Welcome! Please use the navigational links to explore our website.
PartsASAP LogoCompany Logo (800) 853-2651

Shop Now

   Allis Chalmers Case Farmall IH Ford 8N,9N,2N Ford
   Ferguson John Deere Massey Ferguson Minn. Moline Oliver

Attention Forum Users: On the 28th of December 2023 at 9:00am Central Time, we will be taking the forums down for maintenance while we prepare the new forums for your use. Please click here for more information.

Implement Alley Discussion Forum

when to bale

Welcome Guest, Log in or Register
Author 
Two Silo Ranch

08-12-2004 08:12:58




Report to Moderator

I need to cut and bale a few acres of good bermuda this week.Our normal temp this time of year is the mid 90 range.We are having an unusually cool month.the high for the next 3 or 4 days is the 76 to 82 range.Do i need to adjust my lay time to compensate for the temp.does the temp have a direct relationship with the quality of the hay.If you let it lay untill its all brown is that bad ? Should it have a mixed coloration of tan and green and feel dry?What are some rules of thumb .small squares by the way.may cut this evening . Thanks Jeff

[Log in to Reply]   [No Email]
Leland

08-12-2004 22:44:23




Report to Moderator
 Re: when to bale in reply to Two Silo Ranch, 08-12-2004 08:12:58  
Are you putting in small bales or big bales if you are going to round bale it you can get away with putting it up a little damp. They do it up here all the time bacause it is so humid up here. but it's 40 at night now so they are giving it a couple of xtra days here also. You always can buy 50 lb bags of table salt and spread it on hay as you put er in shed.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
txblu

08-13-2004 06:53:09




Report to Moderator
 Re: when to bale in reply to Leland, 08-12-2004 22:44:23  
Have heard mention of salt lots lately. How does the animal react to the salt treatment of the hay?

I know cows like to lick salt, but what about your horse customers?

What happens chemically to the hay as a result of the salt?

(Boy you gotta lotta questions..... .yeah; curious)

Thanks,

Mark



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Leland

08-13-2004 14:42:12




Report to Moderator
 Re: when to bale in reply to txblu, 08-13-2004 06:53:09  
Never put much thought into it. It helps cure it kind like salted meat helps finish drying and you don,t have to use that much. Add to much and wires will rot quickly but it never seem to bother cows or horses and I never noticed any mold from wet hay.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
Leland

08-13-2004 14:42:06




Report to Moderator
 Re: when to bale in reply to txblu, 08-13-2004 06:53:09  
Never put much thought into it. It helps cure it kind like salted meat helps finish drying and you don,t have to use that much. Add to much and wires will rot quickly but it never seem to bother cows or horses and I never noticed any mold from wet hay.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
kyhayman

08-12-2004 11:56:45




Report to Moderator
 Re: when to bale in reply to Two Silo Ranch, 08-12-2004 08:12:58  
Ambient temperature directly effects curing time. The lower the temp the slower the evaporation rate. Extra curing days wont adversely affect hay quality for crude protein or net energy (within reason). Main effects (as previously stated) are loss of color due to solar bleaching and evaporation of dew moisture. This affects the perception of quality, not the actual quality (except for vitamin A, which drops radically with loss of the green color). There is some affect on intake of hay that is discolored over 'nice and green' but once again, this is minimal if not taken to an extreme. If you are raising hay to feed a loss in perceived quality is of minimal concern, if you are selling to a market that buys on appearence then color is THE consideration. There is no 'rule of thumb' that I would trust not knowing your storage conditions. Even experienced operators make mistakes, it's always safer to test for exact moisture content before baling. Even after all this time I've got a barn right now with curing fans running 12 hrs a day b/c I thought I could tell (passed the 'feel test', my meter was in the other truck, and the field was 20 miles from a microwave).

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
jimont

08-12-2004 17:45:52




Report to Moderator
 Re: when to bale in reply to kyhayman, 08-12-2004 11:56:45  
kyhayman - Many barns have been lost here in Ontario this year due to hot hay. Never seen a year like this in over 40 yrs of haying. Same problem as yours, hay seems to pick up moisture in the barn after passing the "feel" test. So far, we've managed to dodge severe heating and mold only because we only cut a few acres per day.



[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
txblu

08-12-2004 09:53:56




Report to Moderator
 Re: when to bale in reply to Two Silo Ranch, 08-12-2004 08:12:58  
I'm doing just that as we speak. I'm delaying my baling until the hay is cured. I cut day before yesterday and raked yesterday. I raked before it was fully cured to get it up off the ground and let it fluff; allowing the breeze and dry northern air to cure it. Guess it won't be cured till Sat at least.

No one has proven to me that chlorophyll loss (from air/sunshine)has any impact on TDN. It may not be as appealing to horse nut YUPPIES, but not to the horse. KY hayman can probably give you the exact figures on what I'm saying.

If you are really worried about color, get a tedder and scatter the stuff several times. It cures much faster than without one and color retention is much much better.

Don't put it up green (uncured). I define cured as two hands side by side grasping a wad of hay, twisting the wad and on or before the third twist, it breaks apart. If it is still stringy it's too wet.

Good luck.

Mark

[Log in to Reply]  [No Email]
[Options]  [Printer Friendly]  [Posting Help]  [Return to Forum]   [Log in to Reply]

Hop to:


TRACTOR PARTS TRACTOR MANUALS
We sell tractor parts!  We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]

Home  |  Forums


Copyright © 1997-2023 Yesterday's Tractor Co.

All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy

TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.

Yesterday's Tractors - Antique Tractor Headquarters

Website Accessibility Policy