# Should I stay or should I go?



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I'm going crazy....Hay is headed out pretty good. New weeds beginning to pop up. Weather is hot but HUMID. Chance of iso thunderstorms in next 5 days. I know it's not really late for first cut, but I'm getting impatient. Other local farmers are mostly in holding pattern and being patient, although one did cut yesterday. 
What's your take?


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

_You need to patient to be in the hay bizz with a cast iron stomach._


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

There comes a point that you cannot wait any longer though to cut.


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## Bob M (Feb 11, 2012)

We mowed a few ac yesterday, not our best hay. We have alot to do so need to keep some on the ground. I am waiting on a better forcast before dropping top hay.


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## dubltrubl (Jul 19, 2010)

Teslan said:


> There comes a point that you cannot wait any longer though to cut.


True, and to add to that, sometimes things like work schedules affect your decision. I'd seriously consider doing a part of it, then keep and eye on conditions and weather and adjust on the fly. Don't bite off more than you can chew if you get jammed up by weather and machinery malfunctions. Best of luck!
Steve


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

The big question here is do you have any of your own livestock you can feed it to? Or use it for bedding?

If it was me I'd find the weediest field you have that has the least re-sale value even with no rain and start there, if it gets rained on use it for cow feed. In the dead of winter If it comes down to nothing, snow flakes or junk hay, my beef cows will pick junk hay every time. Or save it till next spring when everybody is running out of hay and people aren't near as picky and sell it then.

When it comes to making hay and the decisions required under these weather conditions just need to get used to the fact that no matter the decision, it's usually the wrong one.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I always find it kinda funny that hay farmers usually save the seemingly worst hay for their own animals. But their own animals thrive on it where I bet if you sold that to hay buyers suddenly their animals would get sick and die or something. If I had livestock to feed you bet I too would keep the worst looking hay for myself.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I hear that! I won't be feeding any. Just selling. Weather is very "soupy" (partly cloudy-humid).


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Teslan said:


> I always find it kinda funny that hay farmers usually save the seemingly worst hay for their own animals. But their own animals thrive on it where I bet if you sold that to hay buyers suddenly their animals would get sick and die or something.	If I had livestock to feed you bet I too would keep the worst looking hay for myself.


Yah, i've took what I thought was absolute garbage bales, pulled the net and dumped them in the woods for bedding then the stupid cows instead of laying on it would end up eating 80% of it while ignoring the "better" hay in the feeders. Fickle females is my theory.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

dubltrubl said:


> True, and to add to that, sometimes things like work schedules affect your decision. I'd seriously consider doing a part of it, then keep and eye on conditions and weather and adjust on the fly. Don't bite off more than you can chew if you get jammed up by weather and machinery malfunctions. Best of luck!
> Steve


Absolutely. If you want to check new to you machines out while waiting for good conditions. Then if all goes smoothly you can kick yourself for not cutting more! Martin


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## dubltrubl (Jul 19, 2010)

Nitram said:


> Then if all goes smoothly you can kick yourself for not cutting more! Martin


So very true!!! LOL


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

Same situation. Got a man wanting hay, got about 5 or 8 acre I could cut, but with 40% to 60% rain on Tues & Wed....don't really wanna cut. Wife insists I cut it ALL, even tho I tell her most is too short.
How much do I loose to say "I-told-ya-so"?


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

Wait too long and you compromise your next cut. Study the forecast and put it on the ground. My .02, maybe not worth that much./


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

shortrow said:


> Wait too long and you compromise your next cut. Study the forecast and put it on the ground. My .02, maybe not worth that much./


Thats what I'm seeing around here, got extremely warm in March, hay took off, got extremely cool in April. I believe what happened is after several hard frosts and a few freezes is the alfalfa actually went into winter dormancy, then when it finally started to grow again, instead of the old growth resuming to grow, new growth started coming in instead. First cut yields are horrible around here, but in a day or two the fields are greened up and look like they would normally after a week.


