# How Are Your fields Looking?



## ewalker (Apr 14, 2010)

How is everyone's fields looking, last night my English Pointer was running in my Alfalfa field and I could not see him it was getting so tall here in central Indiana. Hope it stays nice, we are expecting a little cool down next week, 50's during the day and down in the 30's at night.

Ed


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

18 to 20" tall here, sprayed weevils a week ago. No rain forecasted after tomorrow for a week, may just whack it off and get started for the year.


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## Waterway64 (Dec 2, 2011)

I'm getting jealous.......


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

There is alot of concern here about winter kill losses. Personally I think that it is a bit early to write off anything yet, unless you dig up the plant and find the roots dead, we have not had a warn reain yet, or any rain much at all.


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

And yeah, I'm jealous too!


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## countryboy88 (Oct 20, 2011)

Mowed my little 2 acres off about 2 weeks ago to get the weeds knocked down, that was followed by 2 nights of frost that killed most of the weeds. It started to look real good up about 8-9 inches and now the weeds are starting to come back. I may have to spray after all. Such is life already have the spray but wanted to see if this would have worked ( and for the most part, its nothing like it was before ).

I have seen a bunch of farmers around here getting there equipment ready for the season.


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## OK Wheat farmer (Aug 30, 2011)

Barring a late freeze, we will be cutting alfalfa by May 1 this year. We have already sprayed bugs/roundup and started the water. More rain last night, so I shut the water back down. The long term outlook is hot and dry this summer (hopefully not the extreme of last year) but at least we are starting out with a full soil profile.


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## JeffRocknr (Nov 25, 2009)

I did some scouting lastnight and called co-op first thing this morning to have them sprayed....darn weevils are talking over my alfalfa fields!!!!!!!!!


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## dubltrubl (Jul 19, 2010)

Warm and wet weather has really given the weeds a boost! Finally was able to get into the fields to spray this last week, but should have had it on 5-6 weeks ago, just couldn't due to rain. Hoping it will dry up some to get fertilizer spread this coming week. Had the weather worked out, I would be making a cutting this week.


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## blueriver (Oct 19, 2009)

My grass is amazingly tall and thick ... I stepped out and fertilized early and it really came on ... Its ready to cut and bale on 160 acres ... 10 day is calling for 20-30% rain ... so, its just gonna have to wait. Got all the equipment ready and just waiting for that window.

No weed problem ... Clover this year is really doing well.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Our fields _were_ really taking off as well, not so much now that its cooled off considerably up here. When it was warm we set nine new record highs in a row and I mowed the lawn twice in a five day window, now that its cooled off I'll mow it again either tonight or tomorrow, which will make it either 8 or 9 days since last time.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

I sprayed a couple of fields yesterday. Like dubltrubl I should have done it a month ago, but couldn't get into the fields. I've got a fine crop of weeds. I may cut a little one today and probably put out fertilizer on Monday.


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## ewalker (Apr 14, 2010)

Depends on the weather but if it warms back up I will mow my first 2 small fields in 2 weeks, I do not have a conditioner so will be looking for a 4 to 5 days to allow for drying and baling. Hope to have the 1st bales in the barn by end of April, lets hope that we have some rain this summer.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

Mike120 said:


> I sprayed a couple of fields yesterday. Like dubltrubl I should have done it a month ago, but couldn't get into the fields. I've got a fine crop of weeds. I may cut a little one today and probably put out fertilizer on Monday.


I also noticed we had a lot more weeds this spring. I'm thinking the weeds that usually lay dormant until later are getting a head start on the grass due to the mild winter and early spring weather.


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

Two weeks ago my alfalfa was a month ahead of schedule, now recent frost have knocked it back but we are still a good two weeks ahead of schedule after a record breaking March. Gonna bale some of last years first cut brome today.


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

Weevils are active...seen the same here, sprayed yesterday. Noticed some other Indiana posters seeing them as well...what other states are seeing active weevils on the weevil watch?

Take care and be safe...enjoy the early spring.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Weevils are out of control here near St. Louis. Most alfalfa has been eaten down to the stem. I sprayed one field about 10 days ago, checked yesterday and they're back! Plan on spraying again tomorrow.

FS will not spray for people this year. Haven't heard why, but I'm guessing it's to much effort to go from roundup, etc., to a pesticide.

