Excellent video. Really good production value, too. Thanks for what you do! The TV networks could learn a lot from you - no drama, no special effects, just good information presented professionally.
What an informative site. MORE people NOT associated with farming should visit this site. It makes you realize there is much, MUCH more to farming than what you see.
Thanks Joe Bonola, We try to impart some knowledge to the non-AG people for just that reason. Everyone needs to know where their food comes from. Thanks for watching. -Mike
I would like to just take minute to tell both of you how much I so appreciate all the hard work you do to video, edit and post these videos for all of us to enjoy and learn about your life. The level of professionalism that are in your videos is just phenomenal and the way you both explain things for us viewer at home to understand is just amazing. Thank you again for bringing and teaching us about "Your Wyoming life".
What a trip down memory lane. When I was 15 years old, I went to work on a cattle farm. Every child should have that experience. I love the smell of cow manure, and I'm a fence fixing maniac, lol. Love your channel.
Awesome video Mike. These are the videos that maybe other farmers/ranchers already know as second nature, but us city folk don't. I feel educated 😀. And for that I thank you. As I drive past several fields and see hey stacks, now I know there is allot more thought and work that goes into it. Thanks again.
Seconded, and it's for this precise reason I also play games like Farming Simulator ... really helps me and my kids understand the hard work that is put into the food we eat.
WOW! Thank you. We had no idea there was such a science to stacking hay. When I lived, as a child, on our ranch, the haying was taken care of by the adults and nothing was explained. It's nice to find out why things were done the way they were.
I live in Pennsylvania and work on a farm and we stacked hay allllll day today and our elevator broke and all I can say that it was a long day. But very satisfying and I feel accomplished after the day is done. I love the farm. I respect you guys so much and the hard work you put in shows
Hay jockey here. Worth mentioning, not all weathering is attributed to moisture, bales in direct sunlight will darken over time just as well. Also, ANY place those bales touch will mold. That is why I usually advise against anything but single rows stacked apart if they are going to be stored outdoors. I agree, net wrap is worth every penny! Faster to make, easier to remove, and actually sheds water (to a degree).
Nice job delivering the info....direct, informative, no filler!! I'm in the n.east...we had some dry stretches, & put up some good hay, & have cut fields that sometimes don't get first cut before mid to late August...so the quality is very good...unfortunately now we're in a wet spell...we got 4 1/4" of rain the past 3 days, with humidity @ 97 0/0!! I had put up dry small baled hay, off the ground, under cover...but am concerned it will sour, & get moldy from the moisture in the air...thanks for the info...you could do voice overs, or radio with that voice...good job!! Looks good for a 2nd cut for us, we've been in a drought, but I think we're coming out of it. Thanks again!
Thanks Mike, good stuff, we in NW Colorado have to put hay under roof and if no floor up on pallets due to run off and on a North slope where you have more moisture than on say south facing slopes it's best to keep it off the ground
I really enjoyed this video, here round bales are king but mostly are kept in quonset buildings or pole sheds. We have been known to get freezing rain November and december which will effectively turn a hay pile into a frozen hell. Many times even the most powerful tractors just ruin the bales trying to break them from the ice if not covered after freezing rain. I'm looking at a round baler a couple towns over, makes 4x5 rounds. Cheap hay this year has driven the price on used equipment lower then I have seen in years. Hard not to be tempted to buy some equipment and prepare for next year.
Interesting to see how you go about baling. Here in Norway (at least on the west coast) we use net and also wrap the bales in plastic since we have quite a lot of rain/snow.
As you state in your video you have a dry climate, but for others it's a different story like myself in the northeast US. A couple years ago I watched a video from Oklahoma state (sunup tv) about hay loss. Basically you get just as much hay loss from underneath as from on top. I started stacking hay on 4x4s. WOW what a difference! I couldn't believe the difference. I think one study was done in Tennessee and the duplicated in Oklahoma I used those numbers to figure the 4x4s would pay for themselves in 3 years. Then I found the local lumber yard would sell me warped and twisted 4x4s for half price!
I'm in the PNW and stack hay on well-draining gravel that keeps the bottom bales dry and also stagger the top bale to help keep moisture from reaching the sides of bales below, in the event of a tear or loose tarp that needs resetting -- one year the hay barn will be finished!
