For centuries, farmers cut and moved hay by hand. Then horses made the work quicker and a bit easier. In the early 1900s, machines like the automatic baler changed everything. At Big Spring Farm Days, ...

Davidson said most hay in the region is a combination of alfalfa and grass, and the optimal time for a first cutting is when the alfalfa is at one-tenth bloom. That’s causing local hay producers to ...

Before huge machines pressed hay into 1-ton bales, it was stacked in the field and had to be moved by hand. And before horse-drawn mowers cut a field quickly, it had to be cut by hand with a scythe.

It’s time to make the first cutting of hay in Missouri, says University of Missouri Extension state forage specialist Craig Roberts. Waiting too long leads to poor-quality feed for livestock next ...

Piling cut hay into windrows makes your baler more efficient. Want to get started on small-scale hay production? Learn how to tell when a hay field is ready to cut with expert advice for beginners.

Second-cutting fescue makes quality hay when stems and seed heads were cut earlier. Farmers cutting fescue hay don’t get many second chances to make quality hay. This is a one-in-five year, says Craig ...

WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Indiana's second hay cutting is lower yielding, but higher in nutritional value than the first. Knowing this can help cattle producers decide on a feeding program and supplement ...

We’ve used a number of ways to harvest hay for our animals. All on them have been on the cheap. We own no hay fields, but that hasn’t stopped us from harvesting small grass plots and the occasional ...

LITTLE ROCK — Record rainfall from one-after-another storms in September and October has halved the hay crop of some Arkansas farmers, according to state forage experts. The Cooperative Extension ...