Just waiting on a few Sunny Days........

[Nowland Farms]

Sitting here watching the rain for the last several days. I'm waiting on 4 or 5 clear sunny days in the high 70s or 80s so we can cut the hay.

This year instead of "borrowing" the neighbors hay equipment and baleing it myself, I decided to let a neighbor about 2 miles down the road bale it. The neighbor cuts hay for a lot of folks around and is very well though of. He and his crew will use his own equipment to cut, fluff, rake and bale the hay for only $10 a 5x4 round bale.

Considering the price of Diesel fuel and the price of twine are the main reasons that I decided to let the neighbor cut the hay. I feel like I'm giving up a bit of the control but, I just couldn't see me baleing the hay for less than $10 because I would of had to take several days off from my 8 to 5 job. This way I will take of 1/2 day the day he bales to get it up and put in the barn.

I'll let you know how it turns out.........

 

[msscamp]

Good luck with your hay, Rod.

 

[cfpinz]

10$ a roll is cheap, really cheap. I don't see how he covers his expenses doing it for that price.

 

[Beefy]

ive been watching the rain too. watching it go all around us.

 

[PaMike]

I have enough hay to last next winter so I am thinking of having my neighbor do all my haying. He will do everything for a 70% cut. I can get some extra hay with no more out of pocket expenses...

 

[AngusLimoX]

Well cutting hay is almost 2 months off for us but having someone take it off sure is becoming the smart thing to do. 10$ a roll even in Canuckle bucks is a great price. Sit there and have a few beers while your hay is made!

In a few more years I will have to re-equip and if there is any question about it I will not be buying iron.

Good Luck!

 

[Nowland Farms]

Since I only have a small herd of cattle, I can not make the numbers work out to purchase new or used "haying equipment". The last several years I have bartered with the neighbor to use her equipment to bale my own hay. She has a few horses and raises 250-300 round bales of hay per year. I help her with her hay and in return I can use her equipment. It works out very well. Since she is an older single woman I usually help her with the heavy stuff like setting post, gate post, etc

As far as the hay, there are several guys around here who custom bale for the $10 - $15 range. This year the neighbor will also hire one of the guys to cut, fluff, rake and bale. The only thing we will have to do is get it out of the field into the barn. Shouldn't be a problem. I have a hay fork on the back of my tractor, new spear (that I made) for the front and the truck an 24 gooseneck trailer.

I'm watching the weather, looks like this week should be good to cut hay. The only day is Wednesday and they keep changing the weather forecast in my direction. Friday they were calling for rain on Tuesday & Wednesday, a bit ago I watched the weather and there is no rain for Mon or Tues, chance of scattered showers Wed, no rain for Thu through Sunday.

 

[Nowland Farms]

Well rain today so I'm glad we do not have hay cuttings laying on the ground. I'm waiting to next week looks like 5 clear sunny days. Got fingers crossed.

 

[DoubleK]

Well rain today so I'm glad we do not have hay cuttings laying on the ground. I'm waiting to next week looks like 5 clear sunny days. Got fingers crossed.

Good luck! What kind of hay are you cutting?

Also, be careful mentioning the 8 to 5 job, someone might call you a hobby farmer. Just kidding, I know exactly how you feel and $10 a bale is really good price.


Dub

 

[alabama]

Ten bucks a roll is great. If I could get mine done for that I would sell all my hay equipment.
It looks like they are calling for showers this weekend so I have my sights set on Monday to knock down a few acres. My fescue is just about overgrown but no since to get it rained on.

 

[Calman]

Nowland Farms if you're getting tired of the rain just send it on over to texas.

Cal

 

[Nowland Farms]

Dub, the hay that I trying to get cut is MaxQ Fescue. I like Alabama have fescue that is getting big. Should've been cut last week or so, but Mother Nature picks the times I cut hay.

Cal, my friend, it I could share rain with you Guys I would. I know ya'll have been hurting bad. We usually have all the rain we want in the spring summer but have a dry fall. This past fall we didn't get but 3/4" of rain from Sept 1 unti Nov 15.

 

[Calman]

Rod, you're a good man. Just started raining here 08:30.

Thanks Cal

 

[DoubleK]

Thanks Nowland

We have some MaxQ here in Missouri but, its not even close to being ready yet. I cut some last year after it had been combined and my cows didn't like it much. It looked good going in the bale. I am trying to find some to do early on the shares this year and to date, have not been successfull.

Is the best time to cut it just as it boots?


Dub

 

[TheBullLady]

$10 a roll is really cheap.. the guy that bought our lease place was quoted $20 a roll for hay this year.

The trick is you have to really check the bales. A lot of the guys around here like to make the bales as loose as they can.. so when you try and haul them down the road, all the hay blows out. More bales = more $$

 

[DoubleK]

Hello Nowland Farms

Any update on your hay?


Just been wondering how you got along.


Dub

 

[Nowland Farms]

Dub, Was all set to cut today but weather calling for 30% chance of rain tomorrow. Will make a decision to cut tomorrow morning,

Cutting fescue this time of year is difficult since it seems to rain every 3 or 4 days.

I'll keep you updated when something happens.

Please LORD, let us have dry days and nights for the rest of this week.

 

[Bluestem]

Dub, Was all set to cut today but weather calling for 30% chance of rain tomorrow. Will make a decision to cut tomorrow morning,

Cutting fescue this time of year is difficult since it seems to rain every 3 or 4 days.

I'll keep you updated when something happens.

Please LORD, let us have dry days and nights for the rest of this week.

In Alabama, amen.

 

[Nowland Farms]

Update -

Well folks I decided earlier this week to wait on cutting the hay because my gut feeling was just not right about the weather conditions. Yesterday I was having second thoughts and kicking myself because it was so nice here, weather bright and sunny in the low 80s.

Today however was a little different story, I woke up to clouds and began to think I may have made the correct decision. This afternoon my previous gut feelings turned out to be correct, we had 1/4" at last count. Attached is a picture of a double rainbow that I took this afternoon about a mile or so from the farm when I stopped to fill the truck up. If you look closely you can see the 2nd rainbow to the left and above the main rainbow. The 2nd rainbow does not show up as well as it did in person.

Oh well, there is always next week.

 

[Cabo]

Rod, there are lots of us in the same boat. Just waiting for a promise of a few dry days. Just wish that the fescue wasn't maturing so fast.