When it is determined that the hay is mature enough for cutting, that weather outlook favorable and that the machinery is in readiness, then my husband cuts the hay.

We have small parcels of land that have rolling hills.  So smaller tractors and machinery work well here.  The main machine for haying is the tractor.  Most of the specialized tools we use are powered by it.

In the old days before we farmed here, haying was a bit slower process than ours today.

Before we began our farming careers, farmers would:

• cut the hay with a cycle mower pulled by a tractor
  
• then crimp the hay stalks with a hay conditioner

This way the tractor had to run through the hayfield once for cutting and once for crimping.  The hay-conditioner has rollers in it that crack the hay stems in multiple places.  That speeds up the drying time.

Without the crimping the hay would have to lie in the field a longer time.  This would increase the chance that a change in the weather (rain) could slow the process further and cause decompostion of the hay to start in the field.

Hay must be sufficiently dried for storage.  If it is not dried, the moist hay can heat up in the barn so much that fires can start.

Now, we have a tool called the haybine that both cuts and crimps for us on the first pass through the field.  When the weather makes it harder to make the hay in a timely fashion, we cut the hay with the haybine and the next day crimp the hay a second time with our old hay-conditioner.  We use the older technology, too.  It helps our hay to dry a day sooner.

photo credit: Wenda Grabau
photo credit: Wenda Grabau