First cutting hay

Fred Werring

Well-known Member
Finally got done, with all the rain (and baler breaking) around here it's been a challenge.

The good news about the rain and delayed baling is got 271 5-1/2 X 5-1/2 bales, normal first cut is 210ish.

Bad news is, 100 of those bales got rained on, 44 of which got 5" of rain between the time I mowed and the time I baled.

Got a lot of bedding type hay, and not so much good stuff.

Fred
 
Well friend, those bales that got rained on might not be the best but as my Dad always said.... "beats a snow ball"
 
I still need to cut and bale some first cutting hay. Between the rain and heat it has been a not so fun summer. Heat index today is suppose to be around 100-105.
 

Some years ago I cut some hay that ended up getting rained on for a week, rolled it up a dumped it in a ditch at the end for the field, turned the cows in that field for pasture later and they cleaned up every bit of that junk hay.

John
 
We finished first cutting the last day of June and cut 2nd cutting on 3 small fields today. Nice clover but the darned iron weeds and milkweed is jumping up in them. Mowed it a little early but don't want those weeds to get to seed. I think next year will be rework and replant those 3 fields. Keith
 
Fred Make yourself a molasses/sweet lick injector out of a piece if 1/2 inch pipe. Close one end and make a point on it. Then drill holes down two sides. Rig up a small roller pump to push the sweet lick out the pipe. I used a water trough for a mixing tank. Dump five gallons of molasses in the trough. Add five gallons of hot water. Put in some salt or mineral mix. Mix it up while the water is hot. I usually put about 3-4 gallons of the mixture per bale. Inject the bales a day or two before you want to feed them. This allows the liquid to spread out in the hay bale. Some sweet lick is light enough viscosity that you do not have to cut it with water. I usually inject the bales in four places equally around the bale. I have feed some real rough hay this way an the brood cows will eat it well and stay slick in cold weather.
 

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