"harry" wrote in message
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On Dec 6, 2:30 pm, " Attila Iskander"
wrote:
"harry" wrote in message

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On Dec 5, 6:32 pm, " Attila Iskander"
wrote:







"harry" wrote in message

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On Dec 5, 2:09 pm, " Attila Iskander"
wrote:

"harry" wrote in message

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On Dec 5, 5:21 am, Will Rogers "W.Rogers"@Where the Wind Comes

Sweepin' Down the.Plain wrote:
Apparently, it's not enough to be thieving copper in Newark, or
looting
homes destroyed by hurricanes or forest-fire.

What could be lower than stealing hay from desperate farmers?

---------------------

http://stlouis.cbslocal.com/2012/12/...-fight-rise-in...

December 3, 2012 9:49 AM

ST. LOUIS (KMOX) - As if it s not bad enough that Missouri farmers
are
trying to survive the worst drought in decades, now many of them are
facing a new problem that s costing them big bucks.

Missouri Farm Bureau president Blake Hurst says thieves are actually
targeting those big bundles of hay that are left out in fields prior
to
being harvested, hauling them off and selling the valuable
commodity.

Of course, no one brands their hay so if you hook onto it with your
tractor or your pickup and make it out the gate, then it s
impossible
to
prove where the hay came from, Hurst said.

With winter approaching and grass dying out, the price for fresh hay
to
feed livestock is on the rise, and Hurst says that makes unguarded
bales
a tempting target.

Ironically, it s because of the ongoing drought that fresh hay has
become so valuable with the winter season fast approaching.

And it s not just Missouri. This trend is happening in farm states
across the country, so much so that some are now putting global
positioning trackers inside their bales, in case they re stolen.

#
# The more I read that story the more BS it is.
#

First, read up on why round bales have become so popular
http://pods.dasnr.okstate.edu/docushare/dsweb/Get/Document-1772/BAE-1...

# How do you "hook into hay"?

One way with a pickup truck.
All you need is a winch, a steel bar, an short length of cable with a
loop
at each end and a ramp
1) Shove the steel bar through the center of the roll
2) hook your short cable on each of the the bar
3) hook your winch to the cable
4) roll hay wheel up ramp to back of pickup

Alternately, you can install a crane on your pickup and just lift the
bale
on the back.
http://www.google.com/search?q=pickup+truck+crane&hl=en&tbo=u&tbm=isc...

Third method, use a car transporter, drop the bed near the bales, and
daisy-chain the bales onto the bed

# How are bales left out "prior to harvesting"?
#

You're right that is a bit weak
But harvesting could also include removing it from the field
If you just cut, dry and roll it but leave it on the filed, the
"harvesting"
is only partial
The last step, moving somewhere else for storage or use is yet to be
done.

# Journalism has sunk pretty low in the USA.

Not as low as education in England, if we go by your performance.

#
#How do you shove a steel bar through the centre of a hay bale? It is
# packed almost as hard as if it were a block of timber.

Never heard of a bale spear ?

# And even if you succeeded, how would you get it out?
# I see you know as little as these journalists.

Funny how farmers have no trouble either shoving in or pulling out their
bale spears.
You have to wonder how on earth they manage to do it...

#
# They manage it because the spear is mounted on an agricultural tractor
# (front or rear).

And what makes you imagine that a relatively professional thief would NOT
get the right tools to make the job easier and quicker ?
#
# So he's going out to spend $60,000 on a tractor to steal a $60 bale of
# hay?
# Or even $20,000 used?
# Right. You must have pretty dozy crooks over there.

More likely they'll steal the machines, just like the steal the hay
They're thieves after all, you stupid limey