Hay

[DaveIN]

Hi, I have a queation about hay. We cut our hay Wednesday evening. We had had no rain here for close to 2 months but it rained on the hay Friday. We have raked it a couple of times to help it dry out but it rained again last night (even though there was no rain in the forecast until Monday). Now it is 52 and a high of 71and overcast. I don"t see it drying out until at least middle afternoon or later. How long can grass hay lay on the ground before it is baled.
Thanks, Dave

 

[lacamo]

I've had grass on the ground for a week due to intermittent rain and short days, but teddered it a lot. The first good dry, sunny day, I waited until mid afternoon, raked and baled. I'm sure it wasn't very nutritious, but it was dry enough to store and it didn't get moldy.

 

[flying belgian]

Well it can lay indefinatly but the longer it lays the less feed value until finally no feed value at all but it still makes bedding. Just make sure it is dry before baling even if it is going to be used for bedding or mulch.

 

[johns48jdb]

when you guys ruin enough hay by not cutting it with a mo/co you'll go out and buy you one. any grass hay that is cut by dinner one day and its 85 or so and a little wind will bail the next day. people get scared of bailing hay for the first time in behind a mo/co because it still looks green. it will still look that way when its feed too. don't cut you hay so low to start with. a good 3 inches high stubble will allow air to get under the hay and dry it faster. if it does rain then its not beat down on the ground where it will be next to impossible to rake and get it dry. if your square bailing hay there is nothing better than having enough trailers to load it all on and then you can cover it, park it under a carport, in the shed, etc. at least its not laying in the field wet. how many bales of hay that you save over 5 years does it take to pay for a trailer. i don't mean wagons either. they are impossible to back when your in a hurry. pick up some old junky car hauling trailers and keep good tires on them and don't worry about looks. even a few small one axle trailers will fit in small places and hold a lot of hay.