Second cutting hay

[rattler]

I figurue that a lot of you are done with second cutting but we are just about to finish up with the first cutting and if we dont get some rain they aint gonna be a second cutting for us.We are 9 in down on rain fall for the year i was just wondering how everybody else was doing.

rattler

 

[bandit80]

We have had a fairly wet spring and early summer thus far. Don't know as far as how many inches above normal we are. Normally, we have almost all of our cool season grasses baled, have barely got a good start so far. Only get about 2-3 days inbetween rains. Looks like we might be dry from now through next weekend. Pastures are in great shape from all the rain. Don't think we'll have to put out any hay until winter. Last year at this time, we were drying out very fast. Row crops look excellent, as long as it isn't bottom ground. Alot of that has flooded out, but there isn't much bottom ground in my area.

Hay yields have been good to excellent, just need a stretch of dry weather to get it mowed and baled. Our first cutting of alfalfa was about 3 weeks late in getting baled. It yielded really well, (64 5 x 5 1/2 bales off of 23 acres) but I'm sure quality was pretty low.

 

[bigbull338]

we havent cut the 1st cutting yet.necause we are waiting on the custom baler to show up.an start cutting.dont know how far beind he is.but we are still getting some rain.the 60acs is so thick its prolly laying down.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Second cutting next week if we quit getting thunder boomers every evening.

 

[alabama]

Second cutting next week if we quit getting thunder boomers every evening.

I am still waiting for some rain to get a cutting in one field.

 

[Wewild]

It is a whole lot different here this year than last. It still ain't good. We ended the winter with about a 25% surplus.

Had to buy 120 bales to get to a break even point. We got maybe another 120 we can cut and bale if it rains. We like to keep a buffer. This isn't the first time we have bought hay in my life time because of dry times.

I thought we would have been in better shape this year. You can't be on the bad side forever. We will get our's sometime and we will still be here.

 

[LaneFarms]

We are still atleast two weeks away from our first cutting. Should be working on the second cutting already.

 

[rattler]

It is a whole lot different here this year than last. It still ain't good. We ended the winter with about a 25% surplus.

Had to buy 120 bales to get to a break even point. We got maybe another 120 we can cut and bale if it rains. We like to keep a buffer. This isn't the first time we have bought hay in my life time because of dry times.

I thought we would have been in better shape this year. You can't be on the bad side forever. We will get our's sometime and we will still be here.

As of now we got 285 roll's with one more feild to get up that will be small square's proubly about 400 we hope.

rattler

 

[hillrancher]

We just finished with first cutting Friday. Have had the most rain in history for June had 3 inches last night and today. We need about 120 rolls because we had 380 left over from last year. We have bailed 262. an will have a second cutting, will have to cut it because have land leased for hay and cannot pasture it. There is so much hay around here we cannot get the bailing bill out of it. It is not a good quality hay. May need it next year not complaining just 2 year ago everyone need hay.

 

[mnmtranching]

Going to start on the grass hay tomorrow. We've had some rain this year, a little more for us would have been nice. Looks to be a decent crop.

 

[rattler]

Going to start on the grass hay tomorrow. We've had some rain this year, a little more for us would have been nice. Looks to be a decent crop.

mnm good to hear you are gonna have a decent hay crop we been getting a little rain scince last night we got 7th of a inch after today they say it's gonna dry up till weekend.

rattler

 

[MoGal]

If they didn't combine the fescue seed, many cut hay about 3 weeks ago. We finally dried out and every farmer around was so busy planting and haying I'm sure it looked like an ant farm if you could have seen it from the skies.

Our 2nd year alfalfa field has done well. Probably this week we'll get our 2nd cutting. Many have already done theirs but ours should be ready this week.

There's so much hay around here, fescue hay that is, that hopefully prices will be down this winter for folks that need it.
There's abundant fescue seed and last year it was 52 cents and this year its 38 cents.

the wheat field is getting combined this week and I hope we've got clover under that and lots of it...... hopefully we'll get a cutting of clover hay later on.

 

[Jogeephus]

Haven't got the first one yet. Seems grass won't grow without rain. This is not going to be a very good year but at least I'm saving money on diesel.

 

[mitch2]

We finished 1st crop last week. Two weeks behind normal years. We have had a lot of rain, and WAY cooler temps than normal. As soon as the forecast had looked decent, we mowed. Alfalfa was at about 15% bud, so that was looking good for us, it was thick, but not as tall, and had really started to lodge bad. 1st crop was off normal years about 1+ bale/acre. We did get it up without any rain on it (YEAH)! And since then only a few VERY light showers, we could use a good soaker. Only now, we mowed the oats yesterday on the new seeding. So I Don't really want a soaker yet! Jeez, I'm picky!

Michele

 

[Jogeephus]

Mitch2, sounds like you got lucky getting it up without it getting rained on. I'm afraid when and if I ever get to cut some hay the monsoon season will kick into gear. Got too much money in it for it to be rained on.

Oh, about the cool summer. We were just talking about that ourselves this weekend. Though we have had some really hot days we have also had more than average cool days and nights. Seems there won't be much talk about global warming this summer. :lol2:

 

[grannysoo]

2/3 weeks away from another cutting if the rain keeps coming.

 

[1982vett]

Jogeepus, even if the pastures look like it is the end of August remember it is only the end of June and the heat is about to show up. Noticed Friday that it was getting hot even in the shade. Been having some thunderstorm activeties around since Friday. Managed to get 3/10 last night (woop, makes 8/10 for the last 45 days), again convergance knocked the rain out for us. Had some nice radar activity coming from the south with a light wind and all of a sudden an outflow boundary came from the north and put an end to it. Raining to the west this morning but the rains to the east are dissipating, so a lot of people are getting some much needed rains. Hopfully the frontline will stall and let the airmass to the west slide along to get to us instead of cutting it off again.

Grannysoo, this time of year 2 - 3 weeks away from a drought if the rains don't keep coming. :help:

MoGal, wish it were cool enough down hear to be able to bale clover in July. :clap:

:drink: Here's to hoping everyone will get the weather they need.

 

[BARNSCOOP]

We started bailing our horse hay(fescue, orchardgrass, and rye) the first week of May. We only took 191 squares and then cut the rest two weeks later at the end of May and got 68 4x5 rolls all off 16 acres of pasture. However it looks mighty dry out their right now. Our hay pastures are in low lying ground so they do better than ourcattle pastures on higher ground. We believe we will get a second cutting but not until late August. However we may have to feed early because of the dry grazing pastures.

 

[LRWright]

In WV, we're behind by about a month due to the weather...too much rain. Normally we do our first cutting at the end of May/beginning of June but this year, it just keeps raining so we just did part of our first cutting at the very end of June. We still have fields that need the first cutting but it won't stay dry enough to for us to cut. We normally do the second cutting in August but if we don't get the rest of the first cutting done until mid-July, I don't know how we'll hit August.

 

[Wewild]

We got 61 4x5 bales on a second cutting on 20 acres. 62 the first time. If God has anything to do with it we will get 60 more.

We will live through it if it don't happen.