swathed oats last night - combine on Saturday?

LorenMN

Member
I have 5 acres of oats that I swathed yesterday, it's a cover crop over alfalfa/timothy. They probably should have been cut earlier, since it's shelling out fairly easy, but the rains haven't allowed enough time. Rain last night was supposed to miss us, but we got about 1/4" overnight. Some wind today, so it should help it dry. Rain is in forecast again for Saturday night & Sunday, and for most of next week. The field is fairly clean, have a few patches of foxtail and some cocklebur. Tried to cut above the alfalfa as much as possible, except for a the spots where the oats laid down.

Supposed to be hot & sunny tomorrow and Saturday. Think I will be ok to combine it on Saturday afternoon? I have a #80 IH with pickup head that I'll be using. Wondering what is worst case if the weeds & grass are still damp? Will I be plugging up the combine, or just have more chance of green stuff in with the grain? I'll be storing it in a gravity wagon in the shed and grinding it with ear corn for cattle feed, so test weight isn't an issue. I'd even like to start combining it tomorrow if possible, just not sure what problems that will cause.
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5 acres could yield 500 bushel of oats around here. Green stuff is going to have to be pretty dry to put thru a 80 IHC.
High humidity will make the oats tough to dry.
Neighbors here are having a time getting the windrows dry after 5" of rain.
Yesterday they were running them thru a round baler with the gate up to fluff and dry the windrow.
This morning it's sprinkling again. E SD.
 
The field seems pretty clean, with not too many low weeds...the third day I"d give it a try. Might whump! a bit at first, but just take it a bit slow. as the day goes on it should get drier and combine a bit easier. All you can do is try it.....grain never reads a calendar.
 
Oats should be fine for you.

I donno on the combine, if it will eat it or not.

But I'd sure try it, and if you get it through the combine, the oats should be fine.

I've put some mighty wet straw through my combine the last few years after rain, or with the turnip tops I plant with it, the grain is dry, the combine complains but its been nice with a bigger combine to grind it through. Got a Gleaner N3 now.

Paul
 

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