2023 hay crops

SEL

SEL

Well-Known Member
Joined
25 February 2016
Messages
14,792
Location
Buckinghamshire
Visit site
Rode past the fields my hay is made from this morning and it's all cut and being turned.

Given I have two small cobs who think they are racehorses and an Appy mare who has a crest a stallion would be proud of I'm guessing the grass is full of sugar - they're only being strip grazed a small amount.

Does sweet grass turn into sweet hay?

Chances of a second cut if he's doing one this early? Is that likely to be less rocket fuel?
 
SEL said:
Rode past the fields my hay is made from this morning and it's all cut and being turned.

Given I have two small cobs who think they are racehorses and an Appy mare who has a crest a stallion would be proud of I'm guessing the grass is full of sugar - they're only being strip grazed a small amount.

Does sweet grass turn into sweet hay?

Chances of a second cut if he's doing one this early? Is that likely to be less rocket fuel?
Click to expand...
Second cut depends on if we get rain. We cut our grass last year early, didn't get a second cut because it was just so dry
 
We’ve cut some ground today- will bale at the end of the week all being well as yes sweet grass tend to make sweet hay and the sugar content means it takes longer to dry as well. Sheep tend to get first cut and ponies second or even third if the weather is kinder this year!
 
Hay farmers will always get a second cut, first cut is the rocket fuel usually and then second cut the calmer hay lol. 3rd cut around me in Derbyshire also quite common but the price of fertilisers meant it was a bit of a gamble last year.
 
Depends on the grass. We’ve cut and baled our ground we rent off a ex dairy farm. It’s predominantly rye grass so my ponies will absolutely not be fed it! But they will get the first cut off the meadow fields we cut and bale. The rye grass hay will suit any customers who want quality fodder for hard working horses.
 
No idea what time of day it was cut but it's meadow grass mix that he grows for his equine customers. If 2nd cut is going to be the lower sugar cut then I'll have to hope there's going to be decent grass growth between now & then - rocket fuel hay I don't need!!
 
The farm with our stables has just cut all the fields for silage. Hopefully there will be enough rain for it to grow enough for the second cut for the horse hay. The ground is like concrete now and my lawn is already brown.
 
They're cutting for silage here at the moment.

I met our hay chap while I was out hacking this morning and he says the grass is far too rich right now for hay. He won't be cutting for another couple of weeks at least.

He only did one cut last year and he still has a dozen leftover bales for me.
 
southerncomfort said:
They're cutting for silage here at the moment.

I met our hay chap while I was out hacking this morning and he says the grass is far too rich right now for hay. He won't be cutting for another couple of weeks at least.

He only did one cut last year and he still has a dozen leftover bales for me.
Click to expand...
The problem with that though is he risks the weather turning. We’ve already made first cut haylage and are currently in the process of making hay, we’ll hopefully get second cut haylage in august. Making good hay is tough, anyone can make bad hay, we prefer to make ours while the sun is shining!
 
Making hay is very stressful. When we were farming we made about 70 acres of hay. Not easy as we weren't fully mechanised. The best went mostly to horse people, 2nd quality to cattle or just less fussy people. When we gave up farming and I just had a 7 acre field to do for myself I thought it would be great, only 7 acres to worry about. Wrong, it was many times worse because there was no leeway, it all had to be good for our horses and sheep. Much easier now to buy in, I don't miss those days at all.
 
Currently making silage for the cows. Mowing late in the afternoon for best sugar content. Most of our hay wont be cut until after 15th July because in Environmental schemes. Basically this is an arbitrary date that assumes generally that wild flowers etc will have set seed already.
 
chocolategirl said:
The problem with that though is he risks the weather turning. We’ve already made first cut haylage and are currently in the process of making hay, we’ll hopefully get second cut haylage in august. Making good hay is tough, anyone can make bad hay, we prefer to make ours while the sun is shining!
Click to expand...
Well he's never let us down yet. He's been doing it all his life so I guess he knows what he's doing.
 
My partner is busy on another job most of June, so we'll make hay in July. Hopefully this wet period we have been promised mid-June will help flush the grass on a bit so we'll have a decent yield and hope for a good spell of warm sun in July.
We make three grades, old meadow -the sweetest softest hay, pony hay, rougher and less sweet, and Timothy. My horses go mad for the Timothy!.Sheep prefer the sweet smelling.
 
Spoke to my farmer neighbour yesterday who had just started mowing for hay, he did say it was a bit early in the year but with good weather forcast he was going for it, and if it was going to be very hot and stay dry grass unlikely to grow much more
Hope it turns out ok as I have my name on some of it
 
Yes it does you may need to soak it to remove sugar. You can have it tested to ascertain sugar and starch content.sarah braithwait in North Wales offers this service, sorry can't remember the name of her company.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top