Hay

Kickinbull · Jun 28, 2019

We mowed ripe hay on Wednesday. It was tedded Thursday followed by pea to dime size hail and lots rain. Today it was tedded again, followed by another rain, least inch. Would you try to roll it if weather stays dry? Or let it rot! TIA

K Effective · Jun 28, 2019

I started mowing Monday night. blew a u-joint on the mower. repaired and mowed by Tuesday evening. We got 0.5 inches that night. Tedded to spread it out Wednesday afternoon, tedded it to form rows Wednesday night. Thursday morning, not ready yet, tedded it again to spread it back out. Again, early this afternoon (we missed the rain last night), tedded it into rows. I ran a dozen bales through the baler, mostly <15% moisture, but chunks of 30 and 45s/. Too wet to bale.

Just went out to roll it up to bale, still streaks of wet grass throughout.

I'm going to ted it into rows again now, and hope we stay dry until tomorrow afternoon (unlikely). The alfalfa has held up well, since it is not dry yet, leaves are still there. The grass was just so long, it is too much mass to dry laying flat.

I'd save yours, if possible, we may not get more rain until November, who knows.

MoMike · Jun 28, 2019

Just finished baling a patch of alfalfa/orchardgrass mix yesterday. Mowed last Thursday, rained on Friday, cloudy Saturday, rained on again Sunday, baled it anyway. Granted it isn't worth much other than filler for the cows but it may be the difference between eating or going hungry.

JD Seller · Jun 28, 2019

Since you tedded it before the first rain it will not be as bad as you may think. It maybe does not look the best but this year with hay in short supply I would bale it whenever it gets dry. Even if to just use it for bedding.

Bruce from Can. · Jun 28, 2019

Good year to do wet wrapped bales.

David G · Jun 28, 2019

I would never let it rot on the ground, will ruin the field.

MJMJ · Jun 28, 2019

It won t ruin the field, but it won t do it any good for second cut. Keep tedding and roll when its finally dry. Unless it really gets moldy, there will still be some feed value. Not much, but better than a snowball, as they say.

mjbrown · Jun 29, 2019

My rule of thumb was the brown cloud test. If raking or tedding created a brown cloud of mold spores I would not bale it. At that point it was throwing good money after bad and it was unhealthy to handle. At that point I would rake it together into big windrows and burn it.

Hay

Kickinbull

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K Effective

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MoMike

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JD Seller

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Bruce from Can.

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David G

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MJMJ

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mjbrown

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