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05/05/10, 12:57 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: US of A
Posts: 1,997
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Who's ready to make hay?
We were out checking the fields last night, and the orchard grass is making heads already. I would say in another week or 2, we'll be ready to cut. Now I don't know if Mother Nature is ready for us to cut!
I'm in Western PA, and we usually don't cut until the middle of June. The clover looks like it still has a month, maybe.
Now to find someone willing to help! It's only the 3 of us, no one on either side of the families are "farmers". We're looking at around 1,000-1,200 bales for our first cut.....last year we that was our total for 2 cuts! 
But I do love looking in a barn and not worrying about finding hay to buy! Or about running out! 
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05/05/10, 06:45 PM
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Join Date: May 2002
Posts: 7,154
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The sooner you cut the orchard grass, the better quality the hay will be. Beating the rain is very iffy when it's hay making time. I've had orchard grass that went to seed before I could get it made, and the livestock had to be mighty hungry before they would touch it.
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05/05/10, 06:53 PM
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Moderator
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Join Date: Jul 2004
Location: Mountains of Vermont, Zone 3
Posts: 8,878
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Hay?!? We barely have an inch of grass up. The snows just melted!
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05/05/10, 06:56 PM
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Family Jersey Dairy
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Illinois
Posts: 4,773
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I can`t wait to make hay, discbine is out, racks are ready, need a new tire on square baler, got some bale covers yesterday, round balers almost ready. All I need now is a small army for help. Seems no one is ever around when it comes to baling hay. I may mow some next week , just a starter day, get all the kinks out of everything, including me. > Thanks Marc
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05/05/10, 07:01 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2004
Location: WI
Posts: 1,245
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Normal date here is NW WI is May 25th range, but we had a very early spring so might be around the 15th range.
OF course after a very warm sping, we are back into March weather so will have to wait and see.
I am ready, equipment is ready, just need the fields to be as ready as the rest.
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05/05/10, 07:07 PM
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Family Jersey Dairy
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Join Date: Jun 2009
Location: Illinois
Posts: 4,773
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And now I know why I don`t live in Vermont, Highlands. > Thanks Marc
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Our Diversified Stock Portfolio: cows and calves, alpacas, horses, pigs, chickens, goats, sheep, cats ... and a couple of dogs...
http://springvalleyfarm.4mg.com
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05/05/10, 08:11 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Posts: 56
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We are in NE PA, we could never get horse-quality hay to dry this early in the season. They are calling for 34 degrees here this Sunday night.
Middle of June is our normal start. I am getting excited though...the grass looks great.
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05/05/10, 08:25 PM
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Banned
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Join Date: May 2003
Location: Ouachitas, AR
Posts: 6,049
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The neighbors hay field looks like it will be ready in a week or so and that is pretty early for us too. 
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05/05/10, 09:20 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 16,310
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I used to love makeing hay when I was a kid, where it was cooler. I hate it now. Cant wait for it to be over. We only get one cutting, by and large. Thats all I have ever got with pararie hay. I only get around 200 bales, and, thats long enough to be fooling with it.
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05/05/10, 09:44 PM
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Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: NW Georgia
Posts: 7,205
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We're planning to spray the fields tomorrow with Remedy/Grazeon. It's a little late, but it should still be effective. Looks like it will be late May or early June for the first cutting here, then it's up to the rain. If it comes, another cutting will happen in July/August and then another in September/October.
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05/05/10, 09:50 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Carthage, Texas
Posts: 12,261
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It broke '90' today. We had 3/4" over the weekend... my uncle fertilized my meadow on Friday... so hopefully it'll get to utilize the fertilizer and put up a good first cutting. I'm either going to work in the hay fields on shares, or buy rolls and bales in the field this year.
I ran out in February, and luckily my uncle had several thousand bales he was wanting to clear out before this year's haying season. So far, no cost... we swap out rent for different things each year. Last years rent is getting paid in hay... works great for both of us.
