Hay making 2020

ffukedfarmer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
West Kent
perhaps its the way the photos come across - but Ive seen very little of what I would deem 'good' cloured hay? Everything looks very brown and weathered? Apologies if that observation cheeses of any of the posters

will this do? Baled Wednesday and yesterday. 60% of average quantity.

image.jpg
 
It all depends on this afternoon will the sun shine or will all be lost.

All the work of the family since 1929 hangs on that sunshine

The sheep will starve & the farm will be lost, if the sun does not shine this afternoon

Starting as soon as it is fit stacking one row hay then one row straw, I quite fancy sprinking some salt on too.
 

Simon Chiles

DD Moderator
perhaps its the way the photos come across - but Ive seen very little of what I would deem 'good' cloured hay? Everything looks very brown and weathered? Apologies if that observation cheeses of any of the posters

DA457FCD-FCB0-41A3-B5CF-F7E94FD799B1.jpeg
59A10DB9-6FB2-4E0C-8A09-54A349C6898E.jpeg
D075B5AD-1C6D-4444-9A0C-EF4E0E9C9646.jpeg

Photos don’t really do this justice but it has got a good colour to it . Cut on Monday, baled on Wednesday. Just could do with a lot more. We’ve baled 183 acres so far and only got slightly over 7000 bales.
 

Goweresque

Member
Location
North Wilts
View attachment 896646View attachment 896647View attachment 896648
Photos don’t really do this justice but it has got a good colour to it . Cut on Monday, baled on Wednesday. Just could do with a lot more. We’ve baled 183 acres so far and only got slightly over 7000 bales.

That would tally with my yields, just over a tonne/acre is about par for the course this season it seems. And thats across all sorts of grass types, from old meadow grass to 2 year old leys. About 200 acres cut, and about 250 tonnes made. Last year we were getting double that. Still got about 35 acres to do, and if I get it OK should have enough to keep existing customers happy, but that will be all. At least thin crops don't take much making.
 

robs1

Member
Did some more second cut yesterday and it yielded 70 bales to the acre, that's 17 more than the first cut did which was mid may, well down on normal numbers but luckily we had huge yields last year so had a reasonable carry over , more westerwold going in this autumn as breakcrops and cleaning up bg levels
 

Frank-the-Wool

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
East Sussex
We finished today and it is hard to think of a worse crop in all the years I have been farming. A block we did today where last year we had 300 6 stringers, this time we just got a 100.
In this area the best crops are 50% of normal with some not even worth cutting.

Hope it is a kind winter!!
 
It all depends on this afternoon will the sun shine or will all be lost.

All the work of the family since 1929 hangs on that sunshine

The sheep will starve & the farm will be lost, if the sun does not shine this afternoon

Starting as soon as it is fit stacking one row hay then one row straw, I quite fancy sprinking some salt on too.

Got most of it, contractor round baled hay & wrapped some from headland, got 800 nice small bales.

Don't have figures but yeilds were reasonable.
 
Last edited:

ffukedfarmer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
West Kent
So what is your experience of the sledge, it looks a bit top heavy for steep/rutted land, but very efficent in heavy crops?

Which is the best grab
Moulton or Kuhns?

Are you close to the importer?

Can't have decent flat 8 kit here, as soon as your back is turned it is stolen.

The sledge is excellent and although its tall, most of the weight is down low so stability has never been a problem for me. The sledge just works. The only time it has given me any trouble is with a broken spring.
Undecided about which grab is best at the moment. The nudge bar is better on the Kuhns, but the large tines on the Moulton really do grip the bales well, particularly good when unloading trailers.
Mark, the importer, is not far from Gatwick.
 

SFI - What % were you taking out of production?

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Red Tractor drops launch of green farming scheme amid anger from farmers

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As reported in Independent


quote: “Red Tractor has confirmed it is dropping plans to launch its green farming assurance standard in April“

read the TFF thread here: https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/gfc-was-to-go-ahead-now-not-going-ahead.405234/
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