(Mostly) Cloudy Hay Baling Challenge - 2024 Edition

Welcome to New England! You know what they say - if you don't like the weather, wait five minutes. (Or wake up to the same surprise cloudy forecast with a chance of pop-up showers three days in a row, . Anything goes!)
All in all, a 4.5-day weather stretch with challenging drying conditions. But that's the hay game!
~~~
(We are a 53-acre haying operation in Conway, MA - making all small square bales for the local food, fiber, and livestock community. Learn more about our farm at windrowfarmconway.com, or connect with us on instagram @windrow.farm)
Equipment List:
Massey Ferguson 275 Tractor
Massey Ferguson 165 Tractor
Massey Ferguson 135 Tractor
Vermeer TM610 disc mower
Vicon RS410T Tedder
Kuhn GA4101 GTH rotary rake
(New Holland 256 hay rake)
Massey Ferguson 124 baler (with New Holland 70 bale thrower)
Four kicker wagons
Delmhorst FX-2000 Hay Moisture Meter
Sundown Fertilizer Spreader

[@MAF_LTD]

Glad the storms skirted you. I got hit with a good rain night after I cut this week. Two windy sunny days spent on Tedder saved it though but I abandoned a field I cut for construction hay to save the good one. Sometimes I wonder why I do it then the bales start flying lol surprising.low yield as well. Think I lost some from shatter but it's only my second year in this field and I didn't fertilize. Half yield from last year but over a month earlier cut so little.of both id say. I love my new rotary rake does a very nice clean job. I ran it pretty low and my stubble was high.

[@windrowfarm]

Shucks, sorry you got hit by it! Glad it was salvageable, but ugh, so much extra work. Glad your rake is working well! Loving mine too, though I need to make some time to replace tines and likely measure/trim tine height accordingly. Thanks for tuning in!

[@Travis_Rivers]

Nothing like a hot cup of Joe watching my favorite hay guy at 4 am lol

[@windrowfarm]

Thanks!!

[@Doug-In-TN]

Hay looks good. You got a nice cut with TM610. Almost done here in TN. HOTTTT here.

[@windrowfarm]

Thanks! The TM610 is definitely feeling dialed in. And gosh, it sounds hot from what you described! We’re about to hit high 90’s this upcoming week and *humid*. Lovely haymaking conditions 😅. Hope you’re doing well! And thanks for following along!

[@khtractors]

Great video! Glad things are going successfully and that the new rake is working out well. After watching it in action I definitely see advantages to the rotary rakes with square baling. Take care!

[@windrowfarm]

Thanks so much! It’s amazing seeing all of the little advantages piling up, and I can’t get over how much my baler loves those windows. Thanks for taking the time to watch, you look like you’ve been busy as all heck! (Trying to get caught up myself!)

[@PMB-58079]

Good content - love to see people gettin after it. My neighbor covers 600 acres of alfalfa and grass 3-4 times per year. He put up 4,000 small squares this week. He’s totally type A, super energized, and (slightly) neurotic about his hay. And he would sound like a sedated sloth next to you lol 😄 You work your grass back and forth so many times I wonder how impatient you’d be painting a wall lol

[@windrowfarm]

😂😂😂 I’m definitely known to be eccentric. But wow, talk about regional differences, that’s an amazing scale. It’s pretty normal in New England to ted 2 or 3 times and rake once or twice (totally depending on weather and wet ground). All of the extra workings were from lack of sun and trying to see what I could get baled asap, with so much of someone else’s hay on the ground and constant pop up shower chances 😅. 3 days (2 nights) is about what we shoot for here since the weather can change so dramatically - so giving each of these four days actually was some New England grade patience 😂. Thanks for watching!

[@rickkearn7100]

Very excellent post, WF! You do a great job capturing the experience. Every time I watch one of your episodes, I flash back to my childhood days in the old neighborhood. You really do a great job working around the fickle New England weather and getting best yield with good RH in the bales. Not only that but you've solved your knotting issue with longer tails on the twine square knots. Who knew such a small thing could make such a big difference? It was a sight for sore eyes seeing those work horses pulling those wagons. A neighbor of mine when I was a kid had two Shires; Ellie and Ezra. He logged his wood lots every fall and spring with a pung. My grandfather and I would saw it up for the guy. Great post as always. Thanks for keeping the tradition. Cheers.

