Watching this with my adult sons, explaining to them how we used have to always bale on the hottest days of the year. And why I get crabby when they complain about doing work around the house, that’s nothing compared to the misery we went through. And also we didn’t have gloves, we’d just pick the slivers out when we were done. 😂
My kids are whining the other day about the heat as well it was 90 outside and we don't have AC. I told him to get over it all they have to do is sit on the couch and do three chores a day. I had to bale hay in the sun. Grandpa got the only tractor with a cab and AC. The rest of us were on open tractors. They have no idea what work is and aside from buying a farm I can't figure out how to show them.
I'm 56 now, I learned how to rake hay with a farmall B and a steel wheel john Deere rake that was by the tree in your yard back in the 70s. Still at it today.
Small squares are a lot of work, but they sure are nice for feeding in the barn. Esp on nasty days- no need to go outside and fetch a biggun from somewhere else! I always found it much simpler to bed with small straw bales. Most particularly with calf and heifer pens in out of the way spots, lol. Easier to just grab a bale or two by the twine, than to use a pitchfork to move great big flakes around. You'd still have to fluff it up, either way. We used to stack them 2 or 3 high all along the wall in front of the mangers. Made feeding hay while milking super easy. Even fabricated tools out of old haybine cutters to pop the twine. We'd leave the busted bales on the wagon, drive out to the feed bunks in the pastures, and kick them off in there. We had to put hay out there anyway. Wet bales were used that way, too. Weather cooperating, we'd usually bale all the wagons full in the late aft/eve, park em in the yard- then unload in the AM after chores, when it was cooler!! Still, I don't know how many gallons of well water from the milk house I drank each summer during hay and straw season, lol.
I remember the clickety clack of the hay conveyor. Takes me back, I’m only 53 but did a lot of small squares in the 80s, early 90s. Best sound at the end of the day was silence when the conveyor got shut off!
A lot of work baling and mowing the hay.The alfalfa sure looked good as you got it in without loosing the leaves so you got quality and you all worked together,good teamwork.
When I was growing up on the farm, our old bank barn had a roof that was black from the roofing tar painted on it. When it needed painted again, I talked Dad into painting aluminum mobile home roof coating on it. Wow, what a difference on the hot days in the summer in the hay mow! I would say that the temperature was 10 to 15 degrees cooler. Wish we would have taken the temperature before and after the aluminum coating.
What a busy day. All of you ought to sleep well tonight. Your bale elevator/mow conveyor is pretty nifty. At least one person could unload by himself to free up another wagon. Bummer about the tire on the M. Always seems to happen on a busy day. Been there, done that with the 450 and the 656...at least was able to limp back to the barnyard until we could come up with different tires. Hope the oil leak on the Deere is nothing major serious. Haymaking is a lot of work in the summer, but appreciated in the winter when there's plenty of good feed available.
Really enjoying your videos. I’m 75 now but spent my youth and college years farming here in central New York on a medium size dairy farm doing farming the same way you and your family does it. Your content brings back such fond memories. As you find all to often, stuff always breaks when you don’t need it to. Thanks for your effort to bring the family farm story to us. I’m sure I’m not the only one you bring such memories back to. Oh, by the way, after each load was done we would dip a dipper in the bulk tank for the best cold milk anyone ever had. Being the guy in mow, I definitely remember the sauna days! Another thought, I never see anyone using a hay hook? It was my best friend in the mow. It extended my reach by a whole lot and made bale placement so much easier. Have you ever tried one? Just a suggestion that might be useful. Again, thanks for your time and effort to bring back such great memories.
As an old Norwegian married to a Finn I must correct you. It’s sow-na not saw-na!😎 I sure like your channel. Such a great family farm and great equipment.
My Finnish friends in northern Wisconsin pronounce sauna as SOW NAA. I remember unloading hay bales and how hot it was in the hay mow stacking (mow ing) bales. Certainly like a sauna.
I enjoy all of your videos! My favorite part on each one is your huge smile and the way you say “Hello and welcome to Girock Farms” !! I just love that! 😁👍
Your dad is a gem some older farmers I worked for in 60"s would had babies about wasting all that twine they would have it broke down to the exact penny how much it cost them haha. Couple years ago I would have taken that ball instantly I used twine to tie up my staked tomatoes (being Italian we raised dozens for tomato sauce) good video not to mention good hard work guys..
My favorite part about stacking hay in the loft was when someone would step in a hole between the bales and basically disappear. Obviously that is not the plan and can be dangerous but after checking that the person is okay we always had a good laugh about it. Stacking hay for second cut was always the worst getting chaff in ever crevice of you body and in your sinuses. You could shower multiple times and still find more somewhere. Stacking was the worst job. We would all fight to be the person unloading the wagons. Miss it so much. All good times on the farm during hay season. My offer still stands. If you ever need an extra hand, I would be happy to come out and help. I am just across the river in mn. Keep up the fun and entertaining videos. They are very much appreciated.
