# Grass hay from small fields. Best methodology?



## Bonjour (Nov 19, 2019)

Good Evening All,

This may be a longish post, so please bear with me.

I've been cutting and tedding my own hay for the past 5 years and having it baled by a contractor. Last winter I bought a small square baler and will be doing the whole job myself this year. Equipment comprises a Kuhn GMD44 disc mower, a Zagroda tedder/rake (Polish copy of a PZ haybob) and a JD 359T baler. Tractor is a 1967 Nuffield 465 (65hp).

I'll be making grass hay from 3 small fields. the smallest about 1 1/2 acres, roughly rectangular, The largest about 5 acres, roughly rectangular, length about twice the width. The third field about 4 acres, triangular, one square corner where the gate is.

In previous years I've cut the triangular field working from the outside in, in decreasing triangles until I reach the middle. the rectangular fields I cut from outside inwards in decreasing rectangles for 5 or 6 rows, then cut lengthwise rows. Obviously, I work clockwise, turning right towards the mower. When tedding and when rowing-up for the baler, I work anti-clockwise using the same pattern as for the cut. This seems to work OK for rectangular fields but makes it awkward for the baler in the triangular field, because of the acute corners, a lot of hay gets missed and has to be raked up again. This results in me dashing around behind the baler raking-in the missed bits to save his time.

Now that I'll be doing all three jobs, I won't be having to concern myself with the baler's time but I don't want to work inefficiently. I only have the one tractor, so i don't ideally want lots of equipment changes, but I wonder whether it might be better to work the triangle field in straight lines, apart from the outside few rows, row-up the straight runs and bale them, then row-up the outside rows for baling, accepting that they will have been driven on a fair bit.

I'm somewhat self-taught, so I don't know if my methods are good or if there is a better approach. Much as I enjoy the satisfaction of making my own hay, any suggestions and tips that reduce the time and effort, or just make a better job of it, would be greatly appreciated.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Personally, I would bother with the 1 1/2 acre field and the odd shape--just too much wasted time turning. Can you use for pasture?

Ralph


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## Bonjour (Nov 19, 2019)

rjmoses said:


> Personally, I would bother with the 1 1/2 acre field and the odd shape--just too much wasted time turning. Can you use for pasture?
> 
> Ralph


Unfortunately, I don't have the option of not bothering. I live on a small island where agricultural land is very limited. These are the fields I have available. the reasons I make my own hay are cost and availability. Importing hay is extremely expensive and the hay produced by others on-island isn't cheap, can be extremely variable in quality and is all quickly gone. The triangular field doubles as hay field and pasture. I only take one cut in June/July. The horses go on the regrowth from about September to Christmas, then the field is repaired and shut up for hay again while the horses. graze several small and awkward fields you REALLY wouldn't bother with for hay.


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

I'd keep cutting the way you have been. The field is too small for anything else and all you want to do is not making the turns too sharp.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Quite the dilemma one finds himself in....I don’t know how you can be any more efficient at the end of the day other than maybe investing in a small rotary rake, or perhaps a single side three point rake? Idk small irregular fields are a PITA no matter which way you approach it. I do have one small 2.5 acre field that I bale because it’s right behind my barn that I rent. I always have the baler there when I rake to get it out of the way for the next pass.....mind you I’m tedding at 36’ and raking 20’ of crop into windrows so things get crowded real fast. The good is it only takes me 5 min to Ted....makes up for the rake because I have to wait for the baler.


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

Odd shape fields are a pain but sounds like you are doing a good job with what you have available. Living on an island with limited resources must be challenging yet rewarding.


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## Bonjour (Nov 19, 2019)

Thanks everyone for the reassurance that what I'm doing is about right. I had kind of hoped there would be something I'd missed, which would make the job easier but there you go.



somedevildawg said:


> Quite the dilemma one finds himself in....I don't know how you can be any more efficient at the end of the day other than maybe investing in a small rotary rake, or perhaps a single side three point rake? Idk small irregular fields are a PITA no matter which way you approach it. I do have one small 2.5 acre field that I bale because it's right behind my barn that I rent. I always have the baler there when I rake to get it out of the way for the next pass.....mind you I'm tedding at 36' and raking 20' of crop into windrows so things get crowded real fast. The good is it only takes me 5 min to Ted....makes up for the rake because I have to wait for the baler.


Dawg, I can imagine your pain, doing a 2.5 acre field with big equipment like that. At least my equipment is better suited to tight corners. The mower is only 4 disks, the haybob is about 10ft and the baler is a narrow model at about 9ft wide. Any bigger and I wouldn't get them through the ten foot gates that are common here.

Depending on the weather forecast (as always!) I think I've come up with another possible method.

The two larger fields are next door to each other, the smallest one is a quarter mile away. I could split the job in two by cutting the smallest field and the outer edges of the larger two first, leaving the middles for the next patch of haying weather. I think this would have the upside of reducing the physical work of lifting and shifting the bales to more manageable chunks for a 62 year-old to manage, give an insurance policy in case of rain on the first batch, and give nice clear turning room at the headlands for part 2. The downsides being the extra changes of machinery and a few short road runs between fields. Any thoughts, anyone?


