Farmer's lung (not to be confused with silo-filler's disease) is a hypersensitivity pneumonitis induced by the inhalation of biologic dusts coming from hay dust or mold spores or other agricultural products. Hay may also include legumes, such as alfalfa (lucerne) and clovers (red, white and subterranean). Hay or grass is the foundation of the diet for all grazing animals and can provide as much as 100% of the fodder required for an animal. Straw dust is an extrinsic allergen that enters the body through breathing and enters the lungs. The first balers produced rectangular bales small enough for a person to lift, usually between 70 and 100 pounds (32 and 45 kg) each. Once the dried hay was rowed up, pitch forks were used to pile it loose, originally onto a horse-drawn cart or wagon, later onto a truck or tractor-drawn trailer, for which a sweep could be used instead of pitch forks. Individuals with acute or chronic straw dust allergy reaction can wear some type of personal respiratory protection. Hay can be soaked in water, sprinkled with water or subjected to steaming to reduce dust. Blakesley's education, fine arts, remodeling, green living, and arts and crafts articles have appeared on numerous websites, including DeWalt Tools, as well as in "Farm Journal" and "Pro Farmer. John T. 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Hay in small square bales is particularly susceptible to this, and is therefore often stored in a hayshed or protected by tarpaulins. A chemical reaction occurs in the lungs that causes and inflammation. [12] Later horizontal machines were devised, such as the “Perpetual Press” made by PK Dederick in 1872. If the temperature of a bale exceeds more than 140 °F (60 °C), it can combust. The alveoli react due to a toxin contained within the straw dust. 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. But hay cut too late is coarser, lower in resale value and has lost some of its nutrients. Mobile balers, machines which gather and bale hay in one process, were first developed around 1940. [24] This no doubt contributed to the pressure for baling in large bales to increasingly replace stacking, which was happening anyway as haymaking technology (like other farm technology) continued toward extensive mechanization with one-man operation of many tasks. Synonyms for dust bowl include desert, waste, wasteland, wilderness, barren land, wilds, heath, desolation, no-man's-land and barren. It is also fed when an animal is unable to access pasture. Turning hay, when needed, originally was done by hand with a fork or rake. [39] Exposure to hay can also trigger allergic rhinitis for people who are hypersensitive to airborne allergens. Paper dust masks are available for purchase along with commercial grade respirators. Before purchasing a commercial grade respirator check to make sure that it is one that will filter straw dust. The wrap repels moisture, but leaves the ends of the bale exposed so that the hay itself can "breathe" and does not begin to ferment. Much hay was originally cut by scythe by teams of workers, dried in the field and gathered loose on wagons. The time for cutting alfalfa hay is ideally done when plants reach maximum height and are producing flower buds or just beginning to bloom, cutting during or after full bloom results in lower nutritional value of the hay. However, organic forms of fertilization and weed control are required for hay grown for consumption by animals whose meat will ultimately be certified organic. A chemical reaction occurs in the lungs that causes and inflammation. People who are sensitive to extrinsic allergens, which means causes that originate from outside of the body, should avoid areas with has straw dust concentration. [25][35] These are sometimes built atop platforms or tripods formed of three poles, used to keep hay off the ground and let air into the center for better drying. Legumes in hay are ideally cut pre-bloom. Methods of haymaking thus aim to minimize the shattering and falling away of the leaves during handling. If this is not done, the top two layers of the stack are often lost to rot and mold, and if the stack is not arranged in a proper hayrick, moisture can seep even deeper into the stack. Reducing the straw dust allergens in a home or business can be done through the use of general ventilation, local exhaust ventilation, process isolation and process enclosure. Haystacks are also sometimes called stooks, shocks, or ricks. The cut material is allowed to dry so that the bulk of the moisture is removed but the leafy material is still robust enough to be picked up from the ground by machinery and processed into storage in bales, stacks or pits. This inflammation in the lungs is called sensitization. Individuals with a straw dust allergy will have one of three responses. However, it is also fed to smaller domesticated animals such as rabbits and guinea pigs. A chemical reaction occurs in the lungs that causes and inflammation. Harvested wheat and oat plants produce straw. The stack was fenced from the rest of the paddock in a rick yard, and often thatched or sheeted to keep it dry. Historical Society. She began her writing and photography career in 2008. The ratio of volume to surface area makes it possible for many dry-area farmers to leave large bales outside until they are consumed. Hay production and harvest, commonly known as "making hay",[8] "haymaking", or "doing hay", involves a multiple step process: cutting, drying or "curing", raking, processing, and storing. Both types of animals can digest cellulose in grass and hay, but do so by different mechanisms. Hay is usually fed to an animal in place of allowing the animal to graze on grasses in a pasture, particularly in the winter or during times when drought or other conditions make pasture unavailable. Pigs may also be fed hay, but they do not digest it as efficiently as … Or, especially with older equipment or methods, the hay is cut and allowed to lie spread out in the field until it is dry, then raked into rows for processing into bales afterwards.