fluffing hay

[Outrigger2]

if you cut hay on monday, bermuda with johnson grass, and fluffed it this afternoon, would you fluff it again prior to raking and bailing?

 

[Jogeephus]

Depends on how dry the hay is. If its fairly dry, it can dry a lot in windrows prior to baling.

 

[Outrigger2]

it was a little humid tues, but today the humidity was lower. the hay was kind of thin to start with....we are going to put the hay in large square bales. it needs to be about 18-20% moisture.

 

[Outrigger2]

no i am not blessed with that ability, but others i work with are always right no matter what you tell them.

 

[Outrigger2]

thanks AB.

 

[msscamp]

if you cut hay on monday, bermuda with johnson grass, and fluffed it this afternoon, would you fluff it again prior to raking and bailing?

I have no knowledge of baling bermuda, but unless it's been rained on and you're trying to get it dry for baling, why would you fluff at all? Why not just let it lay for a few days until it's dry on top, then rake?

 

[Outrigger2]

i am not worried about the bermuda drying. it is the johnson grass that i keep being told isn't dry enough, which for some reason i can not see why. the person in charge of the bailing wants to spend 4-5 hrs tedding the hay, and then start raking the hay. it seems like a waste of time and man hours to go over the field twice. i guess i wondering if raking will dry the sufficiently before bailing. it is very fustrating doing hay with this person.

 

[Cabo]

I like Johnson grass and Bermuda, but not in the same field, by the time that you get the Johnson grass dry the Bermuda will be brittle. If you think the baler is gouging you, do the microwave test and see if it is dry but he may be trying to save you much misery down the road.

 

[Outrigger2]

it is misery the whole way down the road :roll:

 

[flaboy?]

What I do is fluff it next morning after cutting when the dew is gone. Then that afternoon if it is really thick or not much sun. Depending on how fast it dries I almost always fluff just prior to wind rowing due to the ground being damp and the bottom of the grass will most likely be damp down here unless we are in a drought which are not in currently.

 

[Outrigger2]

spent 7 hrs in the field for 31 big square bales.2 bales/acre. the hay is so thin, that when it was getting tedded for the second time, i couldn't see hay just dust. the johnsongrass will have to be tedded again. only 40 more acres. :mad: :mad:

 

[flaboy?]

Did the 7 hours include cutting, fluffing, wind rowing, and baling? If so that's better than I can do with my old worn out equipment.

 

[Outrigger2]

no cutting. it was done mon and tues. thursday was fluffing, raking bailing and stacking. we will have a repeat today. oh and the baler also caught fire and now we have a flat tire. what a day!!!!!!!! :x :x :x

 

[flaboy?]

no cutting. it was done mon and tues. thursday was fluffing, raking bailing and stacking. we will have a repeat today. oh and the baler also caught fire and now we have a flat tire. what a day!!!!!!!! :x :x :x

Sorry the here that. I went and bought a fire extinguisher and put on mine over the winter. Didn't want to risk it.

 

[Outrigger2]

a big flame came out at the fly wheel. the operator of the tractor did not release the flywheel brake. we put the fire out and kept on bailing

 

[flaboy?]

a big flame came out at the fly wheel. the operator of the tractor did not release the flywheel brake. we put the fire out and kept on bailing

Sounds like a square baler?

 

[Outrigger2]

a large square baler 4x5x6 sorry. they weigh about 1200-1400#