Hay going bad?

Larry NEIL

Well-known Member
My hay has been down for 10 days now. Got caught last Friday with an unexpected 1 1/2" at 12:00 noon and lost about 170 bales and got about 14-15 acres on the ground. I've tedded it twice to lift it. (95% timothy and orchard grass)
But it has rained every day and or night since and in checking some of the bottom stuff is getting pretty dark. Think it's any good now?
I've been making hay for many years now and never had it this bad except for one time we lost a whole crop late in the season.
What do you guys think, should I try to save it or wait and bale the garbage later to clean up the field?
 
I know where you're coming from. We looked at some oats today that were cut on Father's Day. Have had more than 10 inches of rain on it. We're letting it lay as the damage to the new seeding and ground would be more than the small spots that are smothered (and the spots are already dead so can't save them anyway). As far as your hay it depends a lot on if you have enough hay without it. Poor hay is better than snowballs. Good luck whatever you try.
 
Join the club. Alfalfa is molding in the windrow. Was able to pull the side rake through today, very muddy tho don't think it will carry the baler.

Paul
 
I'd keep tedding it if you can get across the ground. It should at least be edible to cows later on. If you abandon it and come in with a later cutting, you're going to have all that junk that the rake will pick up and mix in. If you're able to graze that field that would be the best, as they will eat what they want, and tromp the balance into a mulch providing a cover that will greatly help retain moisture. Yeah right......as if retaining moisture now was a concern. Keep tedding it.
 
That's usually about the time to take the chopper,chop it up fine and blow it in to the wind.
 
It's a moot point now...just got rained out again.
Wish I had a chopper, but think it will get pushed to the edge of the swamp and try it again in September...unless the rain stops for good!
 
We get the same problem almost every year. Leave it lay till you get baling weather. Then tedd it, rake it and bale it. Even when it's wet when you tedd it you're losing leaf. I don't care what it looks like when you bale it, it all feeds out better than snowballs and icicles.
 
if your going to feed it not sell it chop it,pack in pile or put in silo if you have one.always put first cutting in silo or pit when I was farming years ago.cows loved something juicey in winter with the dry hay.
 

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