in south Alabama and started baling my own hay three years ago. I started with used equipment like you. Thanks for posting.

[@sallyragan3365]

The process of rolled hay fascinates me and the change over from square to round. You explain the how to so well. I could follow your explanation. I have a new respect for hay when I see it in the fields

[@larrymoore6640]

I never worked baling round bales but one summer I got the chance to stack and pickup the square bales, cousins had a good laugh. Thanks Pete for this video series.

[@bensonmoima6872]

Thanks so much for your wonderful efforts in educating us some of the very important skills to be a successful farmer. Heartily greetings from Uganda.

[@genesloan3175]

Your explanations of this baler, and other aspects of your farm is completely understandable.... I appreciate your details. Thanks for showing the process.... And the part about "industry" standard bales vs what your Gehl does was something I didn't know.... Of course, I don't know much about farming... Thanks

[@j.s.boehme8991]

Thanks, Pete. Takes me back to my days growing up on 90 acres with square bales before round bales were a thing. Hope to visit your farm some day. Cheers.

[@jasonfossum9211]

I'm really glad you made these videos. My uncle just started a really small farm and I've been helping out with it as much as possible. We have aspirations of expanding and I hope to own my own land in the future. It's likely at one point we will have to know how to do this and I know I have a lot to learn. You're an amazing teacher and I feel like I was able to soak a lot of this up. Greatly admire your work.

[@dustoff1472]

Outstanding as always. I’m a new farmer starting at 68. Next step is obtains equipment. Enjoying the channel. Tks for the education.

[@sourdoughchuck6958]

Your hay making videos are AWESOME ! Your explanations were clear and concise . Thank You!

[@gkdvrcb]

This was the most interesting thing I’ve watched in a long time (I watched all 3). Looking forward to checking out more of your videos!

[@crslyrn]

Nice job explaining the baling process. You guys got a pretty good first cut yield. Thanks for sharing. Stay safe.

[@etiennedeklerk8363]

Thanks for a great video. I miss doing hay with my grandfather.

[@Average_oldguard]

This is an awesome series you put together! Thank you for all the info., we just purchased 10 acres of a hay field and I'm starting from zero. These videos were a great start.

[@CB71SS]

I worked on my wife boss's farm in the mid 80's, he did round bales. I cut the hay then had the job of hauling it. He had another guy who raked and baled. We did square bales 1 time in the 3 years I worked for him, that was 1 long day especially since I have what is called hay fever. What a miserable night i had, lol. Really enjoy you videos, miss being on the farm, it's hard work but it is also relaxing.

[@Mftw767]

Greetings from Ireland. Thank you for your great video.

[@traceyosterlind14]

Great explanations. As you said, most haying videos have a lot of footage of machines running, but no explanations, the what, why, when and how. You've got it all covered and more. Thank you so much!

[@alan30189]

Exactly? I always wanted to know how those things worked. Now I know a little bit about them.

[@Thoughmuchistaken]

This is a great series of videos. I've never had a round baler, may consider it if I start feeding any livestock. My dad and his brother used to put in 12000 square bales a year, plus straw which I think they put up loose for a few years even after getting the baler. Despite objections, Dad still got up on the wagon to unload hay into his mid 80s, because it had to get done.

[@haorlandini]

Thanks for sharing your experiences, it certainly helps!

[@raybaker1488]

Thank you for theses videos. They area great for a intro into the steps to make hay. They were definitely worth the time to watch and perhaps rewatch!

[@stevenbrown3901]

Great video Pete. I have picked hay up, but never knew exactly what the whole process was. Very nice! 👍

[@xpanchp]

Very nice video, glad to see another old school farmer out there.

[@no1wrench]

Tou are the best farm channel there is. Hands down.👊💥❤

[@rocketguy748]

I love listening to experts

[@chriswood841]

Hi Pete. Thanks for helping me learn more about baling.

