Hay making 2020

[essexpete]

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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.

What do those bales average in weight?

 

[essexpete]

My yields have varied from average to well below, was raking up this field tonight and wondering whether it is worth the bother of bringing the baler down here.

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nice view though, no fence between me and the water, no inputs at all on this land, not even allowed clover.

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Why not clover ffs? One of the established tennants by Hanningfield res uses fertiliser.

 

[powerontheland]

Cut, baled and stacked just under 80 acres of hay this week over 4 different locations thr furthest 30 miles away. Nothing else cut yet and everything of mine under cover!!

 

[glasshouse]

Absolute downpour here on wednesday has fudged the hay till sunday or monday

 

[Pan mixer]

Why not clover ffs? One of the established tennants by Hanningfield res uses fertiliser.

They don't want the nitrogen released during the winter when the clover dies back going in the water I am told

 

[Pan mixer]

1/2 mm of rain here this morning so far - in 6 different showers, wind blowing hard too, my dreams of finishing completely today are shot.

 

[Simon Chiles]

What do those bales average in weight?

Bales or packs? Those photos are of bale packs, either one or two in the squeezer.
I haven’t weighed a bale this year, they’re not very heavy as it has been so dry. The moisture meter on the baler hasn’t gone above 12% and it says the average is 8%, however as it can’t read lower than 8% I suspect they are dryer than that. Where we’ve had the odd broken bale there seems to be a huge amount of grass in each one which probably hasn’t helped the numbers.

 

[onthehoof]

Cut Monday baled Thurs all in barn before rain. Missus on rower as the boy has just started apprenticeship, she did well though

 

[Werzle]

Hay making weather forcast from wednesday to sunday if anybody has some left to do

 

[BredRedHfd]

Hay making weather forcast from wednesday to sunday if anybody has some left to do

Done, thank gawd

 

[Spencer]

Hay making weather forcast from wednesday to sunday if anybody has some left to do

Funny.. last week they forecast and unsettled week this week

 

[Werzle]

Funny.. last week they forecast and unsettled week this week

They forcast a wet cold weekend here but its been humid and mostly dry, i reckon they are trying to keep people from the beaches.

 

[glasshouse]

Turned it all this morning, forecast dry all day.
Started rowing up at 12.30
Put baler on, baled 6 bales and the heavens opened.

About 3 the sun and wind got up, rowed it again and got baling about 5
Only two more fields to go

 

[Devil's advocate]

My hay making efforts is amusing local farmers.

But got some good hay Friday & yesterday, decent yeilds too shut up after grazing with sheep till mid may 150 bales/acre

 

[Skintagain]

My hay making efforts is amusing local farmers.

But got some good hay Friday & yesterday, decent yeilds too shut up after grazing with sheep till mid may 150 bales/acre

You need my dad round. He would get that bale count under 100 to acre. #bricks

 

[Devil's advocate]

You need my dad round. He would get that bale count under 100 to acre. #bricks

Keeps better in fluffy bales.

Old farmer who used to train shire horses, told me hay never made horses cough, when it was stored loose. He thought I should use a forage pick up wagon & bale it just before sale.

 

[glasshouse]

Last of 2020 hay
Only 15 acre haylage left to do

 

[Pan mixer]

Last of my hay too. Organic field, not as many bales as last year when the sheep had grazed it all season, this year they haven't been there since January. 7 acres, 104 small bales.

 

[powerontheland]

Last of my hay too. Organic field, not as many bales as last year when the sheep had grazed it all season, this year they haven't been there since January. 7 acres, 104 small bales.

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And there was me bitching that I only got 714 bales off of 7 acres! I got 1600 last year! It does get a good dose of liquid fert though

 

[Pan mixer]

And there was me bitching that I only got 714 bales off of 7 acres! I got 1600 last year! It does get a good dose of liquid fert though

I don't quite know why this was so rubbish, the water table there is only a foot or so down, rubbish wild grasses mainly I suppose and I can't stitch in anything else.