Make Hay While the Sun Shines

So this afternoon started like any afternoon, with a call to the bf. This time of year is very busy on the farm and you learn early on not to make plans because they can change really quickly depending on the weather, what broke and how long it will take to fix it.


During our chat I found out that the hay was ready and that he was going to be driving one of the trucks back and forth to the farm. He asked if I wanted to ride with him, I said, “sure.” You also learn to make the most of these opportunities because this could be the only time you get to see or spend time with him today.

If you know me at all you probably know that I don’t go too far without my DDP (Diet Dr. Pepper). So, I grabbed a glass (you also then know I don’t like to drink out of the can, weird I know) before I headed out the door. The bf is normally driving the tractor so I had never ridden in a tandem truck before. I figured the ride was going to be bumpy, but I didn’t realize there wouldn’t be any cup holders or seat belts (shh.. don’t tell).

Today the guys were cutting and chopping hay for haylage which is fermented, high moisture hay. This particular variety of hay is alfalfa. This is a great feed for the cows and heifers and they love it! First, they use a Discbine to cut the hay.

Then they rake the hay to helps remove some of the moisture. Then the Claas chopper cuts the hay in to smaller pieces and then blows it into the tandem trucks. Which they do while both are moving. I'm not gonna lie, it's kinda scarry to see because they are so close!
 

Then the trucks drive back to the farm and dump the hay into the bunker where another tractor "packs" (drives over) the pile. 

              

 
After the bunker is full it is covered with plastic. On one of the trips to the farm the bf dropped me off so I could go feed our show heifer, Polly. I took the Polaris (an ATV which had both seat belts and cup holders) to the barn where she lives only to dump the almost empty bag of feed in to a bucket and there it is. I screamed and dropped everything. If there is one critter I can't stand it is a mouse. As small as they are they creap me out! I kicked the bucket to the ground, screamed again and did the yucky dance, so the nastly little thing could run out. I still don't know how it got in there.
 
Well if that's not an exciting night I don't know what is!