BALING HAY

After a significant amount of preparation, the hay is finally ready for baling. A tractor pulls the baling machine; the wagon for the hay follows behind the baling machine. The Weikels use these rectangular bales because they can be handled easily. They sell a lot of the hay to other people and these bales are a manageable size for most individuals to handle.

Some local farmers bale their hay in large round bales that are as tall as an adult. These bales are more difficult to move from one location to another.

1. After the hay is prepared in wind rows, the baling process begins.		2. Here the Weikels (father and son) drive the tractor down a wind row to gather up the hay from the field.
3. Revolving spring-tines lift the wind row of hay off the field into the auger.		4. The auger pushes the hay into the chamber where the bale is formed.
5. The hay is stuffed in a rectangular channel. The green rod at the center serves as a plunger to force the hay through the channel where the tying mechanism waits for the bale.		6. This wheel and axle helps to drive the plunger and give it power.
7. This series of finger-like extensions called needles hold twine. As the bale moves down the channel they move the twine around the bale.		8. This knotting mechanism on the top of the baling machine (normally covered for safety) knots the cord to secure the bale.
9. After the bale is tied it moves out of the channel onto the area that looks like a seat until it reaches the latch near at the center. It is called a kicker plate.		10. Once the latch is released the hay bale goes flying in the air.
11. Once the bale is released, it flies into the air and lands on the wagon.		12. When a bale misses the wagon it is thrown back on by one of the Weikels.
13. A moisture meter tests the amount of moisture in the bale. Levels of moisture that are too high could cause spontaneous combustion (fire) to occur when stored in a confined area such as a barn.		14. To finish this section of field the last wind row is moved away from the fresh grass. The wagon is then moved to the barn where it will be unloaded for storage and sale of the hay.