Editing Hay (section)

=== Modern mechanized techniques ===
[[File:Hay Harvest in Versam.jpg|thumb|Harvesting hay on the Swiss Alps]]
[[File:RoundAndSquare.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|right|Different balers can produce hay bales in different sizes and shapes. Here two different balers were used to create both large round bales and small square bales.]]
[[File:Baling hay.webm|thumb|Baling hay]]

Modern mechanized hay production today is usually performed by a number of machines. While small operations use a [[tractor]] to pull various implements for mowing and raking, larger operations use specialized machines such as a [[mower]] or a [[swather]], which are designed to cut the hay and arrange it into a windrow in one step. [[Baler]]s are usually pulled by a tractor, with larger balers requiring more powerful tractors.

Mobile [[baler]]s, machines that gather and bale hay in one process were first developed around 1940. The initial balers produced rectangular bales that were small enough for an individual to lift, typically weighing between 70 and 100 pounds (32 to 45&nbsp;kg) each. The size and shape of these bales allowed for manual handling, including lifting, stacking on transport vehicles, and constructing a haystack by hand. To reduce labor and enhance safety, loaders and stackers were subsequently developed to mechanize the transportation of small bales from the field to the haystack or hay barn. Later in the 20th century, balers were developed capable of producing large bales that weigh up to {{convert|3000|lb|kg}}.<ref>{{cite web |first=William G. |last=Hires |title=Large Round Bales: Management |work=Publication no. G1955 |publisher=University of Missouri Extension |url=http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/agengin/g01955.htm |access-date=2007-05-29 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20060912015427/http://extension.missouri.edu/explore/agguides/agengin/g01955.htm |archive-date=2006-09-12 }}</ref>

Conditioning of hay crop during cutting or soon thereafter is popular. The basic idea is that it decreases drying time, particularly in humid climates or if rain threatens to interfere with haying. Usually, rollers or flails inside a mower conditioner crimp, crack or strip the alfalfa or grass stems to increase evaporation rate.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://site.extension.uga.edu/forageteam/2017/08/the-importance-of-hay-conditioning/ | title=The Importance of Hay Conditioning &#124; UGA Forage Extension Team | date=2 August 2017 }}</ref> Sometimes, a salt solution is sprayed over the top of the hay (generally alfalfa) that helps to dry the hay.{{Citation needed|date=May 2022}}