Russell King
Well-known member
Lifetime Member
Equipment
L185F, Modern Ag Competitor 4’ shredder, Rhino tiller, rear dirt scoop
Growing up in Central Texas on a 135 acre farm/ranch was hell when it was hay season…
The temps were around 95 to 100, the field was dusty from dirt and hay, there was no shade near the hay fields, tractors were all open cab, truck was going too slow for any AC, and my father had rigged it up to mostly go by itself or one of the females (Mother or 3 sisters got that job when needed).
Dad hired a man (Mr. Smidt and don’t call him Mr. Smith!) to cut, crimp and bale the hay. Small rectangular bales at 80 pounds (at least) with wire ties. Dad and his two sons (me being the youngest one of them) had to help with the hay equipment and getting the bales out of the fields. I don’t recall how many acres were hay but I remember it being “too many”. Since I was the youngest and weakest, I was in charge of the first layer on the flatbed, had to drag the bales into some sort of pattern and get them straight. Then the second layer was too high for my brother to toss to. So he got to do the second layer stacking. He also started the third layer and would have about a third of that done by the time the second layer got complete. I started making clumps of bales while that went on. Then my brother and I both got to move bales into clumps so my father could throw them onto the second layer of the trailer. As he did that my brother and I had to drag them up a layer or two and make the 3, 4 and 5 layers complete. Move trailer from clump to clump until they are all gone.
Then you had to unload that into a tin pole barn (3 sided) and stack it to the roof. It was always a call as to have a fan blowing dust and hay all over or no fan and tolerate the heat. At least it was in the shade for some of it, and you could cool off with a hose shower.
A few days of that in a row wore out any fun. Oh and the bales of hay that got a snake involved were always good for a screaming good time! Especially those that were between your leg and the bale as you were moving the bale and had no idea why the bale was moving around so much.
Luckily we only had to do that once a year and we eventually sold the farm when I was about 14 or 15. Moved there when I was 3-4. Probably started helping with hay around 5-6.
And it never helped me gain any weight or muscle, I was a string bean up until around 45.
The temps were around 95 to 100, the field was dusty from dirt and hay, there was no shade near the hay fields, tractors were all open cab, truck was going too slow for any AC, and my father had rigged it up to mostly go by itself or one of the females (Mother or 3 sisters got that job when needed).
Dad hired a man (Mr. Smidt and don’t call him Mr. Smith!) to cut, crimp and bale the hay. Small rectangular bales at 80 pounds (at least) with wire ties. Dad and his two sons (me being the youngest one of them) had to help with the hay equipment and getting the bales out of the fields. I don’t recall how many acres were hay but I remember it being “too many”. Since I was the youngest and weakest, I was in charge of the first layer on the flatbed, had to drag the bales into some sort of pattern and get them straight. Then the second layer was too high for my brother to toss to. So he got to do the second layer stacking. He also started the third layer and would have about a third of that done by the time the second layer got complete. I started making clumps of bales while that went on. Then my brother and I both got to move bales into clumps so my father could throw them onto the second layer of the trailer. As he did that my brother and I had to drag them up a layer or two and make the 3, 4 and 5 layers complete. Move trailer from clump to clump until they are all gone.
Then you had to unload that into a tin pole barn (3 sided) and stack it to the roof. It was always a call as to have a fan blowing dust and hay all over or no fan and tolerate the heat. At least it was in the shade for some of it, and you could cool off with a hose shower.
A few days of that in a row wore out any fun. Oh and the bales of hay that got a snake involved were always good for a screaming good time! Especially those that were between your leg and the bale as you were moving the bale and had no idea why the bale was moving around so much.
Luckily we only had to do that once a year and we eventually sold the farm when I was about 14 or 15. Moved there when I was 3-4. Probably started helping with hay around 5-6.
And it never helped me gain any weight or muscle, I was a string bean up until around 45.
