Hay Carting on Kirkhaugh Farm

Syd feeding hay to his foals

In the early days (from 1926) before machinery the horses did all the work on the farm and they needed to be fed and kept in top condition. Consequently growing, threshing, stooking and carting hay was an important part of farm life.

Syd wrote about hay carting in a letter to his fiancé Gwen Jones on 3 Sept 1934: We would be carting the hay then & that is one of the nicest times of the year on a farm – gets a bit strenuous at times. The oats are growing really well & we will have some decent stuff to cut for hay this year.

Queenie Saville (Gwen's friend & bridesmaid) sitting in the hay c1935

In the 1950s Gwen wrote about farming life, including hay carting: During the war, when labour was scarce we had a beautiful crop of oats – over 6ft high. We were able to get some temporary help to stook the hay in which job I helped. The men then carted the hay when it was ready, but some of it had to remain in the paddocks until we returned from our holiday, when I helped my husband cart it. I liked hay carting, but remember how the long hay waved about on the end of the fork in the wind & how slippery it was to keep in place.

 

 

With the advent of machinery the horses were no longer needed and they eventually died of old age. Hay was still needed for other livestock such as sheep, cattle and pigs.

Syd and Bob loading hay onto the truck circa early 1950s