IH 990

Phil H · Apr 17, 2013

I have a IH 990 mower conditioner and have never used it yet. I am used to a regular sickle mower. I was going to try and raise triticale. I wonder if I need to rake the hay into a windrow or if this 990 will lay the hay in a good enough windrow to be picked up with a baler. Don't have a baler yet either. If I need a rake I was thinking of a regular ground driven side delivery.

JD Seller · Apr 17, 2013

You can throw the hay narrow enough to bale behind the Mower but it will not cure as fast. Where do you live??? Some times in real dry climates they do throw the hay into a windrow.

Triticale, is a real juicy crop it will be tough to bale even with it spread out wide. It takes a lot of air/sun/time to cure dry enought to bale as dry hay.

I have raised it here in Northern-Iowa and I always had to chopped it as silage.

paul · Apr 17, 2013

Agree with JD, you might be able to windrow it with the mower, but I don't see how you'd get it dry that way.

Paul

DeltaRed · Apr 17, 2013

We live in the dry desert southwest.We can cut a 14-16 ft swath and lay it in a 'baleable' windrow.It will dry in 3-6 days.Some of the heavier,wet crops need to be flipped.We have done triticale,drys fine.Sorgum/sudan is a bit of a challenge,but it will usually dry enough to bale.When I see how you guys "back east" have to deal with rain/humidity,I have to wonder how you guys ever get any hay put up 'right'.My hat's off to you hay growers! Steve

keh · Apr 17, 2013

Never used a 990 but I had a high opinion of them. When the header is lifted, the rolls spread apart so slugs of hay will eject easier and if rolls are clogged, cleanout will be easier.

At least, that is the theory. I have an old IH conditioner which worked that way, mostly.

KEH

Phil H · Apr 17, 2013

I live in Red Bluff, Ca. It gets REAL HOT summers are 95-110. Would try and cut the triticale when it gets to the boot stage and not when it comes to a head. It sounds like the mower conditioner would lay the hay in a good enough windrow to be picked up with a baler....

JD Seller · Apr 17, 2013

The mower/conditioner will easily throw the hay in a narrow enought windrow to bale. The trouble is going to be getting the bottom dry enough to bale with out burning up the top hay.

You did not say how much hay you are going to have. If it is just a little bit then you maybe alright. If it is very heavy you will have trouble getting it dry enought. It all depends on how heavy the windrow is.

DeltaRed · Apr 17, 2013

Phil,we have similar weather here in Delta County Colorado.I use a 12' NH 499 hydroswing.With triticale/oats,etc., I lay it into a 3 1/2' windrow.After 3-5 days I can flip it.It will usually bale the next day.

1031D · Apr 17, 2013

I have a 990, used it for several years now. Decent machine. On my hay in Wisconsin I open the windrower as wide as it goes and let it lay the hay in a 6-7' wide windrow for a day, then fluff it and rake the following day. Leaving a crop sit several days in a tight windrow for several days is asking for mold growth.

Phil H · Apr 18, 2013

I know what the weather is like in Colorado, I grew up just out side of Boulder. Between the thunder storms you had work fast to get everything down and turned to dryout. A lot of people went to the conditioner to get that extra day of drying out the hay. From what everyone is saying it looks like I can get it in a windrow from the mower but probably would be tough to get the bottom to dry, I think a side delivery rake is my best bet to role everything over.

randallinMo · Apr 18, 2013

Trust me DeltaRed, we only get hay put up "right" about once every 6 years. I grow alfalfa and getting it dry baled "right" is a challenge almost every cutting. I've got all the toys....conditioner rolls on discbine, tedder, preservative on the baler, do silage bales....all to overcome the hassles of our high humidity and frequent rainfall. Last summer on my third cutting I was able to mow and leave in the windrow and baled it two days later. I baled it straight out of the windrow......never touched it after I mowed it. I've been able to do that once in the last 6 years! It was some of the most beautiful leaf filled hay I"ve ever seen. Getting hay baled "right" here in Missouri requires a major drought! I envy you guys out west who have to worry about the hay getting too dry.

randallinMo · Apr 18, 2013

Your location makes all the difference in the world. I don't see any reason it won't work to leave it in the windrow and bale from there. As JD said, you will have issues with the top getting too dry and bleached out while waiting for the bottom to dry....but as it gets mixed together during baling you won't notice it as much. Since you already have the rake, I guess I'd opt for mowing the hay out wide, and using the rake to rake sooner because the hay WILL dry faster laid out wide. You'll have bigger windrows which tend to make for better bales and the baling will go faster. With triticale, you don't have too much of a concern over leaf loss so laying it out wide has it benefits. You could actually rake it a tad early and avoid heavier field losses....letting it finish drying in the windrow. Sometimes all it will need is 2-3 hours.

IH 990

Phil H

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JD Seller

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paul

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DeltaRed

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keh

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Phil H

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JD Seller

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DeltaRed

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1031D

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Phil H

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randallinMo

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randallinMo

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