# Cut before or after rain?



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Running perilously low on good hay making days. Have 1 15 acre pasture to go. 
Rain coming Thursday. Temps dropping from daytime highs in mid 80's to clear weather and low 70's after rain moves through (new cool front)
Should I cut today and begin drying process ? Or should I wait till rain moves thru, knowing grass will be good and wet probably until Saturday and try to start drying process in much cooler temps?

More simply, cut 2 days before rain knowing hay on ground will be wet and need lots of tedding, or wait until after rain knowing I'll lose 2 fairly hot drying days (today and Wednesday) ?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I usually wait till after the rain, sure you might gain some drying before the rain, but depending on how wet it gets then you might get to fight wet ground and have to get rid of all the rain moisture off the hay.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

Think I'd wait too. If your weather man's like ours, their light rain might be 1.5 inches or so. It's a pain trying to make cut grass into hay when the ground's so wet your tractor leaves ruts in the hay field.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

I've got mix emotions on this one. This time of year I'll usually go ahead and cut and take a chance on the rain. If it gets rained on in the first day or so after I cut and I can get it dry...I'll go ahead and square bale it. Otherwise I'll roll it up and sell it. It didn't rain the entire time I was gone, and it's rained every day since I've been back. I'll cut a couple of fields today only because the forecast says I've got 3 days of dry coming up. I don't believe it, but I need it done so I can get one more cutting before shutting down for the year.

When I lived in Western NJ, I learned to watch the weather in the Houston area, 'cause whatever they got, I usually got a couple of days later. If that still holds true JD you've got lot of little scattered showers heading your way. Grease up your tedder, you'll probably need it anyway.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

What is the forecast for the humidity? I have had times here where I had better drying of the hay with temperatures in the 60s then in this 90s due to the difference in the humidity, wind, etc.

If it were my choice, I would probably wait until after the rain.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

If your humidity is anything like ours atm, it isn't going to dry much at all anyways whether it be 90 or 100.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

If it were me, I would wait and start cutting right after the rain came thru. Lay it on the ground and run the tedder right behind it to spread it out. Cool temps here in Va will dry the hay pretty fast. Cool temps and low humidity. JMHO Mike


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

JD-I am in the same position you are in-see that predicted shower on Wed night and into thurs then 4 day window of good weather. Know there is limited hay weather left. I will probably cut Wed nite or Thurs am in the rain if I have to so it is down and drying as soon as the good weather hits. I am not a big fan of 1-2 hot 90 degree days on grass followed by rain-usually try to have it rain on it green as sin. Not sure about your fields but we just turned brick hard here so it will have to rain a lot to get muddy-I think up to an inch or more will be absorbed quickly- some of it by the vegetation


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

there are times when I had a lot to cut I would cut some before that time when the rain was forecastand then some afterwards if you wait till the weatherman makes up its mindyou could lose a lot time and 50 percent of the time it does not rain anyway


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

My late FIL always said you could cut right before a rain and as long as it wasn't curing out before it got rained on you would be fine.

Personally I'd rather see temps in the 70's, a nice breeze and very low humidity for drying than upper 80's and low 90's and sky high humidity. That front is suppose to be pretty strong as they say we may see 40's at night this weekend. One would assume some nice dry air to go with it.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Josh it is the pan evaporation that id important.

Cut the hay when the sun is shining so the leavs will be fairly dry by sunset.

It really does not matter when you cut if there is not hay drying weather for the hay. With 0.10 or 0.20 inches of pan evaporation it will require a long time to dry. Better roll the hay up and rap the hay into baled silage.

With a 0.55 inches of pan evaporation your hay will be ready to bale before you are greased up.

There are situations where we just can not bale good hay.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Grateful11 said:


> My late FIL always said you could cut right before a rain and as long as it wasn't curing out before it got rained on you would be fine.


My Dad still says the same, BUT it's one thing if you cut and it accidentally gets rained on green, quite another to get it wet on purpose.

How comfortable are you with the local forecast? The last three times we've had chances of rain at 50% or better and got about twelve drops.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

I wouldn't mow two days in advance if expected rain as it would be partially dry by the time the rain arrived and more likely to be ruined by the rain. I would definitely consider cutting one day before rain so that as soon as it passed you could be ready with the tedder instead of just starting to mow.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Rain arrives tomorrow. I still have all day today to get another field round baled and get the bales I can't fit inside tarped. If there's any time left over, I will cut. If there isn't, I'll let it go until rain passes. It's getting tough to get shadowed edges dried down.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

If it were me I would wait until the rain passes...if you cut before you know it's going to get wet but if you wait until after you still have a chance to put up dry hay and if it would get rained on before you could bale it was going to get wet anyways. How many days are they forecasting of dry weather after this rain moves through?


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

FarmerCline said:


> If it were me I would wait until the rain passes...if you cut before you know it's going to get wet but if you wait until after you still have a chance to put up dry hay and if it would get rained on before you could bale it was going to get wet anyways. How many days are they forecasting of dry weather after this rain moves through?


At least 5-7 clear, but much cooler days. Highs in low 70's.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> At least 5-7 clear, but much cooler days. Highs in low 70's.


 You should have plenty of time to get it dry even with the cooler temps as long as the humidity isn't through the roof.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

So, JD- did you cut or not? I cut yesterday am-dropped the 13 ac before the predicted big storm-weather guys were worried about wind so I was not worried about that much moisture. When it got here not much-maybe a quarter inch and I got a day of drying yesterday and all day today. We had spits this am but by 9:30, the sky cleared and the breeze began to blow. That is why I cut before a rain if wind afterwards is called for.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

All we got out of that front when it came through was a bunch leaves blown off the trees and not even enough rain to settle first dust of the Summer. Only .2" so far this month. We did get much lower temps, lower dew point and low humidity today. Suppose to only be 75 tomorrow.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Hayman1 said:


> So, JD- did you cut or not? I cut yesterday am-dropped the 13 ac before the predicted big storm-weather guys were worried about wind so I was not worried about that much moisture. When it got here not much-maybe a quarter inch and I got a day of drying yesterday and all day today. We had spits this am but by 9:30, the sky cleared and the breeze began to blow. That is why I cut before a rain if wind afterwards is called for.


Yeah I cut early this afternoon. We had downpours last night and some lingering showers this morning. Got 15 acres cut. Got another 10 tomorrow. 
Time is short boys. Shadows are early and long.


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