Fall Hay Curing

draftx · Sep 29, 2014

With the shorter days and cooler temps. Which do you think has the best chance of curing small squares or rounds.

Texasmark1 · Sep 29, 2014

That subject is why I never waited too late to do my last cutting. Course this year I didn't have to worry about it as the Sugar Cane Aphids made their way over here and solved that problem for me after the first cutting.

On type of bale, around here small squares are usually reserved for Coastal Bermuda which is like common Bermuda in leaf structure/size but grows taller and obviously has a stem to support that which is a little larger than common, but small none-the-less, doesn't require crimping, and the crop cures rapidly. Additionally horse folks are the main consumer/market for such.

Round bales are usually used for prarie hay or sudan-sorghum cross which is stemmy and requires a conditioner behind the cutter to smash the stems to enhance drying. Even with that, it doesn't dry all that fast without lots of sunshine and high temps.

So, if doing the former I'd go for that. If the latter, squares are packed tighter, if barn loaded are more confined and so moisture would have to be lower than you would have to have in rolls stored outside so I would go with the rolls.

My 2c,
Mark

1130Leo · Sep 29, 2014

Short answer, neither will dry worth a darned. Rounds can usually handle being a little less dry. Most of us like to have our 2nd cut done by the 1st week of September, however, this year due to nothing but continuous rain, our first real window was this last week, and it is a huge challange to get dry. All i can say is cut it with your swather set wide open or ted right after cutting, then use a really good rake when the time is right, and bale. I am finishing up my 2nd today, and the last couple hundred bales will likely require a good bit of salt on them to keep them from heating up. With rain coming again tonight no choice left.

Bill VA · Sep 29, 2014

I baled up 400 squares over the weekend. Cooler temps, shorter daylight days, heavy dew and fog. I cut late Sunday and raked on Thursday and again prior to baling on Saturday. Hay was nice and dry - but we had pretty much zero chance of rain for the week and didn't get any. Don't have a tedder - yet. All in all it went very good.

Next year, we will shoot for the last cut no later than Labor day - unless there is some tempting 3rd cut waiting...

Part Time Pete · Sep 29, 2014

As Leo said, rounds are a little more forgiving, especially if it's a soft core baler.
I did some small squares yesterday, but we've had an unusually good stretch of weather for central NY.
A good tedder helps, and a rotary rake helps even more - they make a nice tall windrow that the air can get through. I don't have one, but one of these years I hope to.
Pete

James Howell · Sep 29, 2014

Cut a field of Bahiagrass on Tuesday.

It was ready to round bale on Friday, but did it late Sunday afternoon.

Our temperatures have been warmer this year and have definitely helped our late cuttings.

We use <a href="http://youtu.be/dq2VrkuoVcg">a KRONE 260 baler that makes "soft" core bales</a> so no problem with curing.

1130Leo · Sep 29, 2014

I don't have a tedder yet either, but I do have a Kuhn Rotary rake, could not get my hay off without it.

Dick L · Sep 30, 2014

We just ended nine days without rain. I picked up most of the last cutting yesterday. Mostly alfalfa with some grass. It would have been good to small square bales. I pitched it on the trailer loose and piled it the three places I feed horses. We only got a few sprinkles today so tomorrow I will get the coupla trailer loads loose after work that is still in the field. This is my fourth cutting and the horses like it better than sweet feed.

redforlife · Sep 30, 2014

Neighbor use to small round his last cutting. Being round, they would shed some of the precipitation and he would leave them in the field untill he fed them. Picked them up as he fed them. Sometimes it would be after the snow flies before he would get those all fed up. Just one idea. If you have the space, I have hauled little squares to the shed and unloaded but did not stack them. Leave them spaced out for additional drying. I would not stack high moisture hay in the shed. If you do, I would heavily salt it if it were me.

kyhayman · Oct 10, 2014

As a rule, bulk density is greater in rounds than squares. So, you can put higher moisture hay, as a rule into small squares than rounds. Especially if they are stored on edge. The other trade off though is you can leave the rounds outside if they are getting too hot and still have feeding value.

Fall Hay Curing

draftx

Member

Texasmark1

Well-known Member

1130Leo

Member

Bill VA

Well-known Member

Part Time Pete

Well-known Member

James Howell

Well-known Member

1130Leo

Member

Dick L

Well-known Member

redforlife

Well-known Member

kyhayman

Well-known Member

Similar threads