[@kurtlanford1448]

You sir are a great teacher! Thank you

[@donaldmiller8629]

The best job that I have ever had is when I worked one summer on a dairy farm. I was fifteen years old . The farm was located east of Cobleskill in the Catskills. The year is 1957 .There are lots of things that I do not remember. And many good memories that I do remember. Our day began at about 4 A.M. Milking you know . Breakfast was about <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="420">7:00</a> or <a href="#" class="seekto" data-time="450">7:30</a> A.M. We had already done full day's work before we had breakfast. So we did have an appetite. If I ate a breakfast today as I did then , it would probably kill me . lol What am I going to do today ? I'm going to mow hay using a sickle bar mowing machine. But , no tractor . My horsepower will come from a team of Belgian work horses. Judy and a gelding named Jerry. I was fifteen and I learned to drive on the farm with a Farmall tractor. Sorry but I do not remember the model number. Believe it or not , I always preferred working with the horses over the tractor. I've thought about that over the years and I think that it's because there was more personal interaction with the horse. You could talk all day long to the tractor until you were blue in the face and it didn't give a hoot. Whereas the horses would listen to you. You could tell because they would turn their ears toward you. You had to pay attention while mowing because there were a few rocks that poked up out of the ground. You could really damage the mower if you hit a rock. You simply say stop and the horses would stop while you raised the sickle bar with the foot lever. Say okay and the horses would move forward a few feet until the bar had cleared the rock and they would stop while I lowered the bar again. They knew the drill . The tractor was too dumb to learn to do that . lol Tractors are great. But , you can talk to horses !

[@endutubecensorship]

I grew up with a Massy Ferguson that you could talk to. Mostly just cussing it out for the short that caused the battery to die or the smoke it would make when at idle. Just park it at the top of a hill and you'll be good.

[@allenferry1268]

I talk to my tractor all the time but luckily it never repeated what I say. You may be right. It never listens.

[@donaldmiller8629]

@@allenferry1268 , When I was working with horses I would talk to them. You could tell that they were listening because they would turn their ears towards the sound of your voice. Rhe team was a gelding and a mare. Jerry & Judy. Jerry was pretty smart as well as lazy. He would slack off until Judy was doing most of the work. As I have said , the horses would listen to me. I would tell Jerry , if you don't start pulling your share , I'm going to pop you with these reins. And he would begin pulling his share. Which made it easier on Judy. However , before long , Jerry would begin slacking off again. All of which made mowing hay more interesting. Oh and another thing that they would sometimes do that a tractor won't do. When a rock was sticking up out of the ground that would break a tooth on the mowing bar , they would stop. Which gave me time to raise the bar to clear the stone. With a tractor it was up to me to see the rock in time. The fun part was when the horses knew that the work was finished. After plodding along all day, they suddenly had pep in their step when headed towards their barn. Being Belgian work horses they didn't actually go very fast. But riding that mower on a two track farm road over rough ground made for an exciting ride. More often than not I had daylight between me and the seat .

[@johnsheeran2065]

Nice job explaining the process!

[@markgamble8377]

Excellent explanination. From a retired farmer that still does some hay to sell.

[@RossMadden]

The level of detail is so helpful! Thank you so much!

[@RancherChris]

Thanks for a very informative, entertaining series and especially the intro. Well done Sir!

[@cigarsboozeandnews9726]

Yep, best hey videos on the net!! Keepem coming.

[@mannyportelli2114]

Thanks Pete. We are keen to learn more about hay making. Your video was very informative particularly when you should ted rake and bale. Thanks very much from Warragul Australia

[@073scout]

From Australia - mate you are a legend! Thank you Sir.

[@carlolson1203]

I found this video that I missed somehow. What a pleasure to find your post.

[@arnoldacerimmer6790]

You are a fantastic teacher. Thank you.

[@Joesfosterdogs]

VERY high IQ presentation! No wasted words...impressive.

[@RayStewart11]

You are awesome, sir. Watched all three in one sitting and will look at your others, too.

