Clover smalls

[Hoover]

Had a nice stand of red clover come up this year, I've tried round baking it in the past with no luck. Since we bought a jd 346 last year we decided to give it a try. Cut Saturday, been pushing upper 90s since. Raked with the wheel rake at 7:00 this morning and was baking by 8:00. Felt damp to my hands but the leaves were starting to crisp again. 4 acres 192 80 pounders

 

[sstterry]

Had a nice stand of red clover come up this year, I've tried round baking it in the past with no luck. Since we bought a jd 346 last year we decided to give it a try. Cut Saturday, been pushing upper 90s since. Raked with the wheel rake at 7:00 this morning and was baking by 8:00. Felt damp to my hands but the leaves were starting to crisp again. 4 acres 192 80 pounders

I don't know your area, but was it dry at 7:00 am? Also, did you tedd it?

 

[Hoover]

Not to dry, leaves didn't crunch. 2 nights ago they were crunchy, I didn't have any time to worry about it, and was green on the bottom. I don't own a tedder

 

[Son of Butch]

Sounds like you baled it too wet and should've waited or used preservative.
Leaves aren't the standard for determining moisture, if you're not going to test for moisture, you should at least do the hand twist test, which requires no equipment.

 

[sstterry]

Not to dry, leaves didn't crunch. 2 nights ago they were crunchy, I didn't have any time to worry about it, and was green on the bottom. I don't own a tedder

Do not store this inside! Wait a couple of weeks before moving into a building. I would reccomend checking the internal temp of the inside of the bales for a week or two. It can heat and combust, not worth losing a barn over. It will need time with plenty of air circulation to make sure it is safe to store in a barn or shed.

The green will most likely mold on the inside of the bale if it was baled green. Red clover takes longer to cure than grass.

In the future, rake it a second time and let the bottom of the wind rows dry out before baling.

 

[Hoover]

Obviously you didn't read my post. Not green today. Here in Kansas with the high 90s and 15 plus mile an hour winds will dry it. It was dry and I have a couple bales with temp probes. I'm not worried in the least

 

[SBMF 2015]

Great feed, but red clover is a b!tch to cure. By the time the stems are dry the leaves are falling off.

You can always roll hay damper than you can square it.

Put loose salt on those bales when you put them in the barn.

 

[Hoover]

It's prime, the old timers always say to bale clover with the dew.

 

[sstterry]

and was green on the bottom

 

[Hoover]

Ah, that was 2 nights ago. Just looked at temps, 83 degrees in the bales

 

[sim.-ang.king]

It's prime, the old timers always say to bale clover with the dew.

I don't bale in the dew, but i do usually rake clover right after sunrise. Gotta break the rollabar out to rake that!
Picking up clover bales needs to be an Olympic sport.

 

[Son of Butch]

Had a nice stand of red clover come up this year, Felt damp to my hands but the leaves were starting to crisp again. 4 acres 192 80 pounders

Obviously you didn't read my post. It was dry. I'm not worried in the least.

Obviously neither did you.
p.s.
80 pound small squares contain both a lot of hay and a lot of moisture,
you can adjust (loosen) bale compression to help avoid spoilage.

 

[BFE]

I don't bale in the dew, but i do usually rake clover right after sunrise. Gotta break the rollabar out to rake that!
Picking up clover bales needs to be an Olympic sport.

So what does picking up rained on clover bales need to be? That'll get you black boogers for days!

 

[Hoover]

Damp at 7 dry by 8. I'll keep checking them for a week or 2, if they do start to heat I'll pull them out of the barn.

 

[Hoover]

As an update, checked several bales everyday, tomorrow will make a week. Not a single bale went above 83 degrees in the stack. We topped off the barn yesterday with brome bales