Hay production down 40 percent

[dun]

We have one small field that we just finished, usually in the mid 20s for 5X5 bales, this year 19 4X4s. Last field to hay this year (no rain for a month) and put the baler and mower in the barn for the winter.

 

[denvermartinfarms]

I baled what is always a good thirty acre field yesterday that should have made at least 60 and i got 33. i don't think that it's to far gone that some good rains would't make another cutting.

 

[johndeerefarmer]

I just put out 8 tons of fertilizer yesterday and got .5" of rain last night, so hopefully my second cuttings will have a good start. For Texas they forecast a hot and dry June.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I finished rolling the last of my hay today. It only made about 60 percent of what it made last year. Spring came early, we had a late frost, had a lot of cool nights.

We had a very early green up and some light rains. My interseeded clover came thick like a carpet. Then some HARD frosts - - I saw low 20s and a neighbor claimed 19 F. Seemed to kill a lot of the clover and really set back the grass... Put 40# of N and 25# on S per acre on some paddocks to keep the stockers going.

What temp can a clover seeding take?

 

[Limomike]

Not being a braggart here.. but our yields were up quite a bit from last year. 80 acre field produced 575 4x5 bales, and another 13 acre field produced 62 4x5's. Best we have ever done, and that is with no fertilizing. Mostly fescue, lespedeza, vetch,some red clover, and the bermuda was about 6-8" high. Very pleased to say the least.

 

[bigbull338]

we had a 13ac field produce 36 4 by 6 bales.an that was with the cutter leaving a 3in tall coushion of grass.

 

[Limomike]

we had a 13ac field produce 36 4 by 6 bales.an that was with the cutter leaving a 3in tall coushion of grass.

BB was that because your cutter was dull or because you wanted to leave it like that?

 

[johndeerefarmer]

I cut mine 3" tall as well (coastal). It remains green after cutting and recovers that much quicker. Furthermore the last few inches are stem anyway. Also by leaving the grass taller you shade the ground from drying out so quick.

This field was cut on May 23, then raked on May 25th. If it had been "scalped" like most hay producers do it would still be brown. http://s45.photobucket.com/albums/f90/electroubleshooter/Farm/

 

[tom4018]

Not being a braggart here.. but our yields were up quite a bit from last year. 80 acre field produced 575 4x5 bales, and another 13 acre field produced 62 4x5's. Best we have ever done, and that is with no fertilizing. Mostly fescue, lespedeza, vetch,some red clover, and the bermuda was about 6-8" high. Very pleased to say the least.

How has your rainfall been? Drier than normal here cutting yields some.

 

[JSCATTLE]

My first cutting was 70 rolls on 16 acres . I grazed it until the first of April . Then cut it the second week of may . Put out 350 lbs to the acre fertalizer last Wednesday and got a half inch of rain . Looks like a bunch of rain coming this weekend for us .

 

[bigbull338]

we had a 13ac field produce 36 4 by 6 bales.an that was with the cutter leaving a 3in tall coushion of grass.

BB was that because your cutter was dull or because you wanted to leave it like that?

no the blades wasnt dull.he just forgot to lower the cutter all the way down an cutt it close.the goodthing is it gives the grass a start when it rains.

 

[Limomike]

Not being a braggart here.. but our yields were up quite a bit from last year. 80 acre field produced 575 4x5 bales, and another 13 acre field produced 62 4x5's. Best we have ever done, and that is with no fertilizing. Mostly fescue, lespedeza, vetch,some red clover, and the bermuda was about 6-8" high. Very pleased to say the least.

How has your rainfall been? Drier than normal here cutting yields some.

We got some really good spring rains.. which helped alot. I did not graze the 80 acre field last fall, so that might have helped, but I think it was just a really good spring, with good temps and rainfall.

 

[hurleyjd]

Here in my county they are now making us register all water wells, except for wells that are domestic in use (one well to provide water for a single family house only – no livestock or business use) or that only has the capacity to pump less than 40,000 gallons per day (27.77 gallons per minute). All new wells both domestic and agriculture must be approved by the Red River Ground Water Conservation District before drilling begins.
I have read that they plan on putting water meters on our wells and monitoring and maybe even charge us for our own groundwater. :???:

A new law was passed in the last session about water rights here in Texas. You own the water under your ground.

 

[JenLamb35]

We live in SE Kansas - we are cutting and baling right now and notice a significant decrease in the hay quantity and quality. We have been starved for significant rainfall for over almost 2 months. I would guesstimate that we're down about 40% on our hay production as well.

 

[dun]

We've been low on rainfall for a couple of months. According to the records May was the 8th driest May on record. JUne doesn;t look any better so far

 

[skyhightree1]

Yea... I fertilized my fields this year and I would venture to say im down atleast 50% I think there will be a huge amount of cattle around my way to flood the market since hay is so thin this year. I cut a field and bailed it 2 weeks ago I don't see any new growth at all.

 

[snickers]

we got out of the cattle business in may and we are thankful now that we did. we put out 3 clover fields this spring and its about 3 inches tall and my husband would of been so stressed that he would have bonkers worrying about the hay and pasture..we did really good on the calves, cow's in 2nd stage and the cow calf pairs..no rain in site for us for over a week and temps will be over 100.