Hay cutting

[hurleyjd]

I just cut 25 acres of Bahia with patches of goat weeds. I cut it with a 15 foot bat wing. Reason to beat the goat weeds to pieces so they would not clog the wheel rake. I think I may use the bat wing for all of the hay cutting. It left about 4 inch stubble and that is what look for when cutting with the other mowers. The Bahia was pretty rank and had to hold the speed pretty slow. I am baling it today.

 

[Bigfoot]

I just cut 25 acres of Bahia with patches of goat weeds. I cut it with a 15 foot bat wing. Reason to beat the goat weeds to pieces so they would not clog the wheel rake. I think I may use the bat wing for all of the hay cutting. It left about 4 inch stubble and that is what look for when cutting with the other mowers. The Bahia was pretty rank and had to hold the speed pretty slow. I am baling it today.

Post a pic, when you roll it. Used to have sevearl neighbors that cut hay with a bushhog, when I was a kid. I'd be anxious to see how it turns out.

 

[MudHog]

We have always cut with a bushhog, but ours is modified to discharge quicker. I have other family that cut with a larger bushog (multi gearbox, but not a batwing) and they never had problems. See below for videos I took this year.


Reason I want a sickle mower is to cut faster. With my 5ft bushhog, I cut at 4 mph on slightly thin grass. Thick grass and I'm in 2nd low range.


Cutting with our modified bushhog (Pardon the sideways recording. Had a brain fart and thought if I turned my phone, the video would turn too after it was already recording. That didn't work out): http://youtu.be/aiXqLmlz2Ss

My cousin raking: http://youtu.be/sutWpTRKlPA

Me baling: http://youtu.be/JY04-C6H3T8

Bale loader 1: http://youtu.be/dXfXGdSiXsg

Bale loader 2: http://youtu.be/ECLOU3Z-xWs

 

[Bigfoot]

Strikes me, as that wouldn't work for clover, but might just grass.

 

[pricefarm]

Seems like the bush hog would take longer to mower and a lot harder on he tractor than a disc mower? I agree with Bigfoot don't look like it would work for clover because the bush hog would beat it to death.

 

[Bigfoot]

The guys I remember doing it, had pull behind shredders with one side, and the back completely open. Worked for them, but I wonder if a baler would pick it up, if it shredded it very much? Idk.

 

[dixiedrifter]

Actually that bush hog is doing pretty good. What did you do, cut the side off it? One advantage I can see from using that is it works to "macerate" the stems of the grass and whatever legumes you have growing which increases drying speed. Looks like it scatters it out pretty decent too. That said I'd recommend avoiding a sickle mower if at all possible. They are finicky machines and like to clog easily if you ever hit a rat's nest or fire ant hill.

 

[MudHog]

Leftside was cut out except for the very front for a skid. Basically the blades cut and discharge immediately. Guard in the back is to block cuttings from going to far over to get recut. Cuttings are spread pretty well. To slow and you get the clumpings, but to fast and you don't get a good cut.

 

[Calhoun Farm]

Just a question, is it true that the more "stress" you put cut grass thru the more nutrients it loses? Not to mention using a bush hog to mow hay would leave very short wind rows would it not (height wise because you basically mulching the grass instead of cutting it off at the bottom)? How does your baler pick up grass chopped like that?

 

[MudHog]

Just a question, is it true that the more "stress" you put cut grass thru the more nutrients it loses? Not to mention using a bush hog to mow hay would leave very short wind rows would it not (height wise because you basically mulching the grass instead of cutting it off at the bottom)? How does your baler pick up grass chopped like that?

You still rake as normal to make a windrow for baling.

From what I've seen our bushhog with the modification doesn't chop the grass. Once the blade cuts it, the cuttings are discharged out the side. Now, with a standard bushhog, yes they would get mulched and I wouldn't see what that could be used for hay. I haven't seen a multi gearbox cutter in use though, but I know people that use it.

 

[Calhoun Farm]

Each there own I guess. I use a 8ft vicon disk mower and it's way faster than if I tried using my 6ft bush hog.

 

[slick4591]

Friend of mine bought some last year and I helped put some of it out. It was wrapped in netting as I don't see how string would hold it together. When you cut the net it would expand and create lots of dust and fall apart. I'll bet the cows didn't get to eat half the bale.

 

[hurleyjd]

Just a question, is it true that the more "stress" you put cut grass thru the more nutrients it loses? Not to mention using a bush hog to mow hay would leave very short wind rows would it not (height wise because you basically mulching the grass instead of cutting it off at the bottom)? How does your baler pick up grass chopped like that?

The baler picked the grass up very well it is wrapped with sisal twine and will be left in the pasture. Twine on 6 inch spacing. Read again as why I used the shredder. There were a lot of mature goat weeds. Have you ever tried raking goat weeds with a wheel rake. Pretty hard to keep them from balling up. I also have a vicon mower that I used this year. I had cleaned the vicon and put it away for the winter. The shredder was hooked up so I used it. The 25 acres made 91 rolls. 5 X 6.This is pasture that had got away from the cows. Now it would be nice to have more cows. But I would rather have more pasture than cows in times of drought. This place reseeds with rye grass each year another reason was to get the rank grass out of the way so the rye grass could germinate and grow.

 

[M5farm]

A lot of old timers used to cut hay with a bush hog that had the side cut off. It is slower to cut but the quality of the cut is the same.

 

[highgrit]

Well I tried my rotary mower today for cutting hay. It sucks and takes forever compared to my disc mower. But it chopped the briar up good and made them easy to rake.

 

[tnwalkingred]

I believe my new 3210 Bushhog brand mower has bolts that allow you to open up the sides. I've never used it but it might get you by in a pinch.

KW