Love your channel Mike! I live in Louisiana and one of my friends had a hay cutting business. He would lease land and cut it for hay. He asked me to help pick up square bales one day and I said sure, sounds like fun, boy was I wrong. I got to his house and he started laughing at me because i was wearing shorts, it was 95 outside so i asked why shouldn't I he said you'll find out. We got to the hay field and man, there must have been 1000 square bales to load and about 2 hours in, i found out why he was laughing at me for wearing shorts, my thighs were tore up and bleeding. He was throwing and i was stacking and his dad was driving. Needless to say I was wore slap out when we were done and I learned a valuable lesson, do not wear shorts to load hay. Lol. I have family that own a ranch in Alladin, Wyoming. Its close to the South Dakota border and my Mother was born at Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City. We went to visit them several years ago and I loved it. We rode tractors, moved cattle and they had a rodeo with some of the locals. It seemed like a great life. Thanks and keep the videos coming.
great videos you make. Here in NW Florida, if youre stacking outside you cant allow the bales to touch due to the amount of moisture we have. Stack them or push them tightly against one another and in 2 months max youll have mold there. Have to allow adequate spacing between each bale to give it a chance to dry.
Hi again Spot on Mike! Really good in depth hay info!! Must say you've learned your lessons well especially for a city dude! Lol lol Seriously you've covered all the bases and I'm quite sure there are some that are very surprised to hear there's much more involved with hay. Mentioned before how I love those nice bales you put up. I look forward to hearing the quality testing results after the hail storm. Thx as always Mike...
i'm really enjoying this channel! I'm a City-slicker but I love to drive those farm roads every Saturday. It's part of my retirement fun! You should consider having a Radio or TV show. You're voice ie real easy on the ears!
Downhill2400, Our Wyoming Life has a lot of "City-Slickers" here! I like to think that we have the smartest City-slickers cause here is a great place to find the info ya need! Thanks for watching- Mike
just got back in the house from the hay field mike , great video . A few years back we tried the mushroom pile it destroyed a lot of hay . For around here line rapping is the best . then barn stored , but again the major investment. Good luck and hope all is well.
I noticed when they make hay bales here they use that netting first and then they put a plastic wrap over that netting. My relatives would store their hay in the upper part of the barn. Thank you for all the information on hay bales. Look forward to your next video.
NW PA here in the Lake Erie snow belt, lots of snow, plenty of rain and usually 3 cuts of hay, sometimes 4. We net wrap bales but due to the wet weather we also wrap them in plastic (the big marshmallow bales) lol. Sometimes they are wrapped in a solid line like a big white worm going down the field. Since selling the dairy cattle my brother crop farms soybeans, corn and hay. This has been a super wet year out here. Most farmers couldn't even get crops in. It was to wet to even get into the fields.
@@OurWyomingLife He has crop insurance but they have so many stipulations & rules on things they don't usually pay much or tell you you're a bushel short on something to get any help! Typical insurance!
Awesome stuff here. I service irrigation pivots in the bighorn basin.. been thinking about making videos to inform my customers how to troubleshoot, repair and maintain their pivots.. you've convinced me to give it a go.. thank you..
@Old School Rods ad Restorations, I encourage you to do it. Im sure alot of subscribers here would be interested in the workings of Pivots, and how much water is used by them.- Mike
Wow, thank you for the class on haystacking it is so important that we all understand what you are up against, so we can appreciate what you provide is quality food for all of us. Thanks again😍
Mike, there looked to be enough rain this year for a large crop, and then the hail storm hit. I'm not sure you mentioned it, but what was your final bale count this year? How many animals will it feed? How many bales do you think you lost to the hail? Asking for my friend the Armchair Rancher, as I think his mother grounded him again.
Mike. One other thing. I just came across you channel. I am giving you a "shout out" to all my other farming YT favorites. Hopefully, we can get you some extra hay......Rick.
Do you do soil testing to determine if there is a need for fertilizer? I have a good friend in KS who farms mostly corn (dryland) One year, It was a really dry year (2012) and he made the decision to have it chopped. I asked him it he would have to increase the rate of fertilizer because the residue wasn't left in the field. He said it does affect the inputs. So, I thought it might be an interesting video to show the whole process, including how the lab results from the finished product affects your plans.
I'm sure you've thought about this plenty. I noticed you roll out your bails in the winter. Do you have alot of waste left on the ground? I've seen you use bail feeders. Why don't you utilize this more? Or, plastic wrapping them? Again, I'm sure you've thought about all of this already.
Your welcome, and glad you enjoyed the video. Erin has been quite busy between the gardens, and the Edible Prairie Project and the farm store. Her videos will return though. - Mike
Alright💥another one outta the park👍 Good video Mike. So heres a question for you my friend. How big your building have to be to store all your hay for 150+cows? You can wait till Thursday to answer. Have a great week.
