Building Haycocks/Building/Tramping

Tramping refers to the practice of treading on the loose hay being built to enable a reasonable compression on the hay being built. As well as building haycocks the method can also be used in the storing of hay in barns, sheds and on hay carts. The person doing the tramping may also use a fork to help receive the hay, though this may be a safety risk if an inexperiences younger person is doing the tramping which is often the case. If a dedicated tramping is not available a builder may sometimes jump on the haycock while the build is low to stop the haycock growing too fast with a low density of hay. Unless done poorly the tramping should add to the stability of the haycock being built and reduce the risk of instability and toppling.