OT - Chance of Rain vs Thunderstorms

You folks making hay - no one wants their hay rained-on. Storm from fronts come, dump rain for a full day or more and then there are the evening thunderstorms. Weather man says 50% chance of rain, but sometimes it's the lasting rain and other times it's a scattered thunderstorm. The steady rain can give over the course of a day and inch or more, a thunderstorm can dump and inch or more - or sometimes it's a trace and sometimes the thunderstorm just hits all around your fields - but not on them!

I can understand planning around sustained rain events - but how do you plan for cutting and baling hay with potential for thunderstorms?

You can't put off making hay but so long or your crop over ripens and hay quality goes down, you have to avoid soggy hay and not cut when the rain fronts are coming-in, but I'm thinking with a thunderstorm potential, cut away, pray the storms miss or dump little as possible rain - and if you do get a splash of rain, tedder the heck out of the hay to dry it out and bale. Worse case is you get the hay off the field and get-on with the second cut growing sooner than later.

Thoughts?

Thanks!
Bill

flip a coin and pray

I generally check the weather channel website and NOAA - if they're saying 20% or less for three days I mow. Last year they seemed a little conservative though - there were times I didn't mow when I should have. Guess I just need more practice
Pete

An old timer told me one time--there's more hay lost waiting for it to rain than there is from the rain. Sure makes a lot of sense to me now but it didn't way back then. Keith

There are times I'll cut hay knowing it'll get rained on within a day or so of being cut, because when it's green it didn't hurt a thing. Then it's already down and drying when you get a stretch of sunshine.

Donovan from Wisconsin

Weather always dictates what you'll get, that is certain. Some will cut riding the coat tails of rain, before or after like Donovan said. Some years will be great, last year was one, others you are literally inundated, with rare 3 day windows of opportunities or, none at all until it dries out, the incessant rains stop and its early July. At that point its stalky and over ripe, so depending on what kind of livestock you are feeding, it may or may not matter so much. We've had horses during 2 long time spans, currently have a dozen, maybe a few more, I can't keep track We always put up our own in the past, rarely bought any. So we knew what it takes and were never excessively fussy when buying later after we did not bale our own. I won't deny being cautious and on the look out for dusty or moldy hay, but did the best we could on quality, based on whats available and that all depends on the weather. Stalky over ripe hay, as long as its not moldy or dusty, is fine to feed, but some may be spoiled by better hay, not sure how that really works, and I have noticed feeding more of it, with the left overs mashed into the bedding, so for that reason its nice to have better quality hay, IF you can get it LOL !

Sometimes the weather systems bringing rain, just line up with this area from the south, one after the other, like in '13, it was a rain forest around here.

Other times,and I find looking at the weather maps is a big help, you plan around systems coming in, now whether you have a dry spell to work in, or its hazy hot and humid, its the luck of the draw. When its hot and humid, it does not dry so well, and you have the high probability that either weather systems will literally materialize in close proximity to the region, or it remains hot and humid until a front comes through and clears it out. That's the call one has to make. Sometimes you win, sometimes you don't and sometimes its a little of each. You can listen/watch to the weather forecast make a call, as well as look at the maps, and the latter of which has seemed to work well at times, the worst being the systems that form on the way, but close to your location, which can be heavy thunderstorms, isolated or widespread.

With all that, I am a believer in getting the cutting done as close to being on time or even early, because it gives you another chance at high quality hay. The farmer I helped doing hay, his son would cut regardless at times, and I believe for that reason. When he did, there was more ground with a 2nd chance, if the first was a washout, even then it was fine for his main dairy customer.

I've seen opportunities in mid to late May where you could get a lush green hay, had clear dry weather with a breeze, sure you won't the higher yield if it was left to grow until just ripe, but you will get a nice green crop of hay put up. Sometimes the next opportunity would be after its over ripe because the weather did not allow to cut prior to. I'd rather cut,rake and bale then at times, depending on needs, problem is you just don't know but will always remember the lost opportunity. This year you would not get much of a yield because it got hot and dry too soon, not much there yet, so that puts you later in the season, best to wait for better yield. I've seen many who put up hay too late when they had good weather prior too, and it could be for a variety of reasons.

Its frustrating to lose a crop, best thing one can do, is get it off the field, mulch hay or chalk it up as a loss, and hope to do better on the next round. I think its not so common to lose both or 3 cuttings one after the other. One has to plan for their needs and have some extra ground if need be. When you depend on hay production, its one thing, but if you bale to sell, at least you can ride the ups and downs and not be bound having to get so much of a certain quality.

I remember one season, mid 70's where we had a nice cutting down and some weather systems formed, semi-isolated, and it missed us, dark all around, lightning, not a drop, funny how that works sometimes, we got all of that baled without being rained on, but was at the mercy of the weather just the same.

Lot of fun considering equipment breakdowns besides the weather.

Think it depends a lot on your location. Last year I couldn't get a 3 or4 day window to save my neck. Think I only had two fields which missed getting wet. Have to use your best weather infro and take your best shot. Best forecaster may be you. I use several sources including NWS.

You can handle a little rain on it right after it is cut, but it is worse after sitting. I am not a fan of tedding alfalfa unless absolutely needed, every time you handle it leaves fall off.

My hay has been ready to cut for 3 weeks now and rain is forecast for at least the next 2 weeks. By then the plants will be dead since they have been headed out for over a week as it is, but you can't mud hay out like you can mud onions in. I cut one field about 3 weeks ago and it has had water on it every day. Half the lakes in the state are at spill way or over. Local lake opened their flood gates last week, first time in 5 years. That's the way it is down here, all or nothing, never anything reasonable. But the glass is still half FULL.

Mark