# Oats Hay Curing Time?



## 32-0-0 (May 30, 2017)

Got a call from a neighbor who asked me to cut, rake and bale about 20 acres. I have a Kuhn disc cutter but it doesn't have a conditioner (our place is coastal Bermuda so it's not really required).

Question is how long will it take for oats to dry down without being run through a conditioner? Forecast for when he wants to cut calls for highs in the upper 70's to lower 80's and some but not a lot of sunshine.

Thanks,
Chris


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

We mow our oats hay with a sickle mower. Usually hope its in the 90s and sunny. It'll take at least 4 or 5 days till its dry enough to rake and even then some underneath might be quite green. The V rake usually fluffs it up enough that the wind and sun will dry it out the rest of the way in a couple of days. While the majority will be dry enough to bale there will always be a tough spot somewhere that'll take a little longer. Oats hay is the one thing I'd really like a conditioner for.

Last summer we had a neighbor condition some of our heavier fields and the rest we mowed. I was able to bale the conditioned oats 2 days sooner than the mowed stuff.


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## LaneFarms (Apr 10, 2010)

Dry down time is going to depend on what stage of maturity the oats are at. If they are milk or early dough stage you may never get them dry enough. If you wait til late dough or right before dry down they will be a lot easier to dry. Most of mine takes 4-5 days.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

I realize weather conditions have a direct bearing on making good oat hay. I agreed a cutter with conditioner will speed up drying time. If weather permits I like to cut oats for hay shortly after heads have emerged from stalks. Over my 30+ yr custom hay baling career I have baled oat or wheat for hay several times & it usually ends up being a real challenge.

IMHO if one waits until late dough stage one might as well wait to harvest for grain as the straw has lost a good portion of it's protein plus the heads attract rodents which can destroy surface wrap or twine.


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

If it's in boot stage, figure at least a week unless you have oven hot/dry weather.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Wrapping it a option?


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

So many variables but for horses I cut it very ripe in heavy dough. The rainy season ends before it gets that ripe out here,without conditioner it takes 10 days I generally give it 14 days. The tighter it is baled the better. Mice have to eat the stem to get inside to the seed. Father and grandfather were much more into horses than I,and this is how they wanted it. They worked horses much harder than 90% of today's. More than just a few as grandpa used teams of 32 or more horse on early combines out here in the hills.

With the oats grown here 90% of the time the riper the better horses clean it up. But that 10% sometimes they don't like it. Generally if horses like it cows clean it up very well also. Yes greener would be more protein but grain is more carbohydrates for cows.


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## Swv.farmer (Jan 2, 2016)

I like to cut it as soon as the heads start to emerge and Ted it and Ted it and Ted it some more and on around day 6 bail it.


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## Hay diddle diddle (Nov 17, 2017)

Strange world you all live in. I dont care how long it takes to dry down here. It just HAS TO BE DRY. Its ready when its ready. Worrying about how many days it takes either leads to musty hay or a burnt shed.


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## Monsenhay (Jan 13, 2018)

South of Madison WI. Last year I had 22 acres of new seeding. Cut all Thursday, wet wrapped Saturday 17 acres got to dry baled 5 in small bales Sunday beautiful feed. So about 72 hours


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## 32-0-0 (May 30, 2017)

Hay diddle diddle said:


> Strange world you all live in. I dont care how long it takes to dry down here. It just HAS TO BE DRY. Its ready when its ready. Worrying about how many days it takes either leads to musty hay or a burnt shed.


Diddle...the hay won't get baled until it's ready to be baled...I ask because some planning has to be done...would you cut your hay if you knew more than likely that it would rain during the dry down period? Or would you rather lay it down blind to the upcoming weather?


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## Hay diddle diddle (Nov 17, 2017)

I guess my point is I just find it funny that over there everyone is obsessed with "days" . Like you said, it will be baled when its ready (good). But That changes every year. Depending on soil moisture, plant moisture, bio mass, dews and or humidity or lack of. What worked last year can be completely irrelevant this year. Same as someone 20 miles away may have had completely different weather during curing.

There is a lot of people on here with limited experience at hay making, it just worries me when people talk in days to cure. It sends the wrong message.

In answer to your question. That depends on how much rain is forecast. There comes a point when it needs to be dropped to stop it becoming rank and losing all feed value. It's a battle I fight every spring too. No one said making quality hay is easy....making crap though, anyone can do that. Good luck and I hope you miss the rain.

P.s. I have lucerne down as we speak. It was hot last week and needed cutting. Showers were forecast over the weekend just gone. We got a few. Had I waited the lucerne would have dried off too much and I would have lost a lot of the leaf. Is it ready to bale after 4 days on the ground? Not a hope in hell. The weather has cooled off significantly (autumn here). Plus I'm busy trying to finish sowing annual ryegrass and clover.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

I think the topic of how many days it takes something to dry after cut is something I often think about when I'm looking at the weather forecast and I'm seeing how many days it is untill the next rain event.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

For those in the US, I would suggest using this site:

https://www.awis.com/contact.html

Plug in your zip, watch your Pan Evaporation numbers, use Hay Wilson's guide on PE.

Larry


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

r82230 said:


> For those in the US, I would suggest using this site:
> https://www.awis.com/contact.html
> Plug in your zip, watch your Pan Evaporation numbers, use Hay Wilson's guide on PE.
> 
> Larry


I don't see where the chart takes into consideration the ground moisture or wind speed.Both are a huge factor in time it takes to dry hay.Just saying there are way more factors involved in drying hay then pan evaporation.


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## glasswrongsize (Sep 15, 2015)

swmnhay said:


> I don't see where the chart takes into consideration the ground moisture or wind speed.Both are a huge factor in time it takes to dry hay.Just saying there are way more factors involved in drying hay then pan evaporation.


Correct on the "or" part. It *does* take into consideration the wind speed and sunlight. It's a good place to start. I think everyone here is starting to split hairs on a simple question. Poor fella just wants an IDEA of how long to cure oat hay; I doubt he's gonna get out his stopwatch, bale as soon as someone said "72 hours", then sue THEM for burning his barn down... I reckon he's looking for a general idea of how big of a weather window he needs to be looking for. Sorry OP, I don't know c'mere from sic 'em bout oats.

Mark


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## 32-0-0 (May 30, 2017)

glasswrongsize said:


> Correct on the "or" part. It *does* take into consideration the wind speed and sunlight. It's a good place to start. I think everyone here is starting to split hairs on a simple question. Poor fella just wants an IDEA of how long to cure oat hay; I doubt he's gonna get out his stopwatch, bale as soon as someone said "72 hours", then sue THEM for burning his barn down... I reckon he's looking for a general idea of how big of a weather window he needs to be looking for. Sorry OP, I don't know c'mere from sic 'em bout oats.
> 
> Well said Mark...I have no experience with oats hay so I was only trying to get a GENERAL idea of its drying time. This forum is great for gathering such information so long as judgement is not being doled.out. Simple manners seem to be more and more lacking these days.
> 
> ...


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