Will cattle eat unbaled hay on the ground

[ny_grass]

For reasons that I still can't understand, the guy who does my haying didn't come up to bale it during the two days of opportunity he had and now I have about 6 acres of beautiful second cut hay on the ground. To make matters worse, I'm mostly out of grass to feed the cattle. (I sure would have loved to have them on this "hayfield" if I knew how it was going to turn out!).

So, if I turn them out on this hayfield will they eat the hay? It's been about 4 days since it was cut. It's been rained on pretty hard twice but we've had some sunny days too (though in the mid-50s). When I pick up it the top layer seems pretty dry and it smells pretty good. The bottom layer is green with some black/brown of non-grasses decaying.

Would it be a waste of time? Would it be bad for them?

 

[cfpinz]

I've heard some of the Canadians on here mention doing that before, I think the correct term is "swath grazing".

In your climate I can't imagine it being a good idea. I think you'd be money ahead to salvage the hay and hold off turning the cows in until it's baled/moved. If you turn them in now they'll nibble here and there and make a mess out of 90% of it. But I've never been to New York, or Canada for that matter.

 

[newrancher]

It's been about 4 days since it was cut. It's been rained on pretty hard twice but we've had some sunny days too (though in the mid-50s). Come on now, why cant you understand WHY its not ready to bale? Its not cured yet ,stay in contact with your hay guy, if youve used him before Im sure he will be there when its ready. If hes giving you some other reason then I would start making some phone calls.

 

[hillsdown]

Sorry, but a lot of times the cows love to make their beds in the highest, most comfortable place around and usually it is in the best feed..I have never had luck with swath grazing but maybe it was because they weren't trained on it to begin with..

Give it a try if you have to, as you have nothing to lose at this point. Let's hope your girls are smart enough to know that it is their food and not a wonderful place to lounge around on..

 

[hillsdown]

It's been about 4 days since it was cut. It's been rained on pretty hard twice but we've had some sunny days too (though in the mid-50s). Come on now, why cant you understand WHY its not ready to bale? Its not cured yet ,stay in contact with your hay guy, if youve used him before Im sure he will be there when its ready. If hes giving you some other reason then I would start making some phone calls.

This time of year it could take weeks to cure ,,with the low temps ,short days and cold wet nights,,you are just riding the roulette when cutting this late in the season with your geographics .

DO NOT BALE WET unless you put it up into hayleage.

 

[milkmaid]

My cows will... not all the hay, but a large portion of it. My field isn't top-quality and so when it gets cut there's always a few areas where there's not enough for the baler to pick up. Cows love eating it afterwards. As the others suggested, give it a try; you have nothing to lose.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Oh they'll eat unbaled hay for sure. Swath grazing works best if you got an electric fence (temporary) and strip graze the swaths. Put the fence perpendicular to the swaths and let them have at it. But don't move them until they've cleaned most everything up. You'll have to judge how wide the strips to graze them on, depending on how thick the swaths are.

http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department ... /agdex9239
http://www1.agric.gov.ab.ca/$department ... ll/faq7714

 

[ny_grass]

It's been about 4 days since it was cut. It's been rained on pretty hard twice but we've had some sunny days too (though in the mid-50s). Come on now, why cant you understand WHY its not ready to bale? Its not cured yet ,stay in contact with your hay guy, if youve used him before Im sure he will be there when its ready. If hes giving you some other reason then I would start making some phone calls.

My only other experience with making hay was a first cutting this same guy did for me a couple of months ago. It seemed that he cut one day and baled the next (though there may have been a day in between), so I assumed that the process would be similar this time too. Of course, it makes perfect sense now. Except, I thought that if hay got rained on it was pretty much ruined. I also have never heard of hay being left on the ground to cure for a week or two and it still being any good.

It looks like we're supposed to be cold but dry for the next couple of days (here's our weather forecast today: http://www.breezyfields.com/portal/inde ... &Itemid=26). I'll call him tomorrow and see what he thinks.

thanks

 

[ny_grass]

This time of year it could take weeks to cure ,,with the low temps ,short days and cold wet nights,,you are just riding the roulette when cutting this late in the season with your geographics .

DO NOT BALE WET unless you put it up into hayleage.

So, let's say that the weather for the next 4 or 5 days cooperates and we have mostly dry conditions. Would the hay have to be tedded (fluffed up) to expose the bottom (greenish layer) every day or so to speed things along?

 

[IluvABbeef]

This time of year it could take weeks to cure ,,with the low temps ,short days and cold wet nights,,you are just riding the roulette when cutting this late in the season with your geographics .

DO NOT BALE WET unless you put it up into hayleage.

So, let's say that the weather for the next 4 or 5 days cooperates and we have mostly dry conditions. Would the hay have to be tedded (fluffed up) to expose the bottom (greenish layer) every day or so to speed things along?

Do that and you end up with some lower quality feed. You should only do this once, to minimize loss in plant matter.

 

[hillsdown]

Do not flip unless absolutely necessary as like was said by everyone else you will lose all the good stuff (energy and protein) like the leaves. Flip once at most unless it rains,, and bale with a soft core baler if at all possible. Not small squares or large because with square balers your hay must be bone dry, no ifs, ands or buts..

