Our neighbor does the harvesting of hay for others in the area, and keeps busy a good part of the summer this way. He has the equipment needed for mowing, raking and baling the hay.

Following are the steps taken in a standard haying:
Cutting - commonly used with a rotary mower.
Tedding - a process to fluff up the hay once cut.
Raking - pulls the hay into windrows for baling
Baling - 2 types of balers, for square or round bales.
Storage - best stored in barns or sheds to to keep dry.

For more detail about the steps of harvesting hay, you will need to consult a farmer. My experience with harvesting hay is limited to that of a youngster on our small farm. My father used a tractor built from an old car, pulled a blade mower, and a rake with at least four foot looped tines. To me they looked like six or seven feet tall. 🙂 I was too young to ride the rake. One rode on a tractor seat above the tines. I remember my mother riding on the rake at least once. Modern equipment, especially on big farms, is quite advanced in technology, and beyond me. Some tractors are quite advanced and even have air conditioning, necessary in some of the hot weather they work in.