Ralph


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Looking good NOW a month ahead of normal but predicting 28 for Monday night.That will not be good.It will prly have to start over from the crown.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Looking real good now, finished baling first cut alfalfa yesterday right in front of a light shower. Got fertilizer spread on all of it and received 1.8 inches of rain today. Should be off to a good second cut hopefully by 2nd week of May.


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

With the warm weather we've had, grass here should be dark green & growing like crazy. But so dry -red flag (burn ban) warning today- the color is closer to yellow/brown than green.


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## LeadFarmer (May 10, 2011)

Fields look awesome. Finished second cutting/baling cycle last Friday. Sold it to a dairy for $240-250.
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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Toyes Hill Angus said:


> There is alot of concern here about winter kill losses. Personally I think that it is a bit early to write off anything yet, unless you dig up the plant and find the roots dead, we have not had a warn reain yet, or any rain much at all.


I checked on one again this AM, not saying it was winter kill, but the alfalfa is definitely not there like last year. Hit it with roundup and 2-4d this afternoon. That makes seven fields from hay into corn this spring.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

2nd cutting slow to come back out, been cut 10 days and new leaves just starting to appear. 1st cutting was absolutely the best quality of hay I have ever baled or seen for that matter. Analysis were 23% CP, 221 RFQ and 692 calories/lb of dry matter. Went in as green as the day we mowed it and looks like candy.


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## cwright (Oct 19, 2011)

LeadFarmer said:


> Fields look awesome. Finished second cutting/baling cycle last Friday. Sold it to a dairy for $240-250.
> View attachment 1967
> View attachment 1968
> View attachment 1969
> ...


Lots of nice looking hay along I-8 on the way to Yuma and looks like they cut every 4 to 6 weeks or so. All of it is raked and baled at night. Must be 10 thousand head of cattle at the lot in Welton. I suppose a lot of that hay goes to California to the dairy.


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## LeadFarmer (May 10, 2011)

cwright said:


> Lots of nice looking hay along I-8 on the way to Yuma and looks like they cut every 4 to 6 weeks or so. All of it is raked and baled at night. Must be 10 thousand head of cattle at the lot in Welton. I suppose a lot of that hay goes to California to the dairy.


Thats where I am located. We cut every 28 days, most guys are on a similar schedule. We normally rake in the morning, and like to do all of our baling at night when the dew moisture comes in. There is actually 140,000 head of cattle at that yard. Typically all of our summer hay will go to that feedyard, which is a JBS yard now.

Correct sir, lots of dairy hay being made here, but this year I haven't heard of a lot of it going to California dairys. Ours is going to a Phoenix area dairy. We don't like to sell to California, as we aren't set-up to haul into there, but we can go anywhere in-state.


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## cwright (Oct 19, 2011)

LeadFarmer said:


> Thats where I am located. We cut every 28 days, most guys are on a similar schedule. We normally rake in the morning, and like to do all of our baling at night when the dew moisture comes in. There is actually 140,000 head of cattle at that yard. Typically all of our summer hay will go to that feedyard, which is a JBS yard now.
> 
> Correct sir, lots of dairy hay being made here, but this year I haven't heard of a lot of it going to California dairys. Ours is going to a Phoenix area dairy. We don't like to sell to California, as we aren't set-up to haul into there, but we can go anywhere in-state.


Next time I go out to visit the kids in Yuma can I stop in a rake a few sections? When I first saw all the hay fields there I was amazed at the quanity and quality of what I saw. 
My wife is a dary expert and they sell a brand called Shamrock Farm. She claims its the best ever.
I did notice there were ag products going out of California but not as much in.


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## LeadFarmer (May 10, 2011)

cwright said:


> Next time I go out to visit the kids in Yuma can I stop in a rake a few sections? When I first saw all the hay fields there I was amazed at the quanity and quality of what I saw.
> My wife is a dary expert and they sell a brand called Shamrock Farm. She claims its the best ever.
> I did notice there were ag products going out of California but not as much in.


Stop by anytime! Our cut schedule will put us cutting around the beginning of the month for the rest of the summer, so anytime around then and I'd be more than happy to put you to work! hahaha.

Lots of beautiful hay here right now, absolutely gorgeous. I would have to agree with your wife: Hay does not get much better than this. I've been selling my hay to a dairy based on visual alone, he doesn't even need to see the tests. I have some neighbors that have a 225 AVERAGE RFV, thats insane!

California is like a completely different country. It's such an enormous pain in the ass to deal with all of their B.S./permits/etc.


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