[@earllutz2663]

Thank you for explaining the small square baler vs the large round baler. At 72, it does sound like a lot less work, but a little more expense, for the equipment.

[@gerryhand]

My best square baler was my John Deere 336. And my round baler was a John Deere 810 narrow belt. Loved haying. I quit farming in 1996. Thank you for your vids.

[@SeattlePioneer]

> So what do you do now that you aren't farming? And what is happening to the land you used to farm? Just curious. "Old soldiers never die, they just fade awa......" But what about farmers?

[@dgoll6538]

Thank you, for sharing very informative and helpful for us new farmers just starting out.

[@jondaniel540]

Thanks Pete. As always, I really enjoy your videos.

[@rickdupuy3612]

Thanks for the awesome series of hay videos....

[@patrickkeen1517]

Great 3 part video! Clear to the point and very informative.

[@ftlnetwork6067]

Just found your channel and it is great! Such a friendly and informative guy.

[@michaelaversa5572]

Nice job Pete.

[@timgore3172]

Great series ended up watching them all.

[@zadokmotorfreight2423]

Really enjoyed this series, thank you!

[@ciaranthompson11]

Love to see some of your 2nd and 3rd cutting!!

[@nealpeterson1530]

This is good stuff, very well made, thanks.

[@AutoCrete]

Loved the explanation of how the 'old' round baler works. I learned something new today, thank you! I grew up in the square bale days and don't miss them especially the days of stacking over 1,000 bales a day by hand. The tractor has a lot less sore muscles in the morning. After watching quite a few of your videos I think I figured out the reason for part of your success. Your narration sounds a bit like Andy Rooney and who doesn't like that? Well done Pete!

[@JustaFewAcresFarm]

Andy Rooney lol! I can be cranky just like him! Thanks AutoCrete!

[@michael7423]

As always I enjoy all your content and l always learn something. Thank you Pete!!!

[@Smalltownflyer]

Really enjoying your content here. Always learning something new and makes me want to get the old 806 running again and go mess with some hay work.

[@92kreich]

Great videos. I loved the series. Keep up the great work!

[@leobuis9568]

Well done, your presentation and video editing style makes it very easy to watch!

[@DrewChisholm]

I like this channel amazing. I have been an AG tech for 7 years and avoid bailers at all cost ;)

[@dondurbin2823]

As usual, you explain things well. Thank you.

[@jamesranger6283]

I had a chance to work with a IH 966 with the seat turned 15 degrees or so to the right. this was about 20 some years ago. But the difference was significant enough to eliminate neck strain by half. It was a custom seat job and I have not seen one like it since.

[@timziegler9358]

A real pleasure watching your videos. Best wishes.

[@ericdeso9498]

My grandfather made 13500 60 pounder square bales in one cut. I love seeing fellow New yorker farming on KZbin

[@jamesbreault5762]

Great stuff Pete👍👍👍👍👍

[@frankpatton3059]

Pete’s the man!!! Thank you sir! For the tips

[@mechmusicman]

Stop farming and go into the video production business. This is the best video I’ve ever seen. Thanks. I grew up on a cattle farm and we baled small bales. But my dad had free child labor lol. Now I’m 63 and have one good arm and one useless arm. Mom died and left the old place to me and I’m dying to buy a few cows. We have a Bumblebee down here in south Louisiana that would eat your pole barn down in five years. I can’t find anything to kill them. I shot one with a shotgun and blew it 50 feet and it just flew away.

[@geoffoutdoors]

Loved this hay series.

[@mrstratau6513]

Clear & concise, excellent.

[@carlkraus6034]

Like these videos. Not a farmer but I have always admired what farmers do. It makes me think about how I run my tiller in my garden. I could probably be using a smarter technique.

[@juliannrowland6552]

Awesome awesome video. We really enjoyed it. Thanks for always sharing.

[@TheChocrose]

Outstanding job. Thanks

[@gj268]

Always enjoy your videos - informative and interesting- Thank you

[@hav1byte]

wow, a very interesting and well explained video....thank you