Hay bucking, or "bucking hay", is a type of manual labor where small square

bales Bales is the surname of: * Alison Bales (born 1985), American basketball player * Barry Bales (born 1969), American musician * Billy Bales (born 1929), British former motorcycle speedway racer * Burt Bales (1917–1989), American jazz pianist ...

, ranging in weight from about , are stacked by hand in a field, in a storage area such as a barn, or stacked on a vehicle for transportation, such as a flatbed trailer or semi truck for delivery to where the hay is needed. The act of throwing the bales up to a higher level is called "bucking". The work is very strenuous and physically demanding, and it requires using proper techniques in order not to become fatigued and avoid injury. Stacker

Large quantities of small square bales are sometimes gathered with mechanical equipment such as a hay stacker, which can hold up to about 100 hay bales. The workers generally wear

chaps Chaparreras or chaps () are a type of sturdy over-pants (overalls) or leggings of Mexican origin, made of leather, without a seat, made up of two separate legs that are fastened to the waist with straps or belt. They are worn over trousers and ...

to protect their legs and use hay hooks, long metal hooks with wooden handles, to secure the bales and move them. An apparatus known as an elevator is used to move the bales, conveyor belt style, to levels too high to buck them. Workers are usually paid by the

ton Ton is any of several units of measure of mass, volume or force. It has a long history and has acquired several meanings and uses. As a unit of mass, ''ton'' can mean: * the '' long ton'', which is * the ''tonne'', also called the ''metric ...

or the number of bales. Because the work is labor-intensive, many farmers have made multiple-ton bales that are moved with machines. Hay bucking competitions are sometimes held at

rodeos Rodeo () is a competitive equestrian sport that arose out of the working practices of cattle herding in Spain and Mexico, expanding throughout the Americas and to other nations. It was originally based on the skills required of the working va ...

and county

fair A fair (archaic: faire or fayre) is a gathering of people for a variety of entertainment or commercial activities. Fairs are typically temporary with scheduled times lasting from an afternoon to several weeks. Fairs showcase a wide range of go ...

References

Harvest Agricultural terminology Rodeo-affiliated events Manual agricultural practices {{agri-stub