Making Hay

[Destroked 450]

This as been one of the views out my office window this week
It's not the beach or ocean but I've enjoyed

We've cut 155 acres so far, have 90 rolled up and will finish the other 25 today.

Due to a cold wet spring hays not turning off well so I've took on another 50 acres

 

[WAYNE-N-TX]

I know the feeling about not being very good hay season. I have a 25 acres coastal field, a normal cutting I get 40 o 50 rolls of top quality hay. Just finished, 11 bales, so short it was hard to rake & bale. So this year I won't get my line & fertilize money back. But, we're having fun.

 

[rrlund]

I've baled about 34 acres. Could have easily cut another 16 Wednesday and baled it yesterday if I'd avoided looking at any weather forecasts. That had been the plan,but then everybody said mostly cloudy and rain yesterday. It didn't happen. Was a real nice drying day in fact. Now we've had no end of rain all morning. No doubt put some corn under water again. It's no doubt the end for that this time.

I've still got close to 100 acres of hay to cut yet. Some year I'm gonna know what it's like to be done haying before July first,even if that means quitting and not having any hay to put up at all.

 

[dcarp]

Same way here in Schulenburg, TX. Just finished 2 jobs, 1 was 29 acres - 15 bales, normal about 75 bales. Other one 18 acres- 31 bales, normal about 65 bales.

 

[K Effective]

I took a chance cutting some weak grass hay Sunday May 27. This field was to switch to soybeans, but had grown up pretty good, so I thought I would bale it off before we sprayed it. Just finished yesterday.

It was nearly ready Wednesday afternoon 5/30, but I had to work that evening, and the rain started. After about five trips over it I got half of it up Saturday June 2 before the dew settled in. Three more rain days, and I just decided to get it off of there yesterday morning. Without my daughter to drive, I got lucky and the neighbor kid helped out. After picking up the majority of the windrows, I went back and re-raked the whole field clean and baled six more bales just as the rain started again.

We've had another inch since then. I got stuck in a spot while cutting the field, and my retired-guy driver got stuck pulling the baler the first load. There are ruts all over the field now from mowing, raking, tedding and baling. I should just hook up the chisel plow and go to town.

 

[flying belgian]

So. Mn. I thought it was getting a little dry here so I cut some hay on Thurs. Sure enough. Since then it has gotten 2" rain on it and it is raining cats and dogs as we speak.

 

[jacksun65]

Nephew just baled my twenty acres of hay fescue and crimson clover. Great Hay baling this last week cool dry weather. 42 heavy
hard bales 4x5 nice green with lots of seed on grass. He just bought a new Vermeer 504 with net wrap. I am impressed rolls so hard
you have a hard time sticking you knife in them. Pulling with a 2955 JD did a great job.

 

[paul]

Yea, wish I had that hay baling view, instead of this. Miserable again.

I put my good hay in the barn loft as small squares, and the junk hay wet or rained on or overripe as round bales stored outside.

Three years now, very very little good hay, my barn is empty, I have too many round bales sitting outside..... blah.

3.3 inches the past 2 days, west of me has had more, and the forecast is the heavy rains are coming Monday..... been too wet for three years now. There is no water on a normal day in this view.

Paul

 

[morgan in ar]

Terrible hay year here. Spring was way too cold,
then it got really hot to early. The cool season
grasses went straight to seed. Now, it appears to
have quit raining way too early for the warm
season grasses to take off. Maybe it will turn
around, I need a great second cut.

 

[Part Time Pete]

My dad always said you should have your first cutting done by July 4th Randy - most years that's about when I get started...

 

[Destroked 450]

Couldn't edit my first post.
We've cut 115 acres, not 155, but it'll be over 155 before we're done.
Got about half of the 25 acres rolled and the rain moved in on us. pretty good shower where we were baling, only a light sprinkle here at the house.
Hate working on Sundays but if the sun pops out tomorrow I'm going to ted it and see if I can get it rolled.

Since I'm rained out of the hay field I guess I can get some work done on my 4000SU, I've got the broken crank replaced, just need to finish up a few things to have the engine ready to start.
Need to replace the power steering seal in the column while I've got it in the shop.

Photo was taken during disassembly, engines back together and mounted, front axle is also back in place.

 

[Destroked 450]

Those are some wet fields!

 

[fixerupper]

I cut my whopping big three acres of alfalfa Tuesday with rain in the forecast. It was beginning to tangle and it rains every time I cut hay so I went ahead and took it down. Right away I had .15” of rain on it, then the rest of the rain chances fizzled. This evening I baled 15 small squares just to shine up the baler and I wished I would have started sooner, it was perfect moisture but too late and the dew was coming on so I hung it up till tomorrow.

 

[Destroked 450]

Well Sunday didn't work.
Went to the field to ted out the one windrow I didn't get baled, by the time we got hooked up the tedder, greased everything and fueled the tractor a small cloud had rolled in, before I got half way across the field with the tedder I got my back side soaked.
Got 4 bales rolled monday and another shower took us out of the field.
Cloudy and over cast tuesday with a heavy rain that afternoon, went with my cousin to look at a 4600SU he'd found, he bought it.
To wet to mess with wednesday.
Got it all rolled up thursday, it's not good hay but is better than I thought it would be, my beef cows would rather have it than a snow ball this winter.