So 3rd crop won't be so nice...

[Don-Wi]

Maybe I jinxed our 3rd crop after braggin about the 2nd crop (who could resist? it was a great 2nd crop!?!?!?) but the 3rd crop hardly got any rain when it needed it. Just watching the weather with moderation, and I gotta finish mounting the springs for the crimper rolls again on the haybine. I took the crimper off to cut the oats with, then made a few repairs in between crops. Almost together now...

If the forecast looks good enough I'm probably gonna start knocking it down on Wed. Should maybe get 3 1/2-4 loads off the approx. 30-35 acres....

Oh well. Pretty sure we've got enough hay between our own and what we've bought from another guy in small squares and rounds so I'm not too worried, but we're hoping to get a 4th crop yet. The extended 10 day looks like rain starting up next week, which will probably dry up as next week gets closer. Maybe 4th crop will do ok. Time will tell, trouble with 4th is it just takes so long to dry down in the cooler fall months.

Atleast with our newer 14' machine we can find the windrows enough to rake them double. Should be able to cut pretty fast too.

Donovan from Wisconsin

 

[paul]

We had a poor 2nd crop, too dry. 3rd crop has had one rain of one inch. Perked it up, but didn't really make it grow. Was at a friend's house, butted up to an alfalfa field. was starting to blossom. Looked nice but short from a distance. Friend walked into it, & I could still see his ankles! Oh my. Side rake won't be able to windrow that if it gets cut.

2nd cutting was some of the nicest hay I ever made. Just only about 1/4 of a normal yield.

Can't see much at all for 3rd.

Southern Minnesota.

--->Paul

 

[Anonymous-0]

It's been so dry I don't think I'm going to have a 2nd cutting from the timothy this year. The first cutting only made 915 bales.Last year the first cutting made over 1200. Had a customer pick up some hay yesterday. She told me she is having a hard time finding any hay now. She is getting scared that when winter comes she will not be able to find enough hay.

 

[TGIN]

S.E.Indiana Got my 2nd cut alfalfa done about 2 weeks ago and it has`nt growed much . We are on our 14th day in the 90s , the record is 17 and we will hit that thurs. We had one rain of 1 1/2 in. but it fell in about 30 mins. , Like Paul said it perked it up but did`nt grow much . If it dont cool off and get a good rain or 2 we`ll need a vacume to get the third cutting up !! I`ll probably drag the old crazy wheel rake out , it will rake clean on that short stuff . Most of the grass hay is`nt worth baling . Have already turned the cows in on some .

 

[Gary in Mozarks]

Hasn't rained here in a month and no rain forcast for the next ten days. hovering around 100 the whole last week. 105 yesterday. Everything is toast. one cutting here is all there will be. Can't imagine a 3rd or 4th cutting. So count yourself lucky

 

[barnrat]

Finished my third cutting back at the end of July here in Western NY. It was pretty sparse. good thing I have a round baler. It runs across the ground a lot cheaper then the chopper. I"ll be starting fourth in about a week to 10 days and it looks beautiful, it will definitely make up for 3rd losses.

 

[Anonymous-0]

Be happy you got first and second crop, in the northwest part of Wi were I live we are in our third year of severe drought. lakes are drying out etc. one of my alfalfa fields that normally produces 40 to 50 big rounds produced 8 for first crop and when we dried second crop the grasshoppers stripped all the leaves in one day. Had to travel around and get more fields just to get enough hay to feed our own cows . wont be selling any this year. Oh well, thats farmin.

 

[rrlund]

I told you not to rub salt in the wound. We're finally getting a little rain here in Mi now. Things are green,but the heat has stopped things from growing. It was down to 50 this morning,high today is supposed to be around 80. Maybe some of these cool season grasses can get a little growth to them now and the alfalfa might poke its head up a little more.

 

[Luke S]

This year my first cutting made less than my second cutting made the previous year. Got a really mediocre second this year, and the third is burn't plum up. All my fields are just dry and brown except for the weeds keep growing. I am gonna spray the weeds and hope for rain and maybe I can get some kind of third cutting along about late september?

 

[Dairy Farmer in WI]

well i have to get a third crop to mix in with my corn silage. i cut 2nd crop kinda early in hopes that the 3rd would come through. it's comming not and the 2 inches of rain we got help a lot.
Don didn't you get hit by these storms that rolled through on saturday?
df in WI

 

[Don-Wi]

We did get some of that rain, but it was only .3"

Might as well cut it and see what happens and if we can get a 4th crop yet. Normally don't but we seem to be ahead of normal cuttings this year.

Donovan from Wisconsin