Hay Elevator: Feed And Grain Elevators

Farming is not only a way of life for almost half of the world's population, but also is a major element in human existence. Because of farmers and the farming they do on a daily basis, people are supplied with the crops and food that come from the hard work of farmers and their farm animals. Commercial farmers supply many food companies and stores with the supplies they need in order to produce mass quantities of goods for their customers.

Because farmers need to produce large quantities for their manufacturers, they need to keep their animals well fed and in top shape to produce whatever it is they supply. It is especially hard to feed the animals when the colder weather creeps in and the grass does not grow as it does during the warmer months. This is why many farmers grow grass during the warmer months of the farming year, cut it down, and dry it out so that they can store it away for their animals to eat when it gets colder.

This dry grass that the farmers feed to their animals is more commonly referred to as hay. Hay cannot be left around the farm because then it will be eaten by wild animals or other animals that the farmer lets roam around freely. So to avoid those types of animals, most farmers store the hay feed high in the air at the top of their barns, which is most commonly referred to as a hayloft. Since the bails of hay get heavy and cannot be carried up ladders and stairs easily, most farmers use a Hay Elevator to get their hay up to the top levels of the barn.

A Hay Elevator is a ramp that starts at the ground level and goes up into a window or door on the top level of a barn. It is a lot like a grain elevator, which is used to transfer grain back up and down in a storage facility, except it has been adapted to transfer grain instead of hay. The ramp of a hay elevator can either be a conveyor belt, which continually is moving so the when a bale of hay is put on the belt it transfers up to the top level, or a mechanized pair of chains.

A Hay Elevator works most efficiently when two people are operating it. One person will stand at the bottom of the hay elevator and place the bales of hay on the ramp. The other should stand at the top of the hay elevator and receive the bales of hay as they come up so that they do not clog the end of the ramp. With two people operating the hay elevator, the process of putting the hay inside of the hayloft will go smoothly.

If interested in a hay elevator, a person should take a look at the Loyal-Roth Manufacturing Company. Loyal-Roth has been manufacturing farm equipment since 1956, and specializes in the development of the hay elevator system. They have a good wealth of information available for any person looking into buying a hay elevator, and can specify the hay elevator according to the person's barn and what kind of hay elevator they would like to purchase.

Having hay available for the winter season is essential for any farmer who needs to feed animals during colder months. A Hay Elevator is a perfect way to store hay in high levels above barns so that it is out of the way till it is needed in the winter. Without a hay elevator, transferring the hay would be time consuming and a real challenge. Farmers need all the time they can get in order to produce their goods for survival. A Hay Elevator is a great way to ensure more time to carry out those tasks and eliminate one big one.


Sources:
"Hay Elevator." Wikipedia. 23 May 2007. 15 Aug. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hay_elevator

Hay Bale Elevator Systems. Loyal. 2007. 15 Aug. 2007. http://www.loyal-roth.com/Bale_Handling.html

"Agriculture." Wikipedia. 10 Aug 2007. 15 Aug. 2007. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Farming