Rookie Farmer Tries to Bale Hay

Baling hay with a small tractor and a takakita hay baler
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[@bradmeacham6982]

I've mentioned this before based on past experience... I think your baler (any baler) is leaving that streak of crop on the bottom of the windrow -running parallel to the windrow's path- because you laid the windrow on top of the cut crop versus making sure the rake picked up all the cut crop and laid it over on bare ground. The direction of the hay in the body of the windrow will be all mixed up and, generally, running somewhat perpendicular to the baler's pickup path. The baler's pickup will do a much better job of picking up the body of the windrow, where as the hay on the ground under the windrow's body -still running parallel to the baler's pickup- is much harder for it to pick up.

[@marvindiamon3108]

Hang in there, Brock. It's a learning experience. Back when I was working and things got tough we used to say, "We're living the dream!" 😊

[@FowlerRanch]

Keep doing what you're doing. No one way is the right way. You do what works for you with what you got. I've learned that over the years doing hay. Not everybody has the means to buy large new equipment every couple of years. On the hay left behind, when you finish raking, touch up the end corners by going from the center out to the each corners (you kinda form an "X" so to speak) and you won't have hay left on the

[@brendahogue5487]

May the lord bless and protect you Brock

[@billyelmore6890]

“I’m having a heck of a good time”. Perfect. I remember the first time I ran a square bale baler: rookie for the first few hours. By the end of the day I was rocking and rolling. I would offer for first time sale at $25 with the caveat that the next ones will be $30. Second and later cuttings are always better than the first. Be careful of moisture content when baling late evening and early AM. Billy

[@scottmcnichols4885]

its been wet im not trying to be rude but he will be lucky to get $5 a bale with the current condition of the bale!

[@andrewanderson1436]

Looks like good cow hay. Also lots of highway construction uses round bales of to shred and throw out on bare ground to establish new grass growth. So their is no one use and all kinds of buyers.

[@TheRustyGarageandHomestead]

That little baler looks like it does a great job. I'm intrigued by the smaller bales. At 1st i thought they were more of a gimmick. The more i think about it the more i think there is a real market for these bales with people. Great job on this Brock. Even people that bale every year has "Growing Pains" with getting the equipment lined out at the beginning of the season. I think you you did fantastic with this being your 1st time and you should be very proud.

[@johngersna3263]

Good morning Brock. I hope that you are able to get the job done in time. God bless and have a wonderful evening. 👍👍🙂

[@berthongo8531]

Hey Brock! I am currently erecting a 12x16 garden shed. Everything is square and plumb and looking good. I started the metal roof and that is not so square and the screws are not so aligned. I've never installed a metal roof before and there was a steep learning curve. It's up and it's as good as it's going to get but I see all of the imperfections. Of course, I did not record it and put it up on YT so I will be the only one providing the negative comments. Enjoy your stuff!

[@RockhillfarmYT]

Great I’m certain that my building is not square but I bet it will work out in the long run

[@dustdevl1043]

That's a lot of bales to pick up!

[@matthewcarroll3193]

You should see if you could use a ratchet strap and a hand truck to move it around safely. That could help market it to folks who lack equipment, especially small landscapers or something.

[@StikkyWood]

204 bales. Excellent content and information from the comments. Cheers from Queensland Australia.

[@ronaldharmon9891]

BROCK when you dumped your 1st BAIL you forgot to say "Wooo Doggie!"🙌

[@joehopkins515]

Brock, even my 1960s New Holland baler has a counter on it to record how many bales it made. Yours should.

[@frankwrogg2515]

Nice work farmer Brock

[@Tdale85]

Good morning!😊

[@Cowboy_Steve]

Mornin' 🤠

[@mikerequa820]

As always young man great video!! Im gonna say 242 bale's. 12:40 Well not anyone that's gonna do it perfectly the first time but I'm satisfied that you did a lot better than i would have and probably better than a lot of folks. As long as you're havin fun and learning that's all that matters. I know i enjoy watchin and any opportunity i get to do somethin with my tractor is a good day. Thanks for sharing be safe have fun

[@jerrykelly7052]

I look forward watching you every morning I appreciate your time making video i think you are hard on yourselves everyone should remember they have to start somewhere about the hay I think you are on with the price of hay but I don't know what your cost is good luck I be waiting for tomorrow

[@thaynamite]

Well done , but keep the field clean, no left overs ... lol hahahaha The "hay series" is my favorite so far ... 😂👍

[@VillaRoundabout]

210 bales. Looks like fun. Enjoy 🙂

[@user-ut3do9ix6d]

Here’s the deal. First time you ever do anything it’s a learning curve. You’ve done a great job and are figuring out your equipment. There’s always going to be Hay left behind, but you will learn different ways to rake it so there isn’t so much waste. And baling on windy days you’re going to waste more hay, but sometimes you’re just going to have to do it how the weather fall. When it starts getting dark and you noticed moisture starting to accumulate on your tires, it’s a good time to stop so your bales don’t mold. It’s also better if you cut and bale small section you can handle so the grass doesn’t lay out and burn up and lose its value and get rained on. Just don’t do more than you can handle at once.