I got two questions in the winter how do you figure out witch way to unroll the bales. My other question is is why don't you use the bobcat to unload the bales does it not reach high enough or do you figure you are just as fast with the tractor or do you not have a spear for it
Good questions. So if you look at the bales there are stripes on the netwrap, that way you can keep track of which is left and which is right. If you load it on the spooler correctly it will come off just as it was made in the baler. You are right, the bobcat doesnt reach high enough, also you cant see anything in front of you when you have a bale on it :) Thanks Marsha - Mike
Ya We move all of our bales with a skidloader but we got just enough to reach to put it on the trailer two high and we don't stack it so it's alright we just make a row and the issue of not seeing in front of you is solved by a few hours of getting use to it and how to look to either side of lift it up a little to see under
@@marshakrebs4348 would a cheap backup camera mounted elevated above the forks help? They are so cheap now. you could put it on a cordless 12 volt battery from a drill you already probably have. They are wireless and the battery makes it a no wires project. Could you screw or zip tie a 2x4 to the forks vertically ?
Yes that would be a thing to do especially if you have to drive down the dirt road a ways with a bale on to feed a few head every few days so you can see in front of you and keep the load on the spear at a reasonable height at all times. But I don't think I will find myself doing it because I don't find it necessary because we learned how to look around the hay bale and can put the money of a camera towards another thing
I am a bit south of yall probably. in Colorado well between denver and cheyenne vs east of denver depending on price per acre and deal to be had. Almost tempted to flip the house here and finally go to my retirement project of that farm life. Was curious how different in precipitation it might be. I almost assume slightly warmer and slightly more precipitation in some months. Pyrmid stacking hay could be good just not sure on if (got quotes on a 200x100x20 steel building around 150-175k a bit high but i am looking into if i can put it on a conventional along side a modular home if there is a way) Or just pyrmid stack and shelter the hay til sold to fund the steel barn project. (even contemplating building the living quarters inside a 200x100x20 with an indoor pool and aquaponics and maybe indoor poop yard for the doggos when i dont feel like freezing toes off here due to their escape artist nature.
@@OurWyomingLife I am well qualified to be the Posse because I am full of it. Full of the stupidest ideas. Plus as a bonus I can serve as a bad example.
If you pyramid stack here in East Texas you'll wind up with a rotten mess come winter. Single file a few feet apart works well here in hot,humid,wet area.
Do you think it’s safe for round bales to be completely tarped from top down and all sides (nothing exposed)? We have 22 4×5 round bales sitting outside on pallets that have been completely covered with tarp and have been anchored down with J hooks into the ground. They seemed completely dry and the hay farmer said they were baled at 10% moisture. Under the pallets is the ground (grass) and we live in northern Wisconsin so I’m not quite sure if they’ll mold or even worse - catch fire. This is what the previous owner told us to do but I see so much conflicting information online (some sites say to completely cover too) about storing hay so I’m not quite sure who/what to follow. Thank you!!
Do you guys ever feed barley straw or oat straw to spread out the hay you have? Also where do you generally get your hay you end up buying when you need to?
Have to really disagree with you on your preference Of pyramid stacking versus mushroom stacking. We have stock thousands of both, and what you will find as the bottom Bales will always wick moisture out from the ground, regardless of whether they are on their side or on end. The big difference is is the middle row of bales on a mushroom stack will shed water off instead of funneling it down into the bottom row. Pyramid stacking while convenient, we have found to be the worst for longevity.
Like I said, it will differ from area to area, climate to climate. For us, the ends open on the ground tend to hold moisture and it moves up the bale, while stacking on the side then netwrap is in contact with the ground. Thanks - Mike
We normally stack bales here in northeast Nebraska in single rows with space between each and every bale in that row we use to stack them tight together and every bale would mold on the face that butted up to the next bale now that we space every bale there is no spoilage on the face of the bale
@@steinwaymodelb Putting up good hay is challenging here with all the random high humidity days and then its dry then humid again and the hay gets dry and wet and so on but it's very challenging to get 18% hay
Another great video by the man! Quick question, thinking in the long run would it be financially better to downsize or just buy the hey you need? Thank you.
Hey Mike this past weekend I went up to the Amish country in Ohio and noticed that they started their hay harvesting and they were running their big bales through a machine that put a white covering on the hay and the rows where long is football fields . Is this just another way to preserve the hay ?
