Weather and haying

Irish Pixie · #1 07/04/15, 06:39 AM

I'm really starting to get nervous, it's the 4th of July and it's been so wet that I haven't been able to get in a bale of hay.

I don't need a lot, just 300 bales, but it's pretty much gone over now with the cool wet weather. Earlier in the week the weather PTB were calling for 4 days without rain, day before yesterday it was decided that it would rain "some" today. It's pouring and has been since some time in the night.

We usually have our hay in and are starting on firewood by now. Anyone else getting nervous?

soulsurvivor · #2 07/04/15, 08:36 AM

The farmers around here got their weed hay in 2 weeks ago but they have a wildly successful method of making fast work of getting the hay off the field in 2 days including cutting and drying time. 3 guys with 3 tractors and they go behind each other through the multiple fields cutting, raking, baling, and hauling the round bales to a central location. Some bales are covered and others are parked around the feed lots. They usually get about 3 cuttings a year.

sugaringman85 · #3 07/04/15, 04:23 PM

Been struggling here in NH to. We trusted the weather man on Thursday for a good 4 day stretch, and we watched 15 acres get rained on for 2 hours today! Yay for hay! Unfortunately horse people are gonna have to deal with marginal hay because its all their gonna get. between the drought in may stunting the grass and a wet june, there is NO hay in our area. We're expecting between a 1/2 crop and 2/3 of a crop.

Irish Pixie · #4 07/04/15, 06:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sugaringman85

Been struggling here in NH to. We trusted the weather man on Thursday for a good 4 day stretch, and we watched 15 acres get rained on for 2 hours today! Yay for hay! Unfortunately horse people are gonna have to deal with marginal hay because its all their gonna get. between the drought in may stunting the grass and a wet june, there is NO hay in our area. We're expecting between a 1/2 crop and 2/3 of a crop.

I'm a horse people.

I'm OK with good mixed grass hay it's all my horses need. If it's a bit less than good I'm fine with that too, I just want it in the mow.

alsarve · #5 07/04/15, 07:30 PM

We were lucky here in sw PA to have a one week window in early June where the farmers got a small crop of hay in the barn. But since then, Bleh. The hay just keeps getting taller and older....sigh. my gelding was lean all last year cuz of less than par hay and that was with grain. Hate to think of another year like that. Hate to think if I had a performance horse that really needed a lot of groceries!

Jennifer L. · #6 07/04/15, 07:49 PM

I'm north of you, Irish Pixie, and I hear you! I cut some hay the first day of summer, and I cut a very small amount today. Probably should have cut more, but I'm "rain shy" now and can't get into it. At this point, the hay seems advanced for the date, too.

But when my father was a kid they didn't start haying until after the Fourth of July, and they survived, so I'm figuring that's just going to be the way it is this year. Disappointing, though. I really hate putting in poorer quality hay right from the get go, and seeing the machinery sit out in the yard ready to go wet with rain sure makes you nervous!

wr · #7 07/04/15, 08:41 PM

No rain here so what hay we have is going to be expensive.

Jlynnp · #8 07/04/15, 09:36 PM

We were lucky - we had a bit of dry weather and enough folks got their hay in, I was able to get what we needed for the year. But it has been raining here for the last week, we are 2000 ft above sea level here and our creek flooded. We have a mess to clean up if it drys out enough this week.

Irish Pixie · #9 07/05/15, 05:56 AM

Too dry is bad, too wet is bad. I just want a couple weeks of nice temperate weather. I don't even need a lot of hay (300 bales) I really feel for people that need thousands.

We won't be able to get into the woodlot for firewood for a month because of how wet everything is either.

Alsarve, have you thought about adding hay stretcher? It's a pelleted hay that will add calories for your gelding. Blue Seal makes a good one, but I imagine other companies do as well. I'm also considering alfalfa cubes (soaked) for my TB mare this winter. She's middle aged but her teeth are horrible and she needs just a bit extra in the winter.

alsarve · #10 07/06/15, 08:35 PM

I have never tried the hay stretcher but I have seen it. Might be something I consider for this winter.

Patchouli · #11 07/06/15, 09:05 PM

We got our first cutting around here really late but I think we should be on track for the usual 3 this year. We are doing very well rain wise for July and it is cooler than normal.

MO_cows · #12 07/06/15, 09:44 PM

Hay is going to be really crappy here this year. About the time the stands were ready to cut, we started getting rain and it hasn't let up. I don't think we've had enough dry days to cure hay. Or if they did, the grass was over mature and won't have the nutrition it should. If it dries out soon, there is hope for a second cutting, but the first cutting is ruined.

rambler · #13 07/07/15, 12:39 AM

Been a miserable hay season this year.

It rains.

stuff breaks.

Repeat.

Again.

And so on.

I'm just sick of it.

Paul

Phil V. · #14 07/07/15, 08:06 AM

Been wet here too. Some of the neighbors finally got first cutting done. A friend of mine has about 2 acres of canary grass that he made into hay for my 26 yr. old mare and goats. A lot of the hay that just got made people said they are going to use for the beef cattle.