[@nrobinson7951]

Hi Brock, I think you did a good job, no one is perfect, especially first time doing things. Maybe 320 bales. Blessings

[@markherrin1950]

I believe a pair of gathering wheels would help the narrow header on this baler get all the missed hay in the windrows. In my hay operation I try to rake the longest straight rows I can rake usually after baling 2 to 3 rounds on the perimeter first. Hay making can be a challenge in the best conditions.

[@randallquiring9525]

As I have watched this series of videos I have thought you have been leaving extra hay outside the windrow. Even the baler seemed to miss some although the grass turning yellow may account for that. Be careful when baling in the evening and at night because the hay will take on moisture. Too much can ruin the hay and make it mold. I have baling experience so I am aware of potential problems.

[@OldIronAcres]

Congrats on the first hay bail crop!! Looks to me like you're doing awesome Brock! I'm surprised at the yield from the field. I thought it would be less... (But that's a good thing for you!) Best, -- J. Andre. / Old Iron Acres

[@jmtrackworks]

Hey Brock! Absolutely love you channel, thanks for all the hard work you do! Just and idea. I'm in the deep south of South Caroline where everybody bails hay and if its green, it can be hay! We really are not a fan of the term 'Trash Hay". Around here we call it cow hay or Horse hay. The hay you are baling is what I would call fairly good to good cow hey. If we call hay that we are baling trash hay then it is really bad hay, such as you've baled nothing but a briar patch! LOL! What you have there is Normal Cow Hay. I love this series and all your content! Keep it up! Thanks! Cow or Horse hay!

[@SL54321]

My grandpa had a plaque on his wall and that read “Golf is like sex, you don’t have to be good at it to enjoy it.” Maybe baling hay for a KZbin channel is like that….

[@HarryVonhoene]

222 bales! have fun!

[@WilliamsonRidge]

I know how it feels I’m always fighting time and rain with our baling operation

[@Cowboy_Steve]

Howdy Brock! Bah... there is always going to be a little slop when you bale hay. Can't be helped. With practice comes efficiency - so it will get better for ya! I believe you said you used a barrowed cutter, so be interesting to see how your new cutter compares. I've never even seen smaller round bales like these, so have no idea what to charge. I think you worked it out accurately enough. Well done and thanks for sharing 🤠

[@theElderberryFarmer]

I'll guess 205 bales. Take care and God Bless.

[@corndoc]

200? Looks good!

[@scottmcnichols4885]

Here in ohio not really good to bale at night time because of the dew. Moldy hay means junk hay!

[@chavez7944]

How dense are the bales? Does the baler wrap them pretty tight? This will affect price some. 1st cutting hay usually goes cheaper then 2nd or 3rd cuttings. More nutritional value on the 2nd and 3rd cuttings. $20 for 1st cutting and go up from there on 2nd and 3rd cuttings. Of course you have to take into consideration market value. The area I live in we have had a good amount of rain and hay is plentiful thus we are not able to charge as much. $120 hay is selling for $80 or less (5'x6'). From one of the other videos on raking I saw, it looks like the tractor was going to fast. I don't go very fast when raking as I like to turn the hay over. Going to fast will throw it. When putting several windrows together, I like to make them wide and not tall. A wider windrow will help make the bale more even and not have to zig-zag as much. I'm still old school and prefer a New Holland side delivery rake over the V rakes. Kudos to you for making the videos. Good luck.

[@frankdrahos8569]

192 bales, I wrote a long comment this morning, but it appears not to have posted 😮

[@RockhillfarmYT]

So weird how that happens. I’ll check in the held for review section. I don’t remove comments unless they are very ugly.

[@frankdrahos8569]

@@RockhillfarmYT I didn’t think you had 😎. Thanks

[@scottmcnichols4885]

you know after you get that all baled up. It wont rain again on your field thats the most frustrating thing about haying lmao

[@ScrewdriverTUNING]

My guess is 172 bails. Keep up the amazing work. .!!!

[@shanefrericks5929]

Rake your corners last in a X pattern. Go up and back making sure you flip the whole windrow. Even when you rake the field normally you go up and you go back down your windrow. To ensure that he is Twisted together in a windrow and you get it all picked up on the first shot when baling. That's where you getting that strip of hay underneath the windrow when baling. I bale over 50 to 100,000 bales a year. Turning the corner sharp with a baler is hard on your PTO

[@two-strokesmoke7289]

1500 LB. round bales sell for 100-120 per bale; so 20$ per 350Lb bales is in the ballpark.

[@lawsonlawnandfarm8073]

Bad thing is it got rained on so at this point it’s not worth much at all at least here it wouldn’t be.

