Done with first cutting hay

Animal · Jul 23, 2013

What a year this has been so far, hay is heavy as the dickens, new tractor shucked the pto, old tractor shucked its pto, I fixed it (1486) in a couple of days, but the dealership had my New Holland for a month to the day, and that really slowed things down. What is the hay report across the country, does everyone have a plenty or is their going to be some demand? So many people have been screwed buying hay in the past couple of years that it is a shame. I am going to get all of mine tested so my customers and I will both know what they are getting. One other note, it has been six weeks since we have had a measurable rain here and the crops are looking bad, it just seems to go around us.

GordoSD · Jul 23, 2013

I had mine tested and the College (South Dakota State Univ) jacked the price this year up to 28 dollars. Gotta give those college kids better dorms.

chevytaHOE5674 · Jul 23, 2013

Still only about 30% done with first cutting UP here. Been so wet and only short 1 or 2 days windows in between big rains that nobody has been able to get their hay dry. I have customers calling me daily wondering if and when I will have hay as they are unable to find any. I expect prices to continue to climb as good quality hay will be hard to find UP here.

notjustair · Jul 23, 2013

Right in the middle of cutting. It looks to be pretty good although there are more weeds this year. Lack of rain last year stressed it and it is thinner allowing weeds in. The patch west of the house I am not going to bale. I am going in with the bush hog set all the way up and just shattering the seed down in. The grass itself is only about a foot tall under. Some fields were so thick that I had to run the 4440 in A1 when I baled squares. Even then it wanted to plug.

Things are burning up bad here. Doesn't look good.

WyoDave · Jul 23, 2013

First cutting has been done, and about half way through second. Price and demand are both good here, but we haven't had measurable moisture sense April. Should have irrigation water for 3 more weeks and then things are going to turn downhill. Just farming, never want it to be too easy. Glad to hear someone is getting a banner crop. Ours will be marginal.

David

Larry NEIL · Jul 24, 2013

I finished mine but about half got rained on so bad I wound up tossing a bunch. Just now loading up 300 bales to go to a friend who breeds Holsteins and sells the calves. The hay is a tad dusty and I have boarders and sell hay to horse folks. This stuff won't be saleable.

hayray · Jul 28, 2013

Ditto down here, we are only about 75% done with
first and have done one farm of 2nd cut alfalfa.
Lots of grass fields never got to yet, trying to
focus on the alfalfa fields. Unlikely to get third
on almost all of my good fields, lucky to get 2nd on
a few of them.

hayray · Jul 28, 2013

Try a private lab next time, most of the time a lot cheaper and faster service.

GordoSD · Jul 28, 2013

Know one in SD?

hayray · Jul 29, 2013

Doesn't really matter what state you send it to, just increase in shipping charges. That just sounds like a whole lotta money for a test. I don't send to my local university, I found they were way too slow for me. I send mine to Litchfield Analytical, Litchfield, Michigan.

GordoSD · Jul 29, 2013

Yeah, I was shocked. Field soil tests are 9 bucks and change.

Done with first cutting hay

Animal

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GordoSD

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chevytaHOE5674

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notjustair

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WyoDave

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Larry NEIL

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hayray

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hayray

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GordoSD

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hayray

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GordoSD

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