Anyone made any hay yet?

[Martin Holden]

The opposite of what?
I'm not advocating going like stink, merely going as fast as you can do a good job, moving all the grass, with the ground conditions prevailing.
I suppose that usually equates to 10/12k max, with engine revs giving 400-450 PTO speed on decent flat going.

No issue with whatever suits you. I was just passing on a comment from a Farner with way more knowledge than me about hay making (he has grass as a cash crop for racing stables etc) and he told me that a first pass after the mower is taken at max 4/5km/h. I watched him and thought it painfully slow, but after a quarter of a century plus, he found this the best practice to get the drying process accelerated, hence his move to the widest trailed tedders he could find. When I heard this it reminded me “you learn something every day”

 

[Longlowdog]

Went to pay today. Read Proffi that said £3.20ish/bale, So I rounded up to £4 for service and smaller number of bales in three fields. Payment refused at that price. Baler despite my protests beat me down to £2.50 mates rates and the bottle of malt. I love the folk round here.

 

[Pan mixer]

My Stabilo doesn't rake too well either if it isn't 100% ready .

That not only was not ready, it was also in a flat mass of long, long timothy stalks, it was much better today going through again.

Even a rake left a bit.

I had been through the rows on the left with the stabilo before I raked, still not fit, 9 days.

 

[puppet]

This field got away so should get something by tomorrow if the baler man can find all the rows.
Never cut before and I doubt I will again

 

[Grassman]

This field got away so should get something by tomorrow if the baler man can find all the rows.
Never cut before and I doubt I will againView attachment 820262

Lol. That looks a frigging nightmare!

Would make a good golf course​

 

[glasshouse]

This field got away so should get something by tomorrow if the baler man can find all the rows.
Never cut before and I doubt I will againView attachment 820262

Looks good to me

 

[Will 1594]

Lol. That looks a frigging nightmare!

Would make a good golf course​

We where up in sw scotland after highland show dunscore and dun drennan ,they where silaging fields like that , interesting for the rake man

 

[Pan mixer]

Stupid annoying bit of drizzle (less than half a mm) this morning meant the whole day chucking hay about rather than baling it.

 

[puppet]

Lol. That looks a frigging nightmare!

Would make a good golf course​

The far end is worse for cutting but your instinct is correct that 20 years ago there was outline planning for a golf course.

 

[bobk]

The far end is worse for cutting but your instinct is correct that 20 years ago there was outline planning for a golf course.

First thing that came in my mind when I saw the photo

 

[puppet]

We where up in sw scotland after highland show dunscore and dun drennan ,they where silaging fields like that , interesting for the rake man

Cut my teeth in Dunscore which has same knowes but less soil between them.
A lot of fields up here have had a lot of digger time to level them for cutting. We must have moved 50 knowes

 

[Pan mixer]

200 timothy in the barn now.

 

[Werzle]

200 timothy in the barn now.

View attachment 820592

View attachment 820594

Whats the feed value like in that hay? Looked horrible in the swathe but looks better baled up.

 

[ARW]

I’ve got some old probes for reading grain temperatures, shoved them in the hay bales in the shed just to see what they sit at. They are all around 14-15 degrees, apart from 1 that’s now got up to 40! When should I start to worry? I’ve no loader at home currently it’s busy fencing

 

[Werzle]

Worse thing you can do is move it, just let it cook and keep an eye on it imo

 

[ARW]

Worse thing you can do is move it, just let it cook and keep an eye on it imo

I thought so.
Hoping for a good spell of weather next week for more hay making

 

[YorkshireAndrew]

I thought so.
Hoping for a good spell of weather next week for more hay making

Looks ok after the weekend into next week . [emoji106]

 

[hendrebc]

Looks ok after the weekend into next week . [emoji106]

Ffs all weekend up until just now they were saying we were going to be dry till friday night now its saying rain wednesday afternoon i cut all 25 acres that was left on friday and saturday expecting to he baling hay this week. I dont think it will all be ready by wednesday
Did get the middle of a field done today thoigh that had been left since the baler broke down on wednesday and was rained on thursday before i got it fixed. Was much better stuff than i thought it would be so thats another 50 round bales i didnt have to wrap

 

[puppet]

We are in the UK so plenty hay gets a bit damp. If it is still lying in 2 weeks then time to worry

 

[Grassman]

Ffs all weekend up until just now they were saying we were going to be dry till friday night now its saying rain wednesday afternoon i cut all 25 acres that was left on friday and saturday expecting to he baling hay this week. I dont think it will all be ready by wednesday
Did get the middle of a field done today thoigh that had been left since the baler broke down on wednesday and was rained on thursday before i got it fixed. Was much better stuff than i thought it would be so thats another 50 round bales i didnt have to wrap

For me it's been a very difficult and frustrating season up to now. Still 60 acres left to do. A weeks fine weather would see most of it done but we only get a couple of fine days in a row.