Hay, Man

We grow and cut all of our own hay for our horses. We plant several fields of oats for oat hay; which our horses love. The rest of it is regular "meadow" grass hay.

This year we baled and picked up about 1200 bales in a weekend; which buttoned up 1st cutting. Cutting the hay is done earlier in the week, and raking the day before baling. It's a good week of hard, hot, exhausting work. But we gotta feed the horses in the wintertime!

One of the hay fields

Kevin cutting another hayfield

My Dad and my brother Eli (and Brendan supervising) transfer oat hay bales onto a trailer to go to another barn. 

Naomi baling hay in the field behind my house

Me, changing the shear pin on the flywheel. 

Naomi. Below, my Dad is baling the lase several hundred of the first cutting.

Ethan and Emilie - this was actually taken last season.

Haying time is a family affair; almost every family member - from Grandparents to grand kids - come to the fields to help; including the little ones; who come along for the hay ride. When they're tall enough to reach a gas pedal; then they're put behind the wheel of one of the trucks.  By then they're also strong enough to pick up some bales, as well.

Lord willing, we do it all again in September for 2nd cutting; much of which is sold.

I complain, but it beats buying that much hay, that is for sure!