Eclectic Red Barn: What to do on vacation: Put up Hay

Thursday, June 12, 2014

What to do on vacation: Put up Hay

Just spent a wonderful week in Vermont with my grand children. The weather was great, which is rather unusual for this time of year. It seems that each year, no matter when I go to Vermont in the summer, we put up hay. My friend boards her horse at my son's barn so she asked if I could help with the hay this year.

Because of the great weather, the hay was beautiful and baled early. So off we go to get the hay. I didn't get any pictures loading the bales since I was working to hard.

Eclectic Red Barn: Trailer loaded with hay

Here we are backing up the trailer with the first load - 66 bales.

Can you see how green this hay is? It even had some purple in it. And the smell, wow it was great. For hay that is!!

That is my son in the grey t-shirt and tan shorts

This year we were able to get a conveyor belt to put the hay in the loft. In years past, we carried them up the stairs to the loft. That was exhausting!

Eclectic Red Barn: Conveyor belt for loadiing hay to loft

Check the sun shinning on the conveyor belt?

Once we got the conveyor belt in place, it was time to load the hay.

Eclectic Red Barn: Getting hay off trailer

You have to grab the hay off the trailer.

Eclectic Red Barn: Putting hay on conveyor belt

The conveyor belt has large teeth to grab the bales. We start the motor and begin to load the bales.

I had to go at this point to the top of the loft to take the bales off and give them to Lory who will stack them. No more pictures!!

In the end, we put up 132 bales. This was light compared to other years, but it went quickly with the four of us. May have to get more later in the summer. They will probably wait for me. lol!

I have to say, I was tired, but not like past years. Thanks to the conveyor belt. If you have ever put up hay, you know what I mean.