- Location
- Dumfries & Galloway
He’s not he’s correct, never gone for this sweating or curing malarkey. Our hay always in shed within 24hrs, about 250,000 bales in last 30yrs. Make it right
Try that carry on in Scotland.
You'll learn
Leaving hay to "sweat"
- Thread starter DJHay
- Start date
Try that carry on in Scotland.
You'll learn
- Location
- Carmarthenshire, West Wales
People who talk about sweating/curing etc live in places where there is more rain! We have 64" a year, I know it is a dry period now, but maybe places with 18" a year don't have to worry so much about baling when it's not quite fit!He’s not he’s correct, never gone for this sweating or curing malarkey. Our hay always in shed within 24hrs, about 250,000 bales in last 30yrs. Make it right
- Location
- Ceredigion
Baling again
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
If you can’t make hay this week at this time of the year you want sacking
Aspiring Peasants
Member
- Location
- North Pennines
Anybody heard the saying (from about 50 years ago) "good hay makes in the shed".
That was with small bales. The beauty of rounds is you can leave them outside for a few weeks with minimal harm from the weather.
If you can stack it straightaway I think you've just got baked stalks which will not be as good. There's a reason why it's called hay MAKING, I don't know of any other crop described in that way
That was with small bales. The beauty of rounds is you can leave them outside for a few weeks with minimal harm from the weather.
If you can stack it straightaway I think you've just got baked stalks which will not be as good. There's a reason why it's called hay MAKING, I don't know of any other crop described in that way
Is that what they call a bubble cab……..
Brought our few in after a couple of days on the field.
Was baled ‘rite’ however don’t want any excuse for it to go mouldy.
Was baled ‘rite’ however don’t want any excuse for it to go mouldy.
jpd
Member
- Location
- rep of irl
perhaps the term "cure" would be a better description
- Location
- Ceredigion
Should have stacked them 3 high so you could fry your bacon on top [emoji1787]
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
talking out of your bottom Derrick
Round bales left out in the field tend to get wet, one side gets discloured, they leave a yellow stunted patch and the aftermath gets damaged when they are eventually lifted.
As Derrick says, if it's fit to bale, it's fit to stack. And bales stacked immediately are far cleaner to work with during winter.
- Location
- Chezvegas (chesterfield)
Dare not leave it out in some fields round here as it might spontaneously combust or go missing 
Dare not leave it out in some fields round here as it might spontaneously combust or go missing
That seems to apply to anyone farming on the urban fringe - especially straw bales.
300 quadrants of hay baled here so far this week. Hauled in straight away and stacked in a lattice 3 high as to allow air to circulate through the stack. Bang metal rods into a few to keep a eye on things. Re stacked in due course up tight. If left for any amount of time even in this weather they get bloody damp underneath.
- Location
- Cheshire
Lost my bottle today. Was 99.5% ready for Hay. Gave in and asked the contractor too wrap it. At least I’ve got a stack of grade A reseeds haylage for the in lamb ewes. And no chance of it going musty!!
- Location
- Near Colchester
We get about 23 inches of rain here, I make hay most of the summer on different types of grass, conservation areas and so forth.
I very rarely bale hay that hasn't been drizzled on at least and have some stuff that is too poor for the power stations at present that has been cut 5 weeks.
I usually leave my small bale hay (I only do about 4000) to stand for a week or two in 56's before stacking, I have learned what it is like to stack hay too quick, I use salt too if things are a little delicate moisture wise.
They seem fine like that, I am lucky to have some empty cattle yards though this time of the year. This was the picture this evening for example, just finished a field.
- Location
- Montgomeryshire
Asolutely. Yet I drove past a field today that had quadrants of hay lieing out in it, and the grass around them was 4-6” high and lush green. The bottom third of those bales must be musty, damp rubbish by now? I know the farm and they have empty cattle sheds currently, so you have to wonder wtf was going on..
- Location
- Carmarthenshire, West Wales
my ex wife said they put salt over the bales in Denmark too, if it is too damp. I wonder why or how it helps? I have done that when we bale something a bit iffy too.
Exfarmer
Member
- Location
- Bury St Edmunds
The mould start where the damp condenses ie. on top of the hay and a layer of salt prevents the damp. Also salt being hygroscopic draws the damp but how effectively I have no idea