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Implement Alley Discussion Forum

Can I bale?

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Joe in IN

07-29-2004 07:34:19




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Thanks in advance for everyone helping me through my first baling.....

So half my field was cut Sunday evening(Spring planted Alfalfa with a sickle bar mower). Half cut Monday evening.

Have had dry weather but temps have been cool(71 on monday, 76 Tues, and 82 Weds). I raked last night to form my windrows. Today is supposed to be 82 again. Can I bale tonight?

When raking the stuff on top was very dry(lost some leaves). Of course turning it over I saw some not so dry. My problem is the rain is coming on Friday and I work all day. If I do not bale tonight I run up against 40% chance of T-Storms on Fri afternoon(I'm just starting so no tedder). Hay will be stored in someone elses barn and I would not want to burn it down....

4 days to dry for 1/2 and 3 for the other half. Too soon?

Thanks.....

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John in IN

07-30-2004 07:19:28




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to Joe in IN, 07-29-2004 07:34:19  
I think its a 100% chance of rain on Fri. now in northern Indiana. I was planning on baling early afternoon today. Light rain at daybreak changed those plans. Clean the shop out and hope for sunshine soon. Not a good year to get the hay up dry.



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Joe in IN

07-30-2004 09:08:32




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to John in IN, 07-30-2004 07:19:28  
Yup, I didn't get it put up either. Had a breakdown.... Got 1 bale out of my newly purchased IH47 before she crapped out on me.... That is one mighty expensive bale.....



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paul

07-30-2004 14:19:14




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to Joe in IN, 07-30-2004 09:08:32  
I was supposed to make round bales for a neighbor - firt time a roller in the baler went bad - bearing lost it;s collar, chewed into shaft. So he had to square bale.

This week I rolled 24 for him yesterday, on way home tractor got real hot - looks like thermostat, hopefully not worse.... So he is square baling the rest again.

--->Paul



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Ron

07-29-2004 19:18:44




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to Joe in IN, 07-29-2004 07:34:19  
Would be good if you had someone who could come in and turn that once the ground is warm, and the dew is off... Kind of hard to hurry hay if you can't be in the field during the daytime to turn it... You can't have any "Green" or wet slugs in those bales, but some moisture is ok IF you don't stack it too tight, too high, and have a building that gets some air thru it.. 2nd cutting seems to go into more of a "sweat" than 1st cutting. If there was room for any "damp" alfalfa, we would stack it on top of some 1st cutting that had already cured...It was higher in the mow and could get air ...

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Jimmy King

07-29-2004 11:26:56




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to Joe in IN, 07-29-2004 07:34:19  
Weather is the entire factor on when you can bale, I have baled alfalfa the next day and I have had to wait 4 days or longer with out rain. Take a hand full and twist it very very tight, then fold it and cut it in the fold with your knife to see if any juice comes out. Modern tech. works , but so do the old ways.



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Jimmy King

07-29-2004 11:26:25




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to Joe in IN, 07-29-2004 07:34:19  
Weather is the entire factor on when you can bale, I have baled alfalfa the next day and I have had to wait 4 days or longer with out rain. Take a hand full and twist it very very tight, then fold it and cut it in the fold with your knife to see if any juice comes out. Modern tech. works , but so do the old ways.



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paul

07-29-2004 10:26:32




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to Joe in IN, 07-29-2004 07:34:19  
Like the others say, it's not the number of days or hours, it the moisture content of the hay. Alfalfa that is not conditioned will typically have overly dry leaves & too wet stems, making a 'guesstamate' difficult.

You're _probably_ going to do ok on the first cutting, the day later cutting might & might not be ok. In any case, no way to really tell you for sure without seeing it. That microwave test suggested will let you know 'for sure' but then if you have clumping, the clumps will be wetter, the light spots will be too dry.....


This has been a difficult year to make hay for much of the USA, hard to avoid the rains.

--->Paul

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Joe in IN

07-29-2004 11:12:54




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to paul, 07-29-2004 10:26:32  
Thanks for the advice, I picked up a scale at lunch and will do the microwave test before baling. When does 'heating' occur and at what temp should I be concerned? A little ok? A lot obviously bad....



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Tim IN

07-29-2004 09:05:35




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to Joe in IN, 07-29-2004 07:34:19  
I would start to bale and see how the first several bales are. The baler gives a fairly rough guide of if the hay will keep. The bales should not be overly heavy. Also stick your hand in several places of the formed bale to see if moisture is frequently found.



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kyhayman

07-29-2004 08:22:18




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to Joe in IN, 07-29-2004 07:34:19  
Microwave moisture test. Need a microwave and a set of VERY accurate scales (weight in ounce/ tenth of an ounce/ or grams. I like the metric scale better for this. Postage scales work well in a pinch.

Start with a if measuring in ounces get 100, if it measures in tenths of an ounce get 10, if metric get 100 grams. Put sample on paper plate and dry 30 secs in microwave. Reweigh. Keep doing this until sample looses no more weight. This number is your % dry matter, subtracted from 100 is % moisture. Compare to what is required in your area for safe storage. I dont know of anywhere that over 20% moisture is consistantly safe. In some areas below 16% is reqd. Never leave m-wave unattended, the sample will burn if left too long after 'dry'.

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sjh

07-30-2004 06:40:33




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to kyhayman, 07-29-2004 08:22:18  
Moisture calculation

a= wet wieght
b= dry weight
c= a-b

c/b*100= % moisture



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Ken

07-29-2004 08:14:45




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 Re: Can I bale? in reply to Joe in IN, 07-29-2004 07:34:19  
I don't know much about alfalfa, does the twist test work on it? We baled the other night and packed the bales hard, an old farmer came by and thought they might be wet.

I've let them sit and got a temp probe to check and not a one shows any sign of heating. Cut open they are huge but not a sign of damp.

Someone on here has a microwave moisture level measure technique.



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