MN Hay production

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picassomcp

Member

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

I stopped by to see a farmer friend of mine today, noticed he had some haylage up already. This is the first I've seen any hay been made in any fashion this year. I'm just curious if anyone else around me has made any hay or seen any done. I can't remember any stretch of 3+ days of dry weather to have made any hay. I'm in central MN

 

Janicholson

Well-known Member

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

I am in St. Cloud, Driving around there are fields of apparently good hay but no visible action due to wet weather. Next week might provide much needed heat and sunshine (we can only hope) Jim

 

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RayP(MI)

Well-known Member

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

Central Michigan - baled hay yesterday (Saturday), or should I say I tried. Cut the hay a week ago, raked it twice. Seemed OK to bale at about 4pm last evening. Had it gone well, would have taken an hour and a half tops. Hay was NOT ready, baler fought me all the way. Dropped them on the ground - planned to load them up this morning. They must have weighed 75 pounds each. They"re going to get fed right off the wagon - not going to even make it in the barn. Still far too wet. But had to get them baled before today"s forecast rain. They"re tarped and that"s all they"re gonna get. Should have let the hay go for a couple weeks, but weeds were getting the best of me.

 

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JMS/.MN

Well-known Member

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

A little bit of haylage chopped last week in southern Stearns county. Those folks normally would be done with first cutting by June 1. Windrows were lighter- standing crop was maybe knee high. Lots of bean ground waiting to be planted here. Still better than SE MN where corn isn"t planted yet. And won"t be.

 

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wijim

Member

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

Cut hay here north of Oshkosh last sunday it has gotten washed a few times. The last couple of days have been dry so we raked it up and had a neighbor big bale it with acid. The hay was just under 30% moisture but there is more rain coming. And I had it sold before the last bale was out of the baler. Jim

 

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David G

Well-known Member

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

East Central Iowa, have not had 3 dry days in a row to make hay.

 

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GordoSD

Well-known Member

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

In these parts 20% is the redline.

 

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paul

Well-known Member

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

Saw two fields here in south central mn go to the silos or bags.

See 2 hay fields cut and laying, both been rained on a time or two.

Typically alfalfa would be done for a few days, and grass in full swing now. Not a typical year.....

Paul

 

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wijim

Member

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

The acid should take care of it, thats what they tell anyway. Jim

 

onefarmer

Well-known Member

Location

6735 S Lowell Rd, St Johns, Mi 48879

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

I saw one small field baled. If it wasn't all grass he never would have made it. Seeing the dairy guys chopping in fields that will hold them up and some that won't.....

Maybe this week I'll try it.

St Johns, Mich

 

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fixerupper

Well-known Member

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

No hay has been cut in my neck of the woods. Too wet and on dry days the guys are trying to finish up planting. Jim

 

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Anonymous-0

Well-known Member

• Jun 9, 2013

• #1

hay making weather has been scarce this yr, but i would guess over half has been baled around here.

 

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Dr. Walt

Well-known Member

• Jun 10, 2013

• #1

Hey Guys, send some of that rain out here to Southern Nevada. The past week here has been a scorcher, temps in the high 90"s & low 100"s. Could definitely use the rain, and a break from these temps.

Doc

 

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caterpillar guy

Well-known Member

• Jun 10, 2013

• #1

We baled 30 acres no rain and dry. Planted beans over the weekend. Raining now. Shiawassee cty MI.

 

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Don-Wi

Well-known Member

• Jun 10, 2013

• #1

I saw half a dozen fields off so far, but not much activity otherwise. we're planning to cut starting Wednesday, and start chopping Friday. It's still not blossoming so it's gonna be a good crop. Where I walk in, it brushes my fingers so it's around 30 inches or better.

Donovan from Wisconsin

 

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Dave from MN

Well-known Member

• Jun 10, 2013

• #1

Have the haybine ready to goif the weather ever cooperates. Would rahter have it just get a bot tall and stemmy than cut it and have it rained on and rot inthe row.

 

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Bigdaddy4430

Member

• Jun 10, 2013

• #1

Also from central Mn.Plan on cutting tomorrow or wed.Hay went down yesterday due to the heavy rain.Wish I would"ve cut it 2 wks ago like I normally due,thought the weather would cooperate if I waited boy was I wrong.My motto hasa always been get it up before the 1st of June cause it always rains a lot the next week.I will listen to my self next yr that"s for sure!

 

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GordoSD

Well-known Member

• Jun 10, 2013

• #1

Here is one test on preservative. But you gotta do what you gotta do.
"Since high quality forage is essential in a dairy ration, it is improtant to
study new methods of preserving hay. In this trial, the effect of a commercial
organic acid preservative on nutirent content and feeding value of alfalfa hay
was evaluated.
Alfalfa hay from a common field was baled at about 20 percent moisture
for a control, and at about 28 percent moisture with addition of 0.1 percent
organic acid based hay preservative. In a feeding trial with lactating cows, the
control hay supported higher milk production than the hay to which the
preservative had been added. Milk fat and non-fat solids content was similar
for both groups. Digestibility of dry matter, organic matter and crude protein
was slightly higher in rations containing the control hay.
The commercial hay preservative used for this trial was not entirely
effective in preventing molding in hay baled at high moisture content. It
apparently was not effective in maintaining quality equal to that of hay baled
at lower moisture content without a preservative".

 

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wijim

Member

• Jun 10, 2013

• #1

I agree with that