Thats the right wayDo you mow all your grass without conditioning it for hay ?
zm
Dont bring them in.Baled hay in Aberdeenshire yesterday after one day of sunshine and a week of rain. It's now sat outside in the rain. I brought one bale inside to see how hot they would get having being baled somewhat hastily before another forecast week of rain. Slightly warm after 24 hours. I've stuck a metal rod in it to keep an eye on temps to see if I dare bring a few in at a time and surface dry them before stacking or whether they would be safer left outside.
Forecast on day of cutting was for 15 minutes of rain and 7 grand days. Next day it forecast 15 minutes of dry weather in a week. Welcome to forecasting for land in the lee of the Grampians.
If they are going to heat how quickly will they do it, when will they have done their thing?
That has been conditionedDo you mow all your grass without conditioning it for hay ?
zm
I'd say not conditioning it is the wrong way and I tried both ways this yearThats the right way
Think most hay all finished these parts.
Personally think 6mph would be tops.This seems to be the thread with all the haymaking experts so ill ask here.
What speed do you ted at? I usually ted slowly the first time round not sure but guessing 4-4.5mph then go to 5-5.5 or even 6mph if its dry enough. Saw a post on FB about it and people on there were saying to go as fast as the tractor will go
I used to help on a farm that went flat out tedding and they used to get a lot of wet lumps in grass and have to ted a lot more times to make hay than ive ever had to do to make hay. I went at my usual pace to do the first field for them before getting bollocked for going too slow. That field made a day before the others that had been tedded at speed. I alwayd found a first slower pass helps whats peoples thoughts? Can of worms maybe
The first day heat is not the worry, it is the one in 21 days that gets the fire brigade on site.The bales that were warm to the touch yesterday are cool today. I may have sneaked a win from the jaws of defeat despite using antiquated and reviled machinery (Zetor and haybob).
Now if only it would stop raining and get up a breeze so I can fetch them in.
First pass is the most important IMO, normally around 6/7 km/hr max then rest about 7/8 pto around 350/400 on our lely slower makes a much better job but it does need patience not to belt on at least with 6 rotors you are still getting over the groundThis seems to be the thread with all the haymaking experts so ill ask here.
What speed do you ted at? I usually ted slowly the first time round not sure but guessing 4-4.5mph then go to 5-5.5 or even 6mph if its dry enough. Saw a post on FB about it and people on there were saying to go as fast as the tractor will go
I used to help on a farm that went flat out tedding and they used to get a lot of wet lumps in grass and have to ted a lot more times to make hay than ive ever had to do to make hay. I went at my usual pace to do the first field for them before getting bollocked for going too slow. That field made a day before the others that had been tedded at speed. I alwayd found a first slower pass helps whats peoples thoughts? Can of worms maybe
Strange, I would say the opposite. The first pass with the Tedder is the most crucial one. Get it not quite right and it stays that wayGo as fast as you can, so long as it's moving ALL the grass; as you say worst thing is finding an unmoved green underlayer that's laid in the hollows when the crop is otherwise fit. Short stuff is worst as there is less bulk for tedder to grab. I usually try and put in a pass at an angle to previous pass too.