July 25, 2005

Hauling hay for the young stock still in the barn

HaySupplierSignJuly2005.JPG

Justin, Noah, and I headed over to Dennis' farm this afternoon to pick up some square bales. We had finished feeding the bales we had stored last summer, so we have been going to get a truck load about once a week to feed the young heifers and steers inside the young stock barn.

HayMowJustinTossJuly2005.JPG

We backed up to the barn as close as we could. Justin climbed into the haymow to get the bales and throw them out to me, and I stacked them into the back of the pickup. It took us about twenty minutes to load 40 bales and tie them in with Noah's lariat. We've repeated this ritual for the last six or seven weeks. Once we get back to the barn, the bales get unloaded behind the feedbunk just outside a door leading into the young stock barn.

Before we left the farm with our load of hay, Dennis showed up. He said he hopes to start doing second cutting next week if the weather cooperates. The grass is growing really well, with enough rain and sunshine to make it a good crop. If we do get started next week it will be about 6 weeks ahead of when the second cutting was done last year. The quality should be great, and the better the quality of the forage the more we can save on our grain bill. And it would mean no more end of the day trips to Dennis' farm to get hay for the animals.

HayStackedinPickupJuly2005.JPG

Got a question about hauling hay, or anything else on an organic dairy farm? Use the comment box below and I'll try to get you an answer here in the blog very soon.

--Jonathan, Howmars Farm
Franklin, Vermont


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Posted by Blogger Chris at July 25, 2005 10:32 AM
Comments

Still enjoying the web....Melinda and getting ideas for my own. It's actually nice to go back east and see vermont in summer.

Posted by: Melinda Reynolds at July 29, 2005 01:52 PM

I love to read about your farm as I am sitting on the 47th floor of my Midtown Manhattan office building. It gives me a little break in the day and reminds me that there is more to life than spreadsheets and Starbucks! Thank you for taking the time to share your interesting life. By the way... I had Stonyfield yogurt for breakfast!!

Posted by: Cynthia at July 27, 2005 05:17 PM

If better quality hay will reduce your grain bill, how do you know to cut down on the grain and increase the hay and by how much? Do the cows just naturally eat less if the hay is better? Or do you just kind of guessimate?

Posted by: Jeff at July 25, 2005 06:12 PM