Banner Graphic, Greencastle, Putnam County, 30 November 1973 — Page 7

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Friday, Novambar 30, 1973

Bannar-Graphic, Gr*«nca»tU, Indiana

Pag# 7

West Central Ind. Agricultural and Garden News

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Fimc w.is when a faiinei' nniM |)in ii|i alxmi as mm h lias as he was strong eimu^h to lilt in a tlay's time - ami not one hit mote, ri^lit li«la\. mai hines do intuit of that wotk. Model it has mat hrites like the haler, left, llnow hales tight into a wagon. I he solf-|>io]>elled haler, middle left, hales has while son dtise it thiottgh the Itelil like an automobile. Another impoii.iiii jiaii ol today's hasmakiiig system front S|)cii\ New Holland, is the autotnatie bale wagon, below, which jiicks up and stacks hay just as quickly as it can he haled. I he system is tompletetl with the stack tettiexet. lowet left, which automatic alls loads and hauls live ton stacks answhere at anytime.

Farmers Make Hay; Now In Several Directions

Haymaking in the United States today appears headed in several directions at the same time. One trend is toward growing more and better hay crops. Farmers watched helplessly during the past year as protein feed prices climbed to well over $400 a ton. Good hay, when it could be found, was expensive. Hay prices on the open market last winter varied from $50 to $100 per ton, delivered, depending on quality and availability. One of the highest prices reported during the year was $ 127.50 a ton for a load of alfalfa hay which sold at public auction in New Holland, Pa. Farmers realized they would have to grow much of the protein for their cattle on their own farms. Not only did they plant more soybeans, but many farmers also increased their acreage of hay crops and are paying closer attention to hay quality than even before. A second trend showing up on farms across the country is in feeding hay. After experiencing serious illness and calving problems as a direct result of no-hay diets for their cattle, dairymen especially are discovering that Bossy is made for hay and without some in her diet, she may just breakdown. Dr. Sam Guss, Pennsylvania State University veterinarian notes that a cow on a no-hay, haylage, or all cornsilage ration during the critical preparation period ahead of calving can be headed for serious trouble. Neither haylage nor com silage provides the musclestimulating exercise needed by the rumen to get in condition for the coming lactation, he said. Because

finely chopped forages move through the rumen quickly, it temporarily becomes smaller in size. Ketosis and siplaced abomanasums often follow. Dr. Guss said. But probably, the greatest change in haymaking recently has been in the mechanics of getting the crop harvested and outofthe field. One-man hay systems have stormed to the front in an era when the farmer no longer permits himself the luxurious drudery of endless summer days in th^ hayfield. Equipment now available’ to the farmer enables him to cut, condition, windrow and stack either baled or loose hay without ever having to touch the crop with his hands. Gone are the long, hot hours most teenage farm boys remember spending in the peak of a barn, putting up 90 pound bales in 120 degree heat. A farmer today can stack five tons of baled hay in the barn in little more time than it takes to back a bale wagon into place. He can just as easily go back anytime he wants to retrieve and haul that five tons of hay to another location for either feeding or selling. In a search for an easier way to harvest hay, some farmers have returned to making loose hay stacks that resemble giant loaves of bread in the field. Even the old buck rakes have reemerged on a few Western ranches. Still other farmers are trying to get their haymaking done with giant halfton bales. In some areas, facilities have been established to make pelleted a'nd cubed alfalfa as well as an assortment of hay cakes and tiny bales. These newer hay systems

have clearly presented a challenge to time-proven baled hay methods. Loose hay systems offer the farmer a quick way to harvest his crop~if in the-field storage and feeding suit his operation. Numerous articles have appeared in the farm press during the past year comparing the cost of haled hay systems to loose hay methods. Where the cost of harvesting was the only consideration, the loose hay systems appeared to be less expensive~but the crop was still out in field. Such comparisons are of little help to the farmer who wants to grow top quality, high protein hay that will enable him to save on next winter’s feed bill. Farmers who each year have their hay tested for protein, roughage and TDN (total digestible nutrients) know all hay is not the same. Baled hay, properly stored under roof is almost without exception of higher feeding quality than the best hay from a loose stack that has been subjected to wind, rain and sun. The farmer interested in what has become known as “fancy” hay can today have his crop harvested and safely stored in the barn quicker than almost any other crop he raises and without ever having to touch the bales w ith his hands.

Giant 16-foot mower-con-ditioners make short work of a hayfield and leave the crop in fluffy windrows. Baling follows after a few hours of drying and then the revolutionary haymovers go to work. Bale wagons can make five ton stacks of hay in 10 minutes and the only man in the hayfield does not have to get out of his air-conditioned cab. Whether the hale wagon stacks are made in the field or in a shed, they can be moved easily with the stack retriever system. One model mounts on a truck and provides instant highway transportation of hay from anywhere on the farm to anywhere the farmer needs it or sells it. The needs of the small farmer have not been overlooked in the automatic bale wagon system.

NO SERVICE CHARGE ON CHECKING ACCOUNTS No minimum balance. Hurry to

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