I remember when hay started being baled in these large round bundles. It seemed so odd at the time. We were used to the rectangular bales that high school boys would toss up into the truck and eventually up into the hay loft. Some made it look effortless, some labored more, but all sweated in the heat.
These round bales can be moved around with machinery, which eliminates the need for the physical labor. One man on a tractor can do what a crew used to do. They don’t require a hayloft, but can sit like sentinels in the open field, waiting to be used. I suppose if there’s some rot, it’s a minor amount and worth the loss. Plastic coverings protect them in some places, sheds in others.
A friend on Facebook tells me these are going for $175 each in Oklahoma. I don’t know if that’s the going rate elsewhere or not. I do know it wouldn’t take very long for that to add up if you have very much livestock.
Every business has its trials, but farming seems to have more than its fair share.
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