I think it’s good the way you’re spending time with that lad of yours, doing things together etc. He’ll remember it all his life, and when he grows up a bit he’ll appreciate the times spent together. I have two boys, they’re grown up with children of their own now, but I look back with fondness at the times spent doing things together with them when they were the size of your boy. Pleased the machinery’s performing ok. Regards from Down Under.
Always better with a helper and the boy will remember helping you all his life.Pay him a little per bale and it will instill value of labor as well as the reward for same.
I can only speak from my experience, but I have not had good luck leaving a swath lay for multiple days in my Southwest Ohio climate known for humidity plus my small fields are perimeter lined with trees which means increased shade for the field. Tried it once and my normally pleasing hay smell was way less than usual but not necessarily bad. I have the best luck with getting what hay I can to see the sun and what hay is hidden to at least get air flow as compared to laying flat on the ground. A tedder would be ideal but I do not have a working one so my rake it is. I almost always rake at least 3 times and sometimes 4. Once my cut swath or raked windrow goes flat to the ground it is flippy the windrow time so a different portion can see the sun and return the airflow to the other part that can not.
I left it for about 36 hours before I raked it the first time. Then again everyday after. The first time raking it was damp but not bad same the next day. Where that field lays its in a low place, trees all on the west side so it shades fast. I lost to rain the day I was baling it. Got 2" on cured hay. It is the round up ready alfalfa, which has been lackluster on yield to say the least. Similar inputs to the other field but nothing even close for production. It did well in grass so it may go to a Timothy Orchard mix or perhaps something entirely different. I always heard corn does well behind alfalfa.