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

I had problems getting mine to dry. I actually just got mine baled yesterday. Put it on CL for 1.50 a bale and it's sold already was honest about it that it got rained on not much color to it, but hay my Horses and chowin down on it so maybe i should of kept it lol. I'm looking to hold off here in PA looks like Weds, Thurs, Fri. dry as of now in the low 80's. Waiting to see if it holds out and if forcast calls for 4 days of dry weather i'm going to cut a 3 ac. field a neighbor just called and asked me to cut cause his equipment is down and the hay is mine. It's clover, timothy, and some weeds of coarse. I'm trying to learn as i go this is my first year. Has been a little frustrating so far but it's still a lot of fun.


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

Up scratch that, showers Friday now. I'm just glad i got my first cutting off the field and looking forward to getting some fertilizer or Urea on some fields. The weather games stinks lol.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I held off. Rain only 10 mi west of me. Supposedly it's possibilty of rain through 9 PM. Never saw it look like it would rain so much, but never really took a direct hit.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I think I'm going to cut about 160 acres over the next few days. The weather looks ok in one forecast and so so in the other, but it's got to be cut soon. The alfalfa is just starting to bloom so I'm cutting that tomorrow and the grass hay after that.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Cut 60 acres on Friday. Laid it out wide and tedded right behind. Was in the low 90's yesterday and hay really dried except spots that had heavy clover in it. Hope to get her baled today if all the help shows. Mike


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I carry two half dollars to help in my decision making. I flip the first one--if I disagree, I flip the second one as a tie-breaker.

Hay making, and getting old, is not for wimps!

Ralph


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## Bob M (Feb 11, 2012)

You can not bale what you do not cut. And rain makes the next cutting grow. That is what I tell my self when our hay gets rained on.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

Yep, went ahead & did the rain dance. Forecast said rain Tuesday, humidity was low so I cut some thin stuff Saturday hoping to bale Monday, Yep, the rain dance worked...rained just enough to wet stuff today, and 50% chance rest of the week. Need the rain, and the cattle will eat the stuff I bale next week. Only about 3 acre, & thin, so no big loss, & figure it'll stimulate growth for another crop.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Well, I held out. 50% chance of T-storms every night and it rained in every nearby town EXCEPT mine!!
Well I lost some time, but I am part time farm/part time construction, so I can cut & bale almost anytime I want.


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

Thinkin of cutting 2 ac. field the neighbor is allowing me to do possible Weds. Callin for rain late Fri. night and it's only suppose to be in the mid 70's so i duno what to do. Gonna keep watching the weather see what happens hopfully it changes and we have a few dry days.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

This is driving me CRAZY! Chance of rain every other day for another week!


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

In the same boat as you, I have till Thursday afternoon before it supposedly rains, cool temps after today but I went and found a field I needed to get done before the weeds goto seed and mowed it, if it rains, fine at least the weeds didn't get a chance to goto seed, if no rain then I'm that much closer to being done.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

We need rain, too. I was sure with a little hay on the ground I would get some. According to one weather.com, there was 50 to 60% chance starting yesterday thru about Wednesday, with 75% chance of rain about 7:00 tonight. I got the hay baled, & under the shed & think I felt 3 drops total.


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

Still calling for showers here till Friday JD3430! It's frustraiting i got 2 1/2 ac. to get caught, plus helping the neighboring w/ 15 ac. of Timothy that's starting to blow over it's so high.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Well, my hay got rained on Friday night! I got up early saturday and tedded it. Still looks good....
Raked it this morning (Sunday-nice breezy, sunny) then began baling at 11;30. Got 120 bales made and thunderstorms hit us again at 4 PM. At 5PM, baler broke its' driveshaft right where it meets the slipclutch/flywheel, so I'm done until repairs till Monday anyway!!!
I had the potential to make another 250 bales.


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