[@CURTISJENK]

i want one of these balers but i don't have a tractor yet. I am pretty sure i want a john deere 2038r or kubota lx4020 so i would love to see how your john Deere 2038 handles that baler. love your videos keep up the good work

[@matthewzuck287]

It got rained on

[@debbienok]

“It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat.” - Theodore Roosevelt¹

[@Sleekfalcon]

Im no expert, i dont even bale hay. Things i have learned that contribute are tractor speed, rpm setting, ive seen some ted one more time and windrow one more time. In time you will firgure things out as with any new equipment. I don't buy these bales but they are not readily available in my area. I don't have a tractor to move bales with but i use a rock bar i cut in half, drive one side in each side of the bale, wrap my chain around them and hook to my truck. I leave the middle of the chain across the bale so as i drive it locks onto the bale and i can drag it wherever i need to. As for unloading, well thats a chore but i get it done. I am interested in seeing how long one of these bales would last compared to a 4x5 or 5x5, both sizes i get. Right now one bale will last 4 horses a week, 2 horses almost two weeks at most (longest ive seen one last) depending on grazing ability. Thanks for the video.

[@barncasino689]

Try this when cutting , six rounds around the outside of the field. Then start stripping. Dont drive in circles

[@jefffunkhouser2773]

So much work for little pay for doing hay , for how much equipment cost and brake down and maintenance and fuel

[@chadhensch4748]

230 bales 👍

[@johnhelbig7110]

Bales look good; I’m not sure of the density though, which affects their weight. For giggles, I would take one to town and weigh it so you can say for certain to your customers, “300 lbs”. I’m not impressed with the baler’s pickup. Leaving a lot of hay but could be due to the raking pattern. Growing up, I couldn’t wait to start haying; then I couldn’t wait to get done. We never baled after dark because the dew is on the hay, which can lead to moldy hay. Your coop may have a bulletin board also where you can put up a “hay for sale” notice.

[@user-gx4jo6gw1f]

I think you will have in the area of 350-400 total bales

[@andyrobinson339]

My all time favorite saying - "Good decisions come from experience. Experience comes from poor decisions." I'm sure ole' Phil is a perfectly nice guy, but I will say I really think he steered you wrong. If you are haying 30 acres you need "normal" sized haying equipment. The only evidence I need to back that up is the fact that you are baling hay in the dark. In 30 years of making small squares of quality horse hay I have never baled in the dark. Not even close! Either you knocked too much down at once or your equipment is just too small. You never want to bale in the dark after dew can set in.Hope you figure it out before second cut!

[@smallfarminnovations4265]

I could set him up with a 4x4 or 4x5 but I do not want to promote Maschio USA because I would not benefit from it. I did not want to drop 40k to help dealers all over the USA. Takakita who I represent, has larger equipment but I do not import it to compete in the larger baler market. My goal it to help Brock get his hay baled and promote hay equipment that does not require a lot of horsepower because many people with land have all ready purchased a small tractor. They turn to me for small high quality equipment they can power with their current tractor. Keep in mind this is Brocks first time at baling hay. He will get more efficient as time goes on. People in West Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and Nevada bale legumes at night to minimize leaf loss.

[@andyrobinson339]

@@smallfarminnovations4265 He is not baling legumes. He has spent so many hours making hay. With his TYM, he could easily run larger equipment that could can be bought used for way less than the new, small inefficient stuff you got him. I would not be saying this if he had like 5 acres...but 30?? No way.

[@danbelden7354]

145 bales.

[@ronaldsmith214]

About 155 bales it will always get better

[@theamazinggang]

105 bales

[@O.KFarmToysdeutzallis6275]

What about your square baler

[@toddcaskey9984]

U need to find a small time person like me . & don't worry u r going to make mistakes your 1 st time . 20 a bale is what I would say . Now I pay 40 a 4x5 bail but 20$ 4x5 rained on . But it's from a friend / Neibor Good hay 4x5 is 40-50 $ here

[@jimmychandler9328]

200 bales just a guess

[@JustinArrington]

180 bales is my guess

[@jimconnor6928]

204 bales

[@jeanrouse3201]

58 rolls

[@toddcaskey9984]

Messin with goats, pigs waterers , and heifer blockage of getting into pig waterers

[@toddcaskey9984]

357 bales

[@kerrybowden9097]

158

[@joeparker7508]

Don't go to fast ,lots of moving parts on Baler

[@michaelhess4825]

345

[@78shaney]

176

[@co1838]

220