When Life Gets Wild: The Hay Bale Challenge
Well this was an experience!
Youtube Shorts Link:
https://youtube.com/shorts/Plb5Rlq4Qng?si=6AJz9XVG-s0M3Iek
Intro:
Life on a homestead is all about improvising and embracing the unexpected. Sometimes, things don’t go according to plan, and you just have to find a way to get things done. Recently, I faced one of those moments when my fields were so wet that I couldn’t drive my trailer of hay into them. As if that wasn’t enough, my tractor was out of commission, so it was time to get creative. Here’s how I ended up using my ATV – and a bit of ingenuity – to handle the hay bales by hand.
The Setback:
It’s a humbling experience when Mother Nature reminds you who’s in charge. We’d had days of rain, leaving my fields muddy and soft. When the hay delivery arrived, I quickly realized my trailer was going nowhere. Trying to pull it into the field was out of the question; it was just too boggy. That left me with two options: wait until things dried up (which wasn’t ideal with the forecast) or figure out how to get those heavy 6ft x 4ft bales where they needed to go – by hand.
And to make things more interesting, my trusty tractor was down for repairs. That meant I’d have to rely on my ATV for anything mechanical. A Polaris Sportsman 500 H.O. isn’t exactly designed for hay bales, but necessity is the mother of invention.
Rolling With It – Literally:
One by one, I began rolling the bales off the trailer by hand. Each one was heavy, and it was back-breaking work. I soon realized I needed some extra help to move these big, stubborn bales across the field. That’s when I decided to try something unconventional: using the ATV to push and roll the hay.
To get the bales moving, I would drive the ATV up onto the edge of a bale to get it rocking and rolling. Then I’d drive up and onto the bale forcing it to roll as I went up on the back wheels, and repeat the process to roll it a little farther. It was a bit like playing a balancing act on the wheels of the ATV, carefully moving them forward bit by bit. It might not have been the smoothest way to roll hay, but it was effective and, honestly, a bit thrilling.
Reflections on Adaptability:
It was a lesson in flexibility and creativity – the essence of homesteading. When you don’t have the right tools, you make do with what you have. Sure, I could have waited for the tractor repairs or drier conditions, but adapting in the moment meant the animals got their hay on time.
Days like this are a reminder that even when things go sideways, the job has to get done, and sometimes, unconventional methods are the best solution. Whether it’s an ATV wheelie or rolling hay by hand, homesteading is full of unique experiences that keep you on your toes.
Conclusion:
In the end, each bale made it across the field and into position, albeit a bit muddy and roughed up. The experience left me feeling grateful for the tenacity that this lifestyle requires and the satisfaction of knowing I got it done. And hey, the next time the fields are too wet or the tractor’s out of commission, I’ll know exactly how to get that hay moving—ATV and all.