If only the ranchers in my area got their hay stacked as quickly after cutting as you do. I've seen some that leave their bales in the field over winter and only move them once they need to cut again. And we aren't exactly a dry climate either.
For the sounds of it an investment in irrigation would be money well spent. Even if ya go the cheap route aka a well with a drag line could greatly improve yields in a small portion of your haying ground
I'm in Korea and I just spent the better part of an hour watching your videos on haying even though I'll never do that.
AcidDaBomb that’s hilarious good on ya
Excellent video. Really good production value, too. Thanks for what you do! The TV networks could learn a lot from you - no drama, no special effects, just good information presented professionally.
What an informative site.
MORE people NOT associated with farming should visit this site.
It makes you realize there is much, MUCH more to farming than what you see.
Thanks Joe Bonola, We try to impart some knowledge to the non-AG people for just that reason. Everyone needs to know where their food comes from. Thanks for watching. -Mike
I would like to just take minute to tell both of you how much I so appreciate all the hard work you do to video, edit and post these videos for all of us to enjoy and learn about your life. The level of professionalism that are in your videos is just phenomenal and the way you both explain things for us viewer at home to understand is just amazing.
Thank you again for bringing and teaching us about "Your Wyoming life".
What a trip down memory lane. When I was 15 years old, I went to work on a cattle farm. Every child should have that experience. I love the smell of cow manure, and I'm a fence fixing maniac, lol. Love your channel.
Thank you - exactly the info we are looking for. God bless you and yours. You've blesssed us.
Great education from someone who never saw a farm like yours! Thank you!
Thanks to all of you on the ranch. It's fun to listen and learn.
Glad you enjoy it Earlene. - Mike
Awesome video Mike. These are the videos that maybe other farmers/ranchers already know as second nature, but us city folk don't. I feel educated 😀. And for that I thank you. As I drive past several fields and see hey stacks, now I know there is allot more thought and work that goes into it. Thanks again.
Thanks Will R. Appreciate that. - MIke
Seconded, and it's for this precise reason I also play games like Farming Simulator ... really helps me and my kids understand the hard work that is put into the food we eat.
I have never been to Wyoming, but watching your videos sure makes me want to,, thanks for your videos,,,,your place is beautiful ❤️
Hank, Hope one day your able to make it out to Wyoming its a beautiful state. Thanks for watching. - Mike
WOW! Thank you. We had no idea there was such a science to stacking hay. When I lived, as a child, on our ranch, the haying was taken care of by the adults and nothing was explained. It's nice to find out why things were done the way they were.
Glad I was able to share some information with you. Thanks for watching- Mike
This guy is very experienced thumps up
Thanks AB SUNNY. - Mike
I live in Pennsylvania and work on a farm and we stacked hay allllll day today and our elevator broke and all I can say that it was a long day. But very satisfying and I feel accomplished after the day is done. I love the farm. I respect you guys so much and the hard work you put in shows
Washington, PA. here.
Thanks Nate, and thanks for watching- Mike
Ugh stacking hay......oh the memories thanks for sharing
Your welcome! LOL glad we were able to trigger some memories! LOL -Mike
Hay jockey here. Worth mentioning, not all weathering is attributed to moisture, bales in direct sunlight will darken over time just as well. Also, ANY place those bales touch will mold. That is why I usually advise against anything but single rows stacked apart if they are going to be stored outdoors. I agree, net wrap is worth every penny! Faster to make, easier to remove, and actually sheds water (to a degree).
Very good explanation!!
Thanks for taking your time to help others!!
Nice job delivering the info....direct, informative, no filler!! I'm in the n.east...we had some dry stretches, & put up some good hay, & have cut fields that sometimes don't get first cut before mid to late August...so the quality is very good...unfortunately now we're in a wet spell...we got 4 1/4" of rain the past 3 days, with humidity @ 97 0/0!! I had put up dry small baled hay, off the ground, under cover...but am concerned it will sour, & get moldy from the moisture in the air...thanks for the info...you could do voice overs, or radio with that voice...good job!! Looks good for a 2nd cut for us, we've been in a drought, but I think we're coming out of it. Thanks again!
