Hay making 2022

[FG.]

Thanks. Well it's not early early now it's 6am here but was thinking of going to rake as soon as I've sorted water for some cattle now and bale it this evening. Still quite dull so far sun is meant to come out properly at 10am according to the forecast will be done raking well before then.

Looking at the predicted temps, I'm wondering whether to row up and get baling by 11.
30° by 12. 31° at 9pm .

 

[kiwi pom]

Looking at the predicted temps, I'm wondering whether to row up and get baling by 11.
30° by 12. 31° at 9pm .

Maybe rake it early morning, leave it for the day and get up at 1 am and tie it up with bit of damp on it?

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

Thanks. Well it's not early early now it's 6am here but was thinking of going to rake as soon as I've sorted water for some cattle now and bale it this evening. Still quite dull so far sun is meant to come out properly at 10am according to the forecast will be done raking well before then.

Even on hot days here, it's not uncommon for me to not get a start baling till 8 or 9am depending how heavy the dew was. If that's the case, I'm not finishing till 11.30 to 1pm depending on the area. It probably gets a touch dry at the end, but sometimes you have little option.

 

[robs1]

Baled half a field this afternoon and I feel like I left more grass on the floor than in bales. Grass was shattering as the reel tried to pick it up. Luckily I left some of it not been raked because the wind picked up and was knocking rows over so i started baling before it got worse. Raked it later on about 7pm after I'd finished baling the first bit and no shattering and picked up clean. Hay still felt dry and dust coming off the baler but not as much as before. Bit of dew helping stop the shattering maybe? Heard of people baling lucenre with dew on to stop shattering.
Got one field left for tomorrow thinking of rowing up early morning and baling it early evening hopefully stop it shattering on the reel again.

I saw an article from the states where they fitted misters on the balers if the grass was too dry

 

[spin cycle]

Just combined 75 acres of winter barley in 12 separate fields, who deserves to benefit from this new ELMS scheme the most?

Yep!

i thought i was a sucker for punishment

 

[hendrebc]

Looking at the predicted temps, I'm wondering whether to row up and get baling by 11.
30° by 12. 31° at 9pm .

The car said it was 34°c this afternoon 31°c was forecast its meant to start cooling down after 7-8pm so was thinking of going to try between then but I'll leave it till later if I need to. It rowed up nicely I was f**king about watering cattle first thing so I only started at 9am and it was just getting crispy at 10.30am as I was finishing. I could have baled it at 9am it was plenty dry enough shame I can only drive one tractor at a time

 

[bobk]

The car said it was 34°c this afternoon 31°c was forecast its meant to start cooling down after 7-8pm so was thinking of going to try between then but I'll leave it till later if I need to. It rowed up nicely I was f**king about watering cattle first thing so I only started at 9am and it was just getting crispy at 10.30am as I was finishing. I could have baled it at 9am it was plenty dry enough shame I can only drive one tractor at a time

Bale it at 9 tomorrow , doubt there's any dew

 

[hendrebc]

Bale it at 9 tomorrow , doubt there's any dew

Can't got to take some cattle early tomorrow morning don't think I can get back in time to do both. There's probably 3 hours baling if things go well. I have lights I suppose it will be a long night... or a very short one if I have to bale late and get up early
I'll see how it goes.

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

Can't got to take some cattle early tomorrow morning don't think I can get back in time to do both. There's probably 3 hours baling if things go well. I have lights I suppose it will be a long night... or a very short one if I have to bale late and get up early
I'll see how it goes.

That's why I rake at 2am . Can't drive 2 tractors at same time. Plus when making Lucerne hay over summer I have to feed the milkers a mix as well. So loose a good hour doing that. And I don't mind raking my lucerne with a heavy dew on it as it stops more unwanted leaf shatter.

 

[FG.]

The car said it was 34°c this afternoon 31°c was forecast its meant to start cooling down after 7-8pm so was thinking of going to try between then but I'll leave it till later if I need to. It rowed up nicely I was f**king about watering cattle first thing so I only started at 9am and it was just getting crispy at 10.30am as I was finishing. I could have baled it at 9am it was plenty dry enough shame I can only drive one tractor at a time

Got to 36° here
Check sucklers, all happy

Rowed up some of mine at 9.30, went back for baler and thought yearlings weren't looking very happy in their shade'less field, so had to produce some shade and then ensued the " who can get through the gate first" as no one about to help.
Bribe with cake, leg it back to gate (phew) drive in with dodgy load, shut gate before cake eaten.
Bride again, to get handler out.
Go baling 1 1/2hr later than planned.
Repeat tomorrow, but hopefully without the cattle F*** about'ery

 

[Pan mixer]

Best haymaking day weather wise I have ever seen in my fairly lengthy experience of haymaking.

These were the last bales of the year from the machinery park - most of which has been removed.

 

[Boohoo]

Finally baled something that doesn't need to be wrapped

It was lying 10 days.

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

Possibly to late for most of you now, but don't get caught out by how crispy things may seem. If making hay from anything that has nodes in the stem, make sure said nodes are 100% dry. If not you may pay dearly in 6 weeks time.

 

[Pan mixer]

Moisture meter on the baler said field average was 7% today

 

[beardface]

Possibly to late for most of you now, but don't get caught out by how crispy things may seem. If making hay from anything that has nodes in the stem, make sure said nodes are 100% dry. If not you may pay dearly in 6 weeks time.

I always bit the nodes rather than go off colour and crispness. Surprising how fit hay can have sappy nodes.

 

[hendrebc]

Possibly to late for most of you now, but don't get caught out by how crispy things may seem. If making hay from anything that has nodes in the stem, make sure said nodes are 100% dry. If not you may pay dearly in 6 weeks time.

I did some hay in June that I thought was OK it was mostly stems that should have been cut 2 weeks earlier but I was waiting on some red clover to come ready same time. It all (only 40odd bales) heated up quite badly and they had black patches on them they were sweating so much. Lucky I didn't stack them. The hay looks like sh!t it's all brown and odd looking but I have a cull cow and 2 calves in the shed and they are going mad for the hay they really like it so it can't be that bad.

 

[hendrebc]

Just got home after finishing baling. Didn't start till 9.30pm because I fell asleep reading my daughter a bedtime story but it was probably best because it was still a bit crispy when I started but not long after as the sun disappeared it got much better the baler was picking it up clean. It was still bone dry and big clouds of dust coming off the baler. Still 26°c at 12.15am if the car was right.

 

[FG.]

What are others mowing with?.
I'm a trailed moco person, but also have a mounted conventional mower, for certain jobs.
My neighbour tells me a moco is a waste of fuel and only saves one tedding.
From my experience this year, the only bit I didn't condition, just hung on.
Later in the hay making season, it probably doesn't make so much difference.
I'm a mix of meadow, Timothy and short term rye grass.

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

I did some hay in June that I thought was OK it was mostly stems that should have been cut 2 weeks earlier but I was waiting on some red clover to come ready same time. It all (only 40odd bales) heated up quite badly and they had black patches on them they were sweating so much. Lucky I didn't stack them. The hay looks like sh!t it's all brown and odd looking but I have a cull cow and 2 calves in the shed and they are going mad for the hay they really like it so it can't be that bad.

They'll eat it no worries. Trouble is, that heating is all the sugars and energy in the grass. So technically from a feed value point of view, it's not that good.

 

[cows sh#t me to tears]

Moisture meter on the baler said field average was 7% today

Plenty of people have been caught here baling wheaten hay in particular. Seems dry. Might read 10% or less. But it can have a green shoot up the stem (I'm talking droughted failed wholecrop ). Lots of fires around Xmas.......