I hope it all goes well for you and the weather holds up... :tiphat:

What Ab said about fencing it off works really well; it also depends on the weather as those plastic posts do not hold up well in below zero conditions and it is a challenge to move them as well.

 

[IluvABbeef]

What Ab said about fencing it off works really well; it also depends on the weather as those plastic posts do not hold up well in below zero conditions and it is a challenge to move them as well.

That's where those pig-tailed metal posts work best instead of spending a whole waste of money on plastic posts.

 

[dun]

What Ab said about fencing it off works really well; it also depends on the weather as those plastic posts do not hold up well in below zero conditions and it is a challenge to move them as well.

That's where those pig-tailed metal posts work best instead of spending a whole waste of money on plastic posts.

We're still using the step in plastic posts that we've had for 10 years. Out of maybe 100 I think 2 of them have broken loops. I prefer the fiberglass posts because most of the imte on this farm the rock makes it pretty hard to get the stepins into the ground where as I ppound the others with a small sledge hammer.

 

[SRBeef]

What Ab said about fencing it off works really well; it also depends on the weather as those plastic posts do not hold up well in below zero conditions and it is a challenge to move them as well.

That's where those pig-tailed metal posts work best instead of spending a whole waste of money on plastic posts.

Maybe it's the cold weather and the rocks and clay, but I find the Gallagher step in pigtails to be the fastest step in posts to use for temporary fences like this across the windrows. You can put them on a hot wire easily too. As the soil starts to freeze, I can use these longer than others I have tried.

 

[Bez+]

For reasons that I still can't understand, the guy who does my haying didn't come up to bale it during the two days of opportunity he had and now I have about 6 acres of beautiful second cut hay on the ground. To make matters worse, I'm mostly out of grass to feed the cattle. (I sure would have loved to have them on this "hayfield" if I knew how it was going to turn out!).

So, if I turn them out on this hayfield will they eat the hay? It's been about 4 days since it was cut. It's been rained on pretty hard twice but we've had some sunny days too (though in the mid-50s). When I pick up it the top layer seems pretty dry and it smells pretty good. The bottom layer is green with some black/brown of non-grasses decaying.

Would it be a waste of time? Would it be bad for them?

You are getting advice - but in my opinion, most of it will not work in your area.

If you go back to your initial thread on hay:

viewtopic.php?f=14&t=51379&start=0&st=0&sk=t&sd=a

So let's go to where you live first.

You live in Up State New York - so you have - as once pointed out - wet autumns and potentials for lots of ice in the fall with standing water in the fields which will sometimes turn to a solid ice cover - and yes you can get solid ice cover on hillsides if it freezes as it rains.

And there is talk on here of swath grazing. It will NOT work in your area - we swath grazed grain - not hay - specifically we swath grazed oats - feed oats as we called them. Planted late - intentionally and laid down in windrows - on TALL stubble - when the fall came - usually just before the first frosts. We did this in western Canada.

To swath graze hay in your area - well, the animals will eat some of it - but the remainder will simply rot away - we did some small test patches a few years ago - never had any success with swath grazing hay - and I operated just a few miles north of you in Canada for some time. Hay turns black and rots before the cows clean it up - this will happen to you as well. They will just push it away and eat the green underneath. That will set your grass back even more if you have a tough winter.

We finally figured we would never cut grass and lay it down to feed - waste of time and money. Might work in a dry climate - but never in a wet one.

The reason? Grains get laid down dry. Grasses get laid down wet and need to dry. It is a whole big, big step that many folks miss.

Next - lets talk about doing hay in the fall of the year in your area. As once mentioned it is a crap shoot for you. Well, actually it is not - it is not done because it hurts the ground and hay will not dry properly. The heavy morning dew will keep the grass wet far longer. The humidity will slow the drying process. And finally the shorter and cooler days will put the drying process behind in a big way. All of this means your crop has a better chance of being rained on with those autumn rains you folks get.

Next - lets talk about contractor reliability. Your "hay guy" did not show up. Well, that is how it is in the contract game - may have had a break down, may have had a family problem, may have been too busy in other places, may have got a better contract, may actually have decided to not bother - or any other number of reasons. You want to go contract you need three things.

1. His phone number - you STAY in contact. If he does not answer - you are possibly in trouble. You leave a message that he has 24 hours to contact you or you are going to your back up plan. Period. If he does not call back then follow through.
2. A back up guy
3. An understanding that just because someone says they will be there, does not mean they will be.

Next - you are getting lots of advice here. All of it well meaning. But in fact most of it does not truly fit your area. Look where these people live and then look at where you live. Look at the climatic conditions they live in and compare to yours. Look at the soil types they have and compare yours. Look at the geographical conditions and compare to yours. And the beat goes on.

If you follow some - if not most - of this advice you will lose the hay. If you will have wasted your money. In truth it is probably lost now.

Unless you get lucky - and I hope you do - you will have to beat the schitt out of that hay to get it dry. Rake and ted, ted and rake - and yes you lose quality - but schitt happens and everyone here has experienced it - cattle will still eat it if it goes up dry - which - unless you get lucky - will not happen until the hay is pretty black.

