Night Rows

[steveR]

And no, I don't mean the argument with the Other Half over that new tractor/better bull/new kitchen!

Rather, the technique of rowing up hay into swathes overnight. I saw this post earlier in the week and was intrigued.

https://thefarmingforum.co.uk/index.php?threads/anyone-made-any-hay-yet.124452/page-136#post-6376300

The only time I have ever come across this before was when chatting with a neighbour, who originally hailed form NE Scotland! I assumed it was a technique from there

I sometimes used to mow with the PZ and if some rain was forecast I would just flick the row over with an acrobat, rather than tedding same action also used to move a mown swathe over onto land that had dried up from being exposed to teh sun for a day or two.

 

[Radio]

Did it sometimes in the late 70’s with a 6 rotor centipede , father was a believer in drying ground out especially in tricky times trying to make hay. Rowed in evening then altered rotors and spread when dew up.

 

[Clever Dic]

Think in an ideal world it is not a bad idea but on a large scale it is just not pracrical.

 

[miniconnect]

I Know of one or two that do it regularly, with the heavy dews we get right by the sea it will make a difference.
We try to rake up a bit of silage for the next day for the same reason if we can.
A dew here can be similar to a shower of rain sometimes.

 

[Chae1]

Never seen it done in this part of NE Scotland

 

[glasshouse]

The theory is to try and preserve the colour

 

[steveR]

I Know of one or two that do it regularly, with the heavy dews we get right by the sea it will make a difference.
We try to rake up a bit of silage for the next day for the same reason if we can.
A dew here can be similar to a shower of rain sometimes.

That makes solid sense on sea mist/fog...

I will row up a crop the night before when its an overcast and heavy forecast for the night.

 

[steveR]

The theory is to try and preserve the colour

Does it work?

 

[glasshouse]

Does it work?

Dunno

 

[Pan mixer]

Does it work?

Yes, If it rains then your hay has only a third of the rain on it.

Tedious though as @Clever Dic says, ideally the night row needs moving to one side to dry the ground beneath before spreading.

Saves the colour too.I have made Italian hay in night rows the whole way through as with that you spend days waiting for the nodes to dry.

 

[Bruce Almighty]

Dad was a fan of this so that there was dry ground to turn onto in the morning. Also row it up if it's going to rain. He taught me this in the 80s & he would've been taught this in the 50s/60s. It worked with an acrobat or a Haybob, small bales to go with it too !

In my opinion it's impractical nowadays if you have for example a 3m mower & a 6 or 8 rotor tedder followed by a rake.

Good old days my arse !

 

[glasshouse]

I suppose there is a case for rowing up before rain, but teasing it back out could be a challenge

 

[Bruce Almighty]

I suppose there is a case for rowing up before rain, but teasing it back out could be a challenge

Nowadays you'd just wrap it & be able to go to the pub not having to worry about it ;-)

 

[Nick.]

W

Dad was a fan of this so that there was dry ground to turn onto in the morning. Also row it up if it's going to rain. He taught me this in the 80s & he would've been taught this in the 50s/60s. It worked with an acrobat or a Haybob, small bales to go with it too !

In my opinion it's impractical nowadays if you have for example a 3m mower & a 6 or 8 rotor tedder followed by a rake.

Good old days my arse !

We always did the same. If rain was forecast row it up.
Even heavy dews, I think the idea was let the ground dry, then flick it back out.
PITA.

 

[oil barron]

Another technique you don’t see much now, cut it in Medioca weather with a none condition mower and just leave it until you get three good days. It can be left for two weeks before you get those 3 days. Makes easy then when you get the weather and has the color still in it.

 

[Dry Rot]

Another technique you don’t see much now, cut it in Medioca weather with a none condition mower and just leave it until you get three good days. It can be left for two weeks before you get those 3 days. Makes easy then when you get the weather and has the color still in it.

Yes, seen hay cut, not conditioned or tedded, with new grass growing up through the rows. It will be OK until the weather gets dry again and retain colour underneath. Like flowers put into a vase of water. I've seen some cutting when rain is due in readiness for the fine spell that (hopefully!) follows. Fine spells up here always seem to last a day short of what's needed!

Once tedded, I do try to row up for night time especially if the weather is dodgy. Located north of Inverness but on the east.

 

[Cab-over Pete]

I was only thinking the same last night when I saw the Countryfile weather.

Dad would have been out with the mower this morning for sure in readiness for the hot weather building after mid week.

I reckon I mowed more grass for him in the rain than I did in the sun.

 

[livestock 1]

We often cut in the rain for hay so it had died off ready for the hot days

 

[glasshouse]

Another technique you don’t see much now, cut it in Medioca weather with a none condition mower and just leave it until you get three good days. It can be left for two weeks before you get those 3 days. Makes easy then when you get the weather and has the color still in it.

Thats
My preferred method especially with timothy

 

[Pond digger]

The theory is to try and preserve the colour

It’s the sun that causes bleaching surely. It’s not normally out at night.