Hay height

[dun]

What's the minimum height you would cut for hay?

 

[upfrombottom]

It depends on the variety of grass. I cut and baled some bermuda this year as short as 8 inches. The leases I have state that I have to cut it twice a year, I can clip it or bale it, its up to me, but it has to be cut before June 30th and September 30th. Because of this I try to determine if it is cost effective to bale or just clip it and get a better stand the next cutting. I will cut and bale Johnsongrass as short as 24 inches according to how thick it is and how much rain it has had. As dry as it has been this year I've seen people baling weeds that haven't even been clipped in several years. I'm not knocking them in the least, you do what you have to do to survive.

 

[cfpinz]

What's the minimum height you would cut for hay?

Didn't measure it, but it must be pretty short for me.

I baled 43 acres of 2nd year orchard grass/clover/alfalfa mix on Saturday, wound up with a whopping 30 5x4 rolls. But it was some gorgeous stuff, though. :roll: The fields of fescue/red top/native are turning out between 1.5 to 2 rolls per acre, please keep in mind we had an extremely droughty July thru September. All you folks that love that orchard grass can have it, everything I reseed from here on out is going to be KY 31.

 

[1982vett]

Might be better to think in terms of tons per acre rather than bales since bale size and weights vary so much.

I've got some bluestem that is waist high but since it has rained very little since July (when it cut about 3 tons an acre) it probably wouldn't make a ton now. Not going to bother with cutting it. The last rains produced nothing much more than seed heads. I did cut some 3/4 ton per acre bermuda three weeks ago that was last cut in July. I cut it only to get rid of the top in hopes of getting some rain that I might be able to get some ryegrass growing on it. Since it hasn't rained in forever and a day I'll be hauling it back out pretty soon.

 

[cfpinz]

Might be better to think in terms of tons per acre rather than bales since bale size and weights vary so much.

Roughly 800lbs/roll.

 

[1982vett]

Might be better to think in terms of tons per acre rather than bales since bale size and weights vary so much.

Roughly 800lbs/roll.

:nod:

Mine are around 1000 lbs


and AC's are around 18,000 lbs............... give or take

He can get the whole patch in one bale..... :lol2:

 

[Angus Cowman]

Might be better to think in terms of tons per acre rather than bales since bale size and weights vary so much.

Roughly 800lbs/roll.

:nod:

Mine are around 1000 lbs


and AC's are around 18,000 lbs............... give or take

He can get the whole patch in one bale..... :lol2:

Don't recall ever saying my bales were anywhere close to that heavy
I have always said mine run between a 1000 and 1200lbs

 

[Angus Cowman]

baled some last week that was about a ft tall bermuda and crabgrass and a couple of patches of Johnson grass that was pretty good
but in total 6 acres made 4 1/2 bales
this was 3rd time I cut it this yr last cutting was 3 1/2 bales per acre in early July, first cutting was 7 bales per acre

another field I cut for just the 2nd time didn't do to bad 19 acres made 65 bales
and was working on a 54 acre field for 2nd cut when discbine broke cut about 25-30 acres of it and it has made 85 bales so around 3 bales per acre

supposed to get my discbine back tomorrow and gonna try to get the rest mowed sometime this week

 

[dun]

baled some last week that was about a ft tall bermuda and crabgrass and a couple of patches of Johnson grass that was pretty good
but in total 6 acres made 4 1/2 bales
this was 3rd time I cut it this yr last cutting was 3 1/2 bales per acre in early July, first cutting was 7 bales per acre

another field I cut for just the 2nd time didn't do to bad 19 acres made 65 bales
and was working on a 54 acre field for 2nd cut when discbine broke cut about 25-30 acres of it and it has made 85 bales so around 3 bales per acre

supposed to get my discbine back tomorrow and gonna try to get the rest mowed sometime this week

This field is KY31 with a mix of grease grass and some broomsedge and lots of clover. The fescue is around 8 inches tall. It;s one of those fields that can;t be grazed because of water avaialbility after we start getting freezgin nights. The back hay field will be grazed starting in a day or so, but it vcan;t be grazed after we start getting the freeszing crap either. May just run the weaned calves up to the front hay field and let them graze it till they leave.

 

[Jogeephus]

Unless I'm really needing the hay I'm not going to cut any field if I can't get at least 3 rolls per acre.

 

[Angus Cowman]

Unless I'm really needing the hay I'm not going to cut any field if I can't get at least 3 rolls per acre.

I am usually the same way but with no water in july and august and then a couple rains in Sept. and now nothing for 20 days and nothing in the forecast i decided to go ahead and mow these might be needing it next month the way things are looking
the ones that made the least hay are some I just needed to clean up or brushog down as I can't graze them
if it was alot more acreage I wouldn't of baled these either but since it was just a few acres and I was going thru I went ahead

 

[dun]

Unless I'm really needing the hay I'm not going to cut any field if I can't get at least 3 rolls per acre.

I am usually the same way but with no water in july and august and then a couple rains in Sept. and now nothing for 20 days and nothing in the forecast i decided to go ahead and mow these might be needing it next month the way things are looking
the ones that made the least hay are some I just needed to clean up or brushog down as I can't graze them
if it was alot more acreage I wouldn't of baled these either but since it was just a few acres and I was going thru I went ahead

I'm wondering how well just twine will hold together those short grass bales or if I should go a head and net wrap them.

 

[Angus Cowman]

I'm wondering how well just twine will hold together those short grass bales or if I should go a head and net wrap them.

Dun
we have fed a couple of these bales that I baled last week I don't know if twine will hold very good or not
I do know thta when I cut the net they just seem to explode
I had one on the dew eze and by the time I got back in the truck there wasn't anything left on the rollers it was all over th ground with the cows knocking it with their heads it just exploded

 

[dun]

I'm wondering how well just twine will hold together those short grass bales or if I should go a head and net wrap them.

Dun
we have fed a couple of these bales that I baled last week I don't know if twine will hold very good or not
I do know thta when I cut the net they just seem to explode
I had one on the dew eze and by the time I got back in the truck there wasn't anything left on the rollers it was all over th ground with the cows knocking it with their heads it just exploded

That's what I was thinking. I guess I'll pass on baling it and hopefully be able to graze some of it real early in the spring to get it down before it starts really growing for haying.

 

[Stocker Steve]

This field is KY31 with a mix of grease grass and some broomsedge and lots of clover. The fescue is around 8 inches tall. It;s one of those fields that can;t be grazed because of water avaialbility after we start getting freezgin nights. The back hay field will be grazed starting in a day or so, but it vcan;t be grazed after we start getting the freeszing crap either. May just run the weaned calves up to the front hay field and let them graze it till they leave.

Some folks love to drive the tractor, but it is hard to financially justify baling a good crop, much less a short one.
I have left 18 to 24" in the field. The only problem is you can get snow mold that will kill off the clover in this county.
Open the gates and let um eat it or compost it or both.

 

[johndeerefarmer]

Since I cut my coastal bermuda higher than most (I try to leave it 2-3" tall) I wouldn't cut it at 8" unless I was short of hay. I prefer coastal 18" and at about 5 weeks old.