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Barnyard Buddies:  What do I do with hay ropes??  |
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Brew Crew
True Blue Farmgirl
676 Posts
Molly
Arizona
676 Posts |
 Posted - Aug 24 2007 : 6:54:53 PM
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As I was feeding the crowd this evening, I looked around and realized how many of these "hay ropes" we end up discarding! I have literally piles of them built up, 3 a day at least. Does anyone know of anything useful to do with them? For those that don't have baled hay (you luckies that grow/ harvest your own!) they are some sort of fiber/plasticky substance, a little over 5 feet long each. My mom said she read one time of a farmer's wife who weaved them into something? Don't know what or if it's worth it! Ideas?
"There is a Happy Dale far, far away. . ." -Arsenic and Old Lace |
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Alee
True Blue Farmgirl
22941 Posts
Alee
Worland
Wy
USA
22941 Posts |
Posted - Aug 24 2007 : 7:24:43 PM
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At the ranch I worked at we would just toss the bale ties. They can be dangerous if your animals eat them. We would use a few when we braided the horses's tails to make false tails but other than that we tossed them.
Alee
The amazing one handed typist! One hand for typing, one hand to hold Nora!
http://home.test-afl.tulix.com/aleeandnora/ |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
Posted - Aug 24 2007 : 7:34:47 PM
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Well, we would use them to make temporary repairs sometimes, by lashing boards up after my horse kicked the boards out of her stall.
And of course they are nice to take along to the lumberyard to hold the back door of the hatch closed while the 2x4's are sticking out the end.
You shall eat the fruit of the labor of your hands - You shall be happy and it shall be well with you. -Psalm 128.2
Visit my blog at http://brightmeadowfarms.blogspot.com ,web site store at http://www.watkinsonline.com/fish or my homepage at http://home.earthlink.net/~brightmeadow |
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DaisyFarm
True Blue Farmgirl
1646 Posts
Diane
Victoria
BC
Canada
1646 Posts |
Posted - Aug 24 2007 : 8:56:58 PM
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I save all mine (big surprise there ) and roll them into a big ball. I use them for all kinds of things. They are great for tying up plants, particularly tomato plants, emergency fence fixes and even used one for a dog leash one time when a little boy that came here was allergic to dogs.
I'd love to see something someone had woven with them.
Di
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Aunt Jenny
True Blue Farmgirl
11381 Posts
Jenny
middle of
Utah
USA
11381 Posts |
Posted - Aug 24 2007 : 9:51:56 PM
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I use mine in the garden too, but end up tossing alot of them. I use them for cubscouts to teach knot tying and stuff like that too. I always have a small bundle of them in the back of the van (you never know!) and keep a bundle of them in the barn but toss alot. Ours are all orange and that makes it easy to find them in the grass or whatever but makes them pretty ugly too. Oh well. When I lived in calif, alot of the time it was wire on the bales instead of the plastic twine. I liked that better...way handy to have around and I NEVER threw that out!
Jenny in Utah
Inside me there is a skinny woman crying to get out...but I can usually shut her up with cookies
http://www.auntjennysworld.blogspot.com/ visit my little online shop at www.auntjenny.etsy.com |
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brightmeadow
True Blue Farmgirl
2045 Posts
Brenda
Lucas
Ohio
USA
2045 Posts |
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Brew Crew
True Blue Farmgirl
676 Posts
Molly
Arizona
676 Posts |
Posted - Aug 25 2007 : 07:01:39 AM
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Good ideas! I hate to just toss them, seems like such a waste! Diane, I hadn't thought of using them in the garden and such. My 5 year old used one for a 'leash' once for the goats. :) Jenny, love the idea to keep a bundle in the car, too!
I think I should get some kind of rolling trash can or something to park by the haystack so I can at least keep them contained better-- one of them sucked up into the mower will cause a WHOLE lot of trouble! Poor hubby has spent a few Saturdays disassembling the whole thing to unwrap it from the blades. Oops. :)
"There is a Happy Dale far, far away. . ." -Arsenic and Old Lace |
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Marybeth
True Blue Farmgirl
6418 Posts
Mary Beth
Stanwood
Wa 98292
USA
6418 Posts |
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willowtreecreek
True Blue Farmgirl
4813 Posts
Julie
Russell
AR
USA
4813 Posts |
Posted - Aug 25 2007 : 10:19:17 AM
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My dogs like to drag them around the yard and put them in their dog houses! Probably not the safest thing but they always seem to get to them before I do. Usually we save some for reuse later. If you have natural fiber ones they can go in the compost if they are not treated with chmicals. Most nowadays are a plastic fiber. check with your hay supplier.
Felt and Fabric Crafts
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windypines
True Blue Farmgirl
4279 Posts
Michele
Bruce
Wisconsin
USA
4279 Posts |
Posted - Aug 25 2007 : 3:00:24 PM
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| On our farm, if you can't fix it with twine, then throw it out! We use twine for everything and anything. It is holding the sheep pen panels together, my boys took an old tractor inner tube, put a piece of plywood on it, and tied it on with twine, to use when they go swimming. I thought anyone can tell those boys come from a farm. One year we used it in the 4-H display in the cattle barns. Tied pieces together, as long as the display needed to be, then cut pieces 2 feet long, and half hitched them over the long one. Making a "curtain" to hang over the animals, and then they hung their name signs up . It looked really neat. Braided it makes good lead emergency lead ropes. Of course the dog loves to play with it too. We use the natural type too, just can't think of the name right now. We have even made door mats by crocheting with it. Michele |
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goneriding
True Blue Farmgirl
1599 Posts
Winona
Central Oregon
USA
1599 Posts |
Posted - Aug 26 2007 : 07:48:08 AM
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I read where someone was braiding lead ropes and dog leashes out of them. But after a while, you're still going to have a pile 9 ft high! I toss most of them as they are great to trip on when buried in the dirt. hehehe...
Winona ;-)
Don't sweat the small stuff...
http://goneridingagain.bravehost.com
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Barnyard Buddies: What do I do with hay ropes?? |
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What do I do with hay ropes??
