It's been a very busy time on a number of fronts, especially with the incredibly wet weather we've had, but I thought I'd post some pics.

On the STO hay discussions recently: I am more and more realizing that I am really a grass farmer. Row crop corn/bean folks and others selling rice, wheat etc. and those selling hay, market their crop directly.

I market my grass crop processed through cattle as do dairy folks.  There should be some value added there, the more processed (through larger cattle) the more the value added, at least theoretically.  I can't see how you can be profitable in cow/calf without the ability to manage pastures and make your own hay.  Yes sometimes you can buy hay cheaper than you can make it. But sometimes you can't.  And when you make your own you can manage the hay quality to match your needs.

Having been on both sides of the purchase all hay or make your own, I am solidly in the belief that, at least in cow/calf, I need to raise almost all of my cattle's feed needs myself.  And in a rotational grazing system, in my climate, carrying capacity is increased so much I have acres available to raise good hay.  Cattle grass consumption is fairly constant, grass forage growth is not. I find I need to have a way to even that out by making hay when I have excess grass (compared to consumption) and feeding hay/resting pastures when forage growth is less than consumption.  Making hay in a strip also helps control weeds.

A line of decent hay equipment is an investment and one which I believe has a very good ROI in the long run in several ways. Buy good equipment on time at today's low interest rates. A baler especially must work when you need it.

Here are a couple pics of me raking and stacking 2nd cutting hay this past week, just prior to the big rains.  These bales are 68" dia (setting on the monitor) 5 ft wide and very heavy (turned up the baler pressure to near the red line). This is to increase the amount of hay in each bale for less handling, both now and when feeding in the winter. There is a LOT of hay in each of these bales. 1600 lb?  I'd go to 72" but then I have trouble lifting them with my smaller skid steer. When stacking, I need a bale on the rear of the tractor for counterweight. I use the softer core setting on the baler so I can spear (and remove the spear up high!) the bales more easily.

When stacking, I usually put the bottom row on end as they support the weight above better. But that takes time and I was racing dark clouds getting these bales out of the field and into the shed. It is faster to just lay them on their sides as shown. I really like this ALO loader with its reach.

My vet and I worked my older cow group and with the rhythm I didn't think to take a pic until my Fleck bull went through as the last of this group. My vet has his own herd and helped me lay out this in-the-shed system. It is a lot easier working inside than outside (as we did the week before at my original corral) in the recent heat.

Here are pics of my two bulls this year, one of my 16 month old Fleckvieh with his older cow group and one of my 28 month old Hereford C627 with his heifer group. The Fleck looks like he has lost a bit of weight but really getting the job done.  "Shorty" my Ellis Hereford bull is looking very good. I love his calves this year. They about fell out of my heifers and cows and are growing nicely. He is my cow maker.

Both bulls have had almost nothing but grass since they arrived here.  I think the Fleck needs to adjust to the change in diet but he's coming along. D092 is about the most docile bull I've ever had. Shorty seems to be thriving but he is a year older.

(IMG004 Raking STO tedded mixed hay 071817.jpg)

(IMG009 stacking large heavy bales in shed quickly ahead of more rain 072017.jpg)

(IMG011 stacking hay in shed - I like this ALO loader - bottom row should be vertical but working quickly 072017.jpg)

(IMG002 Working cattle - bull is the last one through 071717.jpg)

(IMG008 Fleck bull D092 and his older cows right after working group 071717.jpg)

(IMG016 Hereford Bull C627 and his heifer group 072017.jpg)

IMG004 Raking STO tedded mixed hay 071817.jpg (140KB - 125 downloads)

IMG009 stacking large heavy bales in shed quickly ahead of more rain 072017.jpg (117KB - 100 downloads)

IMG011 stacking hay in shed - I like this ALO loader - bottom row should be vertical but working quickly 072017.jpg (129KB - 94 downloads)

IMG002 Working cattle - bull is the last one through 071717.jpg (86KB - 93 downloads)

IMG008 Fleck bull D092 and his older cows right after working group 071717.jpg (69KB - 115 downloads)

IMG016 Hereford Bull C627 and his heifer group 072017.jpg (30KB - 97 downloads)