Great video 👍
Thank you very much -Mike
Thanks Mike, good stuff, we in NW Colorado have to put hay under roof and if no floor up on pallets due to run off and on a North slope where you have more moisture than on say south facing slopes it's best to keep it off the ground
I really enjoyed this video, here round bales are king but mostly are kept in quonset buildings or pole sheds. We have been known to get freezing rain November and december which will effectively turn a hay pile into a frozen hell. Many times even the most powerful tractors just ruin the bales trying to break them from the ice if not covered after freezing rain. I'm looking at a round baler a couple towns over, makes 4x5 rounds. Cheap hay this year has driven the price on used equipment lower then I have seen in years. Hard not to be tempted to buy some equipment and prepare for next year.
Good Luck Bill. Mike
Interesting to see how you go about baling. Here in Norway (at least on the west coast) we use net and also wrap the bales in plastic since we have quite a lot of rain/snow.
Nice Video!
Thanks Cole. - Mike
As you state in your video you have a dry climate, but for others it's a different story like myself in the northeast US. A couple years ago I watched a video from Oklahoma state (sunup tv) about hay loss. Basically you get just as much hay loss from underneath as from on top. I started stacking hay on 4x4s. WOW what a difference! I couldn't believe the difference. I think one study was done in Tennessee and the duplicated in Oklahoma I used those numbers to figure the 4x4s would pay for themselves in 3 years. Then I found the local lumber yard would sell me warped and twisted 4x4s for half price!
Like I said it's gonna be different based on your climate. Thanks -Mike
I'm in the PNW and stack hay on well-draining gravel that keeps the bottom bales dry and also stagger the top bale to help keep moisture from reaching the sides of bales below, in the event of a tear or loose tarp that needs resetting -- one year the hay barn will be finished!
Another great video, Mike. Very educational on the haying process and cycle.
Thank You Farmapper. Have a good one. - Mike
Another interesting and informative video. Who knew stacking hay was a science.
Thank You, Tracy Jerred. Stacking can be a science depending where you are at dictates how you stack. Thanks for watching. -Mike
Great show and explanation!
Love your channel Mike! I live in Louisiana and one of my friends had a hay cutting business. He would lease land and cut it for hay. He asked me to help pick up square bales one day and I said sure, sounds like fun, boy was I wrong. I got to his house and he started laughing at me because i was wearing shorts, it was 95 outside so i asked why shouldn't I he said you'll find out. We got to the hay field and man, there must have been 1000 square bales to load and about 2 hours in, i found out why he was laughing at me for wearing shorts, my thighs were tore up and bleeding. He was throwing and i was stacking and his dad was driving. Needless to say I was wore slap out when we were done and I learned a valuable lesson, do not wear shorts to load hay. Lol. I have family that own a ranch in Alladin, Wyoming. Its close to the South Dakota border and my Mother was born at Ellsworth AFB in Rapid City. We went to visit them several years ago and I loved it. We rode tractors, moved cattle and they had a rodeo with some of the locals. It seemed like a great life. Thanks and keep the videos coming.
Thanks for sharing Mike
Thanks Rodney! -Mike
Great informational video
Thanks Judy Biamonte. - Mike
I don't know anything about farming or ranching, but I do enjoy your videos.
Stick around 1tired citizen, We will do our best to try to teach you a little bit. Thank for watching. - Mike
Thank you tons of good info. Thank you...
great videos you make. Here in NW Florida, if youre stacking outside you cant allow the bales to touch due to the amount of moisture we have. Stack them or push them tightly against one another and in 2 months max youll have mold there. Have to allow adequate spacing between each bale to give it a chance to dry.
Lots of good info. Thanks for sharing. Have a good one
Thanks for watching, and hope you have a good day too. -Mike
what a great channel!
Thank you and We appreciate that j. Hope you share it with some of your friends too. Thanks for watching- Mike & Erin
Cant wait for the new videos ;)
Thanks, in motion. - Mike
Hi again Spot on Mike! Really good in depth hay info!! Must say you've learned your lessons well especially for a city dude! Lol lol Seriously you've covered all the bases and I'm quite sure there are some that are very surprised to hear there's much more involved with hay. Mentioned before how I love those nice bales you put up. I look forward to hearing the quality testing results after the hail storm. Thx as always Mike...
As am I, the results should be interesting, thanks - Mike
i'm really enjoying this channel! I'm a City-slicker but I love to drive those farm roads every Saturday. It's part of my retirement fun! You should consider having a Radio or TV show. You're voice ie real easy on the ears!
I do the same, Ride the county roads and ask myself; why do Farmer's; do certain things. Also I think Mike would be great on a Radio show.
