If no rain soon done with hay for 2020

wolfman

Well-known Member
Really drought-like here in s.w. Pa. Probably baled the last of the 2020 season hay today. Twelve acres 100 bales of second cut. Most years 2000 bales or more 2nd and 3rd cut. Done for the year Aug 6, usually still haying into October. The last time I remember being done early was 1988 the extremely hot and dry year. This year, like 1988, you walk on your lawn and the grass crackles.
 
Twenty some years ago I cut third crop alfalfa and got 6 small square bales to the acre. Crop advisor said we needed to cut it because it was in full bloom if we wanted a shot at getting any 4th crop. Some late summer early fall rains could still bring you some hay. One year we cut second crop orchard grass at Thanksgiving and baled it dry the first week in Dec. Tom
 
Sorry to hear. We are south of York and now have plenty. A pop up shower just came over and sprinkled more, which woke me up. I needed to be mowing last weekend but the forecast turned crappy. The hot + dry thing, then wet + wet thing gets old. Last September I mowed some 3rd cutting grass hay as it got dry. It made 15 small squares per acre. The hay that day got too dry and about 1/2 of the bales could hardly get tight and came out loose and fluffy. But, here we are in August and almost anything can happen. Good luck.
 
Thats an incredible drop off for you Wolfman, and Im a bit impressed your normal yields for 2nd and 3rd crop are close to 80 bales per acre on your 12 acres. I glanced at the new US Drought Monitor map this morning and saw the lower 3/4ths of Washington County is in a "moderate drought". Im curious of course how hay prices will shake out over the next 6 months. Last year it was difficult to get good hay in because it was generally too wet until about this time (then it dried up of course, but it was just too late in the year). I thought hay prices would be very good but of course since we did not have much of a winter, hay prices did not increase at all. I think I will adhere to an old Wall Street adage and "buy on the rumor and sell on the news". In other words, if it continues to stay dry I will attempt to move my hay before years end and not gamble that hay prices will not be way up there in February and March. That said, we are definitely overdue for a rough winter. I was up in Mifflin County yesterday and they per the drought map the northern half of Mifflin is in a moderate drought as well. However from road level, most crops look pretty good, in fact soybeans generally look very good. Some dutchmen cutting 3rd crop alfalfa. I think they got some moisture from that storm Isasias.
 
Same situation here in sw.central Iowa. Got a short 1/2 inch yesterday. Crops have been hurt, but any moisture is better than none.
 
I moved the baler tractor yesterday to bale some straw, the tires were wet and the ground was wet where the tires had set. This was in full sunlight at 2:00pm. We are so wet here, the dew is terrible can’t hardly get a hay crop to dry. This pic was my side rake sitting in the shade, but it was a sunny day with a breeze and it was closer to noon than to morning, look at the dew!

Paul
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Got lucky. Between last Thursday and Monday, got 2-1/2 inches rain.

Might have a shot at a second cutting now

Fred
 

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