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Are you feeding cattle or horses? The Irish do a lot of what you are doing and use small mounted direct cut choppers and a small dump trailer, then pack in a mound. Seems to work for them but I wouldn't think of feeding that to horses. Cows lap it up.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

That sounds like a plan...on this computer it’s hard to understand the layouts and such, but you have the right idea I think, keep tryin different methods until you come upon a combination that works, for that one time that is...


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## Bonjour (Nov 19, 2019)

Hayman1 said:


> Are you feeding cattle or horses? The Irish do a lot of what you are doing and use small mounted direct cut choppers and a small dump trailer, then pack in a mound. Seems to work for them but I wouldn't think of feeding that to horses. Cows lap it up.


It's hay for horses. Some for mine and some to sell to other horse owners to cover my costs. I think what you are describing is pit silage which, as you rightly say, cows love but is completely unsafe for the equines.


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## Bonjour (Nov 19, 2019)

somedevildawg said:


> That sounds like a plan...on this computer it's hard to understand the layouts and such, but you have the right idea I think, keep tryin different methods until you come upon a combination that works, for that one time that is...


Every hay season brings a new lesson to learn :lol:


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## Ox76 (Oct 22, 2018)

For triangular fields up in the mountains we would go around the outside as many times as it seems feasible, then go long-wise as if it was a rectangular field and just kind of let the windrows merge as they want. Lots less tight and long turns.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Triangle fields - You have a haybob that can be raised, we rake the centre rows first straight and parallel to the longest side leaving room for 3 or 4 loops around the outside. The last pass around the middle section you will be trapped but with 3 point rake can just raise to get out.


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## Bonjour (Nov 19, 2019)

slowzuki said:


> Triangle fields - You have a haybob that can be raised, we rake the centre rows first straight and parallel to the longest side leaving room for 3 or 4 loops around the outside. The last pass around the middle section you will be trapped but with 3 point rake can just raise to get out.


Just to check I understand correctly. I'd start raking about 3-4 rows in, following parallel to the longest side, then do all the middle parallel to that first row. Shift to the outside edge and rake the outer 3-4 rows inwards, following the edges of the field. Lift the haybob and drive over the outer rows to get out. Is that correct?

I see you are located near Fredericton. My niece lives there but I've never been. She moved there about 20 years ago.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Yes that's correct on the pattern, you will end up raking some bits off the ends of the middle right before you finish but that's ok. I do live near Fredericton, are you on St Pierre or the Magdellans?

Or should I say d'où vien tu? C'est pas souvent que nous parlons français sur haytalk.


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## Bonjour (Nov 19, 2019)

Non, je ne suis pas vraiment Francophone, mais je comprend suffisant pour lire en Francais.

J'habite a Aurigny (Alderney) dans les Iles Anglo-Normandes (British Channel Islands)

I'm not sure exactly where my niece lives but it is near "Freddie", as she calls it.


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

slowzuki said:


> Yes that's correct on the pattern, you will end up raking some bits off the ends of the middle right before you finish but that's ok. I do live near Fredericton, are you on St Pierre or the Magdellans?
> 
> Or should I say d'où vien tu? C'est pas souvent que nous parlons français sur haytalk.


Oui en effet presque jamais!


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## Bonjour (Nov 19, 2019)

Slightly off-topic but maybe you Canadian gentlemen can tell me the difference between "Faneuse" and "Andaineuse"? they seem to be used interchangeably in Normandy.


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

Bonjour said:


> Slightly off-topic but maybe you Canadian gentlemen can tell me the difference between "Faneuse" and "Andaineuse"? they seem to be used interchangeably in Normandy.


A faneuse or faneur is what we call a tedder and the Andeneuse or Andeneur is a rake (rotary mainly)


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## Bonjour (Nov 19, 2019)

Trillium Farm said:


> A faneuse or faneur is what we call a tedder and the Andeneuse or Andeneur is a rake (rotary mainly)


Thanks for that clarification. I sometimes look on the Leboncoin site to see what's selling over there. I also visit friends who live in Normandie. A lot of the smaller farmers have haybob type machines, so you could call it either, I guess. I've also seen the term "Rateau-Faneur" used for a ground-driven side-delivery rake.


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

Bonjour said:


> Thanks for that clarification. I sometimes look on the Leboncoin site to see what's selling over there. I also visit friends who live in Normandie. A lot of the smaller farmers have haybob type machines, so you could call it either, I guess. I've also seen the term "Rateau-Faneur" used for a ground-driven side-delivery rake.


The full name is Rateau Faneur and Rateau Andeneur at other times they say Machine Faneuse or Machine Andaineuse. In french rateau is masculine and machine feminine therefore the difference in adjectives. Not too many side delivery rakes left anymore as the rotary does such a better job.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

To complicate things an andaineuse is both a windrower that cuts grain and a hay rake that makes windrows. Some people also use fileur/fileuse name for rakes too. Rateau à foin is most popular though lately.

Lots and lots of mistakes / local variations on which hay equipment is m or f, to search for tedders I have to search faneur, fanneur, faneuse and fanneuse.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

That's interesting, love reading about the money and cement poured into the ww2 fortifications on the Channel Islands.

I live east of Fredericton not so far from the US border.



Bonjour said:


> Non, je ne suis pas vraiment Francophone, mais je comprend suffisant pour lire en Francais.
> 
> J'habite a Aurigny (Alderney) dans les Iles Anglo-Normandes (British Channel Islands)
> 
> I'm not sure exactly where my niece lives but it is near "Freddie", as she calls it.


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