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Implement Alley Discussion Forum

Hay weight per acre per cutting

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Randy as in Ran

07-07-2007 15:41:18




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Hi all , What would be considered a good cutting weight per acre per cutting ? I just cut my hay last Wednesday and baled Friday evening . Got it in the barn this morning . I know I should have waited a couple more weeks to cut but I wanted to get it back on track . I got approximately 1125 lbs per acre . I cut when it was about 14" - 18" tall and left a stubble height of 4 - 5 inches for a quicker recovery . The grass is filling in nicely and looked thick and lush . I fertilized it June 12 or so . If we get some rain it'll be back on track now for two more cuttings I hope . With the tall stubble height does this sound like a good weight or should it be higher ? And should I plan on more fertilizer and when ? Thanks ! ...Randy

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IA Tim

07-08-2007 15:50:18




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 Re: Hay weight per acre per cutting in reply to Randy as in Randy-IA, 07-07-2007 15:41:18  
Got about 300 small squares (~60#) off of 8.49 acres of alfalfa for 1st cutting (about a ton per acre); second cutting should happen this week as she is budded, but isn't very tall. If we don't get some rain here in NW IA I'm not sure we'll get a 3rd.



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wayne from wi

07-08-2007 06:05:22




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 Re: Hay weight per acre per cutting in reply to Randy as in Randy-IA, 07-07-2007 15:41:18  

Randy,,is this first or second cutting? In my area of central Wisconsin with our heavy soil I usually get 5 or 6 round bales (4x5, 800 lbs) first cutting by June 10, and about 3 bales second cutting in mid July. Occasionally a third cutting. Have you soil tested? The PH level has a lot to do with hay yield. Wayne



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Randy as in Randy-IA

07-08-2007 09:33:05




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 Re: Hay weight per acre per cutting in reply to wayne from wi, 07-08-2007 06:05:22  
Hi Wayne , Yup , I did a soil test this spring . It needed a little phosphorus and the the ph was 6.9 . The potassium was very high . I put 46-0-0 and 18-46-0 on at the amounts recommended by the co-op agronomist . It really perked the field up . But since this has been such an odd year weatherwise I was just wondering if yields were average , up or down across the country . Trying to get a handle on how my field is doing in comparison . I'm hoping to get another two cuttings this year , time will tell . ...Randy

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Cliff Neubauer

07-07-2007 17:10:17




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 Re: Hay weight per acre per cutting in reply to Randy as in Randy-IA, 07-07-2007 15:41:18  
That's better than the second cutting we've got done so far. We got 191 small square bales (about 60lbs) off of about 8 acres that we baled today but it was straight alfalfa and I don't think it's ever fully recovered from the frost this spring. Some of our second crop won't be worth cutting but if we don't take it off we won't have any chance of a third cutting.



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Randy as in Randy-IA

07-08-2007 09:53:25




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 Re: Hay weight per acre per cutting in reply to Cliff Neubauer, 07-07-2007 17:10:17  
Hi Cliff , I agree . I don't think that the alfalfa I have has recovered either . It was in full bloom when I cut last Wednesday but it was only about 18" tall . Last year it was over knee high before it even started to bud . 191 bales isn't great but it works out to about 1432 lbs an acre . But my question should have been - is weight per acre measured as tons per year or tons per cutting . I alway's read about 5 tons per acre or 4 tons per acre , is that per cutting or per year ? If it's per year then my field as it stands now should only make just about 1.5 tons per acre this year for four cuttings . That's way bad ! No matter how it's looked at . ...Randy

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RodInNS

07-08-2007 12:55:45




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 Re: Hay weight per acre per cutting in reply to Randy as in Randy-IA, 07-08-2007 09:53:25  
Randy,

Up here, on a very good year like last year (and this year) we see a crop that will yeild 15 4x4 round bales that weight (conservatively) about 600#.... so that's 4.5 ton to the acre on one cutting. We might take a second cutting that will yeild another ton or two per acre. I will say that this is not quality hay at this point.... it's just volume.... but if it was cut at it's peak it would still yeild 3-4 ton per cutting and the second cutting would be improved in volume. All that said, this is a maritime climate where moisture is more of a problem in excess that a lack of... the fields are all built up with a good nutrient load, PH, and well drained, and we generally ahve a very productive climate to grow forage.
A top notch field in your area may not come close on a per cutting basis, but you probably will get a lot more cuttings. 2 cuts is common here, but 3 is streatching it even on a good year.... so your results may be fairly typical of your area. I dunno....

Rod

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Ossie

07-07-2007 15:51:41




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 Re: Hay weight per acre per cutting in reply to Randy as in Randy-IA, 07-07-2007 15:41:18  
Randy...it would help if we knew what type of hay it was as grass hay may not weigh as much as some other hay and different types of grass hay weigh and yeild different.



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Randy as in Randy-IA

07-07-2007 16:12:27




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 Re: Hay weight per acre per cutting in reply to Ossie, 07-07-2007 15:51:41  
Hi Ossie , It's grass mix - orchard , brome ( not much ) , tim , rye and in two acres of it about 40 - 50% alfalfa . So it's not any of just one thing and it's all baled together . It's horse hay for 3 arabs , an appy and a mustang . Just curious as to how it's coming along . Some parts of the field is starting it's third full year of production ( the alfalfa ) and some is starting it's second full year of production ( the all grass mix ) . ...Randy

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Leroy

07-09-2007 03:24:19




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 Re: Hay weight per acre per cutting in reply to Randy as in Randy-IA, 07-07-2007 16:12:27  
On grass hay,timothy normaly it is 1 cutting per year, 2 if luckey with enough rain, the other grasses should make 2 cuttings but don't count on any more, the alfalfa should make 4-5 cuttings per year starting May 15, my area - to may 20 your area and every 30 days after till frost time. Every cutting will be slightly less than previous cutting. Don't remember bales per acre, 26 year since I had hay

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