To cut & make it rain or wait & have it dry....

Don-Wi

Well-known Member
Wanting very badly to cut hay so we can start chopping 1st crop, but starting Friday they've got rain forecasted (30-50%) for the next 6 days......

My gut says it'll amount to squat, but it's still that uncertainty that makes a guy wonder what to do. Still hoping to get a bagger lined up, as we called a little too late 2 weeks ago and they were all out. Been hard to get a crop off this year...

I do atleast have both haybines ready to go, and the chopper. The wagons just need to be greased and they'll be ready to roll as well.

And as always, it'll only rain if I cut it...

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
I was lucky enough to get three and a half days last week and cut about 8 acres, baled on Sunday evening and finished Monday an hour before the rain. I fed my last 3 bales of hay Sunday night!

Got about 27 acres down and about half raked right now, and after a breakdown with my NH rake this afternoon...hope all goes smooth tomorrow!
 
don ,, if you Are PLENTY Wet WAIT ,, Moisture Breeds Moisture ,,,if ya need rain ,, Get to Cuttin ,, I always offer up a few acres for the rain gawds ,, got 3/4 inch other day ,,we gotpretty durn dry in lousville ky area
 
Hope you get some good sunny days Don, as it is getting late for first cut. But what can you do? We put 60 acres in the pit , ploughed up 16, and planted more corn last week. This week we are waiting for things to dry out , so we can start 50 acres of wet wrapped hay. Patience and perseverence, are key. All the best .Bruce
 
Don, I go by the saying a guy that farmed our land when I was just a tyke, anything less than 50% forecast cut above 50% hit the bar. I say cut.

Leonard
 
Making hay this year is causing me gray hair! Mowed 25 acres Monday to bale today or tomorrow. No rain in the forecast. At 3 PM yesterday the only rain in the state of Iowa came out of nowhere and dumped 1.5" in less than 30 min on my hay. Oh well, Mother Nature always wins!!!
 
don, i always told my family the hay dont dry standing up. but, ive been in your situation before and what i did was cut right before the rain, spread it out,the rain will wash off the wax coat off the alfalfa and it will dry faster.usually you get a couple good days after a rain. im west of oshkosh, the big farm cut my hay friday, got 1/12 rain sat, chopped sunday, some was getting too dry at 50%. also made some ruts
 
I just cut a few hundred bales worth as bait to see if the weather
went for it as theres been a 30% chance the last 2 days. Check last
night and it say good for 5 days so I was gearing up to drop 1000
or so and check again this am? Rain every day except 2 in the next
week.
 
Its my theory that once the hay begins to over ripen and start to dry out with stems turning to straw with farrrrrrrrrrr less nutrients ITS TIME TO STOP WATCHING WEATHER PREDICTIONS AND CUT THE DARN STUFF REGARDLESS

Anyone thats never got hay wet is someomne thats never farmed to any degree

CUT IT,,,,,,,ITS GETTIN LATE FOR FIRST CUTTING

John T
 
But if you cut up the fields in the process, you have to live with it for years to come. I'll probably lay some down tonight and see. The weather man today said what I was wanting to hear-spotty and more sun than rain.

As for being late, the growing season is 3 weeks behind so in all reality, we're not too far off. Last weekend would have been perfect if we could have gotten a bagger.

Donovan from Wisconsin
 
Still waiting on our first/only cut UP here. Weather guessers are predicting 50-80% chance of rain everyday until next Tuesday and so far they are right. About 3/4" of an inch since 8am this morning and more is on the way by the looks of the radar.
 

We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today.

Back
Top