The Farm. Haying and Cattle Thread

[Martin Seebach]

lol. I looked today and the ECM has us for 5 inches Sat-Tues. GFS has the perfect amount of about quarter inch. Even if we don't get rain the sun will bleach it out. Dew helps. Just takes longer. It is a tough crop for this area. Trying to predict best time to mow so not to mature with trying to get a little rain then couple good days for a baling window. I would say we have made perfect straw twice in the last 5 -6 years we have done it. But we have never lost a crop just not pretty. And have never made black straw but its been close. One batch did get close to 5 inches and on ground I think 2 weeks. At least this year no mud.

This was our start to straw 2025

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Not all of the field was that bad though. Notice the mower. Just past perfect for the flowering stage. This year it is perfect. In fact Saturday when we baled hay as I drove along the field I was looking for flowering and found 2. Sunday after checking cattle went and looked and 70% was in flower. A difference of 12 hours. I was originally planning on mowing Tuesday didn't want to deal with that much pollen.

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Black bales, ugh, haven't seen those. We don't have the kind of rain you do. Lived in NW NJ for some time and never quite got used to the 3 or so days of rain weekly. There are other ways to lose crops. One year the wild boar destroyed 500 bales in fields, 1/4 of crop that year. A different loss that took out nearly all the bales was caused by Tule elk after baling. They are taller and about the same weight as a huge Belgian draft horse. Their horns can be 6' tip to tip mounted on a neck that is all muscle and shoulders tie into them also. They were throwing the bales straight up to loosen 3 wires. After 1 or 2 throws they'd stomp it. Had another year when I called into town and told Dad baler would be fired up around 3:30am. Walked out of the house near a couple of hay fields, stopped dead, dropped coffee cup and just stared. When I'd gone out to check dryness there were windrows stretching end to end about 6' apart. When I got to the field it looked like a tornado had gone through. Wild boar tore it up to eat the seeds. Those 3 years were the beginning of sell the herd, 50+ mommas and 2 bulls with replacement I'd had a hassle with. He hooked his horn into my leg and tossed me over the squeeze fence. Then he blasted through fence and I'm running with blood pumping out of leg. I made it up and over manger into the barn landing face first on an oak desk I'd stored there until I could get my house together. Had to pull roof off house due to rodents having free run for 80 years the place was empty. Tried to do it from below but knotty pine steepled ceilings and walls...good time to put insulation above. Pic is NW corner of living room, niche is behind oven that gets heat from large fireplace in center of hearth.

 

[deere4040]

Not sure what I was thinking but mowed yesterday. This morning they moved the rain up to Saturday morning. Really only one good day, today Friday. Full sun no wind. Made it rain yesterday on it and tedded it twice. Dried down good. Will I get it dry?? Those that follow this will know my confidence level based on acres. I mowed 5 acres.

 

[deere4040]

This added to the challenge. Visibility less than tenth mile.

Pulled it off somehow. Very impressed. 5 teddings total to make my first 30 hour 3rd cutting hay. Started baling when we should be quitting. Took an hour to bale and moisture ran about the 18-20% range. Preserve was put on and the questionable bales I put on a separate wagon. Wagons are going to stay loaded an see how they turn out before moving them to customers. 239 bales and if it was 5 acres almost broke the 50 bale mark at 47.8 bales/acre.

 

[deere4040]

Making another small window attempt. Chance of storms Sunday with Monday Tuesday good. Narrow band of storms were predicted to blow up east of me. Accumulation was 0.1-0.2. Instead the freight train went through and dumped 1.3 inches in 45 minutes. At 6pm went and shook the rain off the hay. Good thing the field I picked is one of our best drained fields. No hay in standing water.

 

[deere4040]

Another 6 acres cleared in a short window attempt. Even after being washed with 1.3 inches of rain it looked just as good as the previous hay we baled. This field went 46 bales/acre and first time this year saw me in the drivers seat for a couple rounds. Normally it stresses me out but yesterday's baling was relaxing.