Jennifer L. · #15 07/07/15, 08:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Phil V.

Been wet here too. Some of the neighbors finally got first cutting done. A friend of mine has about 2 acres of canary grass that he made into hay for my 26 yr. old mare and goats. A lot of the hay that just got made people said they are going to use for the beef cattle.

I've only got beef cows now. If I still had the dairy I'd be going nuts as so much of your income is in the quality of your hay.

Around here the reed canary is this wild stuff that grows 8' tall and coarse as corn stalks and nothing will eat it. It has invaded a lot of my fields, unfortunately.

I was set to bale this morning and guess what? Rain on the window.

haypoint · #16 07/07/15, 08:26 PM

Central Michigan has had wet fields since the snow came off. A month ago there were 3 1/2 dry days and some made hay. But I believe it'll be dusty, due to baled to damp.
Southern Michigan had a lot of early hay spoil in the rain.
But July 1st, we got a string of dry days. Everyone is baling. Some is over mature, but not too stemy.
Two days ago, I was at a livestock auction in southern Michigan. They sell hay. This was hay right out of the fields and most of it looked good. But more hay than buyers and I saw solid squares at $1.00 a bale and 1000 pound rounds under $20.00. But this is the exception.
I haven't penciled it out, but if you use under 2000 square bales, might be easier to just buy a couple hundred at auction and let others worry about the weather.
I've got 20 acres up north that I'd like to get baled this weekend, if the 7 day forecast holds up.
I have an old neighbor sheep farmer. When the 4th of July comes, he cuts 5 acres each day. Some gets ruined, but he makes a lot of nice hay on days I'm chewing fingernails over a 30% chance of rain. 5 acres each day until he's done.
For 25 years I've laughed at his round baler. It has chains and pipes instead of rubber belts and is noisy. Then, he doesn't wrap them with enough twine to look like those nice tootsie rolls the newer equipment produces. But, as I reflect, he hasn't changed chains and a belt baler would be on its third set of belts by now. He only moves his hay a half mile, so doesn't need much twine. His twin costs are half what everyone else spends.

Michael W. Smith · #17 07/08/15, 09:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Irish Pixie

I'm a horse people.

I'm OK with good mixed grass hay it's all my horses need. If it's a bit less than good I'm fine with that too, I just want it in the mow.

Then you would be the exception. Most horse people are (nose in the air), "This hay isn't good enough for MY horses."

The local dairy farm got out of dairy cows about 3 years ago - they are strictly crop farmers now - corn, soybeans, & winter wheat. I'm quite certain they are relieved that they don't even have to try to bale hay this year.

A guy I work with - a hobby farmer - always takes a week vacation and makes hay. He sells mostly to the horse people - but sells to anyone and always runs out. His total hay harvest so far this year is 0 bales. ZERO. He took his week vacation and watched it rain EVERY single day.

By now, most farmers are harvesting their second cutting of hay. Most of them are still waiting for their first cutting - watching as the hay grows taller, blooms, and is getting "old" - all the while it rains every day or every other day.

I'm thinking for anyone who got ANY hay - they can sell for premium prices!

haypoint · #18 07/08/15, 09:41 PM

check out the 5 day forecast for 49783. Been dry all week. Guess what everyone and their brother is doing today?

Michael W. Smith · #19 07/08/15, 09:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haypoint

Two days ago, I was at a livestock auction in southern Michigan. They sell hay. This was hay right out of the fields and most of it looked good. But more hay than buyers and I saw solid squares at $1.00 a bale and 1000 pound rounds under $20.00. But this is the exception.

The only problem with "most of it looked good" is they may look good on the outside, but be all moldy and damp on the inside.

If there was good hay there, I'd be buying up those $1.00 bales and bringing it home to my barn. People around here are going to be looking for hay - ANY kind of hay - even the (nose in the air) horse people - and a person could charge premium prices. In this hay year - ANY hay is GOOD hay!!!

haypoint · #20 07/08/15, 10:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael W. Smith

The only problem with "most of it looked good" is they may look good on the outside, but be all moldy and damp on the inside.

If there was good hay there, I'd be buying up those $1.00 bales and bringing it home to my barn. People around here are going to be looking for hay - ANY kind of hay - even the (nose in the air) horse people - and a person could charge premium prices. In this hay year - ANY hay is GOOD hay!!!

It was at the Napoleon Livestock Commission. You can see the prices for hay at the bottom of their Monday sale. When I said most of it looked good, I didn't mean as I drove by in a car. Hay bales were opened up and not moldy. Those that wanted hay filled their trailer. Those that didn't want hay filled their trailer. A few scrambled around and found transportation and a place in the barn and got bargains. A few weeks back, the hay auction got 2 inches of rain onto hundreds of square bales and they sold for 25 cents. Good to feed that day and maybe the next.