Haying weather

WellWorn · Jun 5, 2017

After 2 days of rain that gave us about 1.6", last week's weather forecast was calling for a 20-40% chance of rain, every day. Last week it sprinkled here just once, though I could see rain clouds hitting areas north and east of here. I should have cut hay. I laid down a couple swaths Saturday afternoon, just because. Sunday morning, it rained about a quarter inch, giving way to a mostly cloudy day. Today we are buried in fog up here on the hill. Just checked the weather forecast for the next week:

Today: Isolated showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Tonight: A chance of showers, with thunderstorms also possible after 4am. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.
Tuesday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Tuesday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Chance of precipitation is 50%.
Wednesday: A chance of showers. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Wednesday Night: A slight chance of showers. Mostly cloudy. Chance of precipitation is 20%.
Thursday: A chance of showers after 11am. Partly sunny. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Thursday Night: Partly cloudy.
Friday: A chance of showers after 2pm. Partly sunny, with a high near 71. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Friday Night: Mostly cloudy. Chance of precipitation is 40%.
Saturday: Scattered showers. Partly sunny. Chance of precipitation is 30%.
Saturday Night: Partly cloudy.
Sunday; Mostly sunny.

Of course, what is forecast and what happens are rarely ever "correct", so if what's down doesn't mold first, it might even get dry enough to put up, perhaps loose.

4520BW · Jun 5, 2017

I cut hay yesterday hoping to make it rain. Seems we went from wet to dry in a week.

vista2016 · Jun 5, 2017

Having the same problem here. We managed to get a few acres in yesterday just before the rain hit. It literally started pouring on the way back to the barn.
This week isn't looking any better.

old · Jun 5, 2017

Here in Missouri the weather guessers are saying not rain for 5 days so I will cut hay either latter today or tomorrow and then bale it 2 or 3 days latter. They said it was suppose top rain yesterday but if it did it was not enough to notice

WellWorn · Jun 5, 2017

I should add that this wasn't posted as a complaint, that I have it worse than anyone else, just a note of the irony in trusting weather forecasts.

It was several years ago that i buried the tractor trying for a first cutting, in July. One of the drawbacks of having heavy soils and being limited to only putting up small squares of dry hay. *shrug* We work with what we've got, and what we get. Keeps life interesting.

rrlund · Jun 5, 2017

I cut this morning. Supposed to be good all week including today,but I haven't seen even a peek of sun today. Almost too cold to be out there getting the rake and baler ready to go. If the past is any teacher,they'll change the forecast later today to rain all week.

Hayfarmer · Jun 5, 2017

At least you guys are able to get it up fairly quickly. Here 5 days is about the best one can expect with really good haying weather, hot with some wind. It seems like most areas have one farmer that always seems to make it rain when he cuts hay. You just have to watch that guy and know not to cut hay when he does,

jeffcat · Jun 5, 2017

Yesterday the renter up at the farm was going hel bent for leather. He
rolled up like 22 bales and 5hey loaded 5hem up for home in maybe two
hours? I couldn't get over how fast they were going. Must be modern
farming.

WellWorn · Jun 5, 2017

Hayfarmer, if everything is just right, we can do dry hay in 3 1/2 days, though 4-5 is more like it. A lot depends on how much rain we've had in the prior days, and how much moisture is in the soil. Seems to take about a good warm and dry day to lose a quarter inch of water - 4 days per inch before even thinking about dropping hay to dry.

Part Time Pete · Jun 5, 2017

No haying weather here yet (central NY) - with the cool wet weather it's sure growing well though. The dairy guys in this area usually start chopping haylage mid May, but a lot of them haven't even started - the alfalfa is going to be way over mature.
Pete

2cents · Jun 5, 2017

Cut hay Saturday and could probably bale this evening but will wait until tomorrow.Too much red clover to chance it, although it's been 90? here for 2 days and 86? here today. Everyone around me have also cut their fields, some yesterday ,some today. Weather is very dry hope this isn't the trend for the summer .East Central Iowa

ozarks · Jun 5, 2017

(quoted from post at 10:26:07 06/05/17) Here in Missouri the weather guessers are saying not rain for 5 days so I will cut hay either latter today or tomorrow and then bale it 2 or 3 days latter. They said it was suppose top rain yesterday but if it did it was not enough to notice

Brother had to put up hay last 2 weeks so he could go to the lake this week--during the best weather we have had for haying all spring----I like the "weather guessers" line---seems like around here in Mo they were way better at it before all the gadgets they have now--especially the longer range outlook--I may cut some more this week just for fun--LOTs of extra clover around this year in the Ozarks

Super-H-Mike · Jun 5, 2017

I cut all mine yesterday as the forecast says dry for 6 days or more. I waited til yesterday ( Sunday ) because they
called for rain Saturday which never arrived. I hope that extra day doesn't burn me on the other end. Hot, sunny and
low humidity so the hay may be ready even tomorrow. Central Minnesota

fixerupper · Jun 5, 2017

The rains have shut off here and the humidity has been like Kansas instead of Iowa. Been baling a little waterway hay, mainly brome grass. Cut it one day and two days later bale it up slick as a whistle. This morning I had the alfalfa cut, it is very heavy, thin stemmed and good quality, something we all dream of. Now I see rain in the forecast for wed, thurs, and friday. (sigh) On a good note, this New Holland 67 baler I have been resurrecting hasn't missed a tie yet, the bales are tight and mostly even length. I'm still holding my breath though.

K Effective · Jun 5, 2017

I knocked a couple of acres down last Friday as a first-fruit offering to the rain maker, as the corn is all in as well as the cover crop rye in the grapes, and we need rain. The BTO rents the 40 across the street from me, you couldn't even see their rig when planting Saturday from all the dust flying. We got a spit on Saturday afternoon and less than a tenth Sunday morning, so I cut two more fields. We baled the first two fields tonight, the two acres cut Friday were bone dry, the rest of the field ran 16%. I cut the other five acres on the south side of the driveway after we finished baling, and just got off the tedder at 1015pm. VERY thick, and tall, hope it dries out by Thursday- I have to return to work tomorrow for the first time since May 17th

. it is only a Training week, so shorter 9.5 hour days!

On the best note, the 4430 I just bought to pull the MoCo has exceeded my expectations.

Bret4207 · Jun 6, 2017

Still so wet here that you can't get out on the fields in a lot of places. Once it lets up, it's going to take 5-8 days for the standing water to dry up.

Quite a change from last year.

Texasmark1 · Jun 6, 2017

Mine's waiting to be cut as soon as the ground dries out. Seems a high pressure system is coming down from central Canada and
according to Intellicast I'll be pretty much rain free for the event. Whoopee. Gotcha Plus is at 6' now, no tops, small stems and I want to
get it before it gets much longer. Last time I planted it I got rained out and by the time I was able to get to it it was over 8'; have posted
pics on here and other places of the event, er the mess.

Donald Lehman · Jun 6, 2017

Several days of dry weather forecasted for this area after today. Everyone is going to be going around the clock trying to get hay in and finish planting. Gonna be lots of rutted hay fields for sure because the hay is headed and close to bloom stage and nobody can afford to wait any longer. The feed value of the hay has already dropped drastically in the last week. It has to be cut NOW. Second cutting will already be delayed a couple of weeks as it is.

Haying weather

WellWorn

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4520BW

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vista2016

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old

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WellWorn

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rrlund

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Hayfarmer

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jeffcat

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WellWorn

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Part Time Pete

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2cents

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ozarks

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Super-H-Mike

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fixerupper

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K Effective

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Bret4207

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Texasmark1

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Donald Lehman

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