[@windrowfarm]

Wow, that’s great! Thanks so much, it means a lot that you enjoy it - thanks for sharing in the fun with me!

[@randywilson9611]

Good video good to see y'all

[@windrowfarm]

Thanks!

[@andyrobinson339]

Last week was so iffy up here in central VT I held off and mowed a 12 acre field yesterday. Will bale Tues after 4 perfect days. One thing I have done: my tedder crapped out one year right before baling and I wanted to ted once more. I took the curtain completely off my rotary rake and it scattered the hay more. Not as well as a tedder but it worked well enough to dry. I definitely love the rotary rake!

[@365hillclimb]

You've convinced me to start cutting my own hay up in NH, and I'm blown away by how many nuanced little decisions go into each individual bale. It's ridiculous. The biggest challenge I've run into is steep slopes on the property I have access to, and finding hay wagons at reasonable prices. I'd love to start using my thrower so I can reduce handling bales, but even just running gear is ridiculously expensive. Thanks for showing so much of your experience, and giving advice here in New England. It seems like guidelines in other parts of the Country don't apply very well here.

[@windrowfarm]

Wow! Gosh, this means a ton to hear, I’m so glad what I share has been helpful for you to get started! I absolutely hear you on the cost of kicker wagons - the price has gone batty. Just be patient and be ready to jump on something. What do you have for a baler? I hear you on hills - be safe and methodical out there! Thanks for following along, eager to offer the support back to you!

[@365hillclimb]

@@windrowfarm aaaaaaand I sheared the drag link bolt on my mower today hahahaha. It really has been super helpful though, now I'm considering a disc or haybine instead. I actually have two international balers, a 37 and a 46. Fairly similar to any other square balers, but with an auger pushing hay into the chamber. I haven't gotten a day of use out of them yet though, so well see if I have knotter problems.

[@windrowfarm]

@@365hillclimb oof, it’s always something! Glad you’re figuring it out though!

[@johnbuck6685]

That 275 is a good tractor and very economical to run can beat Perkins engine I pretty much wore out a 285 pulling mower conditioner

[@windrowfarm]

I agree! A lot of power in a modest package, and the four-cylinder definitely makes it easier on fuel.

[@randybennett5417]

I like watching your Massey"s do their thing. How far are you from Concorde ? I was stationed at Hanscom AFB many years ago.

[@windrowfarm]

Thanks! I’m a couple of hours west - basically if you follow route 2 out past Greenfield by a couple of towns (just west of the CT river). Thanks for watching!

[@AmisCorolla]

Our small square baler has been sitting almost 30 year in barn. Yesterday i got it out, it's Welger ap 42 looks almost like brand new after a wash! But there is couple things to fix, before work. Thanks to your channel im going to try to make some hay in this summer. 🙂👍

[@windrowfarm]

Wow, that’s great! So glad to hear it, and thanks! Where abouts are you haying?

[@AmisCorolla]

@@windrowfarm finland 😄

[@windrowfarm]

@@AmisCorolla oh wow! Awesome!

[@chadpaider1009]

A little hint on how to fill the wagons to get the most in the wagon. Fill the bottom of the wagon front to back. Then fill the front of the wagon. More room to fill so they won't fall forward then fill the back of the wagon. Kick towards the middle and let them roll back. This was taught to me by a John Deere mechanic. And it works. Also easier to unload the wagon. It doesn't pack the bails so tight. So as to when you pull a bail. Lots fall with it.

[@windrowfarm]

I’ll have to try that! Wonder if it works the same way with a belt thrower compared to a pan kicker (since you mention JD). When the bales aren’t flying as fast I can often be more methodical - and often weight is more of a concern to me than max bales in a wagon. But still, that would be helpful sometimes. Appreciated! And thanks for watching.

