Brush hogging mowed hay

[dun]

We have one field that we haven;t been able to finish baling. Way to wet, been rained on a couple of times, around 6 inches of rain since it was mowed. Calling for rain off and on thru sunday. I'm debating just running over it with the brush hog to turn it to basicly mulch and hoping that we'll get a second cutting in the fall.
Any opinions on the yea or nay of doing that?

Thanks

 

[Angus Cowman]

should work

 

[inyati13]

dun, can you get the blades down low enough to pick it up. I have a 6 foot bushhog brand rotary cutter that I took a couple passes through the hay field to knock down some missed strips. It would not pick it up very well.

But if it does, it is a good idea.

 

[dun]

dun, can you get the blades down low enough to pick it up. I have a 6 foot bushhog brand rotary cutter that I took a couple passes through the hay field to knock down some missed strips. It would not pick it up very well.

But if it does, it is a good idea.

I was planning on tedding it first to get it lifted some before hoggin it

 

[hawkeye78]

You will be surprised how much better the grass will grow where the swaths were bushhogged it will increase the organic matter and hold extra moisture when it gets dry again.

 

[skyhightree1]

I personally think it will cost you more fuel in the long run to go over all of it shredding and tedding it than actually baling it and getting it off the field. I don't like leaving stuff on the hay field sometimes with my experience with shredding its heavy in spots and smothers the good stuff in a particular area.

 

[dun]

I personally think it will cost you more fuel in the long run to go over all of it shredding and tedding it than actually baling it and getting it off the field. I don't like leaving stuff on the hay field sometimes with my experience with shredding its heavy in spots and smothers the good stuff in a particular area.

The biggest part of the problem is the hay isn;t drying worth spit. Baled some yesterday and the tires were wet afterwards. The ground is so soaked that the hay only dries a little on the very top. Neighbor has a silage baler and his baler wouldn;t even pick the crap up it so soggy.

 

[skyhightree1]

eww now thats a problem yea I guess shredding is the only think you can do.

 

[dun]

I forgot to throw in that the grass has grown 6-8 inches since it was mowed. We are experiencing just abot perfect fescue growth weather which means it is crappy for drying hay. We could very possibly get a second cutting this year. The first time in 10 years that has happened

 

[skyhightree1]

how long has it been raining there?

 

[dun]

how long has it been raining there?

Off and on for 2 weeks, rains a day then no rain for 2 or 3 but the humidity stays in the 80% range and the big bright orb in the sky (I've hears of it but not seen it) never comes out. Highs in the mid 60s with an occasional low 70 thrown in. Usually the warmest days are the ones it rains.

 

[bigbull338]

it wouldnt hurt to shredd it so its chopped up an mulched up.but with the rain your having it maybe mulhed up an pretty much be in the ground already.

 

[Banjo]

I think its a good idea...you don't by chance have a stalk shredder do you? That would shred it up very fine. That may be a good place for stockpiling fescue for the winter. The only problem I see is that if you try to cut it again in
a few weeks or so, you will pick up most of the old grass the next time around, unless it breaksdown really fast.
But it should still benefit the soil some.

 

[skyhightree1]

how long has it been raining there?

Off and on for 2 weeks, rains a day then no rain for 2 or 3 but the humidity stays in the 80% range and the big bright orb in the sky (I've hears of it but not seen it) never comes out. Highs in the mid 60s with an occasional low 70 thrown in. Usually the warmest days are the ones it rains.

Gotcha... I hope it dries out for you and you get that problem squared away.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I would brushog it.

 

[Jogeephus]

I would brushog it.

Ditto.

 

[1982vett]

Hard to say without seeing it....since it's already grown so much, I might just leave it be and bale it with the next cutting....assuming you don't want horse hay.