How is everyone one else's hay season going? About 2/3 done here, hay seems to good. More equipment problems this year than in the last few years combined. So I guess it is still 2020......, oh well it could always be worse.
Hay season problems?
- Thread starter tom4018
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
1982vett
Well-known member
Sticky ant hills were a bit of a problem but haying went ok. It's the weed spraying that's getting off to a rough start. Pressure relief valve was stuck so I go to town to get a new one. Take the old one off and decided to try to unstick it with a screwdriver. Took very little pressure to do s I put it back on and give it a try. Seemed to work fine so I load up a load and notice a tire I aired up the day before is low. Found the valve stem dry rotted and leaking so back to town to get it fixed. Returned the relief valve while I was at it. Get back home, put the tire on and head to the far pasture. Engage the pto and find the pressure a bit weak so stop to adjust. Seems the valve is sticking again as I manage to blow a hose. Back to town for the relief valve I just returned...
I do have a wheel bearing that needs replacing on a rake before I start cutting again later this month.
I do have a wheel bearing that needs replacing on a rake before I start cutting again later this month.
As of today I'm caught up. Waiting on second cutting. Yields are good and "Mother Nature" gave me a baling window. Have a JD 660 rake and had to work over the drive somewhat. No biggie, parts cheap. The moisture and nutrients were in the ground. Once it turned off hot, grass took off.
I harped on my poor quality hay quit a bit. Ended up making 5.85 4' x 5' rolls to the acre. Last year was the best hay year of my life, and made 6.15. So........I guess looks can be deceiving.
The dealership gave me the blind hog treatment before season, but my roller never missed a beat. My brother had catastrophic failure on several pieces of equipment, and I ended up making about 150 rolls for him.
I got a couple spots of "free hay". Free hay is usually not worth cutting. I sprayed this for weeds, and put down triple 50. It wasn't super productive, but the hay made was weed free, and looked good in a roll. Made a little over 70 rolls of free hay. If it makes a second cutting, I'll be super happy.
The dealership gave me the blind hog treatment before season, but my roller never missed a beat. My brother had catastrophic failure on several pieces of equipment, and I ended up making about 150 rolls for him.
I got a couple spots of "free hay". Free hay is usually not worth cutting. I sprayed this for weeds, and put down triple 50. It wasn't super productive, but the hay made was weed free, and looked good in a roll. Made a little over 70 rolls of free hay. If it makes a second cutting, I'll be super happy.
SmokinM
Well-known member
Sounds like you made out pretty good to me Bigfoot. Fescue hay here is struggling to make 3 rolls an acre. Fantastic hay is 4 if your lucky. Another dry cold spring that appears to be headed to a dry hot summer. Hay is going to be tight here this year again. No major breakdowns yet, knock on wood, so at least I have that going for me.
Richnm
Well-known member
Like a of weeds , mustard , fox taik , wild grass, and sunflowers.
chaded
Well-known member
I can't say that I have personally had difficulties but the guy that cuts my field has. He mowed a third of it and then it got soaked with rain after tedding and raking it. It got rained on again. Then he was working on two different tractors I saw. He's cutting the rest of it now so we will see how it turns out....
Stocker Steve
Well-known member
Dry here since January. Got less than an inch of rain in May. Cool weather helped for a while but light ground has burned up already. Hay is short.
Looks like another big run of cull cows this fall. Cows are fleshing up due to high value grass. Will try to grind a couple.
Looks like another big run of cull cows this fall. Cows are fleshing up due to high value grass. Will try to grind a couple.
chevytaHOE5674
Well-known member
Dry UP here as well. Temps have been a roller coaster from 85 two days ago to 49 today. Our usual hay season is still a few weeks out. So far things are looking ok, nothing stellar that's for sure.
Hopefully turn cows out on pasture in another week or so. That'll be at least 3 weeks later than usual.
Hopefully turn cows out on pasture in another week or so. That'll be at least 3 weeks later than usual.
chaded
Well-known member
chaded said:
Well, you can now make that rained on 3 times. :lol: :x
Been tough with all of the rain and wet conditions, but first cut is almost done, only have one place left with about 30 acres that needs to be cut.
Ended up wrapping everything so far for silage, 166 alfalfa, 79 wheat, and about 50 grass/clover mix. Was just too wet and with not enough dry time to make good dry hay.
Machine wise, had some issues with the mower early on, and the dealer messed up the net roll brake adjustment on the baler when they went through and did their yearly maintenance, but good for the most part.
Ended up wrapping everything so far for silage, 166 alfalfa, 79 wheat, and about 50 grass/clover mix. Was just too wet and with not enough dry time to make good dry hay.
Machine wise, had some issues with the mower early on, and the dealer messed up the net roll brake adjustment on the baler when they went through and did their yearly maintenance, but good for the most part.
tom4018 said:
South central one county from TN. We have had a few rain free days, however, the ground is so wet we will need several rain free days just to dry out the ground or we're just mixing grass with mud. It's also green enough now that it would have to lie several days to cure, so we just can't seem to get enough dry days.
I have a friend that I always take his hay advice, and he's never failed us. He has said we shouldn't mow yet, so I haven't. On the other hand, I remember one year we cut hay one day, and he came by the next day and said it was ready to start raking about 10:00. We thought he had lost his mind, but we did it anyway. I think that was some of the best hay we ever had. It smelled great even by the time we fed it, and the cows practically licked the ground when we put it out.
Nesikep
Well-known member
no rain all spring, not a drop
Think about haying, forecast has rain nearly every day for the next 2 weeks
Today was nice, until 5pm, then it POURED for a half an hour.. I can't even get the yard mowed right, it's so wet my mower plugs up too bad
Think about haying, forecast has rain nearly every day for the next 2 weeks
Today was nice, until 5pm, then it POURED for a half an hour.. I can't even get the yard mowed right, it's so wet my mower plugs up too bad
