Table of Contents
- 1 Who invented baling hay?
- 2 How was hay stored before baling?
- 3 Does hay grow back every year?
- 4 How much does a round bale of hay cost?
- 5 Why do farmers leave hay bales in the field?
- 6 How much does a 50 pound hay bale cost?
- 7 When was the first hay baler invented by New Holland?
- 8 What’s the history of hay making in Pennsylvania?
Who invented baling hay?
professor Wesley Buchele
Farmers were saved from the backbreaking chore of slinging hay bales in the 1960s, when Iowa State agricultural engineering professor Wesley Buchele and a group of student researchers invented a baler that produced large, round bales that could be moved by tractor.
When did hay bales become round?
1970
Those bales were big enough for farmers to move with a tractor instead of by hand, which meant moving several times the hay with a fraction of the work. The first large round baler went into production in 1970, and within the next few years, 15 companies in the U.S. and Canada had gotten in on the action.
How was hay stored before baling?
Before the introduction of the hay baler, bay was stored loose in the upper story of a farmer’s barn. Hay was taken from the field and put into a bale chamber by hand. The baler was powered (literally) by horse power with horses walking on an inclined leather and wood treadmill belt.
When did they start making square bales of hay?
Back in the 1950s and 60s, most hay was put up in square bales. These rectangular-shaped bales usually weighed 50-60 pounds. They were shaped in a way that they could be stacked in a hayloft or barn until they were needed. Farmers cut hay in the field and let it dry for several days in the sun.
Does hay grow back every year?
Some fields are always used to grow hay, and don’t require re-planting every year. In other cases, hay is a part of a crop rotation, where farmers plant different crops on the same field in different years. Hayseed can be a mixture of many types of seeds, with alfalfa, clover, and timothy being among the most common.
How much does a bale of hay cost?
The Price of Hay Bales By Weight
| Hay Quality | Bale Type | Minimum Price Per Ton |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Small Square | $160 |
| Large Square | $85 | |
| Large Round | $65 | |
| Grade 2 | Large Square | $85 |
How much does a round bale of hay cost?
The Price of Hay Bales By Weight
| Hay Quality | Bale Type | Average Price |
|---|---|---|
| Grade 1 | Large Round | $152 |
| Grade 2 | Large Square | $137 |
| Large Round | $116 | |
| Grade 3 | Large Square | $123 |
Why do farmers make hay bales?
Large farms with hundreds of animals require huge amounts of hay. For these farms, large bales make the most sense, because they provide the most hay at the least cost. Large bales also allow the hay to begin to ferment naturally, which can prolong its use by preventing rot and mold.
Why do farmers leave hay bales in the field?
Often, it’s just farmers being lazy, after harvesting a field, they like to take some rest and finish off in a few days. Because of the good keeping quality, farmers tend to leave them where the baler spat them out. It is also cost-effective to leave bales in the field to avoid handling and storage costs.
How many acres of hay do you need to make a living?
Horse farmers are looking for good hay, and they’re willing to pay for it. Here was the thought, on 50 acres you would get 100 square bales per acre, which is a conservative number. If we do the math, that works out to be. 100 bales x 50 acres = 5000 bales of hay for 50 acres of land.
How much does a 50 pound hay bale cost?
From the hay market, square bales, on average, will cost you between $3 and $10 per bale, but some farmers prefer selling their hay per pound, in which case such a bale will be around 50 pounds.
How much does a round bale of hay cost 2020?
Large round bale straw averaged $58.00 per bale (a range of $40.00 – $85.00). In Nebraska, hay sold steady, demand is light in 2020. Some are having a hard time delivering hay because of muddy conditions. In Iowa, hay prices are lower compared to prices earlier in the fall.
When was the first hay baler invented by New Holland?
New Holland began to market this design in 1940, with great success. With these devices, a single farmer could bale 35 to 40 tons of hay per day. How does a hay baler work?
How big were hay bales in the 1950’s?
In the 1950s, A-C came up with a way to quickly wrap the twine around the bales, eliminating the need to stop, tie and eject the bales. By the late 20th Century, A-C and other manufacturers were producing balers with bales up to six-feet in diameter.
What’s the history of hay making in Pennsylvania?
Hay history. The demonstration, 300 Years of Haymaking in Pennsylvania, 1640-1940, was based on the research of John Baylor, professor of agronomy at Penn State and chair of the 2006 hay exhibit committee at the Pasto Agricultural Museum. It’s easy to understand why making hay was one of the most dreaded chores on the farm in the early 1700s.
When did Allis-Chalmers start making hay bales?
Allis-Chalmers bought the patent rights from Luebben in 1940 and adapted his ideas to their own machine. Six experimental machines were built in 1941 and tested by A-C and several farmers in the Midwest. The new “Roto-Baler” worked. The next step was to convince their sales crew and the farmers that round bales were better than rectangle ones.