[@chadpaider1009]

@@windrowfarm I see so many use kickers and hand stack kicker wagons. I think it's dangerous for one and the excuse I hear is they can get more in the wagon and easier to unload. My thoughts were always.. it can be a one man job to save labor. Once I started filling wagons the way I explained. The bales didn't get wedged in tight . So grab the right one then four or five fell down with it. And yes maybe there is a difference between a pan kicker compared to belts. Never used a belt thrower myself. But hopefully you will drop less off the wagon filling it that way I explained even if you don't get more on. It's never fun getting off and picking up hay that fell off. Good luck. And It would be great to see if it works for you. I enjoy the bailing videos. Good luck. And it's refreshing you have an open mind.

[@windrowfarm]

@@chadpaider1009 oh I couldn’t agree more. I can only understand stacking with a kicker if you are short on wagons (or plan to park them full and under cover for several days) *and* have cheap labor. But even then, the risk of injury just never seems worth if. I’d rather have more wagons and keep the bales flying. I’ll experiment with your method and see how it goes. On steep Fields I really do try to fill it pretty levelly from the bottom upwards. But I do find that if I don’t kick bales all the way to the back early on, I often end up with a mound in the center of the wagon, and an empty space behind it toward the top. I think that’s definitely a belt thrower problem, since with a pan kicker you can really lob them nice and up over the top.

[@user-fq8gt5gp3l]

looks like some nice, solid bales. nearly the identical setup i had

[@windrowfarm]

Thanks!! And oh wow, really? That’s awesome. What did you have?

[@HumbleHaymakers]

Excellent video - the MF’s continue to deliver…👍

[@windrowfarm]

Thanks!!

[@harleyboy65]

My dad taught me to tie the knot between balls of twine backwards/or reverse, when pulled tight it really makes a small knot.

[@windrowfarm]

Oh that’s interesting! I’m trying to wrap my brain around what backwards means, but I’ll try to see if I can figure that out. Thanks!

[@harleyboy65]

​​@@windrowfarmI know, I think if you you watch a video on how a square knot is tied, or just overlap the twine in this case opposite of the way one normally ties a knot is a reverse knot. Best way to describe it, maybe? I grew up helping put up hay for cattle, about 25 years ago starting doing hay for horses and to learn all about square balers all over again. Moved to a round baler, this year I have retired from haying, no horses. I will kind of miss it.

[@scottstaudacher7735]

I grew up farming so I know the struggle making hay. Kinda curious how much fuel you used turning that hay so many times. You do what you have to do to get it done though i know that all to well.

[@windrowfarm]

Thanks! Yeah, it was a pretty non-ideal few days, and just doing what I could to try and bale what I could before rain. I think I lucked out with three days of pop up showers all missing me and then a sunny finale. I think I only used 15 gallons or less. I know I filled and used each of my 5 gallon diesel cans twice, but I ended the final day with both tractors full to the brim, which wasn’t where I started. So yeah, burned some fuel, though I love how these four-cylinder Masseys have plenty of snot but are pretty easy on diesel. Thanks for watching!

[@mattboswell5392]

What’s that Vermeer run price wise if you don’t mind me asking. It’s just a disc mower right? Not a moco

[@windrowfarm]

Hi there! Yep, just a disc mower - no conditioner. In spring of 2022 when I bought it, it ran 19.5k. Not sure what the price is now, but I'm sure it's gone up somewhat...

[@jeffreyhoover2105]

How do you like your vermeer disconnect does it have conditioning rolls in it or is it a trailed discbine

[@windrowfarm]

No conditioner, just a trailed disc mower. I like it a lot, after custom installing a narrower right tire (the original was too wide and would trample the uncut edge of thick hay). It’s a dream to mow with now that I have it dialed in 😊.

[@user-dk2wv4eh8u]

You are handling that hay way too many times. If you had good hay all the leaves would be gone-thus feed value gone.

[@windrowfarm]

Hey there! Very much not the case in grass hay - very different than alfalfa. I do agree this was way more times than I wanted to handle it - but with thick clouds, heavy dew, and a constant chance of rain, I would rather lose a little bit to shatter and get it baled than have the whole field get rained on. It’s a always a tough judgment call though. Thanks for watching! Where abouts do you hay?