Downhill2400, Our Wyoming Life has a lot of "City-Slickers" here! I like to think that we have the smartest City-slickers cause here is a great place to find the info ya need! Thanks for watching- Mike
just got back in the house from the hay field mike , great video . A few years back we tried the mushroom pile it destroyed a lot of hay . For around here line rapping is the best . then barn stored , but again the major investment. Good luck and hope all is well.
I agree, I pyramid stack mostly because of the space it saves. Thanks Jay - Mike
I noticed when they make hay bales here they use that netting first and then they put a plastic wrap over that netting. My relatives would store their hay in the upper part of the barn. Thank you for all the information on hay bales. Look forward to your next video.
Thanks for sharing how your realative do things.- Mike
Another great, informative video! Even though I grew up on a farm, I had no idea how important every decision is, even down to the stacking of hay.
One of our Moderators Matt has basically echo'd your comment many times. Glad you picked up things from the videos. Thanks for watching. - Mike
You can use pallets to stack the hay on to keep it up off the ground and keep it dry
NW PA here in the Lake Erie snow belt, lots of snow, plenty of rain and usually 3 cuts of hay, sometimes 4. We net wrap bales but due to the wet weather we also wrap them in plastic (the big marshmallow bales) lol. Sometimes they are wrapped in a solid line like a big white worm going down the field. Since selling the dairy cattle my brother crop farms soybeans, corn and hay. This has been a super wet year out here. Most farmers couldn't even get crops in. It was to wet to even get into the fields.
Sorry to hear you were one of the many I heard of in that position. Hope next year is a better year. -Mike
@@OurWyomingLife He has crop insurance but they have so many stipulations & rules on things they don't usually pay much or tell you you're a bushel short on something to get any help! Typical insurance!
Thanks Mike for another great video. Always look forward to the next one.
Thanks Cmoresonm. Thank You for watching- Mike
Awesome stuff here. I service irrigation pivots in the bighorn basin.. been thinking about making videos to inform my customers how to troubleshoot, repair and maintain their pivots.. you've convinced me to give it a go.. thank you..
Please do. I would like to "watch and learn" !
@Old School Rods ad Restorations, I encourage you to do it. Im sure alot of subscribers here would be interested in the workings of Pivots, and how much water is used by them.- Mike
Please make the videos! I’d watch.
Alot of good information there thanks Mike.
Thanks John. Appreciate it- Mike
Mike love your videos don’t stop keep them coming 😎
Thanks You Jesse. No plans to stop! Thanks for watching- Mike
I know we came up short this year but the Hay does look healthy and if stored properly it shore does produce a tasty product lol.
Wow, thank you for the class on haystacking it is so important that we all understand what you are up against, so we can appreciate what you provide is quality food for all of us. Thanks again😍
Kathleen, There is so many different ways to store Hay.it all boils down to its intended use. Thanks for watching- Mike
Thanks for the video mike
Your welcome Benjamin, and thanks for watching. - Mike
Great video Mike. I learned so much from your videos
Happy I can teach a bit Sergey. Thanks for watching- Mike
Mike, there looked to be enough rain this year for a large crop, and then the hail storm hit. I'm not sure you mentioned it, but what was your final bale count this year? How many animals will it feed? How many bales do you think you lost to the hail? Asking for my friend the Armchair Rancher, as I think his mother grounded him again.
we harvested almost 300 ton Thats enough for about 100 cows if we buy a couple of loads. Thanks - Mike
Thanks for the info. I think the AR really misbehaved, since his mom took away his keyboard, Funyuns and Mountain Dew. Harsh.
Thank you for going into so much detail on all of your videos Keep up the good work
You welcome, and thanks for watching Kyle. -Mike
Mike. One other thing. I just came across you channel. I am giving you a "shout out" to all my other farming YT favorites. Hopefully, we can get you some extra hay......Rick.
Thanks Rick- Mike
A great video Our Wyoming Life, your videos are awesome and I love the variety of topics you produce. Long live Wyoming
Thanks Hamish Kay. - Mike
Do you do soil testing to determine if there is a need for fertilizer? I have a good friend in KS who farms mostly corn (dryland) One year, It was a really dry year (2012) and he made the decision to have it chopped. I asked him it he would have to increase the rate of fertilizer because the residue wasn't left in the field. He said it does affect the inputs. So, I thought it might be an interesting video to show the whole process, including how the lab results from the finished product affects your plans.
Another great video, very informative. Always look forward to seeing your videos, really makes my day.
Thanks Allan R, I try to accomplish that with every video. - Mike
Does "Rain" wash out the nutritions of the hay ?
