kiwi pom
Member
- Location
- canterbury NZ
Hay making 2022
- Thread starter carbonfibre farmer
- Start date
I've got an 8foot vicon mounted with a conditioner. I think it does make a difference but not really enough to justify another conditioner on the next mower. I'll just put the extra towards a bigger tedder or a wider mower.
If I was doing silage I'd maybe stick with a conditioner though because you could maybe get away with not tedding but if your making hay you still have to Ted it so don't really see the benefit. I could screw the conditioner tighter but it knocks when I do it's catching on something and I can't find it
If I was doing silage I'd maybe stick with a conditioner though because you could maybe get away with not tedding but if your making hay you still have to Ted it so don't really see the benefit. I could screw the conditioner tighter but it knocks when I do it's catching on something and I can't find it
- Location
- Near Colchester
I stopped using a moco 3 years ago and don't regret it, even last year i don't think it makes much difference - I only make mature haylage or hay though.
The cost, the weight, the hp required, maintainence, and difficulty of mowing some fields where the grass would wrap in the conditioner before being cut off- a nightmare, also influenced my decision. Not necessarily in that order.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
If it got hot without going musty (or setting fire), then some of the sugars will have caramelised. Feed value won’t be just as good but stock will go mad for it, so maybe higher intakes compensate for lower ME to a point?Not ideal, but certainly not a disaster either.
Does it smell of caramel?
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Just got home after finishing baling. Didn't start till 9.30pm because I fell asleep reading my daughter a bedtime story
Glad you got it baled, and hopefully gave the neighbours something to chatter about by baling hay after dark.
Aspiring Peasants
Member
- Location
- North Pennines
When it's like that it smells like pipe tobacco to me. (Although I haven't tried it
) Cows love it and look fine on it in my experience but a bale doesn't last as long so they probably are eating more.The old boys used to say good hay makes in the shed.!
If it's damp from rain then you will get dust and mould and stock won't do well
- Location
- Near Colchester
I think that it smells more like old Holbourn, not that I have ever made any tobacco hay you understandWhen it's like that it smells like pipe tobacco to me. (Although I haven't tried it
The old boys used to say good hay makes in the shed.!
If it's damp from rain then you will get dust and mould and stock won't do well
It smells nice and sweet yes I suppose it is like caramel but does have the odd patch of mould in it. The Cull cow I have in absolutely loves it.
- Location
- The North
I’ve got 328 jd mo co with spreading vanes, spreads fully over width just leaves a few in hind clear spots you can see where to drive, literally saves a full pass of tedding and kills it much faster ( most wilting is supposed to take place in first 24hrs) would not be without a mower with spreader kits now,
Some of the hay I made this year due to being so dry was not turned with Tedder once after the mower was dead ish crop though
Last edited:
Greythundercloudys
Member
Never seen so many wee old meadow fields been cut and guys out with 35x and haybobs as this last fortnight.
Yes but fodder is being fed out now
- Location
- South lakes
We’ve had a bit of rain since Wednesday, the stubble hay fields haven’t half greened up since,
Greythundercloudys
Member
Seen someone out with a Ford 3000 and a km22 turdo mower yesterday, cutn a field along the road, wee square bales for afew horses threw the winter.
We've had a couple of showers yesterday and today fields greening up nicely already I was worried we would have to start feeding our hay straight away but I don't think we will now
I was worried we would have to start feeding our hay straight away but I don't think we will now 
- Location
- North Wiltshire
Lucky you, we've had sod allWe've had a couple of showers yesterday and today fields greening up nicely already
.
- Location
- West Kent
- Location
- Near Colchester
Finished stacking the hay whilst waiting for the combine, I haven't finished hay before harvest for years and harvest is early, my contractor finished his wheat today and will start on his winter beans tonight, July 23
There should have been enough to fill this shed above, it wasn't fertiliser economy either.
There were only 2 rows of new season in this shed, the left hand row is left over last years thank goodness, we should have 4 rows of hay ideally, I wasted more hay last year than I made this year, most of this is organic so not much to do with fertiliser price either, not enough water.
There should have been enough to fill this shed above, it wasn't fertiliser economy either.
- Location
- North Wiltshire
Planned to go to The Game Fair at Ragley Hall today, but a friend who does one of the gundog demo's, sent me a pic, down one of the stall aisles
.
I've got a lump hay I'm making for a neighbouring farm, which I'm going to bale today, instead.
I wonder if sunday might be quieter.
.I've got a lump hay I'm making for a neighbouring farm, which I'm going to bale today, instead.
I wonder if sunday might be quieter.
They were good mowers them, I bought one second hand for £300 when I was just starting out, it cut 50 acres a year for 15 years before it gave up