cutting Hay

[indianabuckman]

I was wondering with all the rain that we got the last two week and the ground being saturated with water, it rain last night and this morning again could you cut hay on Saturday with a discbine and it would be dry by Tuesday to bale. Its grass hay, fescue, orchard, timothy, premium rye and red clover. I don't have a tedder.

Thanks

 

[Charlie M]

I would say no. Probably going to leave a lot of ruts and even if you had a tedder you need all the days to be good drying days.

 

[old]

I'm in the same boat as you are and I'll not try to cut hay yet. Need a few good warm/hot days to dry things out before even trying

 

[Steve in VA]

We just got 2.5 inches more but it looks like a run of 5-6 sunny dry days here. Not cutting the orchard grass yet.

 

[Dick L]

My one field should be mowed now for the best quality hay. This morning the forecast called only up to a 15% chance of rain for the next 6 days. I just looked and now now and it shows a 33% chance of rain Tues. I just came in from chopping a trailer load to feed and my tractor tires were wet all the time. The black clouds were coming in from the West. I think I will skip the thought of mowing for the next two days and see what the weather guessers say then.

 

[Ellis Kinney]

Ground needs to dry out also, hay will mold on the underneath side from moisture in the soil. Ellis

 

[Bruce from Can.]

You will have to have4-5 days with no rain to dry hay this early in the season. Even grass is very lush and full of moisture. We are looking at possibility 5-6 nice days coming, but this is a weekend forecast. I never put much faith in a Friday forecast.

 

[showcrop]

Without a tedder absolutely not. With a tedder it depends on you soil. If it is fairly light and can go from saturated to dry in two good drying days you could make it work. Here in the northeast everyone has to make some hay on ground that is getting our tires wet even while raking. We mow into narrow swaths and let the sun and breeze dry the ground for a good five hours before tedding it out.

 

[Northvale PA]

In the east we have no choice but to mow ahead of good weather, sometimes right after the rain stops. I have mowed in the rain. A discbine makes that possible. But we use a tedder as soon as wilted then about 2-3 hours later. Yes the damp ground slows down drying some, but there really isnt any way to wait for the ground to dry before mowing. Not in the spring. Our soil drains well. When we baled hay at moms place years ago we once actually baled dry grass above some standing puddles as the windrows were up on the stubble. Can be done but I would suggest a tedder. A discbine and star tedder make a huge difference. There is NEVER a problem with being able to dry hay faster.

 

[mikewood869]

In the same boat too, going to rain tomorrow then 25 % chance for rain for the next week maybe (don't quote me).

 

[larbear]

Grass packs tighter than a heavier stem as the legumes have like alfalfa and as such will mould in the bale. Best to wait till that high pressure system comes in June. You can have a better certainty that your crop will be able to dry from the inside out. You might think a first cut is fit but unless it is able to dry from the inside out the moisture trapped inside will still cause mould.

 

[caterpillar guy]

Laying it out in a swath till dry then windrow it and probably have to roll it over an extra time for the ground to dry so the windrow will be dry on the bottom. I have to do that if the ground is wet like early in the season.

 

[SHALER]

Aint happenin without a tedder, and even if you did have one, it might be very very close as to whether you could make it.

 

[Tgrasher]

I'm cutting orchard grass/clover hay tomorrow morning here in So IL. Full sun and 15 mph + winds with 85 degrees predicted for 4 days. Last year baled hay that was too stemmed and the cows try to only eat the leaves.

 

[hrRoss]

2 large dairys by me (one 8000, one 2500) cut all their hay tue, with forcast of about 12 rain. i was finishing planting corn and beans and saw them cutting, thought must not going to rain cause they're cutting, well we got 2. guess they brought in the dump carts. gonna be a mess in the fielda

 

[JK-NY]

That's just about how I do it on damp ground . Mow it into a windrow so you don't drive on the hay , then ted it out. I often mow
midday or afternoon and Ted the next morning. I don't know how I managed without a tedder , sure wouldn't want to make dry hay
without one now.

 

[showcrop]

(quoted from post at 05:58:47 05/28/22) That's just about how I do it on damp ground . Mow it into a windrow so you don't drive on the hay , then ted it out. I often mow
midday or afternoon and Ted the next morning. I don't know how I managed without a tedder , sure wouldn't want to make dry hay
without one now.

Yes, JK, I should have mentioned that. When the ground is wet your tire lugs will press the cut grass down in so that your tedder can't grab it if you drive on it.