Making hay in July shouldn't be like this

The date is off by a day - Pic was taken last evening. Yes, this is my haying tractor, and yes, it's stuck. At present it's the only tractor on the property that runs. No, this isn't the worst part of the field either - that's another 50-80' to the right in this picture, in the stuff still standing. I was amazed while cutting it that it was this bad, but I got it dropped. Apparently dragging a conditioner that bottomed in the mud was just more than it could keep moving with.

If the hay even dries down up there, it will be nearly impossible to maneuver the baler around the field. In spite of needing more hay, I may just let it lay. It's supposed to rain tonight. :/

Morning critter chores mostly done, getting a bite to eat, then off to borrow a 'neighbors' 4wd Kioti* (5mi away) to get things moving again.

(*edited - I only thought it was the other orange import)

WellWorn,

What a mess! I'm really sorry for what you're having to deal with.

I was whining to my wife last evening about the fact that my Ford 501 sickle bar mower continually clogged yesterday while I was cutting some hay. The hay is WAY too tall and WAY too lodged. I have about 5 more acres to go to finish my first cut.

After seeing your situation, I've quit my whining.

Ton in TN

It was like that last year around here, in June. Non stop rain, 100% humidity days, a stark contrast to this years weather, so much better this year. You get a break from the rain, but the ground is too wet. Some fields have natural springs or wet spots that remain saturated for awhile, but you can get through if you have a tractor with wider front tires, FWA etc, but the hay never seems to dry well over these areas. I've raked with water slinging off the tires, only reason it did not make a mess was the tires were wide, narrow tires you may get one pass, or it just opens a slit right up, for the rear tires to push right into, too much drag, then you get whats in your photo, Its nice to have rain, better than a drought, but its a catch 22, as you might have a great stand of hay grasses, but you can't get it off the field !

I recall one or two years that we had to put tire chains on my Dads JD 60 to bale his horse hay for him. That brings back fond memories.

Ugggh. We all know that feeling.

Sometimes you win, sometimes mother nature wins.

I cut Tuesday,Wednesday and Thursday. I had water in a dead furrow,cut right through a little standing water in the corners of a few fields and had to be careful not to run in the same places on headlands because they broke up pretty quick. I managed not to get stuck or cut things up too bad though. I'm hauling today with the tri axle gooseneck and dually. Not tracking things up too bad.

Been similar here all year...not quite that bad but all my haying tractors have mud splashed on the fenders!

On the other hand, I was bring rolls up to put in barn and there are 2 tracks of powder dry dirt.

No hay for me, but finally dried out enough to get my beans sprayed. Ragweeds are about 2' taller than the beans, bet I end up spraying twice.

Saw a new farmer a couple of year ago near Wadena MN actually bling through standing water. Every time the plunger would compact the hay water would gush out of the bottom of the baler!

Rick

Thanks for the replies, guys. It's nice to be reminded I'm not alone in experiencing first hand how ordinary things completely beyond our control (like humidity, or the lack thereof) make this "simple life" challenging, to say the least. Reading here makes me realize my troubles are often small in comparison, and to be thankful for what we have (and don't, like drought).

I did get 21 bales of a second cutting (short but really sweet) baled up from parts of 2 very small fields, but some of it by the hedgerow wasn't really cured enough. The bales were already heating as of last night and I ended up cutting some open and spreading it in the mow, plus feeding some out. The critters love it.

The field the picture was taken in had the potential of about 120+ bales (excluding the mud at the top), of which I got about 12 bales before the clouds rolled in and humidity came up fast in early evening. The grass really is too old and rank for good hay, but surprisingly, it seems to have dried down ok for as tall and thick as it was. BTW, got stuck again with the baler about 40' back of that picture - it looked firm enough, but the baler said otherwise.

The ground was so damp that I would bale a few, stop, then go around with the borrowed Kioti (sorry, I thought it was the other orange import) and put the bales in the loader bucket to take to the hay wagon just to get them off the ground. Didn't take but 2 trips to start 'mushing' the better of the two headlands, so ended up stopping every couple bales and loading them on the baler (IH 46) to get them out.

Here is the new hay elevator:

It sped up the single handed process considerably (load, lift, go up and unload), at least until the other half got free to lend a hand. Too bad it has to go back.

The rain held off until this morning, but then the sky just opened up. By the time we get a stretch of hay weather again, it won't be worth putting up at all. Of course I could do like that fellow Old Tanker saw and bale water and all, just to get it off the field. :roll:

Just another problem to come up with a solution for. It keeps life interesting.