Want to learn how to bale hay without using fancy contraptions? Read on and learn how to bale hay using a hand hay baler.
Bale Hay For The Homestead
We all know how important it is to always keep a fresh hay on your farm. Your cow might be needing 35 pounds of hay a day, horses may need 44 pounds apiece, while sheep and goats can get by on 4 1/2 pounds of fodder daily. See the need of hay every day! But without fancy contraptions such as tractors and sickle or disc cutters, baling hay is not impossible. You can depend on the natural solution and that is the hand powered solution.
What You’ll Need:
- Wooden Hand Hay Baler
- Polypropylene Twine
- Hay
How To Bale Hay Using Hand Hay Baler Tutorial:
Step 1: Build Your Baler
Build your wooden hand hay baler. It is made in 3 sections for easy transportation and easily put together using four bolts and a rubber hammer. Download the plan here.
Step 2: Stand Baler Firmly On A Level Ground
Stand on level firm ground to operate safely using baler twine such as polypropylene twine.
Step 3: Cut Polypropylene Twine And Tie Loops
For each bale cut the polypropylene twine to the length approximately two and a half times the height of the baler. Tie loops in the top end of the twine and hooked around the metal hooks on the back.
Step 4: Attach Twine In The Baler
Run the twine down inside the back of the baler a large between the hook and the edge fo the square of wood attached to the base. Do not thread the twine through the hooks then pass the twine through the slit in the door which is directly in line with the hook and the wooden edge. Repeat this on the other side.
Step 5: Close Baler’s Door
Close the door and tie off the loose twine to the cleats on the side.
Step 6: Put Hay Into the Baler Box
Start putting hay into the box and when full to the top depress the plunger on the baler as the handle comes over to take care not to trap yours or anyone else’s fingers in the baler.
Step 7: Depress The Baler’s Plunger
Stand on the protruding wooden base while depressing the plunger to keep the whole thing’s stable. Keep doing this operation until the hay bale is really compacted. For example, when the handle of the plunger takes physical effort to depress and touches the front top edge of the box section then you have a sufficiently compacted bale of hay to tie off.
Tip: Stand on the protruding base when putting any pressure on the plunger.
Step 8: Tie Off Loops
To tie off lift the plunger and put in the open position. Remove the loops of the twine from the top hooks and thread these loops across the top of the bail and through the corresponding slits in the door.
Step 9: Depress The Plunger And Tie Off
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Depress the plunger once again and tie off the two end of the twine as tightly as possible.
Step 10: Remove The Plunger And Lift Bale
Carefully remove the plunger and put into the open position and then you can open the door of the baler box and pull out the bale. The twine that was running across the base will come away with the pull and the bale can be lifted out.
Step 11: Moving Plunger Backwards and Forwards
Take care when moving the plunger backward and forward. It should be carefully maneuvered by hand at all times by keeping hold of the handle. Do not leave it unattended in mid-air, it may fall forward or back and cause damage.
Let’s watch the video on How To Bale Hay Using Hand Hay Baler from CaringForGodsAcre:
There you have it, my fellow homesteaders! You can definitely bale a hay without any fancy contraptions. Keep your livestock well-fed at all times and they will reward you abundantly. Happy Homesteading!
Are you now ready to bale hay using hand hay baler? Let us know in the comments section below.
Want to start your own straw bale garden? Check out here how you can kick-start spring by starting your own straw bale garden!
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This post was originally published in July 2016 and has been updated for quality and relevancy.
May I have the plans for this build?