# Late first cut hay quality



## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

I have an opportunity to get a very large parcel of hay fields but I can't cut them until Aug.1st! This is very late for first cut, and might not even get a second. Is there a way to get a good second cut from them?


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

What type of crop is on the fields? I have alfalfa, timothy, and brome, and if I let any of it go until 8/1, there would be very little if any feed value.


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## sethd11 (Jan 1, 2012)

Good mulch hay or grinder hay.


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## siscofarms (Nov 23, 2010)

Is this a one year thing ? If its a , say 5 yr thing , do you have to do this every year ? And I agree , it would depend on the crop . Might be good for combining the seed and straw off it then hit it with liquid nitrogen and hope for a second cutting .


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Fescue might still have some value. Orchard too because by then it would have regrown. But I wouldn't count on much value. Anything beyond mulch would be a bonus.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

It would be a 5 year deal. I can get on the fields to fertilize and seed but no tilling allowed. I can even spray for broad leaf weeds but cant cut it until stinken' Aug.1 
I have cut other fields that late and had ok hay, but I know these fields and they would be all stem and lodged.. its too bad because they are beautiful fields! No one wants to cut them because of the date allowed on them.
Cant sell mulch hay,the markets flooded.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

Let me guess DNR songbird habitat, I know several guys in this area do the same thing, hay is worthless junk filler hay. Basically you are mowing the ground for them. Are you paying rent or is it free? these guys sell this stuff for $20 to $25/ rounds or big squares, nobody has sm squared it. If you get it for free you will be lucky to break even, most of these guys are one and done because it is not worth it. No body has gotten a second cutting that I know of and these fields are very hard on equipment. Only one guy has done this for several years and he has 600 cows that are given the choice of this hay or snowballs, the snowballs may have more feed value. good luck sorry to sound negative but these junk round bales hurt the market for everyone.

PS Tell them you will mow the field for $30/ acre at lest that way you will get your fuel back


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

This is exactly what I was thinking as well. I have been up in these fields for years as our rc flying field is there amd I was the President for many years.
The grass qoyld be 6' plus tall, so thick you can't hardly walk through the stuff to fetch a downed plane if you missed the runway. I have flat spun a few in myself and never hurt one.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

how much rent do they want?


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## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Sounds about like the CRP hay we'd put up under the managed haying and grazing. That is when there was still CRP left around here. The only way to get a cow to eat it is to grind it, mix with better hay and silage in a TMR.

If the fields are as rough as what CRP fields are I wouldn't touch it.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

There is at least a possibility that the hay would be better quality if cut in September rather than August 1. You'd get more "second cutting" mixed in by then. Depends on the species though.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

8350HiTech said:


> There is at least a possibility that the hay would be better quality if cut in September rather than August 1. You'd get more "second cutting" mixed in by then. Depends on the species though.


I had some I made for a guy August 1st. Not so much because of songbirds or anything, was just a horrible year for haymaking and his normal guy never got to it.

Mainly grass anyways with the stray tuft of clover and alfalfa mixed in. Had a surprising amount of green in it as the grass regrew once it had gone to seed.

Was a miserable SOB to cut though even with a discbine.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

I'm going to pass on these fields not only for the late cut date but also because they have been abused and are full of weeds and small scrub growing in. 
I would need to clean up the edges and reclaim at least 4 3-5 acre fields and then fertilize and re-seed.
And then not be able to cut my hard work and money until Aug.1 .. 
The fields are smooth with no stone anywhere just a chuck hole here or there.
They want $20 an acre min.bid too. I need $40 an acre to mow with a brush hog first..


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

How does the $20 compare in your local land market? Around here I'd try to figure out a way to make it work for that money but I understand that's definitely not the case elsewhere.


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

I forget what year, but there was a lot of spring rain, going into the summer, making it impossible to get first cut haying done in a timely manner. I read a post from someone on a forum somewhere that when they finally did cut the hay in July, undergrowth, i.e. normal second cut leaf material, had grown in to the stemmy stuff thick and they actually got a nice "first" cut of hay.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

No chance you'd be allowed to grow grain on them? Timing would work here but its probably ready earlier down there.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

leeave96 said:


> I forget what year, but there was a lot of spring rain, going into the summer, making it impossible to get first cut haying done in a timely manner. I read a post from someone on a forum somewhere that when they finally did cut the hay in July, undergrowth, i.e. normal second cut leaf material, had grown in to the stemmy stuff thick and they actually got a nice "first" cut of hay.


We had a year like that, probably about 2004. Could not start cutting hay until July. orchard grass had gone to seed and broken off with new understory coming through. Made really nice looking hay, very surprising. While It was a bad year all around, my August first cutting mixed grass won the fair that year.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

In my area I get about the same feed test results cutting first two weeks in July or first two weeks in August. The august hay has more tonnage. In fact some of the mostly brome field I wait till august to cut. The brome usually doesn't grow back for a second cut. Or not enough to bother with. Makes nice horse hay that I seem to sell out of every year.


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## chevytaHOE5674 (Mar 14, 2015)

UP here it's not uncommon to be barely started on hay in August. Heck last yeah I made a majority of my hay in early to mid September because of the weather. Depending on what's planted you can get a decent undergrowth of "2nd crop" underneath and get decent testing hay.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

Not the case here! August hay is basically stem. My cows wont touch it they will eat brush first. Im usually done by the first of July with first cut. Last year I started second cut at the 3 week of August and was done by Sept.4. 
Its a large area too 79 plus acres but some areas get trampled by horses and dogs running trials.
If there were some way to retard growth it would be worth it. But being wildlife managed ruins that thought. Oh well


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

skyrydr2 said:


> Not the case here! August hay is basically stem. My cows wont touch it they will eat brush first. Im usually done by the first of July with first cut. Last year I started second cut at the 3 week of August and was done by Sept.4.
> Its a large area too 79 plus acres but some areas get trampled by horses and dogs running trials.
> If there were some way to retard growth it would be worth it. But being wildlife managed ruins that thought. Oh well


What if you clipped it really high on August 1?


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

The stuff is all lodged and knocked over usually by then. The worst part is these fields need some lovin' to be even remotely poor hay. They are really going down hill fast. 
The wildlife management are not doing them any favors by insisting they be cut so late.. there are spots that are solid golden rod, acres actually. This stuff needs to get fixed first. Some song birds like bluebird and swallows like nice manicured fields, they are not..
Oh well not this time for me, I have enough private fields to keep me busy.


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## Three44s (May 21, 2016)

Some things you walk away from, some things .... you run from!

You have the right idea here ..... Bye Bye!

Let some sucker get them an education with that one.

Best regards

Three44s


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Three44s said:


> Some things you walk away from, some things .... you run from!
> 
> You have the right idea here ..... Bye Bye!
> 
> ...


Agree... only thing worse than "no deal" is a BAD deal...

Later! OL J R


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