# When is it to cold to cut and bale hay?



## yamaharider28 (Sep 8, 2014)

I only have 2 fields left to cut this year and its looking like we are going to have about 5 days of good dry weather here. The highs are around 72 with lows around 45. I am wanting to square bale both of the fields. So my question is since the high will be only 72 will the hay have time to dry out good and be ready to bale with in 5 days.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I have baled alfalfa with those temps....I let it dry 5 days but it needed longer really....but I never tedded it out so that I would not lose color but tedded the day I baled.

It was still around 25% moisture when baled so I stacked on a wagon with spacing and left it for several weeks and it never molded....due to the cooler temps, spacing in the stacks, and good air circulation.

I will be cutting here again soon.

Regards, Mike


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

This time of year is when a conditioner really comes in handy. When we cut with the old 479 haybine it seemed to cure like normal. I have cut grass hay the day before an early killing frost and baled it once the weather warmed back up.

I am cutting tomorrow. Will be using the disc mower. The hay is thin so I hope it cures fast.

Still have 2 other places to cut before I winterize the hay equipment.


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## NewBerlinBaler (May 30, 2011)

I've observed this when cutting & baling in the fall (instead of during the summer):

The sun is lower in the southern sky and a good portion of my fields remain shaded all day. These fields are surrounded by trees and the entire farm is on the north slope of a ridge. Without direct sunshine, the hay just doesn't seem to dry - no matter how warm the days get.

So YamahaRider28, I think your drying time will be determined primarily by available sunshine - not warmth.

Gary


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## yamaharider28 (Sep 8, 2014)

I no I am running out of time so I am going to try to knock it down tomorrow around lunch. I am going to mow with my disc mower and I am going to tedder it out. Does it help to ted it out right after cutting? Should I run the tedder over it after I cut it and then a couple days later? Would that help?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I've mowed hay with a open station tractor wearing Carharts....


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

yamaharider28 said:


> I only have 2 fields left to cut this year and its looking like we are going to have about 5 days of good dry weather here. The highs are around 72 with lows around 45. I am wanting to square bale both of the fields. So my question is since the high will be only 72 will the hay have time to dry out good and be ready to bale with in 5 days.


We get the odd summer when that is as warm as we get and if that's all we get for warmth it usually is accompanied by rain most days. Can still make hay. Around here we rely on the wind as much as the sun to dry hay. Just cut it when the forecast looks good for no rain.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Sometimes colder is better. There's almost a middle temperature range that's worse than anything. Plants are still somewhat green now it can be hard to dry them in moderate temperatures. Plants that are dormant or at least slowed to the point of having little moisture even when standing can be easier to dry in colder temps than sappy plants in moderate temps.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

That and it seems like the dew isn't quite as bad in colder temps compared to when its upper 60's or lower 70's. This last batch I made it was in the mid 70's but the dew was bad enough to soak it almost clear thru every night.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

For grass hay you shouldn't have any trouble getting it dried this time of year in 4 days provided the sun shines. For alfalfa I don't know.....but I'm about to find out soon. This time of year with the cooler temps and shorter days getting the sun to shine is essential to getting the hay to dry. It will be the end of the month when I cut my orchard grass and I don't usually have a problem getting it dry. The only thing I'm wondering is how wet your ground is.....while I have been gone for the last week we supposedly have gotten 4+ inches of rain at home. If the ground is that saturated it may be best to stay off the field and it will definatly keep the hay from drying out good with all that ground moisture wicking up into the hay.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Where I farm you would not get anything dry to bale say 16% but you could get it 24%to28% and that would work . The morning dues that hang on so long in conjunction with the shorter days are the killer. We have cattle we wrap everything this time of year


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

mlappin said:


> I've mowed hay with a open station tractor wearing Carharts....


I've ran hay in the winter before (and it looks as though I might do it again this year). Up here (Michigan) winters are real, with cold and snow and wind, unlike in the south........

You need to have a good crimper (and have it cranked down tight), a prolonged dry down period and no prcip in the forms of sleet, rain, hail or snow and it's a crapshoot (here) but doable.

We call it 'freeze dried hay'. It actually comes out nice, if Mother Nature cooperates which is the key....

As of late, Ms. Nature isn't cooperating at all......


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Keep in mind that around here, in mid winter the RH is very low. Low temperatures and low RH go a long way to curing hay (mixed, not alfalfa). Get a few days of sunshine, even with low temps, and forage will dry down.... Takes time and good luck.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

mlappin said:


> That and it seems like the dew isn't quite as bad in colder temps compared to when its upper 60's or lower 70's. This last batch I made it was in the mid 70's but the dew was bad enough to soak it almost clear thru every night.