 

[flying belgian]

Another 6 acres cleared in a short window attempt. Even after being washed with 1.3 inches of rain it looked just as good as the previous hay we baled. This field went 46 bales/acre and first time this year saw me in the drivers seat for a couple rounds. Normally it stresses me out but yesterday's baling was relaxing.

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Good looking hay

 

[deere4040]

Major repairs repairs during haying season are not welcomed. At least I have done this before so a little experience in the repair. Center tunnel shaft broke. Tedder is 11 years old. This shaft broke when it was 3 years old. Both times it broke in the gear spacer keeping the tedder functional. Only knew of impending doom when teeth started hitting more frequently as the shaft rounded off. Almost just traded it in on a new one but we have other implements in more need of replacement and after 8 years of ownership we finally discovered that all the tedder teeth were on backwards from the dealership so I feel the tedder still owes me. Contemplating on doing all bearing replacement for the wings as well while it's down. Need 10 more years out of it. Rough estimate is currently it goes over approx. 1000 acres a year and that doesn't include uncles and custom work. For instance on the last 11 acres I did the tedder covered 66 acres going over the 2 fields 2x per day over 3 days.

 

[Destroked 450]

I purchased a 4 basket manual fold SITREX Tedder in the mid 90’s, a few years ago with 40 acres of 1st cutting on the ground the left wing main tube broke off with only one reinforcement tab hold it together. I’m welding skills are not that good and with rain always in the forecast for 1st cutting hay I ponied up and replaced it with a 4 basket hydraulic fold Claas.
We were doing 200 acres of 1st cutting and about half of that for fall hay, I figured after 25 years it was time to replace rather than take the time to repair with hay on the ground.
I will say I got spoiled to hydraulic fold pretty fast

 

[paul]

Tedders are not common here, dairy industry used to be strong and alfalfa and tedding is questionable.

Got a small Tedder 2 years ago, it sure helps, but the weather has been so dreary it feels like I’m living in England, fog or high humidity or sprinkles every 2-3 days.

So I’ve used it a lot but didn’t get ahead, just trying to break even!

I foolishly listened to the weathermen they forecast every other day showers the past 7 days. Would have been a window to get some hay in after all, but I sat on my hands. I have to learn to push forward, not sit back. Now we are facing a heavy rainfall in 2 days, after showers last night. Might just be done with hay for the year if the 3+ inch forecast comes true.

Paul

 

[deere4040]

Tedders are not common here, dairy industry used to be strong and alfalfa and tedding is questionable.

Got a small Tedder 2 years ago, it sure helps, but the weather has been so dreary it feels like I’m living in England, fog or high humidity or sprinkles every 2-3 days.

So I’ve used it a lot but didn’t get ahead, just trying to break even!

I foolishly listened to the weathermen they forecast every other day showers the past 7 days. Would have been a window to get some hay in after all, but I sat on my hands. I have to learn to push forward, not sit back. Now we are facing a heavy rainfall in 2 days, after showers last night. Might just be done with hay for the year if the 3+ inch forecast comes true.

Paul

We are wet here now. MRMS data shows me at 1.66 last 7 days but my rain gauge is over 2". Fields are softening up which will impact getting the last of the hay off. The good news a drier streak appears to be coming.

 

[deere4040]

Got the finishing pen going for fall harvest. Nice example of the 3 colors of the Dexter breed.

 

[deere4040]

Here we go. 40 acres of 2nd and 8 acres of Millet on the ground.

 

[farmersamm]

Here we go. 40 acres of 2nd and 8 acres of Millet on the ground.

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Hey? I was curious.......................

I have only a passing familiarity with Millet, and it's German Millet. They sometimes plant it for hay around here,, and it gets fairly tall, and IIRC, it only makes one(?) cutting.

I never messed with it, preferring Haygrazer for its higher yield, and sugar content.

What variety are you cutting?

Thanks.

 

[deere4040]

Hey? I was curious.......................

I have only a passing familiarity with Millet, and it's German Millet. They sometimes plant it for hay around here,, and it gets fairly tall, and IIRC, it only makes one(?) cutting.

I never messed with it, preferring Haygrazer for its higher yield, and sugar content.

