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Implement Alley Discussion Forum

Oddest Haying Year

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jim

07-15-2004 18:16:37




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This has to be the oddest, most dificult haying year I've ever experienced in over forty years of farming. We supply the horse trade with timothy/alfalfa small square bales. So far this year, all the hay harvested to date, has managed to heat after being placed in the barn. Hay was dry when baled but seems to gain some moisture in storage. This has happened to everyone I've talked to in Southern and South-western Ontario. On close inspection,the standing crop is mostly at the stage where it would normally be in mid-June and here it is mid-July. We've really only just started haying and it looks as if this week is lost as well as it is raining again. Didn't mean to be so long winded --- just wanted to vent and wondered if anyone has ever experienced anything similar ????

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Gary in TX

07-17-2004 06:18:04




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 Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to jim, 07-15-2004 18:16:37  
Been baling for the public since 1994 and every year has been odd! :o)



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jim

07-17-2004 06:47:44




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 Re: Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to Gary in TX, 07-17-2004 06:18:04  
Gary - The 90yr old landlord of a farm I rented for over 30yrs had kept a weather diary for over 60yrs. One day I asked him, if over the years, he had detected a pattern to the weather --- his answer was --- "Yep , every year's different!" Ah, the wisdom of age!!



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Dave H (MI)

07-16-2004 19:43:32




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 Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to jim, 07-15-2004 18:16:37  
I can't tell you how happy I was to hear I wasn't the only one! I sold all my hay two weeks ago to the local horse trade. They are small squares of grass and alfalfa. I have an entire order of over 100 bales being returned this weekend due to excessive dust and mold in the interior. All bales are dusty and some have the mold. Checked my own and found similar conditions. This hay was cut but not conditioned on day one. Raked in the middle of day two. Baling started afternoon of day three. I walked the whole field and pulled hay from the windrows and it was very dry but not brittle. Sounds like I may be in good company, so will stop stewing about it. I have a good reputation here and will buy back or replace anything my customers don't like. Have to figure out what to do with it though. No cattle around here anymore.

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jim

07-17-2004 06:16:48




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 Re: Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to Dave H (MI), 07-16-2004 19:43:32  
Dave - You're definately not alone !! I guess that I'm somewhat lucky because I have a buyer who supplies poor hay to a 125 head buffalo cow herd. Definately not at a premium price, but buffalo cows can't be fed really good hay or they come into heat, so there is a very small market that I just found in the late winter. Up till now ,I have shipped 20 yr. old hay from an uncle's barn that I thought we'd have to burn. You just never know what will turn up in this hay business!!

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farmertee

07-16-2004 18:58:35




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 Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to jim, 07-15-2004 18:16:37  
I had the same thing happen to me. I baled some hay early in Mid june and it was dry then it heated and turned moldy in the barn. I baled 1900 bales last weekend and have been just idling all week. One thing here in Pa. the corn and oats are looking good here this year. Concerning the hay I too am only about half done. Probably 3 weeks behind schedule.



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jim

07-16-2004 19:12:43




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 Re: Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to farmertee, 07-16-2004 18:58:35  
farmertee - By the looks of all the responses, we're not alone ! Just wondering if you have ever experienced this molding in storage after baling what you believed to be dry hay ? Some of the bales I've checked have elevated moisture (17-18%) but the interior bale temp was the same as outside air -- hay still had that heating odour though. It's just got me baffled!!!



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JK-NY

07-16-2004 17:33:18




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 Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to jim, 07-15-2004 18:16:37  
Here in Central New York we probably have been sharing the same wet weather with everyone else in the Northeast. I am 2-3 weeks behind with 1st cutting, usually done by now if not before , and have got about half of what Ive baled so far washed at least once . We had rain every day this week either day night or both.The hay here seemed a little behind maturity wise but orchard grass has browned up in the last couple weeks so I guess its either loose quality to overmaturity, or rain or maybe both. The ground is as wet now in wetter spots as it is in late spring. So yes this has been a rough year to hay it but 2nd should be good with all this rain if we can just get the 1st done.

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Pete from Vermont

07-16-2004 16:12:52




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 Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to jim, 07-15-2004 18:16:37  
It rained all week long in Vermont..... This weather is getting stupid!!!!!



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tractor dan

07-16-2004 16:22:39




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 Re: Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to Pete from Vermont, 07-16-2004 16:12:52  
where in vt are you
dont look like next week will be any better



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Wayne in Pa

07-16-2004 16:37:00




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 Re: Re: Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to tractor dan, 07-16-2004 16:22:39  
Don't look any better in Pa. What you see is what you get (at least for another week.)
Wayne



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Jim Handke

07-16-2004 14:45:23




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 Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to jim, 07-15-2004 18:16:37  
Dad ran through a little yesterday afternoon and stopped, just in case it rained. It did, again. That's all the brome we have cut this summer. Hay very wet at the base, ground isn't dry like normal. Lots of neighbors believed the weatherman last week and their windrows got soaked.



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txblu

07-16-2004 05:40:54




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 Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to jim, 07-15-2004 18:16:37  
Same here in Tx. Stayed wet till 1st wk in July and then the faucet turned off; completely.

Getting the crop out, that I got this spring, was tricky and only had one crop that I didn't have to sell at a reduced rate because of rain on it.

I will say however, that the tedder saved the day for me. I don't guess you can teddder alfalfa lest you knock the leaves off.

Best,

Mark



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paul

07-15-2004 19:30:13




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 Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to jim, 07-15-2004 18:16:37  
There have only been 2 very small windows of opertunity to bale here in my part of southern Minnesota, and those weren't maybe the best times to cut. We too are at least a 1/2 cutting behind, and with all the water the alfalfa is rather stunted. It's been way too easy to rut up a field, cut a lot getting the tires wet from going through standing water. Now the leaf hoppers showed up.

Yes, it's been a tough year for hay.

--->Paul

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Ken

07-16-2004 09:05:15




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 Re: Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to paul, 07-15-2004 19:30:13  
In New Brunswick it has been very wet too, about 3 weeks behind. Can't get more than 1.5 dry days in a row. We tried a test of the equipment, cut a few acres, rained first night, just got it dry on the end of the second full day down, rained that night too.

I noticed someone else cut a field that usually gives 50 round bales and its been down in the rain for a week now.



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Roy B

07-16-2004 11:11:00




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 Re: Re: Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to Ken, 07-16-2004 09:05:15  
I am in NB too Ken. got 400 bales in Tues and Wed between the showers, and on hold once again for weather. Usually do a test cut of 70-100 bales the last weekend of June. Didn't mow until 11 July this year. Timothy is just starting first bloom, close to three weeks late. Fields are pretty soft,hard to get hay dry when the tractor tires stay wet while tedding. Good luck everyone and stay safe. Roy

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Ken

07-23-2004 11:13:08




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 Re: Re: Re: Re: Oddest Haying Year in reply to Roy B, 07-16-2004 11:11:00  
Hello Roy,

I hear you on the wetness. Just now will the tires stay dry while tedding etc.

Hope we get a few more strings of good days. We put in 300 last night after fixing the baler.

Ken



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