Horse-drawn Haying in a Day with a 24-foot Mower

Joe spends a morning with Jason Julian while he uses his new 24-foot horse drawn walk behind mower to cut 20 acres of hay. Jason explains how the mower works, its benefits over tractor powered equipment and all its bells and whistles. Jason first explains why he wants to get hay mowed and baled in one day. He runs a grass fed dairy in which the cows eat mostly baleage. He does not have the option to supplement with grain. He wants his hay to be cut, dried and baled in the same day (target is 55% moisture) because it retains the most carbohydrates. He can get the hay baled before the leaves are dried therefore retaining the most carbohydrates. If the hay is crimped/conditioned, the leaves dry first. The reason Jason is so excited about this mower is that he can cut more acreage with only one teamster and four horses. He does not want to use more tractors. Comparison with his son using a tractor and disc bine. Tractor - $20,000 Mower - $36,00