No moisture and heat will cause bacteria that can break down the bale and cause mold. Thanks -Mike
I'm sure you've thought about this plenty. I noticed you roll out your bails in the winter. Do you have alot of waste left on the ground? I've seen you use bail feeders. Why don't you utilize this more? Or, plastic wrapping them? Again, I'm sure you've thought about all of this already.
He has a video out on the topic he says and in the video you can see there is little to no waste he uses bale feeders in smaller pens
Nice subject cowboy. Liked your video
Thank you! Mike for another awesome video. Thanks for sharing.
Thank You Felicca- Mike
Thanks for taking us along along with you on another great video Mike. Have a blessed week. When is Erin going to start back up doing her videos?
Your welcome, and glad you enjoyed the video. Erin has been quite busy between the gardens, and the Edible Prairie Project and the farm store. Her videos will return though. - Mike
Great video,,, good information thank you for sharing
Glad you liked it Y B, and thanks for watching. - Mike
Alright💥another one outta the park👍 Good video Mike. So heres a question for you my friend. How big your building have to be to store all your hay for 150+cows? You can wait till Thursday to answer. Have a great week.
I may forget by then Lorie, so let me answer that now. BIG - Mike
I got two questions in the winter how do you figure out witch way to unroll the bales. My other question is is why don't you use the bobcat to unload the bales does it not reach high enough or do you figure you are just as fast with the tractor or do you not have a spear for it
Good questions. So if you look at the bales there are stripes on the netwrap, that way you can keep track of which is left and which is right. If you load it on the spooler correctly it will come off just as it was made in the baler. You are right, the bobcat doesnt reach high enough, also you cant see anything in front of you when you have a bale on it :) Thanks Marsha - Mike
Ya We move all of our bales with a skidloader but we got just enough to reach to put it on the trailer two high and we don't stack it so it's alright we just make a row and the issue of not seeing in front of you is solved by a few hours of getting use to it and how to look to either side of lift it up a little to see under
@@marshakrebs4348 would a cheap backup camera mounted elevated above the forks help? They are so cheap now. you could put it on a cordless 12 volt battery from a drill you already probably have. They are wireless and the battery makes it a no wires project. Could you screw or zip tie a 2x4 to the forks vertically ?
Yes that would be a thing to do especially if you have to drive down the dirt road a ways with a bale on to feed a few head every few days so you can see in front of you and keep the load on the spear at a reasonable height at all times. But I don't think I will find myself doing it because I don't find it necessary because we learned how to look around the hay bale and can put the money of a camera towards another thing
Thanks so much for your great videos Sr. lot’s lot’s of good info KEEP UP THE GOOD WORK
Thanks for watching Lucio. - Mike
Love you videos where to put straw up when night and we started in the barn at 10 at night
Gotta stay busy Ethan. Thanks for watching- Mike
I am a bit south of yall probably. in Colorado well between denver and cheyenne vs east of denver depending on price per acre and deal to be had. Almost tempted to flip the house here and finally go to my retirement project of that farm life. Was curious how different in precipitation it might be. I almost assume slightly warmer and slightly more precipitation in some months.
Pyrmid stacking hay could be good just not sure on if (got quotes on a 200x100x20 steel building around 150-175k a bit high but i am looking into if i can put it on a conventional along side a modular home if there is a way) Or just pyrmid stack and shelter the hay til sold to fund the steel barn project. (even contemplating building the living quarters inside a 200x100x20 with an indoor pool and aquaponics and maybe indoor poop yard for the doggos when i dont feel like freezing toes off here due to their escape artist nature.
Not to be nosy but would interesting to see what hay tests at compared to different parts of the country. Take care!!
Well formed bales you got there. The ACRPosse says to stack bales inside your garage. Lots of insulation value against the wind
LOL Brian! - Mike
@@OurWyomingLife I am well qualified to be the Posse because I am full of it. Full of the stupidest ideas. Plus as a bonus I can serve as a bad example.
Never thought about a fire taking out all my hay. (I had a HUGE wild fire end luckily 290 ft from my hq June 17)
If you pyramid stack here in East Texas you'll wind up with a rotten mess come winter. Single file a few feet apart works well here in hot,humid,wet area.
Makes sense thanks -Mike
.... think I found the farm/ranch on google map via firetruck in the front yard and hay stacked just like you said.
