Folks,
In response to my Hay Trellis questions Fred W. Owen wrote: > The obvious
consideration is that outdoor hay curing and storage won't work in the
humid northeast (of the USA) without an impossibly prolonged string of dry
weather.< ..and ..> This hay cock system really doesn't work either,
unless the cocks are covered with hay caps. That usually meant a bunch of
little canvases that covered the top part of the cock, but left the sides
mostly exposed for air circulation. There were unending problems with
securing
the hay caps. <
..? ..? OK,�.. First lets review what we know. No doubt you have a copy
of Andre� Voisin�s �Grass Productivity�; It is written in twelve parts
with various chapters in each. Part four; chapter five shows pictures of
�hay racks� or �hay cocks� similar to our own inline system of uprights
but without the continuous wires that form the hay trellis itself. Also,
Part five; chapter one of the book shows a picture of a buck rake used to
transport a loaded �Quadripod� (type of hay cock) with hay, presumably
going to storage.
Additionally, your copy of F. Newman Turner�s �Fertility Pastures� in
chapter five entitled �Self-feeding..� shows in detail a system of hay
rack curing referred to as �Weatherproof Haymaking� closely resembling the
Elysian � trellis system as it is also a elongated hay rack system. Our
system is just much heavier duty.
None of the following is written in stone, but small scale Elysian �
testing over the years reveals the hay trellis system works fine here in
humid New York State (and I presume it would in Ohio too, but your areas�
tornado�s are off label usage), so it should work throughout the
northeast; that�s the beauty of hay trellis, I currently predict it will
produce excellent feed affordably. It�s not for everyone however.
Fred Wrote: >These methods take way too much labor to be seriously
Considered. <
Once built and loaded with hay (a one man / one time feed handling system)
(in the hay field or pasture) and covered, it can rain all it wants, the
hay or oats are protected. When you think about it, despite �humid� summer
weather, covered and elevated trellised hay does cure out and dry at a
sufficient rate, provided with ambient air circulation. Of coarse, feed
out is �in place� within the pastures. One will have to manage pastures
against pugging and for manure distribution with divisional fencing, both
confinement and exclusionary.
My challenge was to design a trellis system heavy duty enough to hold
against dynamic wind loads, and rain - snow static loads and still provide
for feed-out. The design is a heavy duty modified cantilevered high
tensile wire grapevine trellis which we also build for customers. I can�t
deny the fact it has become a way to market heavy duty (JAKBILT �) post
drivers, as the end bracing needed is substantial, yet the entire system
is very affordable, labor and horse power efficient. Currently we are
working to eliminate the need to secure all inline post material
in-ground, as this makes the installation quick and eventual relocation of
the trellis system much easier in a rotation based system needing that
function. Additionally, I won�t market the system as a perimeter fence,
but it could be made substantial enough to act as a sub-divisional system.
Tarps are too expensive to use as covers; the systems� current design(s)
rely on sectional plastic coverings similar to the shrink-wrap used to
cover motor boats during off season storage. This is on a semi-rigid
reused cover cap frame that looks somewhat like prefab awning or
ultra-light airplane wings. The cover sections slide out of the way only
when needed for loading the hay trellis. They are very light, yet strong.
I have never considered not covering the hay as I intended to protect the
vitamin content from UV sunlight and weather caused bleaching, etc., but
it might prove unnecessary for some.
> Fred wrote: Surely you read "My Friend Flicka"? (And
"Thunderhead" and "Green Grass of Wyoming") <
..No ..Fred, I have never read those; ?�does W. C. Skousen�s �The Five
Thousand Year Leap� count? (�Speaking of reading�did you read my website?
I read yours!) I�m more of a (mostly) non-fiction type reader; Daniel J.
Boorstin �The Discoverers�. I�m also a �T. E. Lawrence (of Arabia), Seven
Pillars of Wisdom� fan myself.
Fred wrote: > Finally, small square bales can be leaned together at the
top to reduce the area of the bale touching the ground.
This is done so that one bale covers the end of the other
bale so less is exposed to rain. Sometimes three are
leaned together. <
You know, in another life I partnered (as herdsman for 18+ years) in the
family dairy farm; we cash cropped a lot of clover - timothy mix (small
squares) to horse race tracks in New Jersey and such and still met our own
needs for 300+ head of dairy milkers and their replacements.. We had then
(still do) two barns that held ~10,000+ bales each; and two more that held
~3,000 each. And then there where the straw barns!; My back aches just
thinking about it; anyway, ..I guess I know haying with small squares well
enough. My advise is to make hay (if that�s your thing) while the sun
shines, �and if the sun doesn�t shine, ..then consider this hay trellis
feed system technologies use within pastures.
I think it would be a mistake to dismiss hay trellis as antiquated or
inefficient provided with modern materials and means. Thank you all for
some good reading.
Be safe. Sincerely,
Royal A. Purdy
The Elysian Fields Pasture Project
A. H. Tuttle and Company
1007 County Road 8
Farmington, New York 14425 U.S.A.
www.ahtuttle.com
rapurdy@ahtuttle.com
(315)-986-7007
