Tedding Hay

[Dave]

I didn't know that you could make hay without tedding it. .

:???: were you being serious or kidding ?

90% serious. We raise really thick grass that is really wet and the ground is wet. Throw that in with the fact that it rains real regular. If you wait until things dry up enough to make hay without tedding it will be mid July or later. At that point you are making grass straw.

 

[skyhightree1]

I didn't know that you could make hay without tedding it. .

:???: were you being serious or kidding ?

90% serious. We raise really thick grass that is really wet and the ground is wet. Throw that in with the fact that it rains real regular. If you wait until things dry up enough to make hay without tedding it will be mid July or later. At that point you are making grass straw.

ahhh ok I understand now. We don't have the moisture like you all have for the most part and I think with the high temps here it helps tremendously.

 

[fitz]

Each year and each cutting is different. It all hinges on, and is determined by the weather. Not just the weather at time of cut but the weather leading up to hay season. Sometimes you need the tedder, sometimes you cut and roll.

fitz

 

[Rajela]

He ain't kidding I was up around Seattle for 3 months one year and at first I thought the cows laid down all the time then I got to looking at the fences and the grass was as tall as the barbed wire fence. I was like dang those cows are standing up.

 

[dun]

Each year and each cutting is different. It all hinges on, and is determined by the weather. Not just the weather at time of cut but the weather leading up to hay season. Sometimes you need the tedder, sometimes you cut and roll.

fitz

Boy ain;t that the truth. I've determined that normal for here is that it's unlike any other year in memory.

 

[regolith]

I didn't know that you could make hay without tedding it. They even ted grass cut for silage here.

Neither did I. Every crop of hay I've ever made is turned once a day providing it's fine, takes at least three days of that in good weather to get it fit for baling.
My contractor would turn the silage too but usually I don't let him, I did let him spin out the first lot this year because it was a massive crop.

 

[hillbilly beef man]

I didn't know that you could make hay without tedding it. .

:???: were you being serious or kidding ?

90% serious. We raise really thick grass that is really wet and the ground is wet. Throw that in with the fact that it rains real regular. If you wait until things dry up enough to make hay without tedding it will be mid July or later. At that point you are making grass straw.

Some years a Tedder still is not enough. Last year I finished up first cutting on August 25th. My grandfather in law keeps a daily weather log and the longest stretch we had last year with no rain was two days from mid May to august. We would be wasting out time putting up hay without a Tedder. I can get dry hay up in three days with tedding, and it takes four to five days without one.

 

[James T]

Sky, I can tell you the finer the leaf the more risk of leaf shatter resulting in more loss. Don't know what kind of grass you have but its something to think about. When dealing with Bermuda grass, I don't ted it unless rain is on the way and need it off the ground.

 

[Caustic Burno]

Sky, I can tell you the finer the leaf the more risk of leaf shatter resulting in more loss. Don't know what kind of grass you have but its something to think about. When dealing with Bermuda grass, I don't ted it unless rain is on the way and need it off the ground.

I got to where I wouldn't even ted, I would let my coastal field sit until it dried then rake and bale.
If I tedded all I ended up with was stems. The only way the cows would eat it was it was all
that was put out. My cows would walk past a bale of coastal for a bale of Bahia.

 

[skyhightree1]

Sky, I can tell you the finer the leaf the more risk of leaf shatter resulting in more loss. Don't know what kind of grass you have but its something to think about. When dealing with Bermuda grass, I don't ted it unless rain is on the way and need it off the ground.

James T I raise mostly Fescue and Orchard mix with various clovers.

 

[dun]

Sky, I can tell you the finer the leaf the more risk of leaf shatter resulting in more loss. Don't know what kind of grass you have but its something to think about. When dealing with Bermuda grass, I don't ted it unless rain is on the way and need it off the ground.

James T I raise mostly Fescue and Orchard mix with various clovers.

I do know that if you ted it wet 5 times all you end up with is stems.

 

[skyhightree1]

Sky, I can tell you the finer the leaf the more risk of leaf shatter resulting in more loss. Don't know what kind of grass you have but its something to think about. When dealing with Bermuda grass, I don't ted it unless rain is on the way and need it off the ground.

James T I raise mostly Fescue and Orchard mix with various clovers.

I do know that if you ted it wet 5 times all you end up with is stems.

5 times and im surprised you had that :lol2:

 

[dun]

5 times and im surprised you had that :lol2:

The dam rain every other day kept ther stems fairly pliable

 

[skyhightree1]

5 times and im surprised you had that :lol2:

The dam rain every other day kept ther stems fairly pliable

good point ! I am sure the cows prefer stems over snow and were happy to get them.

 

[dun]

5 times and im surprised you had that :lol2:

The dam rain every other day kept ther stems fairly pliable

good point ! I am sure the cows prefer stems over snow and were happy to get them.

Snow and ice yes, but not anythign that resembles a blade of grass.

 

[skyhightree1]

dun what grass is grown in most of your pastures ?

 

[dun]

dun what grass is grown in most of your pastures ?

Fescue is proabably 90% of it. This year there is more clover then either OG, brome or timothy

 

[skyhightree1]

dun what grass is grown in most of your pastures ?

Fescue is proabably 90% of it. This year there is more clover then either OG, brome or timothy

Same here on the fescue. The clover is about the same. I don't grow brome or timothy. My OG is really doing well so far.

 

[dun]

dun what grass is grown in most of your pastures ?

Fescue is proabably 90% of it. This year there is more clover then either OG, brome or timothy

Same here on the fescue. The clover is about the same. I don't grow brome or timothy. My OG is really doing well so far.

I don;t grow it either, it just pops up from year to year. Our cows won;t eat OG unless it's the only thing left taller then a couple of inches. Don;t seem to mind it in hay, but they may not be able to sort it out of a mouthful of fescue

 

[skyhightree1]

yea mines all mixed up some areas are straight fescue and choked the og out. I was disappointed in my crimson clover this year but my cinnamon and ladino are doing great. I think I will overseed in more clover this fall.