Do you think it’s safe for round bales to be completely tarped from top down and all sides (nothing exposed)? We have 22 4×5 round bales sitting outside on pallets that have been completely covered with tarp and have been anchored down with J hooks into the ground. They seemed completely dry and the hay farmer said they were baled at 10% moisture. Under the pallets is the ground (grass) and we live in northern Wisconsin so I’m not quite sure if they’ll mold or even worse - catch fire. This is what the previous owner told us to do but I see so much conflicting information online (some sites say to completely cover too) about storing hay so I’m not quite sure who/what to follow. Thank you!!
Hope Erin's shop is doing good. Needs some videos showing new store
Its going pretty well CRT Home Reviews. Thanks for asking. Im sure it will make an appearance soon. -Mike
Do you guys ever feed barley straw or oat straw to spread out the hay you have? Also where do you generally get your hay you end up buying when you need to?
Thanks mike
Your Welcome Thomas, and Thanks for watching- Mike
I really enjoy your Videos Mike it looks beautiful out in Wyoming
Do you put a fire guard around the hay storage? Thank you for another great class.
are you back and did you and your family get back together?
Have to really disagree with you on your preference Of pyramid stacking versus mushroom stacking. We have stock thousands of both, and what you will find as the bottom Bales will always wick moisture out from the ground, regardless of whether they are on their side or on end. The big difference is is the middle row of bales on a mushroom stack will shed water off instead of funneling it down into the bottom row. Pyramid stacking while convenient, we have found to be the worst for longevity.
Like I said, it will differ from area to area, climate to climate. For us, the ends open on the ground tend to hold moisture and it moves up the bale, while stacking on the side then netwrap is in contact with the ground. Thanks - Mike
Great
how come you don't wrap for silage??
Silage requires wet hay. Our hay drys out too fast. Thanks for watching -Mike
We stack wrapped bales upright.
That plastic bale wrap is going to be taxed by an Eu directive soon. It causes too much pollution
@@JesterEric contractor does the job plus not all of the grass goes wrapped bales.
Did know it was such a process with hay
Hello from Wales :)
Hello Arthur from Wales. Thanks for watching- Mike from Wyoming
@@OurWyomingLife Great video by the way :)
Here in Mexico for maximum savings and no spoilage we grind our oats and store them in feed bags about 30-40 tons!
I find it interesting how different parts of the world, deal with the same problems in such different ways- Thanks for watching Galaxy- Mike
Have you ever tried hay silage
what would you say about Colorado
Here in Virginia plastic wrap is often used. Makes hay fields look like marshmallow crops.
Also here!
We normally stack bales here in northeast Nebraska in single rows with space between each and every bale in that row we use to stack them tight together and every bale would mold on the face that butted up to the next bale now that we space every bale there is no spoilage on the face of the bale
Very interesting. Like I said every single place is gonna deal with different obstacles. Thanks -Mike
Mold between the bales is due to moisture sweating out of the bale. That will happen if your hay is baled at 20%
@@steinwaymodelb Putting up good hay is challenging here with all the random high humidity days and then its dry then humid again and the hay gets dry and wet and so on but it's very challenging to get 18% hay
Another great video by the man! Quick question, thinking in the long run would it be financially better to downsize or just buy the hey you need? Thank you.
kubitube4life that is a question that we werestle with every year, and every year has a different answer.- Mike
In a high humidity area you dont want bales touching unless inside
Thats what i understand too Daniel. Thanks for watching. - Mike
5%?!?! I think my body might go into shock. Here on the Gulf coast if the humidity gets below 60% we call that dry.
its a dry heat :) Thanks - Mike
Next video please please
Not too far from where I live there is a pile of tarp covered hay
Do you use wheat straw for bedding or feed supplement?
Yes thanks for watching
Hey Mike this past weekend I went up to the Amish country in Ohio and noticed that they started their hay harvesting and they were running their big bales through a machine that put a white covering on the hay and the rows where long is football fields . Is this just another way to preserve the hay ?
It can be. They could also be making silage or baleage which is a fermented hay. Thanks Christopher -Mike
@@OurWyomingLife "Fermented Hay" What, are the cow's having a Jake Daniels party. 🤪
may just be :)
If only the ranchers in my area got their hay stacked as quickly after cutting as you do. I've seen some that leave their bales in the field over winter and only move them once they need to cut again. And we aren't exactly a dry climate either.
Hey mike how is the store goin??? Dont think we have herd anything about it lately
Going pretty well, Thanks for asking Adam. - Mike
For the sounds of it an investment in irrigation would be money well spent. Even if ya go the cheap route aka a well with a drag line could greatly improve yields in a small portion of your haying ground