A lot of the time the dews here are worse in the cold temps. Still 80% humidity at noon. But by 5 its 30% humidity.


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

Not to hi-jack this thread, but we have one field mostly grass hay (mix of orchard grass, fescue and a bit of clover and timothy) and we cut it the week before Labor Day. Normally it is dry and cold by now, but we've had a ton of rain and the temps have been moderate - though we've had a recent frost or two. But the grass has really grown since the last week of August - lush and green and thick - so I'm thinking about cutting it and making square bales.

What does frost do to grass hay and clover once it's cut - waiting to dry? Will I do harm to this grass and make it harder to for it to survive over the winter and in doing so damage next spring's cutting by cutting it so late in the year?

Will the frosted grass pose any harm to whatever animal eats it - from horses to goats? This hay will be sold.

Should I have at it and make hay one more time this year or forget it and watch a good football game instead?

Thanks!

Bill


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

yamaharider28 said:


> I am going to mow with my disc mower and I am going to tedder it out.
> 
> 1. Does it help to ted it out right after cutting?
> 
> ...


1. Yes....but you also can lose alot of color but that may not matter.

2. & 3. It would certainly would aid dry down.

Regards, Mike


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

leeave96 said:


> Not to hi-jack this thread, but we have one field mostly grass hay (mix of orchard grass, fescue and a bit of clover and timothy) and we cut it the week before Labor Day. Normally it is dry and cold by now, but we've had a ton of rain and the temps have been moderate - though we've had a recent frost or two. But the grass has really grown since the last week of August - lush and green and thick - so I'm thinking about cutting it and making square bales.
> 
> What does frost do to grass hay and clover once it's cut - waiting to dry? Will I do harm to this grass and make it harder to for it to survive over the winter and in doing so damage next spring's cutting by cutting it so late in the year?
> 
> ...


Some of the best hay I've ever made, a made in December, but again, it's a crapshoot. You use a little less fuel.......no air conditioning.


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## yamaharider28 (Sep 8, 2014)

Ok I mowed it all today. I will keep yall updated on how it is drying.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

On thing in your favor... You are much more temperate than we are. Supposd to have snow showers Saturday night.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

leeave96 said:


> Not to hi-jack this thread, but we have one field mostly grass hay (mix of orchard grass, fescue and a bit of clover and timothy) and we cut it the week before Labor Day. Normally it is dry and cold by now, but we've had a ton of rain and the temps have been moderate - though we've had a recent frost or two. But the grass has really grown since the last week of August - lush and green and thick - so I'm thinking about cutting it and making square bales.
> 
> What does frost do to grass hay and clover once it's cut - waiting to dry? Will I do harm to this grass and make it harder to for it to survive over the winter and in doing so damage next spring's cutting by cutting it so late in the year?
> 
> ...


 If you have the weather to make hay I would not hesitate to cut it. The frost while the hay is drying won't hurt anything and you won't have any toxicity issues. In virginia I doubt you have to worry much about the winter survival of grasses so it should not hurt a thing to cut it now.....just leave a good 3.5-4 stubble height to help the grass recover better.....this is a good thing to do with all cuttings. I take my last cutting of orchard grass the very end of October or the first of November to get as much fall growth as I can to bale......it makes some really nice, soft hay.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

As long as your leave stubble like FarmerCline said and have a good fertility program you'll be fine. We graze second and third cutting till the first week of December or it snows. Comes back just like normal every spring


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## yamaharider28 (Sep 8, 2014)

well got some good news! Still got the chilly weather but got some good steady wind all day today and some steady sunshine today. Tedded it out today and it looks like it is curing good. Should be ready to bale Monday.


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## yamaharider28 (Sep 8, 2014)

Update, All the hay is up and it turned out good.


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## shadyoakhay (Oct 23, 2014)

Im in central nc. I just mowed fescue today. and alfalfa yesterday. I usually don't get done with my land and all my custom work til the first weeks of November. seeing as I always stay behind. either way as long as its dry out low humidity and somewhat windy youll be just fine.


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

mlappin said:


> I've mowed hay with a open station tractor wearing Carharts....


^^^^^^^ he he.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

We wrap any hay we bale that was killed by frost . That stuff has fooled us quite often in November It LOOKS FEELS and TESTS dry , 2 to 3 weeks after it is in the barn it will cook. But we are further north probably fine in NC. Another reason we wrap our nutritionist says if hay that was frost killed heats to the cocoa brown stage it probably has little feed value and the feed value is threw the roof if it does not heat . For us that feed value which is milk in the tank , is too precious to lose


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