I feel criminally negligent, being a prepper and all, and not having a years supply of hay on hand!
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05/05/10, 10:09 PM
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Join Date: Mar 2007
Location: MO
Posts: 10,705
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I will be picking up a few extra milk shifts soon, so the farmer Boss can get the first cutting in.
Talked about it tonight, I said I would come any time. Just give me 15 minutes to get my boots on and get there. 
Probably get going next week.
Weather cooperating of course.
Last year May was very wet. Hopefully everything lines out perfectly (for a change).
<crosses fingers>
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05/05/10, 10:12 PM
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Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: N.C.
Posts: 284
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Cutting starts here next week,sil is ready for some long days ahead.
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05/05/10, 10:37 PM
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Join Date: Dec 2008
Location: Illinois
Posts: 8,262
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We're about ready too.
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05/05/10, 11:25 PM
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Join Date: Oct 2006
Location: Arkansas
Posts: 10,942
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I went to town today and a field was already cut and raked it should be baled tomorrow. The field is just south of Harrison AR and looked beautiful.
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05/06/10, 06:36 AM
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Join Date: May 2002
Location: US of A
Posts: 1,997
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We're having wonderful weather to grow the hay: lots of rain, then cooler, then heat, then more rain. But it's not really weather to bale the hay.
We need at least 1 week of dry weather or 3-4 days of hot & dry weather. The biggest field is on a hill and doesn't get morning sun, so it takes too long to dry.
We just had a big thunderstorm last night. Everything will probably grow another 3 inches!
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05/06/10, 07:09 AM
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Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: SW Michigan
Posts: 16,408
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I will love hay season this year. I will hate the work...but last year we spent over $1000 buying hay. I am pasturing on my neighbor's property this year to increase my hay production. Another neighbor wants to GIVE me 10 acres of hay - for the entire season - 3 cuttings (if we get rain like we didn't get last year). I don't need 10 acres of hay or the work it would include. My fields are about ready too though.
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05/06/10, 07:43 AM
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Join Date: Jun 2008
Location: East Tennessee
Posts: 202
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Quote:
Originally Posted by mamahen
We were out checking the fields last night, and the orchard grass is making heads already. I would say in another week or 2, we'll be ready to cut. Now I don't know if Mother Nature is ready for us to cut!
I'm in Western PA, and we usually don't cut until the middle of June. The clover looks like it still has a month, maybe.
Now to find someone willing to help! It's only the 3 of us, no one on either side of the families are "farmers". We're looking at around 1,000-1,200 bales for our first cut.....last year we that was our total for 2 cuts!
But I do love looking in a barn and not worrying about finding hay to buy! Or about running out! |
Help me understand....I have never grown hay, cut hay, or baled hay....Everything I have ever read says if you cut the hay before it forms seed heads the hay is softer, more palatable, and more nutritious than is you cut it when it develops seed heads. So why is it that it seems most people cut the hay too late? Why not cut it now or even a week ago to have a better product? Where I live East TN, folks mostly grow fescue hay and the wait till it's almost waist high full of seeds when they cut it, and in my limited opinion it is crap. Help me understand this line of thinking. Like I said I've never produced hay before and am curious.
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05/06/10, 08:06 AM
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Join Date: Aug 2005
Posts: 16,310
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If there only getting 1 cutting outa it, they may want to get all the highth and the leaves, or length of leaves they can. They may not want much regrowth, as here like me with my hayfield along a state hwy, it becomes a fire hazard.
No hay should be viewed as crap regardless of whats wrong with it. my grandad had alfalfa that got rained on multiple times, so he hitched up the dump rake and hauled it to the side of a ditch where he forked it in. he said that winter the cows nearly broke there nam necks to get down in there and eat that hay. I am going to shred corn stalks to make fodder with, if cows will eat that, theyll eat hay cut outa season.
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05/06/10, 08:10 AM
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Max
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Join Date: Oct 2005
Location: Near Traverse City Michigan
Posts: 6,560
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we dont make hay till the first or second week of june
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