Sad Pictures of Hay

[Northeastfarmer]

Baled the stuff today. 54 big bales straight to the muckheap.
Just glad to see the field cleared.

Bedding?

 

[Grassman]

Bedding?

It's free to a good home!

 

[yellowbelly]

Bedding?

That's what we've done with in the past. As long as it's dry when you eventually bale it, it's 54 bales of straw that you don't need to use. IME they don't care what they sleep/sh!t on.

 

[Pan mixer]

Baled the stuff today. 54 big bales straight to the muckheap.
Just glad to see the field cleared.

Not like, of course, but exactly what this thread was for - to share the pain.

 

[v8willy]

Bedding?

Baled this for bedding in June, was grazing he cut, lay maybe 10 days, I just raked & baled....was past a week ago & it's still sitting where the baler dropped it.

 

[onthehoof]

Couldn't fit these bales on the trailer when we did our previous lot, it rained the next day and most of the next fortnight finally got them picked up yesterday.
Grass has grown well though

 

[It was already broken.]

Still waiting for summer to start here

 

[mghley]

Got plenty to cut yet,

I've been telling myself for the last 4 weeks to hold my nerve and the weather will come good ! I've never emptied the rain gauge so often.

There is green in the bottom and from experience with the right weather it could still make half decent stuff, but where the feck is the weather !!!!

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Got plenty to cut yet,

I've been telling myself for the last 4 weeks to hold my nerve and the weather will come good ! I've never emptied the rain gauge so often.

There is green in the bottom and from experience with the right weather it could still make half decent stuff, but where the feck is the weather !!!!

You must have big balls

 

[DB67]

Got the last of the winter feed baled today. No hay this year, but managed a couple of fields of haylage this week. Now onto straw!

 

[mghley]

Not so much big balls as no choice, we haven't had 3 decent days in a row for the last 6 weeks !

 

[Deere342]

Not so much big balls as no choice, we haven't had 3 decent days in a row for the last 6 weeks !

You will get there, still waiting for the weather here too, along with everyone else. Discussed it with an older farmer this morning. Latest they ever made hay was October. Not going to panic until September (which is the latest I've ever made it). I am cutting meadows though not rye grass.

 

[JPB]

 

[wr.]

I ted and bale our horsey neighbour's 4 acres every year after they get it mowed. (Our mower won't fit through their gate) Back in June, she sold about 200 bales of last year's beautiful meadow hay, "To make room for this year's crop." I just mentioned that she hadn't had this year's crop yet and she had a little chuckle and muttered something along the lines of Oh,ye of little faith!
"This year's crop" which as yet has not been mowed, is flat on the floor and growing up through again.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

I ted and bale our horsey neighbour's 4 acres every year after they get it mowed. (Our mower won't fit through their gate) Back in June, she sold about 200 bales of last year's beautiful meadow hay, "To make room for this year's crop." I just mentioned that she hadn't had this year's crop yet and she had a little chuckle and muttered something along the lines of Oh,ye of little faith!
"This year's crop" which as yet has not been mowed, is flat on the floor and growing up through again.

Hay in the barn is better than money in the bank

 

[wr.]

Hay in the barn is better than money in the bank

I started to write that at the end of my post and then deleted it. Glad you put it in

 

[Ukjay]

Well,

Trying a couple of acres to see if it dries ok. Frikin forecast is so unreliable at present, thought give some a go:

Fingers crossed!!

 

[Goweresque]

Well,

Trying a couple of acres to see if it dries ok. Frikin forecast is so unreliable at present, thought give some a go:

Fingers crossed!!

It'll dry quickly, if the few margins I mowed on Thursday is anything to go by. Doesn't take much when the grass is old, there's nothing much in the stem, just general dampness from the rain. A bit of wind and its good to go.

 

[Ukjay]

It'll dry quickly, if the few margins I mowed on Thursday is anything to go by. Doesn't take much when the grass is old, there's nothing much in the stem, just general dampness from the rain. A bit of wind and its good to go.

As this is a first time experience for us, how many times would be normal to turn as an indication, plus - how or what is a good indication that the grass is dry enough to bale?

 

[multi power]

As this is a first time experience for us, how many times would be normal to turn as an indication, plus - how or what is a good indication that the grass is dry enough to bale?

Turn it once it's dry on top, the more you turn it the quicker it will dry , so probably twice a day, it's ready to bale when it's totally dry