Hay Making Machines for Faster Field Curing

Abstract

The field studies on the hay crusher, the rotary tedder, and the sidedelivery rake were made to get faster field curing in Sapporo, Obihiro, and Nemuro where the weather conditions are the worst in Hokkaido. Several results obtained by the present study were as follows:
(1) The hay crusher was effective to get faster hay curing under the various weather conditions, and, generally speaking, the days for field curing may be shortened about one day.
Though the crushed hay absorbed more water than the uncrushed hay under rainy condition or at night, the crushed hay lost water faster than the uncrushed hay.
(2) Two times of tedding by the tedder (wuffler) showed the same curing effect as crushing by the hay crusher. Generally speaking, tedding in the morning was more effective than that in the evening.
(3) It was more effective to use both hay crusher and rotary tedder, and it was evident for the hay wet by the rain.
(4) To make the windrow by a side delivery rake for the hay of which water content was less than 50% was usefull under the same condition. One of the applications of the side delivery rake was making the windrow to keep the hay from the damage of heavy mist at night.