Hay making

Yes! This morning going to bale thursday. Hope the weather holds down in kent so its a bit dryer than you have had it .
 
We cut some on Saturday afternoon, only a few acres on sandy soil as all the rest is waaay too wet to get machinery on, turned it yesterday, again today and will be looking at baling tomorrow, so it can be in the barn on Wednesday, before the Thursday rain comes in.
God only knows when the rest will be done, though. What with the wet ground, shabby weather and harvest approaching fast :o
 
Saw the first bit of combining start, up in suffolk today,looks like the weather broke just in time for the spring Barley.
 
Cut Monday turned today should bale tomorrow some lovely stuff, that's earmarked for my horses and sheep then got some not so nice stuff to do, what price is hay going to be in midlands.
 
Our hay was cut on Sunday and baled yesterday (Wednesday). The best hay we've made for some years, such a relief after the awful weather.
 
In the middle of carting right now, just stopped for a drink.

Lovely hay, really cracking stuff and lots of it (20% more than last year).

Only a couple of hundred more bales to lug/heft/stack...! :eek:
 
Still waiting for our guy to turn up to do it - we have had mid 20's or higher temps everyday for 8 days but he is busy doing other jobs (his own hay etc) we are now forecast rain in next few days so I have missed the boat on this amazing weather - I literally phoned everyone I could think of with no luck.

Fingers crossed we get another dry hot spell !
 
We are hoping to bale tomorrow but we have only cut half as we are in NE Scotland and weather windows have a habit of closing, also there is only OH and me to do it and I have dodgy arthritis in my fingers which isnt great for bale moving.

Doing the mowing earlier this week with our wee 1976 John Deere!

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Ahh Real men dont need airconditioned tractor cabs:) but I do think I would have dropped that bucket off,it puts a hell of a load on the front wheel bearings with all that turning.
 
Mike007 said:
Ahh Real men dont need airconditioned tractor cabs:) but I do think I would have dropped that bucket off,it puts a hell of a load on the front wheel bearings with all that turning.
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You didnt see all the other (needing loader) jobs he was having to do in between mowing and wuffling the hay......!!!:-))) normally would take it off, but it's frantic here trying to get everything done as OH is often called away with work.
 
Its just gutting isnt it ! my guy on Friday said he would try to get to me - I said by Monday ? he said "not making any promises" then when I texted him Monday he said "I told you I couldnt get to you for a week !!!" ahhhhh no ! you didnt !

I then rang everyone I knew but with no luck , I do understand they are busy but it doesnt help us does it !
 
My supplier has not done his yet as he said the ground was too wet to get on and do a good job. But I am not overly worried as he has delivered me a load of last years hay to keep me going until the new year. Hopefully we will get some good windows of opportunity in August.
 
Mike007 said:
No such thing as too much hay .Store it carefully because you never know when you will need it.:cool:
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Quite right! When I lived in the hills, I went to try to buy a couple of bales from a neighbour. He said they never sold hay, but he would show it to me!

I thought that a bit odd but followed him around to the barn. He explained that any year they had a surplus, they just extended the barn! He had hay going back years! That was in Upper Banffshire. One winter we got 26 inches of snow on level ground. Then another year, the roads were blocked with snow -- on the 4th June!
 
The farmer baled ours last night - we actually were initally getting haylage so when we had a call to say we had our share of the crop baled and on the field - we were shocked to have to suddenly find space for just over 400 bales of hay! Despite being a livery yard, most of the horses are on haylage in winter so i think we are going to be selling over half of it but i dont seem to be able to find any of this years hay for sale in my area to get an idea of prices so maybe i should hang onto it.... it just means i cant use 2 of my stables as they are full of hay.... plus our bedding delivery of 150 bales this week will have to stay outside as where we normally keep that is full.... plus we need to fence of part of a field shetler as thats full.......
decisions decisions!
 
Ours, made as dry as possible haylage, is well up. But we harrowed in new seed last autumn, and limed, so we hoped for better. Last year in dry spring we only had a meagre 27 big round bales from 7 acres, usual crop is around 70, so that was a huge drop.

This year we have 86. And having bought in hay to top us up last year I shan't be rushing to dispose of surplus anytime soon either. However, won't be extending the barn. ;)
 
Grass expertise required.... my field has still not been cut - rather than being all long and waving in the wind alot of it (not all but most) is now flat ish on the ground due to the rain and wind - the ground is dry underneath but if I part the grass and look right at the base the first inch of some (again not all) of it is light brown -

The question is, will I get a hay cut off this now ? I am hoping that the cut wont be too near the base and therefore the inch will be left anyway. All suggestions welcome, would it make better haylage than hay ? - would prefer hay as haylage will cost alot to make though. There is soo much there it is mental !
 
I would be looking at haylage as less reliant on the weather, although I know of people who have still had good hay crops until sept.
 
meesha said:
Grass expertise required.... my field has still not been cut - rather than being all long and waving in the wind alot of it (not all but most) is now flat ish on the ground due to the rain and wind - the ground is dry underneath but if I part the grass and look right at the base the first inch of some (again not all) of it is light brown -

The question is, will I get a hay cut off this now ? I am hoping that the cut wont be too near the base and therefore the inch will be left anyway. All suggestions welcome, would it make better haylage than hay ? - would prefer hay as haylage will cost alot to make though. There is soo much there it is mental !
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Don't worry about it, it will all make hay. The base is brownish because it isn't getting sunlight so there is less chlorophyl. It will be fine. Modern mowers can cope well with laid grass, that wasn't the case with the old cutter bar mowers though. It is using those that taught me how to swear!:o
 
Thank you, have been sooo worried I will lose the lot what a relief to hear I should get something off it ! small bale haylage would be best but if I got 200 bales it would cost me around £200 for small bale hay (can then sell enough to pay for it) or if I have small bale haylage it would cost me nearer £600 !! ahhh ! I know I could have big bale haylage (cant store big bale hay) but the whole point is for beginning and end of winter when I wont get through a big bale of hay before it goes off (can get big bale haylage for £25 delivered).

sooooooo............. will do sun dance tonight for 5 clear sunny days !!! mmmm !! may be a lot of dancing needed !
 
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