In the past, households measured their strength by the number of hay stacks behind the barn, but that way of storing fodder is slowly becoming a thing of the past. Stacking, a skill that used to be common, is seen less and less today, as most herders no longer prepare feed for their livestock in that way. The end of August is the time when the last dry rolls and layers of hay are delivered from the meadows and alfalfa fields and stacked in stacks, in order to provide food for the livestock during the winter.
Ranko Đalović from the village of Vlakča near Topola talks about this traditional skill, which he learned in Bania before escaping to Šumadija in the 1990s. On the rented land, Ranko built his own farm, where he still practices stacking hay. He explains that the most important part of preparing the stacks is the “foundation”, which must be wide enough and raised from the ground, so that the hay is protected from moisture. This process is often referred to as “denuting” or “dening” the hay.
Stacking hay “the old-fashioned way”: here are the details
The base therefore consists of a “rodoža” or “rozga”, a wooden post that is sufficiently thick and straight, like a tree without branches. This pole is pointed and driven deep into the ground. The rafter must be as high as the planned height of the stack. Stones are stacked around it, and then smaller slats or boards are placed, so that the hay does not touch the ground and is exposed to moisture from rain or snow. This arrangement also allows ventilation of the stack.
Formation therefore requires at least two people. One worker forms the stack by stacking the hay around the cattails in layers, while another worker adds rolls of dry grass or clover from the trailer. The process is laborious, because it is done in dry and sunny weather, without rain or humidity. The layers of hay are tamped down so that they fit together as well as possible, and from a third of the height of the stack, it tapers into a conical shape, which enables better protection from the rain.
According to expert advice, hay is ready when it contains between 18 and 22 percent moisture. The finished stack is covered on top and the hay is “brushed” from the sides with a rake, so that the surface is therefore smooth and allows the rain to slide down the stack. Herdsmen who have free-roaming cattle must fence the stacks so that the animals do not damage the hay.
Keep it vertical
Stacks are placed at least fifty meters from the house, barn and other buildings, as a fire protection measure. Drainage channels are dug around the stacks to ensure water drainage. It is recommended that the stacks be on drained land.
In winter, stacks are made one by one. Hay is cut with vertical knives, from top to bottom. Although the outside of the hay may look dark, the inside is fresh and retains the smell, as if it had just been cut. In modern times, most people use baling to store hay. Precisely because of this, hardly anyone today knows how to make haystacks in the traditional way, like Ranko and his wife Ana.
Source: Good morning
Source: boljazemlja.com
