Hi-Tech Hay

Hi-Tech Hay

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
Most hay farmers these days put up what are referred to as big bales, a 3 x 4 foot packed, tight bale that can weigh up to 1200 pounds. Traditional small bales are hard to come by but are still in demand. It is that niche market demand that has hay farmer Kyle Meyer taking big back to small. “The bales we are bringing in are traditional 3 x 4 averaging 1200 pounds. The bales we are cutting them into are 50 pound bales which are 16 x 18 x 22”.

 

Located on the Rathdrum Prairie between Coeur d”Alene and Spokane, where horses are seen everywhere, the K and B Hay Company found their niche market. “We are 90% horse market”. Meyer uses what is called a soft hay press to slice the big ones into several little ones. “It’s a small bale conversion system. This will accept three by fours or three by threes, it slices it into thirds and then it runs a slab through.” The end result… 50 pound bales preferred by young and old alike. “I thought some of our boarding stables would have been the last ones to want to switch over to these but they were one of the first because the girls they have feeding the horses can actually pick up the bales. Hundred pound bales I guess they have trouble. Older folks seem to be the ones who are last to jump on the bandwagon with something but they are the first with these ones because, I had one guy telling me the other day he had hernia surgery and he thought it was from picking up 125 pound hay bales.”

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