Yeah, you will lose quality. Everyone knows that - but lose some quality, or lose the crop - choice is yours.

That all gets expensive - and now becomes a waste of money.

Finally - You are no longer into the hay season - your grass will NOT dry when temps are in the 50's with short days and dewy nights - you can turn it all you want.

If the crop is heavy - personally I would probably rake it into windrows - let the cows beat the snot out of it and then burn it.

If the crop is light, I would simply leave it lie - turn the cows in loose and let the cows beat it up and then let the weight of the snow push it into the ground - you will not likely pick much of it up next year in the next crop anyways. And if you do it is not truly going to hurt anything. And I would be getting my cheap hay bought up because time is wasting now.

I do not spend all this time writing like this because I think I am smart and you are stupid. I do it because you need to THINK and LEARN. And that means you need to cozy up to the neighbours and the ag reps and the community ag organizations and maybe even your local community college. You need to do it yesterday. Lots of good info here as well - just be sure to read it in a manner that allows you to remember where you are compared to the writer of the info.

Ranching and farming takes a lot more knowledge and a lot more effort than standing in the back field and admiring the view.

So ........

Here is some advice you had better NOT ignore.

Go out and get smart on YOUR land and YOUR area and YOUR weather patterns. And learn how to do hay in YOUR area - not in the south, the mid west or the west. The folks giving you advice for darned sure know how to make hay where they live - but if you apply much of that advice to your area, you will leave a lot of hay lying in the field in the future.

Now, go buy that cheap hay you mentioned in the other thread - before you make it more expensive by spending more money on your hay in the field and THEN still having to buy those small square bales. Plan next years harvest this month with your local ag rep. Make your fertilizer plans now. Get your soil tested - etc, etc ...... Pre pay if you think it will save you money in the future and you casn afford it.

And finally ......

Welcome to the world of agriculture - in all its glory and frustration - and rewards.

It does and will get better - and yes, you will get smarter - and then folks will come to you and ask the same questions you did - what does that mean?

You are a farmer or a rancher now?

Nope - it just means you are old and have made so many mistakes you cannot begin to remember all the solutions - and you hope like heck you can remember enough to NOT repeat those mistakes.

Good luck

Bez+

 

[Bez+]

What Ab said about fencing it off works really well; it also depends on the weather as those plastic posts do not hold up well in below zero conditions and it is a challenge to move them as well.

That's where those pig-tailed metal posts work best instead of spending a whole waste of money on plastic posts.

Maybe it's the cold weather and the rocks and clay, but I find the Gallagher step in pigtails to be the fastest step in posts to use for temporary fences like this across the windrows. You can put them on a hot wire easily too. As the soil starts to freeze, I can use these longer than others I have tried.

When it comes to putting plastic posts into frozen ground I do it with my battery powered drill.

Walk along - put the bit down and drill - put the post in and go - takes me no time at all.

I am too old to be using a sledge hammer - that is a kids game and all mine are gone to spend my money at college.

Bez+

 

[dun]

When it comes to putting plastic posts into frozen ground I do it with my battery powered drill.

Walk along - put the bit down and drill - put the post in and go - takes me no time at all.

I am too old to be using a sledge hammer - that is a kids game and all mine are gone to spend my money at college.

Bez+

I tried the drill trick. Even with a masonary bit it doesn;t work very well. The little 2 pound sledge puts them in and the rocks are shovd more or less around enough that the post can get in the ground. They don;t stand straight, but that's why the fastener on them is adjustable. Can be a real booger to get back out of the ground when they need to come down though.

 

[hillsdown]

When it comes to putting plastic posts into frozen ground I do it with my battery powered drill.

Walk along - put the bit down and drill - put the post in and go - takes me no time at all.

I am too old to be using a sledge hammer - that is a kids game and all mine are gone to spend my money at college.

Bez+

I tried the drill trick. Even with a masonary bit it doesn;t work very well. The little 2 pound sledge puts them in and the rocks are shovd more or less around enough that the post can get in the ground. They don;t stand straight, but that's why the fastener on them is adjustable. Can be a real booger to get back out of the ground when they need to come down though.

Dun your fence must have looked like mine .I had to put hot wire around some second cut hay bales in January...Did I mention that we had -40 temps in January. Even with using a drill with a masonry bit it was a heck of a job so I took one of hubby's sledge hammers and pounded them in enough that they would stay. Now I have 75 posts without tops on them... :lol2: And I had to wait until June to pull them out of the ground; I must say at least they were in there good.. :cowboy:

I was smart this year put my fence around the hay as soon as it was stacked just in case I need to keep some animals in the yard. 8)

 

[dun]

I was smart this year put my fence around the hay as soon as it was stacked just in case I need to keep some animals in the yard. 8)

A diary uses plastic bleach bottle filled with sand or mortar. If the use morter then pour ir in and grease up the end of the fibergalss posts and stick it in until the mortar sets then the pull the posts. When they need them they just set out the bleach bottles and stick the posts back in. Takes a whole lot more level ground then we have top make it work though