Few farm vehicles are as indispensable and versatile as hay carts; their versatility is invaluable to most farmers.
Haymaking involves multiple steps, including mowing, tedding, and baling. While this process can be costly for small farms lacking adequate machinery, using draft animals can significantly cut costs.
Getting Started
Whenever it comes to building hay carts, there are multiple choices available to you. Traditionally, when farmers needed to move large amounts of hay they either hauled individual bales with their tractor (which could take an inordinately long time) or loaded many bales into wagons to transport. Today, however, an increasing number of farmers are turning towards round balers that enable them to move large quantities all at once, and these units not only are highly effective but can be an amazing source of enjoyment as well.
Making hay is an intensive, time-consuming task that typically takes hours per round bale. Haymaking involves several steps such as mowing, tedding, raking, and baling that may prove cumbersome or discouraging for farmers attempting to produce their crop on time; especially when rain comes and undoes much of a farmer's hard work.
To produce dry hay, the freshly cut grass must be left to partially dry in the field and this process can be quite lengthy if weather conditions do not cooperate. If it does not dry completely and become usable quickly enough, however, rot will quickly ensue and quickly waste both money and time while potentially endangering livestock.
As with anything, there are ways to prevent this from occurring. To start off, it is advisable to perform soil nutrient testing to identify whether you need fertilizer. If this is indeed necessary, only apply as much fertilizer as is absolutely necessary; any excess will only waste money and energy by way of production costs.
Step two is to restrict access to the hay by placing it behind fences or in a barn. Without appropriate barriers in place, cattle would quickly consume and waste most of it; this problem can be avoided by restricting access with electric fencing or other barriers.
Materials
Maintaining fresh, dry hay from field to barn is paramount to protecting the health and happiness of livestock, optimizing the feed price ratio, and limiting forage losses. Hay that becomes wet while stored can quickly spoil, increasing feed cost while decreasing nutritional value and becoming moldy - both undesirable outcomes when fed to livestock. If a farmer owns a barn it should be easier than ever to keep their investment safe; otherwise, more precaution should be taken by those without one to safeguard their investment and ensure its future.
Making dry hay requires several machines working in concert from start to finish; mowing, tedding, raking, and baling are essential steps in this process. Equipment required for each task can be expensive to purchase and repair or maintain if you lack experience repairing farm machinery "tinkering". In addition, successful mowing and tedding processes depend on plenty of dry, sunny weather - an elusive commodity during most first-cut hay production seasons like June.
Small square bales were once an economical and popular way to feed livestock in pastures; while this practice remains prevalent today, their labor costs far surpass those associated with round bales. Furthermore, improper distribution can result in waste and reduced feed intake by livestock.
To effectively store and move hay efficiently, the easiest way is to invest in a large rectangular hay cart that allows for efficient movement and storage of your material. Basic Hay carts from any garden center cost under $100 while you can build one using less costly materials yourself. If building one yourself is an option, begin by bracing cattle panels using 2x4s to brace from post to post before attaching an umbrella using either bungee cords or wire. You could add a roof to this structure at this stage but this step is optional.
Design
Designing farm infrastructure when operating at a smaller scale requires additional considerations. There may be more systems to interconnect, finances may be tight and everything must work seamlessly together in order for things to function as intended - especially if trying to conserve resources.
Large round bales allow more hay to be quickly put up without increasing labor or waste, saving both time and labor costs. Hay can also be wrapped to protect it from weather-related spoilage or rejection by ruminants - saving time and money while improving animal health! Wasted hay reduces your profit margin while creating health concerns in livestock populations.
Round bales are often fed to livestock as whole packages, meaning the entire hay bale is placed in their paddock and consumed gradually over days or weeks. Unfortunately, this method of feeding hay wastes up to 60% during consumption; electric fencing or other barriers that limit access beyond two or three days' worth can dramatically decrease this wasteful practice.