Hay-making season has officially ended, and if you’ve ever been through it, you’ll know it’s equal parts excitement, hard work, and watching the weather like a hawk. From cutting and drying to baling, stacking, and finally testing, there’s a lot that goes into producing hay.
Each stage plays a crucial role in the end result, and every year brings something a little different. In this blog, we’re sharing a behind-the-scenes look at our hay-making journey this season. the process, the challenges, and why producing our own hay gives us confidence that our horses and livestock will be well-fed all year round.
Part 1: Cutting the Hay
It’s that time of year again, hay-making season has begun! We cut last week and the paddocks are now full of drying hay. It’s busy, it’s hot, and a bit stressful at times, but there’s nothing more rewarding than seeing it all come together. We feel very fortunate to be able to produce our own hay, knowing it will keep our horses and livestock fed right through the year.
Part 2: Raking & Drying!
Once the hay is cut, it’s time to rake and aerate it. Raking ‘fluffs’ up the hay, helping the underside dry and setting it neatly into rows for the baler. This year, we raked 3 rows into one, making it easier for the baler to pick up more hay and leave less behind!
Part 3: Bailing the Hay (The most exciting part!)
After days of drying and raking, it’s finally time for the most exciting stage, baling! This is where all that hard work starts to pay off as the baler rolls through the paddock, turning those neat windrows into tight, tidy bales.
We worked late into the night to make the most of the weather, and while it’s busy and a bit exhausting, it’s by far one of the most rewarding parts of hay-making. There’s nothing quite like watching each bale pop out the back of the baler.
Part 4: Staking & Storing the Hay
Once the baling is done, it’s time for the final step, getting all those bales stacked and stored safely. This part might not be as fast-paced as baling, but it’s definitely a workout! Each bale is loaded, moved, and stacked neatly in the shed, ready to feed our horses and livestock throughout the year. Proper storage is so important to keep the hay dry and protected from the weather. After long days (and nights!) of work, seeing the shed fill up is incredibly satisfying.
Part 5: Hay Testing
With the hay now baled, stacked, and stored, the next step is collecting samples from different bales and sending them off for nutritional testing.
Hay testing helps us understand exactly what’s in this year’s cut! Things like sugar levels, protein, fibre and overall nutritional value. This information is so important for feeding our horses and livestock correctly throughout the year. It’s a slower, more technical part of the process, but it gives us peace of mind knowing we’re providing safe, balanced feed straight from our own paddocks.
What's in the Paddock? What we Grew this Year
Every year brings something a little different! In this paddock, we’ve got a beautiful mix, a combination of oats, ryegrass, and brome. Each has its own benefits:
✨ Oats add bulk and softness to the hay, making it super palatable.
🌱 Ryegrass brings density and nutrition, ideal for maintaining condition.
🌾 Brome grass adds texture and variety, helping create a well-balanced mix for livestock.
Why Isn’t The Pasture Hay Green? Hay Bleaching Explained
You might notice that most hay isn’t green, and that’s perfectly normal! When hay sits in the paddock after cutting, the sun naturally bleaches the outer layers. This lightens the colour, especially on the exposed tops, while the hay underneath often stays greener.
Every hay season is different, and sometimes a little bleaching just means the hay has enjoyed a bit too much Aussie sunshine. However, this year we were fortunate to be able to bale our greenest hay yet!
Part 6: Collecting & Sending Off the Hay Samples
This stage is all about patience! Once the hay is baled and ready, we collect our samples and send them off for testing, then it’s a waiting game. These results tell us exactly what’s in our hay so we can be confident it’s safe, low-sugar, and suitable for our horses year-round. More results coming soon…
From the first cut through to stacking the final bale and sending off samples for testing, hay-making is a process that demands time, patience, and a bit of trust in the weather. It’s busy, physical work, but knowing exactly what’s gone into this year’s hay makes it all worthwhile. With the bales safely stored we can head into the coming months confident we’ve produced clean, well-balanced feed straight from our own paddocks.
