Making Loose Hay

[Mike H]

We picked up a GEHL blower last week 

it has a drive unit to operate a live bottom chopper wagon to feed it

pictures to come later.

Mike

[MacAR]

I still put up one stack for chicken house bedding. Much easier than un-ravelling a large round bale. Cut it with the Cub & 22 mower, and before that a #6 McD horse mower. Rake it with an old dump rake of unknown origin. Pile it up in "hay-cocks" then load 'em on a rack and haul up near the chicken house and stack on pallets around a pole. Stack is usually around 14' high, and I throw an old tarp over the top to keep the rain off. Use it as needed by raking it off the top and pitching in the house. The one stack lasts about a year, sometimes a little longer. I also cut some with a scythe about every other day just to pitch into the chickens, usually a couple wheelbarrow loads, and stack it up on a pallet. The hens really like the green grass, and it seems to improve the quality of egg they lay. And, there's something slightly soothing about using a scythe. Mine isn't like the ones used in the videos above. It's an American style, with an aluminum snath (handle) and a 30" grass blade. It can lay a lot of grass down in a hurry, but unfortunately I'm not so good at using it. But, its easier than swapping implements on the Cub all the time!

Mac

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https://www.rtr.ch/play/tv/rtr/video/moeckli-wildheuet?id=3ed8ca12-8176-4c74-b6ec-b9ae6dc1c863&startTime=10.024979&fbclid=IwAR0kHFpgT91TXa2IivtHbFWfpbtwDcgN0mSXGeJMZtBQa0_gF6OMn_gJiFY

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AEBI red power

 

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