Cutting Hay

[ncboy34]

This may have been asked before but how early in the day can hay be cut? I'm talking about just cutting, not raking or baling. I usually wait till after lunch after the dew dries. Sometimes I'll start a little earlier. My reason for asking this is two fold. One, if I cut early in the day it will be cooler and two, seems that would be just that much more time to dry out. What do most of yall do?

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I believe the general consensus on this forum is to cut hay later in the day. Something about the sugar level dropping I think.

 

[bse]

I start at daylight or just whenever I get to the field.

 

[Jogeephus]

I start just as soon as the dew is dry and there is no moisture on the tire.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I start just as soon as the dew is dry and there is no moisture on the tire.

Me too.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Last time this topic came up:

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=84155

 

[bigbull338]

we start cutting hay as soon as we can get in the field.the guy that we had do the cutting this year would start cutting at 630am.an cut till about 430pm then go home for the day.but we have started at 6pm an cut till after midnite.we use disc mowers.you cant cut with a sickle mower till the dew drys.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

you cant cut with a sickle mower till the dew drys.

If you have a sharp sickle and it is adjusted properly cutting in dew is no problem. I often start cutting hay in the morning when there dew is still on, and sometimes cut into the dark after the dew has set when time dictates it.

 

[B&M Farms]

I usually start cutting mid morning. The experts say the sugar and starch levels in forage rise as the day goes along then the plant uses them at night growing. That said I guess the best time is to cut late in the afternoon but if your hay gets rained on then you just lost even more. I would rather cut early and get some drying time that first day. Here in east texas a weather forecast longer than 2 days is a crap shoot most of the time.

 

[OklaBrangusBreeder]

I start just as soon as the dew is dry and there is no moisture on the tire.

Ditto....

 

[JSCATTLE]

It's so humid here if we cut when it is dry . That would give us about 6 hours a day to cut.

 

[Caustic Burno]

It's so humid here if we cut when it is dry . That would give us about 6 hours a day to cut.

I have cut it at midnight when it was hot.
Never paid any attention to the time it was cut only when it was baled.

 

[JSCATTLE]

It's so humid here if we cut when it is dry . That would give us about 6 hours a day to cut.

I have cut it at midnight when it was hot.
Never paid any attention to the time it was cut only when it was baled.

I prefer cutting at night . I think I get a better cut when the grass is heavy . It also allows the grass to dry evenly .