I told you nobody got hurt haying in my summary of workamping the hay season at Vickers Ranch this summer.

This is a good thing.

But this may come as little surprise – or a really big one – considering these safe haying practices I learned working with Paul:

• Disregard the hanging bale spikes on the stacker no matter how many times you hit your head on them.
• Ignore the same spikes when pushing any bales up to the top row that may have fallen loose. You can always just move your head really fast if they swing down, to avoid multiple stitches.
• If just a few bales – or a dozen – are left in the field, climb up the loaded stacker and have your coworker throw them up to you.
• To dump the extras before stacking that load, put the tractor in gear and let it travel on its own while dropping bales to your coworker. Note: the tractor will tend to go downhill.
• Jump off the stacker without considering how high you really are.
• If a chain breaks while trying to steer a stuck tractor out of the mud when your coworker is pulling with a bulldozer, duck. Quickly.
• Hold the extra baling twine needed to tie bales together in your teeth. Just try no to step on it when you need to run around the stacker.
• Go ahead, jump on the back of the loaded stacker for a free ride back to the barn. It’s not moving that fast. And just hold on tight.
• Forget to wear sunscreen in the high altitude meadows.
• Trust your co-worker not to flip the second table of the stacker up with you on top of the bales.
• Sit on the stacker right behind the tractor on its way back to the barn. Diesel fumes are good for you.
• Stand behind the stacker as you direct your coworker backing it into the barn. Don’t worry that he can’t hear you.

Read more about why I love ranch workamping, and check out our Workamping Page for details about the various different types of jobs we’ve had, and a Workamper News Promo Code.

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