Potential Rained on Hay

[bird dog]

It makes good roll out material. I have 45 acres laying on the ground of oats, rye grass and crimson clover. It was fertilized late, stayed green and is pretty good. The big wind today is drying it out.

I have 30 acres laying on the ground of oats and native rye grass and some weeds. It is not very good. Like yours I had to get it off the pasture so I plan to use it as roll out hay where my grass is thin. It may be a good product for when it is muddy. Roll it out and let the cows nibble around on it and stomp it in. I have been rolling out hay for three years now on this old cruddy place and with the good moisture this year, it has really paid off.

 

[1982vett]

I recall having some course Bermuda get rained on for a while. Musta been around 2007 or 8. Rolled it up to clean the patch and stored it by a fence. Cows didn't like it at all so I eventually used it as gully plugs. Summer of 2011 the cows cleaned it up.

 

[TexFarmer]

I'm on the fence big time and keep hoping, like we all do. So just now I walked out the door and the temp is only 70F but the humidity made me feel like I was back on the Tx. Gulf Coast. No way would anything cure with this humidity besides as you say, puddles of water standing, clay making balls.....no way you could get a cutter to cut it without getting mud clogged. I really think I will be writing off making anything off this mess and then comes the problem if what to do with it.....really doubt I could get all of it incorporated into the soil....but it would be nice enrichment for my clay.

The 10 day forecast is now showing only 10-20% rain chances between now and next Tuesday. I'm really debating if it's worth trying to cut some or all tonight and hope that it has enough time to dry.

 

[Texasmark]

I'm on the fence big time and keep hoping, like we all do. So just now I walked out the door and the temp is only 70F but the humidity made me feel like I was back on the Tx. Gulf Coast. No way would anything cure with this humidity besides as you say, puddles of water standing, clay making balls.....no way you could get a cutter to cut it without getting mud clogged. I really think I will be writing off making anything off this mess and then comes the problem if what to do with it.....really doubt I could get all of it incorporated into the soil....but it would be nice enrichment for my clay.

The 10 day forecast is now showing only 10-20% rain chances between now and next Tuesday. I'm really debating if it's worth trying to cut some or all tonight and hope that it has enough time to dry.

I cut a test strip yesterday afternoon. Cutter will be gnawing grass this AM......."Damn the Torpedoes, full steam ahead".....Patrick Henry as I recall.

 

[Texasmark]

I recall having some course Bermuda get rained on for a while. Musta been around 2007 or 8. Rolled it up to clean the patch and stored it by a fence. Cows didn't like it at all so I eventually used it as gully plugs. Summer of 2011 the cows cleaned it up.

Similar situations. I figure it rots/ferments and turns to whiskey and they get drunk on it and have a grand old time. Grin

 

[Texas Gal]

hay guy is cutting our past it's prime ryegrass,vetch and clover as I type. weather liars say no rain til Tuesday- that's best forecast for making hay we've had all month.

 

[TexFarmer]

I cut a test strip yesterday afternoon. Cutter will be gnawing grass this AM......."be nice the Torpedoes, full steam ahead".....Patrick Henry as I recall.

I ended up cutting my field Thursday afternoon and baled it up today. I only have an old disc mower, no tedder, but at 1:00 this afternoon I went out to check on how things were doing and all the mowed down grass went crackle crackle in my hands so I decided to rake it up and bale it. We've had high 80's sun and a lot of wind since I cut. Did you get yours rolled up yet?

 

[Texasmark]

I cut a test strip yesterday afternoon. Cutter will be gnawing grass this AM......."be nice the Torpedoes, full steam ahead".....Patrick Henry as I recall.

I ended up cutting my field Thursday afternoon and baled it up today. I only have an old disc mower, no tedder, but at 1:00 this afternoon I went out to check on how things were doing and all the mowed down grass went crackle crackle in my hands so I decided to rake it up and bale it. We've had high 80's sun and a lot of wind since I cut. Did you get yours rolled up yet?

I did and made over twice as much as I ever made from that field of Tall Fescue, some Rye, and clover. Couldn't even get in with the rake. Had run the tedder over it a couple of times and just ran the baler into the field and started baling. After things cleared out somewhat, got the rake in and finished it up.

I put a new high pressure relief valve on my baler after last season and bale pressure was averaging 2800# where it had been running 1500# range...that plus the bale count. With tight bales they should store outdoors much better. Raking the next field and probably will bale this afternoon. Can't believe gonna make a crop after all.

 

[hurleyjd]

Right on with the humidity check. Sometimes I forget that important element. Doing my best to control the itches. Haven't hooked up the equipment as yet to help in calming the annual urge to get at it too soon. This week is looking really great but checking out Sat. Sun. Mon. more water so gotta wait.

Where are you at or close too? I need to hook the mower up and either tighten belts or get new ones, wasn't happy with the transfer of power last time, which was the first time for this mower. What weather app are you , or anyone else using? I've used Intellicast for years, and was extremely happy with it, then they merged with weather underground and I cant get any decent results. I have the weather channel on my phone for now ,but I don't trust it yet.

I'm NE of Dallas, Leonard area. On the weather info, I have 5 sites in my Favorites Window, 3 of which are WU, one Nat. W. Serv., and The Weather channel which posts as "weather.com". I browse all of them and now use weather.com for my 10 day forecast. Want more info on a particular day, like humidity, click on that day and it will expand.

I like the WU station's reports close to the farm but really miss Intellicast as it used to be. Really liked the Loop function on the radar image and was lost without it till I added NWS which has lots of Loop functions...perfect.

I went to weather.com and for Yantis Texas it does not give a day in June that is not having a chance of rain. Just think one more month and the fourth of July. Year pretty close to 1/2 over. I have thoughts of selling all cows and baling no hay and buying enough of wildflower seeds to seed all of off the land and let nature stock it as it sees fit.

 

[Texasmark]

It's in the barns. It's all done, had dust while baling, ran a temp probe in the bales the next morning... temp right at ambient 80*. Stuck the probe under my arm pit to check if it was working...yepper 100*. Never ever would have thought it would happen but it did. Fields were so thick that after baling I came back immediately with tedder and that no doubt saved the day. Was so thick that I had to just dive into the pastures with the baler with no raking to thin things out so I could rake it. Still pinching myself...it's a dream.

 

[1982vett]

will be crying for rain by next week..... :nod:

 

[snoopdog]

We got what we cut up, with a little help from the neighbor,had problems, will never try again in May unless there is no rain in the forecast. Our hay needs HOT weather to cure.