Help with haying?

[littlemother]

Hi! We are new to our area and the previous owner would have a neighbor hay the fields for 2/3 of the hay bales as the profit. I don't think he's going to cut it. Is it too late to cut it still? Will this be bad for our hay field? If anyone knows of someone near me (Humansville, MO) that would cut it for us either for money or hay bales?

[goatlady]

When you moved in did you contact that haying neighbor and come to an agreement with him about future hay cutting? If you did not, that haying neighbor would not presume to cut without an arrangement with you. One can always CUT hay, but the later it is cut the less nutrition in it and eventually it is just straw, good for bedding, not eating. No profit in late cutting, but the fields should be cleared so next years hay crop will be productive.

[FarmboyBill]

Its likely to freeze tonight and/or tomorrow, and that will seal the deal anyhow

[Yvonne's hubby]

I fiddled around and didnt get my fall cutting done this time either. Now the rains have set in so wont be able to cut before next season. My plan is to ring the field good with the disk and burn it off next time its dry enough and its not too windy.

[littlemother]

His equipment broke and it has been left up in the air. We would like to get it cut so it won't hinder next year but don't know anyone.

What do you mean by seal the deal? Is it too late to cut at all after a freeze or too late for decent hay? We are new to all of this but we think it should've been cut weeks ago for good hay. We just don't want it laying out there uncut all winter at this point.

Anyone know who to call in our area? Or how to find someone to cut it?

[jwal10]

I wouldn't think it would make good hay now but IF you can get it off it would be best. He probably is not motivated any more. You may need to pay someone at this point. Next best is to bush hog it high, then again in a couple weeks and then again early next spring. You do not want to cut it all at once because it could mat and kill the grass. If it is good grass it went to seed and will sprout making your crop even heavier next year. If weedy it too went to seed, not good....James

[FarmboyBill]

Not knowing the (HAY), what it is, I have to guess, as I know where Humansville Mo is, that its alfalfa, or possibly clover, tho I doubt that. Being either, IF it gets froze and then fed to cows, or horses, if not anything else, it could cause prussic acid poisoning

James, You can commit on this as good or better than I

[sammyd]

Alfalfa and clover do not produce prussic acid after a frost. Even grasses that do such as sorghum/sudan will be no problem if put up as dry hay or in ensiled for a couple of months.

[FarmboyBill]

hmmmmmmmmmmmm Didn't know that.

[sammyd]

http://www.extension.iastate.edu/Cro...12barnhart.htm gives a nice run down on prussic acid.

[davel745]

I would brush hog it and get ready for next year.

[dkhern]

forget about it it will be fine next year. bush hog if you dont like the way it looks. but it is for appearence only. if you didnt mow your yard that last time would it not green up next spring?

[davel745]

While I agree with dkhern. I suspect that cutting it now will help with curbing weeds next spring.

[homstdr74]

I suspect it's fescue, like a lot of fields in Missouri, and if it's not been cut this year, it's basically worthless insofar as you'll have to supplement it with range cubes anyway because there is no nutritional value left in it. About the highest protein count in good fescue is 9%, and that deteriorates as the seed head forms. Many of the seeds have fallen already, so that leaves you with stuff for them to bulk up with but nothing more.

Thus, just let it be and think that what you are doing is re-seeding your field; the new grasses should be obvious in a couple of years.

[haypoint]

Any hay field not cut will have loads of dead and moldy hay in it next year. Miss a year cutting and no one around wants it the following year. Even cut hay fields will have lots of regrowth around here. Generally it is to late to dry properly (short season). So, farmers simply mow and rake around the edges of the field, in the spring and burn the whole field. Legal here. Might not be where you are.

[jwal10]

I agree, you do not want all that dead grass in next years hay. We do not burn here....James

[Molly Mckee]

We don't burn here either, it's not legal and the fines are huge.

I would mow the field with a brush hog, about 4-6 inches high. As long as the standing hay is chopped up pretty well it should do okay. Baling at this point would be a waste of money.

[haypoint]

Burning hay fields is considered a normal farming practice in northern Michigan and is protected by the Michigan Right to Farm Act. Check your local laws.

[DEKE01]

How about baling for straw equivalent? Assuming there is a need for bedding, mulch, etc.

[jwal10]

Hay never makes GOOD bedding, it will make bedding but hay does not soak up moisture like straw does. It will make mulch if composted to kill the weed and grass seeds but here I can find all I want for free and it was grass seed straw so a lot of the seed was removed....James