Sad Pictures of Hay

[Pan mixer]

View attachment 553316
This was last year.
All this talk of hay is nonsense, 4 out of the last 5 years has been a struggle to get silage let alone hay, so just shove it all in the pit, and what doesn't fit in, wrap it, simple.

That is more the sort of picture we need on this thread.

 

[Clever Dic]

Are you mowing much? I will make a decision tomorrow.

Think I will knock more down tomorrow.
2nd cut and Westerwolds don't improve with age when ready.

 

[Pan mixer]

Think I will knock more down tomorrow.
2nd cut and Westerwolds don't improve with age when ready.

That is what I thought last Friday, they don't improve with rain every other day either.

 

[Clever Dic]

Field from last year.

 

[Northeastfarmer]

View attachment 553316
This was last year.
All this talk of hay is nonsense, 4 out of the last 5 years has been a struggle to get silage let alone hay, so just shove it all in the pit, and what doesn't fit in, wrap it, simple.

You're in Wales....it's always wet....

 

[spin cycle]

Think I will knock more down tomorrow.
2nd cut and Westerwolds don't improve with age when ready.

have you not seen the forecast

 

[Grassman]

have you not seen the forecast

Tomorrow is poor but Monday and Tuesday is better

 

[Goweresque]

Tomorrow is poor but Monday and Tuesday is better

But poor again Wednesday..........not sure if I could chance mowing Sunday and hoping to get it by close of Tuesday.......

 

[Grassman]

But poor again Wednesday..........not sure if I could chance mowing Sunday and hoping to get it by close of Tuesday.......

No. Unfortunately tomorrow looks rubbish. It's pouring with rain now here. Another week lost!

 

[glasshouse]

Serious question. Why do people bother with, and put such high value in hay. Surely since he advent of plastic and high performance grass mixtures, Haylage or dry silage is the way to go. Two cuts instead of one of dead rubbish with little feed value.
Graze it hard and buy some nice straw if it's belly fill you need.

But the true gambler prefers making hay.
And too mean to wrap it, let the sun do the work.

 

[Devil's advocate]

But the true gambler prefers making hay.
And too mean to wrap it, let the sun do the work.

I agree wrapped haylage is expensive & boring. Nothing easy is fun & the satifaction of good hay is immense. Sorry on this thread but I've some lovely stuff & keep going in the barn to sniff it & admire the green colour. Still got 4 acre to cut though, plan is mow Sunday night & bale Tuesday afternoon, mostly likely round bale & wrap.

Neighbours do seem to enjoy when I get some spoilt, "Its an ill wind that blows no good,".

 

[Pan mixer]

I agree wrapped haylage is expensive & boring. Nothing easy is fun & the satifaction of good hay is immense. Sorry on this thread but I've some lovely stuff & keep going in the barn to sniff it & admire the green colour. Still got 4 acre to cut though, plan is mow Sunday night & bale Tuesday afternoon, mostly likely round bale & wrap.

Neighbours do seem to enjoy when I get some spoilt, "Its an ill wind that blows no good,".

It is always nice to amuse the characters next door.

Having said that I risked it earlier and also have one barn full of nice stuff, theirs is busy going old in the field still.

 

[Goweresque]

But the true gambler prefers making hay.
And too mean to wrap it, let the sun do the work.

You're absolutely right, there is a real sense of risk and gambling in hay making. The shall I shan't I decision to mow, the compulsive looking at the weather forecast every few hours once you have mowed, the thrill of beating the weather, of getting your hay in just before the heavens open, the desolation when the weather beats you and your field of nearly ready hay gets a dousing. If haymaking was just a process, do X, do Y, do Z, job done, I don't think it would have the same allure somehow.

And at least with haymaking the gambler can beat the weather the majority of the time, which is more than can be said for most gambling establishments.........

 

[Devil's advocate]

You're absolutely right, there is a real sense of risk and gambling in hay making. The shall I shan't I decision to mow, the compulsive looking at the weather forecast every few hours once you have mowed, the thrill of beating the weather, of getting your hay in just before the heavens open, the desolation when the weather beats you and your field of nearly ready hay gets a dousing. If haymaking was just a process, do X, do Y, do Z, job done, I don't think it would have the same allure somehow.

And at least with haymaking the gambler can beat the weather the majority of the time, which is more than can be said for most gambling establishments.........

Totally agree & as a potato & field veg grower without irrigation. Looking after the hay free's my mind from the stress of worrying about droughts.

 

[Wooly]

Send the rain to this area.......hay making has never been so easy !

Just wish we had more grass to make some more.

 

[glasshouse]

You're absolutely right, there is a real sense of risk and gambling in hay making. The shall I shan't I decision to mow, the compulsive looking at the weather forecast every few hours once you have mowed, the thrill of beating the weather, of getting your hay in just before the heavens open, the desolation when the weather beats you and your field of nearly ready hay gets a dousing. If haymaking was just a process, do X, do Y, do Z, job done, I don't think it would have the same allure somehow.

And at least with haymaking the gambler can beat the weather the majority of the time, which is more than can be said for most gambling establishments.........

And there is a certain pleasure in doing something the experts frown upon.
Nothing like a cloud of dust rising off the baler against a setting sun as the last few rows get gobbled up.
And a pint after.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Just to amuse you a little, not seen a sledge like that in years, interesting music.

 

[glasshouse]

Like this.
Its 2016 and its straw but you get my drift.

 

[Devil's advocate]

Very impressive, but gosh the cost

This one makes it look easy

 

[Goweresque]

Very impressive, but gosh the cost

This one makes it look easy

Glad to see they all have Hi Viz vests...........