The bales my Dad's NH 66 put out were exactly twice as long as they were wide. This made it possible to pack very stable wagon loads (no thrower, man work). Two rows long ways and the one across those on the wagon fit perfectly. Alternate how you stack the layers, and the load is very well tied together. For the top couple of rows pull them back from the edges to tie the bottom rows together. I think we got about 120 of these bales on a wagon. The mow packed exceptionally flat and easy to work on. Your bales are not proportioned the same. I'm guessing that is due to the throwers. Thanks for letting me reminisce. 😁 I'm almost the age of @henryslater8029, one year younger.
When I was a kid on the farm, we had a long laneway with tall pines for the length of it. I was not afraid at all of climbing to the very top. Then one fateful day, I climbed up an apple tree to check out a Robin's nest. The mother Robin strafed me and I fell out of the tree and landed on my back. The wind was completely knocked out of me. Ever since then, I am terrified of heights. When you pointed the camera down I got a rush of vertigo. That is how bad my fear of heights is now. The Robin incident was when I was 8 and I am now 70. Never been able to get over my fear.
Nice to see what real work looks like again. I wish my kids would do that for a day so they wouldn't complain about the Wifi anymore 😁 Give that twine ball to the cows. They like to play around too!
You guys are a hay-making machine! It's fun to watch a first class farming operation using a combination of new and vintage era machinery, with everything well maintained and with cleanliness and neatness in mind.
There's a lot of sweat in each square bale. I was spoiled by round bales when I worked on the farm. We did a few squares for the calf barn, but not too many. Rounds bales have a lot of waste to them for sure, but they are less labor intense. With squares, you can practically account for every straw. so little waste with them. Love watching you all working together. Keep it coming.
That is some of the greenest hay I have seen. Really hard to get it that green yet dry enough that it won't mold. You have some great haying weather and you guys are ON IT!! Good job all the way around!!
its so nice when days like that come along and at the end of the day the feeling you get from what you all achieved that day and after all the days work there is still the cows to milk , it is hard work but so worth it , and worth it , that is what farming is all about and everyone does there bit
I’m also one of those who did this years ago, and am now 72, but I’ll bet you I could keep up with the baler, if I was on the hay rack being towed behind the baler, like the old days.👍
Hey guys! Want to thank you for all you do and keep up the good work! I was wondering if down the road you guys could do more of a milking video from start to finish. Wisconsin Strong baby!! Thanks guys!
Almost the same. On our farm we stacked the bales neatly in the hay mow. We didn’t just dump them up their halter skelter. It was done that way so the person who had to go up in the mow later to throw down hay did not risk their life as bales just piled any which way could shift and fall and bury him or her. Please be careful.
I learned to pack the bale with the cut side down when it was a little on the damp side. It was a little more difficult to pack but the bale never molded when packed with the cut side down.
I always see these "Warrior" events and think, "good for you but you've never baled hay or shelled corn", the latter are truly athletic undertakings...
My grandpa used to rotobale hundreds if not thousands of little round baled with an allis chalmers rotobaler. Then they'd have to stack them. Before the freestall they had to stack all the bales in the haybarn of there 107 stall tiestall barn. This was in neosho wi. They moved to new site the one were on it 1998
That was a good day. Did that a lot of that as a kid. A lot of folks don’t realize how hot a hay mow can get and how good it feels to step out of it especially if there’s a breeze. Thanks for the video
Bailing and stacking is my not so good memories of farm life. I think if we had pit silos and big round bails just maybe some of us would have stayed. I didn't have a choice but that is a whole other story. When I see it those that do it, they have my respect.
Another great one Aaron. I remember doing all the things you just videoed with Dad and my brothers and sisters. It was always the hottest when we did the second cut hay and the mow like you said felt like a sauna. Dad always made us stack the bales cut side up. He said any moisture still left in the bales could escape easier that way. Love your videos!
Just discovered your channel and subscribed. May I commend you on your excellent camera work? It's really cool to see the raking, baling and unloading processes from all those different angles. I know it's a pain to do after a long day of work outdoors, so thank you VERY much indeed for putting in the extra time!
Just curious, why not use the 7405 on the second baler instead of the 686 if you’re worried about the 686 not being heavy enough to hold the baler and full wagon on the hills
Looks like B busting work. To me the worst part is having to wear blue jeans. Hot in the summer and cold in the winter ( w/o long johns). Y'all are better men than I am for sure. Corn starch on the rashes !
