Making Hay

Our lawn is a little over due a mow at the moment, so the grass is quite long and loads of seed heads. Rather than mow and compost, has anyone tried making their own hay? If so, how did you do it?

Obviously, cut by hand not with a mower, but how do you dry it out (especially in this weather). I was thinking about putting it in my perspex greenhouse (with doors open) so it's got some protection. Or I could stick it in the empty rabbit run (paved floor).If it wasn't for the wind I'd stick it on the mesh top but I think it would blow away :lol:

In a very old rabbit book I read about making your own hay, and will describe as best as I can;
You make a frame that looks like a square table (4 legs, 4 barsx2 in middle an at top.) Then you put a top on it so that the hay wont get wet if it rains.
Between the middle bars you stretch either strong netting or mesh.
On the mesh you place the cut long grass to dry out, taking the lid off when its sunny but putting it on if likely to rain.
You stir the grass on a daily basis so that it dries out evently.

Another way which I've used before is to make bundles of grass and tie them in bunches with string, then hang up like flowers or herbs to dry out in either a shed or kitchen (airing cupboard can work too.)
Just check them, keep them very dry and stir them daily to prevent mould forming.

Thats my thoughts on it. Sure more experianced owners will have other ideas.

I've just been to some heathland and picked some very long grass - I took scissors in case I needed to cut it, but it actually just pulled up really well.

I've washed it, and now it's hanging in a mesh bag in the greenhouse. I give the bag a shake every day to turn it.

I dried bags full like this last year, and the buns and pigs loved it

I need to get some of those, at the moment our drying method of choice is scattered on trays but it takes up a lot of space!

Schuette said:

I need to get some of those, at the moment our drying method of choice is scattered on trays but it takes up a lot of space!

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Those hanging mesh bags for storing toys are good, or the mesh laundry bags. You can usually get things like that at the pound shop

That's a good idea, if it stops raining at some point I could hang them off the washing line :lol:

I've just made a 'shelf' out of some plastic mesh in the greenhouse and laid some out of there.. I'll see how it does