cut or not to cut hayfield?

indianabuckman · Sep 29, 2021

My hay field of orchard grass, Timothy, fescue and clover needs cutting again put I have no barn room. If I don't cut it will it be all matted up when I cut it next year or could I wait after a frost and then bush hog it
down or shouldn't do anything to it.

Al Baker(pumpman) · Sep 29, 2021

Natural fertilizer. I have had MANY years, including this year that I will have 90+ acres of knee high clover, trefoil, alfalfa brome, timothy, orchard grass that will be left standing. It is to late up here to dry good hay. Only exception if if we come into a dry spell with hard freezes at night. If you leave it stand, in the spring you will see a pinch of brown mixed in with your first cutting but nothing to worry about. I have cut a section out of a field and not cut it all. Next spring the section that didnt get cut most times yields better. Standing grass will catch snow and blanket the ground, helping insulate against frost kill. In a dry winter it will blanket the ground from wind and sun to hold moisture. The organic matter that lays down will decompose and make natural fertilizer. How to you think mother nature feed the earth before man invented synthetic fertilizer?? That's why the prairie was so fertile before John Deere invented the plow. At least that is how it works her in the northern Great Lakes. Al

Bruce from Can. · Sep 29, 2021

I cut today, and will bale it Friday wet or dry, and wrap it in plastic as haylage. Yes some of it will fall down and rot adding to the ground it grew on, but a lot of it will get picked up next year in your first cut too. Used to be, all farms had fences, and farmers would run their cattle across hay fields this time of year. Normal pasture had stopped growing, and regrowth on hayfields was much easier to harvest by grazing it of in the fall, than cutting and hauling it into the barn.

old · Sep 29, 2021

I too have almost no barn room but I am still baling it and trying to sell it as fast as I can after it is baled. I might be able to hold another 4 bales in the barn.

Texas Cowboy · Sep 29, 2021

How is the hay market in your area? Could you sell it? Tony

john in la · Sep 29, 2021

I agree with Bruce.

October is or driest month so perfect time to make hay.
But anyone with cattle does not cut it.
They move the cattle off the pasture into the hay cutting field.
This hay field and the hay that came off it will carry the cows into winter when they will be moved back onto the pasture that is being planted with rye grass right now.

Without cows or a fenced hay field I would at least brush cut the field.
Grind up the grass as best you can and then let it lay.
The smaller pieces will work their way down to soil level and decompose much better over the winter rather than letting the grass just stay standing.
If you do nothing and let the grass stand it is going to lay on top and degrade your first cutting next year with over mature half decomposed trash.

A second choice around here in the deep south when the field could not be cut in fall use to be to let it stand and then burn it off in late winter. That is frowned upon today with civilization encroachment.

caterpillar guy · Sep 30, 2021

I had some 3rd cutting I had to leave in windrows last year. Rained so much I spoiled it to bad to keep. Left it till spring and was gone by this years first cutting hay. I'd leave it go for the winter.

4520BW · Sep 30, 2021

not sure what part of Indiana your in but I plan on cutting my 4th once the rain chance for week is over. My plan is to drill some orchard grass in some of my fields that are getting thin. Corn is dry and beans are about ready so may not get to it.

Traditional Farmer · Sep 30, 2021

Cut it with a flail type mower,grinds the grass up small and doesn't pile it up like a brush hog.

steve in ok · Sep 30, 2021

Sounds like a great problem to have. Bale it.

JWinIndiana · Sep 30, 2021

Cut my last 10 acres Tuesday. Plan on raking tonight, bale Friday afternoon or Saturday morning as the rain for Indiana isn't supposed to happen for me until afternoon/early evening. Round baling, no room in barn, will feed this first to calves.

Have made hay in Indiana up to October 30th one year.

cut or not to cut hayfield?

indianabuckman

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Al Baker(pumpman)

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Bruce from Can.

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old

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Texas Cowboy

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john in la

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caterpillar guy

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4520BW

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Traditional Farmer

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steve in ok

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JWinIndiana

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