Hay Harvesting

Texasmark1 · Oct 18, 2017

I'm scrapping out a bunch of bales of Sorghum-Sudan hay I baled in the May-June time line here in N. Tx.. It appears that once again, I
didn't get it dry enough and it developed some mold. I realize that SS doesn't pack as tight as grass but it does have to sit out; do not have
adequate covered storage and all. This mold is down inside, well beyond of any precip after rolling.

On curing, you guys in Northern climates where your winters are longer and wetter (usually with snow and all), how do you get your hay
crops cured out if you run cool season grasses and harvest in the spring.

Thanks,
Mark

Lazy WP · Oct 18, 2017

I am baling some Sorghum Sudan that was swathed over a month ago. Just wouldn?t dry. The first field I baled in August I never got the bottom to dry and now I have some moldy bales but I?m guessing that the cows aren?t going to complain to much during a blizzard

Ray IN · Oct 18, 2017

Sudax is of course very hard to dry. Fortunately it is usually not cut in Indiana until July. Not much of it put in hay around here. For first cutting such as orchardgrass, just have to use the tedder and be patient. This year I had trouble getting 2nd cutting alfalfa dry because it was too cloudy. Hard to bale on a cloudy day, even if it seems the hay is dry. Should have used some propionic acid with it I guess. Years ago we used to chop sudax as dry hay and blow it loose into the barn. That stuff would really heat up if it wasn't bone dry going in. But usually there are enough hot sunny days to get it up right. A neighbor bales a lot of rye cover crop into round bales in late april or early may, and usually gets it dry. I think this year he baled it wet and wrapped it, going for better feed.

Andy Martin · Oct 18, 2017

So do you sell it or feed it? If you dump it in a ravine the cows will go after it and get it cleaned up.

jon f mn · Oct 18, 2017

Not much of that grown up here for that reason. Besides Timothy and some of the other grasses dry better and don't need to be planted every year.

ztrmowers · Oct 18, 2017

i tried that here also and ended up with huge pile of manure.also if at wrong stage can be deadly to cattle grazing!!!!!! learned that the hard way

Part Time Pete · Oct 18, 2017

Around here (Central NY) not much dry hay is put up before June. Most of the early stuff get's put up as haylage or baleage, usually starting mid May. Unless you get lucky, there isn't much drying weather that early.
Pete

Texasmark1 · Oct 18, 2017

That's sorta what I figured. I mean if I can't get it done here how would you. Thanks

Texasmark1 · Oct 18, 2017

Have had that happen and I figure it turned to booze and they got drunk off it. Ha! I'm going to sort through it and weed out the bad which
will go into my poop slinger and I'll sling it out on the hay patch and disc it in. Thanks

Texasmark1 · Oct 18, 2017

Mold isn't all that bad on most of it. Just my customer is like a lot of horse customers, buy for "their eyes" not cows digestive system. I mean what do you make of the mess between the bale and the ground after it has been sitting a few months on not so well drained soil....some kind of mess and they love it. Thanks

JMOR · Oct 18, 2017

When I did sudan, I ran it thru a crimper. If left out long enough for large stems to dry without crimping, then all the leafy parts will shatter & you have nothing but stems in the bale.

MARK ROBKE · Oct 18, 2017

Maybe offer to sell at a reduced price-if it is going to cows,they'll eat it.Mark

Texasmark1 · Oct 18, 2017

I had swathers when I was leasing land and working you know where. When I retired I downsized and bought a drum which doesn't have a
crimper. After not having and needing I scouted around some of the OTF (Old Time Farms) where I found a NH 404. New chain, adapted a
sprocket to fit and it works well.

Also bought a Corsicana Machine Works (yeah right here) and changed it from a drag to a 3 pt. It works well. I do crimp and do
understand on the leafs vs stems. Thanks, J.

Texasmark1 · Oct 18, 2017

Really does chap you. I've had that happen where you work hard at getting those suckers some premium hay and they leave it for some 3+ year stuff stuffed in a ravine. Just like when I used to work hard at putting in a nice winter wheat pasture just to have them take 2 bites and stomp in 10 steps, or run around stomping all over it to check the fences.

MARK ROBKE · Oct 18, 2017

It makes me wonder some times.I always try to make good quality hay,cut on time.I have neighbor straight across from me who just cut their hay about 10 days ago.It was very weedy,beyond dead ripe,but it did have some green in the bottom.They cut it 1 day and rolled it the next.They'll feed it to their own cows,but I don't see how they get any nutrition.Cows (and people)amaze me sometimes.Mark

Leroy · Oct 19, 2017

Back in the 70's when still had dairy heard we had a mower-conditioner Case 555 and still had a conditioner and would follow up imediatly after the mower-conditioner with the other conditioner and conditioned it twice. Think it helped on drydown. Cannot remember what roles each had but I an thinking one was a crusher and the other a crimper. One would break stems lengthwise and the other do it crosswise so got a better break of the stems.

Hay Harvesting

Texasmark1

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Lazy WP

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Ray IN

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Andy Martin

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jon f mn

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ztrmowers

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Part Time Pete

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Texasmark1

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Texasmark1

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Texasmark1

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JMOR

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MARK ROBKE

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