when are you having hay cut???

jackessex

jackessex

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As in the title really,we have 7 acres we cut every year and due to the lack of rain it looks like we will be cutting soon,a lot of the local farmers have started cutting for sylage(sp)and looking at what has come up if we dont do it soon it will be going to seed,so i was wondering when everyone else does theres???
 
Are you joking? Ours hasn't grown at all due to the dry weather so it will be at least July before we can even contemplate harvesting it. Last year, we did it early for us,(June) nice young stuff, got right and very good it turned out too but if we had waited another fortnight we'd have had a far better crop.
Contractors have been silaging some near here and what would normally take them a few days is being completed in two with nothing in the pits to talk of; there just is not the growth you would expect and farmers are having their lowest yields for first cut for many a year; if the trend continues over the summer a lot will be in danger of not having enough forage for the year.
 
Silage has already been cut round here and hay has also started being cut. I was surprised, but maybe he's hoping for a sparse crop followed by a decent one later, if we get rain??
 
ours will be cut mid june (weather permitting) as its already high enough to loose the welsh sec A & shettie in it. its long, thick & looking very nice at present, if the weather does as it predicts we may even get a second cut off it later on in the year (sept time)
 
Hardly grown at all here, very much doubt we'll be cutting before end of June/early July. Doesn't even seem to be much silage being cut yet, nothing has really grown on.
 
We havent had any rain for at least 2 months so although grass is growing all be it very slowly we wouldnt even be comtemplating cutting for hay for at least another 6/8 weeks minimum, noone cutting silage round here.
 
Think they have done the silage (read hope it's silage) round here at the weekend as it sat on the floor for 3 days in the hammering rain !!
 
i agree its far to early,but i am worried it is going to seed as its been so dry,its up to a fair height,so im thinking lower amounts but good quality?or am i wrong to be cutting it before it seeds?also im in two minds whether to have it done for haylage as it would be easier to store,what do you guys think??
 
Our local farmer has started cutting for silage/haylage as it is now going to seed. As I undesrtand it one it goes to seed it wont get any taller and the energy goes to making the seeds. he is hoping he can then get a second cut, we havent had more than a few drizzles fopr 10 weeks now.
 
Once your grass has gone to seed it won't 'bulk up' any more it will just pollinate and then die, waiting too long will lower the quality. We will be at least 2 weeks earlier than normal due to the drough stress on the grass go into it's 'reproductive phase' earlier as nature's self preservation mechanism.

HH
 
Last year we cut mid June, whcih was our earliest ever - and our most pathetic yield! I imagine it will be the same this year.
OH can't worry about the hay when hes watching his spring barley die.
 
we cut first wk of june last yr and had 660 off 6 acres which was crap but it was very good quality so im thinking even if we only get 500 its better than nothing!also it will be sods law that if we hang on it will rain when we do try and get it baled!!!!
 
and clodagh i think if there is someone upstairs he has got a warped sense of humour :( i really feel for the farmers in this area.
 
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