Hay in Southeast MI

[moday]

A guy cut our 6 acres of hay last week and it's been raining every other day since and is still lies in the field. Do I consider this a loss or should I expect him back to bale it? It was not real long (knee height 2nd cutting), and it's grassy hay (some clover, but NO alfalafa) but there is probably a 100 plus bales available. The temps are 50-70 with some sun and breeze but the rain has just kept coming off and on, including last night at bedtime.

Will this hay be ok and we just wait it out and eventually it should be baled or should I expect this guy to throw in the towel eventually? I don't want to keep bugging him.

Hay is scarce here and it getting 7-10 bucks a bale, so I think he'd try to salvage it but I'm kind of waiting to see what happens.

Just curious what others would think or do. thanks

[sammyd]

even if it does get baled it will be nothing more than bedding.
then you have the chance of mold and all the associated problems with that.
I'd have it chopped and blown back on the field rather than bale it.

[Paquebot]

Is it raked into deep windrows or as cut with a mower? If only cut, and only grass, won't hurt anything to leave it as is. Consider the costs of baling it as a bonus by not being spent.

Martin

[kycrawler]

Others may disagree

as long as it was still green when it started raining on it and not dried down it could be saved . It would need to be raked up then tedded to get it up and out of the dirt/regrowth and spread out if you can then get it dry it would be ok , not great but ok . Is there anyone in your area with a bale wrapper for high moisture baleage ? That could be an option as well