# Rye Straw Making Help!



## cjsr8595 (Jul 7, 2014)

Please move this if need be, couldn't find where to ask the questions. I had a guy approach me about making some Rye straw, he needs about 200 4x5 round bales. I've made a lot of different types of hay but no straw, i'm a noob. What does it take to make some good straw. I have a disc mower, no conditioner and a tedder along with the other equipment to get it done ect. Does it need to be conditioned, do i cut it and let it lay for a week, rain, ted? I need some direction to see if its something i want to get involved with. any help would be great.

thanks


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

You should try to find out what he's looking for is he after cosmetics. Fancy gold yellow. Or maybe is he after something that will do a good job for bedding up cattle and will absorb liquid


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## cjsr8595 (Jul 7, 2014)

He will use it to cover straw berries for the winter. It needs to be dry, and he needs to be able to put it in his bale buster to spread it on the berries.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

Most straw I've seen baled & baled myself was accomplished by baling after combine had harvested the grain. No cutting required if combine header was low enough & no raking if straw spreader or chopper was disabled. Normally straw is dry enough to bale when grain is ripe enough to harvest.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

Rye seed has an ok price with alot more people planting cover crops. Combine then bale straw.


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## cjsr8595 (Jul 7, 2014)

i have no reason to combine, he talked about cutting before heading out. How do you make straw without a combine, cutting it when its green. What am i looking at regarding dry down time. I've talked to a guy that said it needs rained on at least once.......? seems totally opposite of making hay


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

My experience cutting a grain type crop before heads emerge out of stalks slows the drying of stems tremendously. If it were me I'd want to cut it after seeds had emerged from stalks.


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## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

Some guys around here do it when straw is scarce . Cut it before it heads ted ted ted let it get rained on ted ted again till it’s bleached out then bale . Makes great straw just need some rain and a Tedder . Every once and a while it rains to much and it rots in the field. Go for it just cut before it heads out . At one time we had 5 acres of strawberries we preferred wheat straw but rye would do in a pinch.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

cjsr8595 said:


> i have no reason to combine, he talked about cutting before heading out. How do you make straw without a combine, cutting it when its green. What am i looking at regarding dry down time. I've talked to a guy that said it needs rained on at least once.......? seems totally opposite of making hay


Chemical burn down. Then mow.


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## thendrix (May 14, 2015)

What's the benefit of not combining?


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

thendrix said:


> What's the benefit of not combining?


Market demand. There are customers who want pre-cut rye and will pay for the bright, fluffy straw. Also, pre-cutting instead of combining allows for double cropping. I'm not sure why a berry grower would prefer it. Maybe just what they're accustomed to.


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## thendrix (May 14, 2015)

Ok thanks


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## Smoothy (Apr 26, 2015)

I agree with 8350 I've never heard of such a plan but burn down with sprayer and mow and bale. Fastest way I can think of getting it put up. Otherwise as said lots of tedding and hope for a shower and not a monsoon.


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

It depends on if you are up north or down south. In Wisconsin the rye is heading out in late May and you would be very lucky to get it dry, guys up here who cut it in May chop it for silage or make baleage. If you cut it after it heads out without combining it you may end up with a lot of volunteer rye or the rodents will love the bales with grain in them.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

We sold precut rye for berry bedding and that is what they prefer . We would cut after the heads pop but before the heads get seeds ,. Very important as they don't what rye seeds growing next spring in the berries. . They tell me rye gives less problems with army and cut worm and slugs then wheat


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## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Took me about 7 days to dry last I did precut rye straw. Turned out nearly white with a faint green shade. People liked the look but didn't want to pay 7 per small square. I've been using it to bed down the bottle calves. I find it to be pretty good for drainage and airflow


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## cjsr8595 (Jul 7, 2014)

Thanks for the help. I appreciate all the advice. They use rye as a ground cover in the winter after they harvest seasonal fruits and vegetables. They also burn some of it down and no till pumpkins in it. Makes for good bedding and keeps them from rotting.


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## wheatridgefarmMD (Sep 14, 2008)

We have been doing this for about 5 or so years for the horse industry. Usually by the time we get good weather the rye has headed out when we cut but are process is cut, ted as much as needed (hope for some rain on it to bleach it out faster) rake and bale. We do all small squares, this year did about 115-120 acres and plan to do about 140-145 next year. Brokers pay a premium for rye straw that's baled early in the season before combined straw.


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## bensbales (Jul 18, 2011)

Burn it down before seed formation then let it dry standing. then mow and bale. A large berry farm near me has done this before they went organic.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

Reading through some of these threads farther down...

How do you 'burn it down' and still have something standing? I know nothing about making straw so this is interesting to me. Only seen it baled after the combine.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Hayjosh said:


> How do you 'burn it down' and still have something standing?


Herbicide burn down......glyphosate.

Regards, Mike


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Vol said:


> Herbicide burn down......glyphosate.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Or Gramoxone...

OL J R


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