when do I rake it?

[MasseyFerg]

newbie to hay making. So i cut it one day. when do i rake it? when the grass is dry on top or do i wait until right before baling? googling says that hay drys faster in the swath that windrow so I guess that means I shouldn't rake it until the last minute as maybe the rake doesn't completely flip it, some of the green stuff is still covered up? oh, its an old NH side delivery rake not one of them fancy expensive wheel rakes.

also I guess the wider the swath, the faster it drys? Mabye i can adjust it to make a wider swath

 

[lucky7chief]

My basic rule is if the top feels like it is ready to bale, it should be raked. The bottom will not dry until raked.

 

[stockbub]

If you rake it and it is not dry, it will take longer to dry in windrows. Teddering it will flip the hay to allow drying on the bottom of the hay. Do not rake it until you are ready to bale it because hay will sometimes blow away and you will have to rake it again. Sometimes the wind blows so much we have to keep the rake 50' in front of baler so hay does not blow away. Other times we rake whole field and then bale.

We usually do a twist test. Grab a hand full of hay and twist it. If it wants to start breaking it is dry. If too green, it will just twist. Remember green hay starts fires (gets really hot). Once you get use to how your hay dries, you will know when to bale. How hot it is outside will determine how fast it dries too.

Bubba

 

[JSCATTLE]

It will also fall in the wind row if you rake it hours or a day before you bale . Another test you can do is if the hay rattles when you pick it up its cured . And the twist test like bubba said if it springs back after twisted its usually dry . Also don't take it before the dew is dry if its humid .

 

[MasseyFerg]

I ain't got no tedder, just a rake. So far from what I see if I rake it some of the green comes to the top for air but some is still underneath, so that is why i thought maybe leaving it lay spread out to dry is better. my problem ain't knowing when its dry enough to bale but to get it all dry enuff.

 

[JSCATTLE]

you will just have to wait an extra day . I don't use a tedder unless it rains on the hay .I don't know where u are but in two and a half days around here I can bale just about any grass hay .

 

[msscamp]

I ain't got no tedder, just a rake. So far from what I see if I rake it some of the green comes to the top for air but some is still underneath, so that is why i thought maybe leaving it lay spread out to dry is better. my problem ain't knowing when its dry enough to bale but to get it all dry enuff.

I am no expert at baling, but I have picked up a few things over the years with our hay operation. Depending on your rake, it should flip the windrows over to let the bottom side dry. When the top feels dry, rake it and let the bottom dry. Alfalfa cannot be raked if it is too dry or you will knock the leaves off. Whether you're baling grass or alfalfa is going to determine when you bale - alfalfa has to be baled with dew or you will lose the leaves. Usually, alfalfa has to be raked and baled in early morning/late evening, or when there is some humidity in the air. I'm less clear on baling/raking grass, but if it is baled too dry it will cause the bales to fall apart when you cut the strings and cause the hay to be dusty.

 

[Bama1]

First I'll say Welcome to hay making. Secondly, I'll say I'm sorry, cause in your first year you will go through a lot of headaches learning what to do and what not to do. :bang:

I say this because I was new to hay making last year and what a year it was.

To answer your question from my short experience, I try to go to the thickest part of the field that I cut and check a few places to see how the hay on the bottom had dried. I figured that if it is dry enough to rake in the thickest area, then the rest should be ok also. Worked out pretty good for me so far doing it that way.

On the other hand you don't want it too dry or it becomes a real mess if you don't bale fast enough. I have baled some so dry that it crumbles and piles on the ground under the baler as I was tying it up. My machine is an old manual tie machine. The rolls may not always be pretty like the new machines make, but it rolls them and my cows don't seem to care or at least they haven't complained yet.
The first time we ran into the dry crumbling problem we went and borrowed a neighbors square baler and baled it that way.

Anyway, there will be a lot of trial and error. Make sure you take a jug with something to drink cause it will be hot, dry and dusty especially on the baler, not so much while raking.