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Sad Pictures of Hay

Ukjay

Member
Location
Wales!
Am I now joining the Grass now Fooked club due to this persistent precipitation :(

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Pan mixer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Near Colchester
Am I now joining the Grass now Fooked club due to this persistent precipitation :(

20170801_195450.jpg
20170801_195216.jpg
20170801_195130.jpg
20170801_194759.jpg
20170801_194554.jpg
Not until you cut it, that could easily be nice hay when it gets out hot.

baled mine today, 18 days, rain or showers on over half of them.

Here it is in the shed with a bale of last years (which has bleached a lot due to the light) for comparison.

IMG02348.jpg


It is nearer black than green.
 

borderterribles

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
South Shropshire
Not until you cut it, that could easily be nice hay when it gets out hot.

baled mine today, 18 days, rain or showers on over half of them.

Here it is in the shed with a bale of last years (which has bleached a lot due to the light) for comparison.

IMG02348.jpg


It is nearer black than green.
My old mate , Walter ( sadly, long deceased now) used to say, " they'll eat it when it's weathered black, a lot better'n they'll eat it when it's white through being baled t'soon":)
 

Ukjay

Member
Location
Wales!
How does one know when the grass growing in a field has come to the point of no return. By this, if I look at our fields - the grass must be 1mtr high in places, but then the top half has done its job for mother nature as has started bleaching out as the grass starts to die back I suppose, so then it will start to have less chance of standing up if the precipitation continues?

Ironically one could say it will take less time to dry after cutting, but for a layperson, how does one know when to say the time has passed for any potential hay from a field, is there any hard and fast rules to help prevent dusty worthless hay (nutrients wise, it's for horses so do not need such a hi feed content - but horses can be finicky creatures)?
 

Grassman

Member
Location
Derbyshire
How does one know when the grass growing in a field has come to the point of no return. By this, if I look at our fields - the grass must be 1mtr high in places, but then the top half has done its job for mother nature as has started bleaching out as the grass starts to die back I suppose, so then it will start to have less chance of standing up if the precipitation continues?

Ironically one could say it will take less time to dry after cutting, but for a layperson, how does one know when to say the time has passed for any potential hay from a field, is there any hard and fast rules to help prevent dusty worthless hay (nutrients wise, it's for horses so do not need such a hi feed content - but horses can be finicky creatures)?
That grass looks ok really so long as we get a bit of weather to harvest it.
The weather problems this year are nothing compared to previous years. (Last year June was terrible)
For a lot of horses that grass will be perfect. Low energy meadow grass is far more popular than seeds round here.
 

Pan mixer

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Near Colchester
I have plenty of grass like the above, I am not worried about it at all as far as quality goes, getting it dry is always the trick - I reckon that after the middle of August hay gets tricky.

As the old saying goes '15th August brings the cold dew'

Trouble is to balance the hay with the harvest etc. for me anyway. lots of combining, straw carting and so forth.
 

Ukjay

Member
Location
Wales!
That grass looks ok really so long as we get a bit of weather to harvest it.
The weather problems this year are nothing compared to previous years. (Last year June was terrible)
For a lot of horses that grass will be perfect. Low energy meadow grass is far more popular than seeds round here.

Here's hoping then :)
 

Ukjay

Member
Location
Wales!
I have plenty of grass like the above, I am not worried about it at all as far as quality goes, getting it dry is always the trick - I reckon that after the middle of August hay gets tricky.

As the old saying goes '15th August brings the cold dew'

Trouble is to balance the hay with the harvest etc. for me anyway. lots of combining, straw carting and so forth.

I suppose I am fortunate enough that my task list is not so hectic as a true farmer, but ironically my task list seems to be moving more towards a farming one, moreso when additional animals finally arrive :whistle:

It is a refreshing change to be able to learn new things like I am, morseso via experienced individuals.
 

Grassman

Member
Location
Derbyshire
I suppose I am fortunate enough that my task list is not so hectic as a true farmer, but ironically my task list seems to be moving more towards a farming one, moreso when additional animals finally arrive :whistle:

It is a refreshing change to be able to learn new things like I am, morseso via experienced individuals.
Plenty of nice young green grass in the bottom of those crops. Will make nice enough stuff.
 

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Webinar: Expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive offer 2024 -26th Sept

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On Thursday 26th September, we’re holding a webinar for farmers to go through the guidance, actions and detail for the expanded Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) offer. This was planned for end of May, but had to be delayed due to the general election. We apologise about that.

Farming and Countryside Programme Director, Janet Hughes will be joined by policy leads working on SFI, and colleagues from the Rural Payment Agency and Catchment Sensitive Farming.

This webinar will be...
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