Is this grass ready to cut for hay? (pics attached)

[HorseMaid]

We're in the process of buying some land and are thinking about approaching the sellers to see if they plan to cut it for hay in the meantime, and if not seeing if they will let us do it rather than it get overgrown waiting for everything to go through. I know nothing about making hay but wanted to ask if it looks ready to cut?!

 

[Errin Paddywack]

Hard to see the length but looks pretty good to me. At this time of year the grass is still very full of sap so you will need a good spell of hot sun to dry it properly.

 

[HorseMaid]

Thank you, I'd say the longest bits were 1-1.5 feet tall (ish). It's nearly up on the moors so I'd say growing a bit slower than everywhere else, the field behind my house has twice as much!

 

[ycbm]

How long is the deal going to take to go through? People near the moor where I used to live would cut as late as 2nd half of August, so it's not likely to spoil before you move in, I would have thought?
.

 

[HorseMaid]

Hmm well not a lot seems to be happening so far, it would be a shame if it went to waste though. I don't know how long these things usually take! The moor is exmoor so probably not as high as some other UK places

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

I would want more growth from the lower part of the sward and would leave it a while longer. It could wait til later in the summer.

 

[Glitter's fun]

We're in the process of buying some land and are thinking about approaching the sellers to see if they plan to cut it for hay in the meantime, and if not seeing if they will let us do it rather than it get overgrown waiting for everything to go through. I know nothing about making hay but wanted to ask if it looks ready to cut?!

Hay (or haylage) isn't something you need to rush. The longer you leave it the coarser & less nutritious it will get but that happens gradually & for horses coarse & low sugar is good. Within reason, the longer you wait the bigger the crop. Theoretically it can still be cut any time until it falls over flat and new grass starts to grow through it, holding it down. In practice , the longer the autumn progresses, the less likely it is that you'll get enough dry days together to get it completely made into hay that's dry enough to keep without mould but you can make haylage or "wrapped hay" quite late because short days & dew don't prevent that. I'd spend the waiting time looking for someone who can make small bales & wrap them for you & then all the pressure will be off & you can enjoy the excitement - YOU ARE BUYING LAND ON EXMOOR - we are all jealous!

 

[Horseysheepy]

Possibly possibly not. It will take some making though. It'll need a good bit of tedding to dry it out, as we have the sun but not the proper heat.
We had a similar crop last year, we missed the May cut that alot of farmers took as we were busy silageing then, so we had to 'panic make' some (it wasn't our grass) and it was tedded within an inch if it's life as it was not ready and the hay was not the greatest, but still fed something!

 

[Tarragon]

I just wanted to say that it looks like superb meadow grazing!
Living at 1000ft in the peak District, I would say you should be leaving it a bit longer but I am no expert. I have friends who have a small holding where the fields are SSSI because they are completely untouched and unspoilt grazing meadows and they are not normally making hay until much later on.

 

[HorseMaid]

Thank you all, so probably no need to panic about it. I went to look at it yesterday and I'm pleased it does look like a lovely mix of grasses with lots of little flowers, although I know naff all really I'm just glad it's not "farmers grass".

 

[AnShanDan]

As said above making hay is a balance between getting the max crop, which would be later in the season, and having enough day length and the weather to make it successfully.

This depends on the location in the country and height above sea level, the grasses in the sward, how big a crop it is (how much fertiliser etc), the humidity/weather and how much it is turned/tedded. So, a thin crop in the south of England could be made a lot later than a heavy crop further north. I've seen hay made in Europe in under 48 hours in June, if we tried that here it would never be dry enough, the min. we need is 3/4 days of proper drying weather.

 

[rabatsa]

Our grass would take a picture like that but the base needs to grow and the crop thicken up a lot yet. We will not be mowing for another month.

 

[minesadouble]

Early June is VERY early for hay making.