Gutted - think my hay is ruined!

[MurphysMinder]

I posted last week that I was waiting for contractor to get round to cutting my hay, and was not looking forward to getting it in as suspected there would be about 400 bales. Well I should have kept my big mouth shut. He turned up Sunday morning to do it - I queried weather forecast but he said would be fine. To cut it short we had the most horrendous rain yesterday . My lovely hay is now sodden. And the forecast is for more rain all week although the sun is out at the mo. It hasn't been turned yet but I really doubt it can be saved. Does anyone have any experience of this, if we do have a dry spell and can get it dry would it be okay? Alternatively what is the cheapest way to remove lying grass off about 5 acres? And finally does any one know of any reasonably priced, ragwort free hay in N Shropshire

 

[jumpthemoon]

Oh poor you

Sorry I don't know if you'll be able to save it or not - I hope you can, although I think the forecast is for more rain. YO had hers cut last week and we rushed to get it in on Thursday night because it was due to rain on Friday - all 1200 bales of it!

Good luck getting it sorted...

 

[_daisy_]

i am so sorry to hear whats happened. Surely there is some way of saving it? fingers crossed the weather forecast is wrong and that it dries out and you can get it baled asap.
have you rung your farmer to see what he thinks about it?

I was in the same predicament as you. Our farmer friend rang us last week to ask if we wanted to try get our field cut/baled but weather forecast didnt look good - we said go ahead, luckily the weather stayed good, it was cut on the tuesday, baled & wrapped thursday, we tidied the rest up that he couldnt turn/spin Friday & saturday, it rained heavily on Saturday night, so we turned it again Sunday hoping we could get someone else to bale it or wed drop it into a friends donkey on a daily basis, but he saw what we had done & came and baled it yesterday. So we have an extra 2 bales we didnt think wed get.
I have too many bales this year (54 large round ones) but im too far away from you for it to be of any use to you.

 

[oofadoofa]

Oh dear, poor you. We have a load down at the moment too that was cut on Sunday and it's currently chucking it down here. Last year we cut some and it poured with rain on about the 3rd day of it being down, it was then sunny for the next 2 days and then we baled it. I'm feeding it to my horses at the moment and although there's not much goodness in it (the grass had gone over a bit really), it's not dusty at all and they seem to eat it all up. So all may not be lost!

 

[zizz]

if it hasn't been turned at all yet it should be salvagable as the rain should shed off the stalks as they're all led the same way. However it is obviously not so if it carries on all week. Could you not let a farmer have it for silage in return for some hay?

 

[mintaka04]

Hi Murphysminder,
sorry to hear that your hay has been rained on, but don't despair, ours gets rained on all the time!
It's an unusual occurrance if hay in the west of Scotland gets harvested in a few days with no rain!
I'm no farmer, but every year I worry about the hay my landowner/farmer makes.
He tells me that as long as you don't turn it it will be ok.
The worst case scenario is when you turn it and the rain comes on again when you are just about to bale it.
So you leave it to dry again, turn it again, and the rain again comes before you bale.

My horses have had to eat hay before that had been soaked two or three times in this fashion. It's not good hay, but it can be salvagable.
I wouldn't fret too much if your hay has only been cut and rained on without being turned yet.
Don't lose all hope, it will probably be ok

 

[MurphysMinder]

Thanks everyone for your replies, and particularly mintaka04 for your reassuring comments. Looks like it may be sitting there for a few days with the current forecast but will keep my fingers crossed we manage to rescue it. Tbh it doesn't have to be the best of quality for the cushings pony and the donkey, and I suppose I could always get some hay in for the other 2. My main concern is that last year our hay also got wet and imo was baled before it was properly dry and I have had to burn about 50% over the winter. I kept opening bales that were mouldy, and even some of the ones that looked okay the ponies refused to eat

 

[gailt]

If its any consolation, last year we cut, then it rained solid for 5 days, took another few days to dry it enough to turn it, then it rained again. But we still managed to bale, and although it wasnt the best hay we'd had, the horses ate it and didnt seem to complain, they didnt drop too much weight over the winter either so i guess there was some goodness in it. Dont worry all is not lost just make sure you dont turn it wet, as the top layer keeps stuff under it dry like an umbrella.

 

[irishdraught]

It will be fine for a few days still in its' rows. Don't have it spun until the rain stops.

It might not end up being the most nutritious and it may end up a bit bleached but as long as it isn't baled when it is damp, it is definately salvagable.

You can always mix it with some better stuff if you need to.

 

[immybrookstud]

we have done 2000 bales but still have 700 cut and not baled (ment to be yetesrday but baler played up)but been turned, now very wet. just hoping we will have dry spell and will have time to turn again and bale, i know it wont be as good as the rest of the hay but hopefully usable.

Yours has a better chance as not been turned, just make sure it is completly dry before they bale it and you should be fine

 

[volatis]

We've had large bales made and now the farm manager is off harvesting and not got in and I am panicing its going to get ruined if we get any more rain. I cant bring it in myself, definatly need a tractor for that!