What variety are you cutting?

Thanks.

Japanese because it is suitable for flooded ground and this field is wet. I probably could have gotten a 3rd cutting of it but doubt it will grow much before we get a frost. I dropped the ball on the 2nd . It headed out quick then we got rain so this is pushing 50 days and probably is a 30 day cut cycle. Doesn't look as nice as the first as I didn't want to spend money on urea. You can go back some pages here and see the first cutting run.

 

[deere4040]

Still hoping the tedder is going to be rolling by end of the week. Finally done tearing down and there are just some things you can't ignore when you get in this deep. 2nd order of parts on way and a 3rd order going out today.

 

[deere4040]

What a week. Went from all sun balls to a slight chance of rain and mostly cloudy for Sunday, Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday. Felt like we were trying to beat the rain Saturday baling off the 40 acres. The Nor'easter really messed up our weather window and did not feel like fighting heavy dews so just pushed and boy was there hay on this field. Uncles split tedding duty as every free moment was spent working on my tedder. I am lost without it. About 5 hours to cover this ground and it got tedded 3 times I believe. In fact Saturday I hired my neighbor with his Tedder to help out. So had 2 tedders running in the field at same time. No pictures of that. Big truck that hauls baleage blew radiator hose, flat tire on tractor, and cylinder broke on the rake. Been a rough year and no change in sight yet.

The stats.

Millet gave us 30 bales of baleage.

The 40 acre hay field and I did not take many pictures as I should.
27 - 4x4 baleage. Baled off 65 ft of the perimeter due to shade and just get the ends off

Saturday
46 - 4x4 dry rounds
622 - Small Squares on wagons back at the barn
510 - Field pick up by customers

Started baling at 2pm done at 6

If I take the both the baleage and the dry rounds and say there is 10 squares in each then the field went 46.55 bales/acre of 2nd cutting

I did run the pretty little tedder for a couple hours.

While both rakes were running I was flail mowing the field edges to clean it up with mom's tractor before baling. Usually I take more pictures especially on this field because of the view but was just to focused on getting done this time.

 

[deere4040]

Tedder back in business. For the first time in its 11 year life span the tedder will be operating at 100% being perfectly timed and teeth on correctly. Finger drives have new bearings, new hex shaft, gear spacer and bearing for center tunnel, Hex shaft rebuilt for an inner wing, all remaining hex shafts removed and coated with anti seize, all new bushings and pivot pins, my machinist repaired the cylinder bracket that for unknown reasons looked like water got between bracket and tunnel and froze. Machine is tight

 

[flying belgian]

Tedder back in business. For the first time in its 11 year life span the tedder will be operating at 100% being perfectly timed and teeth on correctly. Finger drives have new bearings, new hex shaft, gear spacer and bearing for center tunnel, Hex shaft rebuilt for an inner wing, all remaining hex shafts removed and coated with anti seize, all new bushings and pivot pins, my machinist repaired the cylinder bracket that for unknown reasons looked like water got between bracket and tunnel and froze. Machine is tight

Atta boy. It’s a good feeling when you recondition an old machine and get it performing like new.

 

[deere4040]

Might be the last big window that opens up. 7-15 days of clear sailing with minor glitches here and there. Hay is going to be dropping. Somewhere in the neighborhood of 80 acres of mine and custom.

First 6 acres. 3rd cutting

Trial run of repaired tedder and performed flawlessly.

 

[deere4040]

This summer saw some improvements to the barn with many thanks to my uncle for the help. We upgraded the 70's addition to the barn making it possible to store hay mechanically. When it was built there was no intention of anything driving on the floor. Can't imagine what my grandfather and dad would think of the barn now. While there is still work to do to the floor in the main barn the entire barn can now be mechanically stacked in.

The entire barn got a new roof this year. Leaks everywhere been patching it for a while. Amish of course you won't find any of us on it. Hired a company that subcontracted Amish for the work. First thing they were concerned with was the hump in the roof, I had my doubts it would come out but as it turned out the barn grew a little taller this summer as they squeezed the barn back together.

Handing up full length single sheets