# Flooding and Hay



## SvdSinner (Nov 25, 2009)

Last week, in the historic Ames area flooding, the 80 acre hay field I was intending to harvest next week was covered in about 8 inches of dirty water. Now that the flood waters have receded, a lot of the grass looks dirty.

How do I determine if the hay is harvest-able once the ground dries out? Is there anything I might want to do before harvesting it? (Like let future rains "wash" the field or something)


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## BCFENCE (Jul 26, 2008)

It would be nice if you had a good rain to warsh it off and you should be allright.


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## IAhaymakr (Jun 4, 2008)

Hit it with a tedder to dry it out, then tedder it again. I bet you will be surprised at how it will shine up.


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## Blue Duck (Jun 4, 2009)

In my opinion I would wait for a rain to wash it off. I have a pasture that floods and the cows won't touch the grass until its washed


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Cut the hay now and expect some "ash" in the hay. 
Hopefully you will get another cutting before Fall arrives and that one will be high quality.

Every day you delay the CP will go down, and the Total Energy will go down. Only the gross yield will increase.

I have tried letting a later rain wash the silt off the crop. If it did was any off it was not noticeable.

I have done the tedder bit to Knock the Dirt off. I found that if the hay is dry enough to Knock the silt off it is also dry enough to shatter off the leaves. Unless of course you wish to leave a nice residue on the ground and reduce the hay yield for this cutting by half. I have also used a tedder on cut hay that was rained on and wanted to have to bale far fewer bales to hide in a gravel pit. A higher percentage of your fertility is in the leaves. The more leaves that are left on the ground the more fertility there is for a later cutting.

You will notice that the process of baling hay will disturb a lot of dust on hay that was flooded while standing.

The only reason to delay cutting is if the hay will be rained on after cutting.

That is my opinion.


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## tommystunes (May 26, 2010)

I agree w/ haywilson. If you are feeding it to cattle, (my experience) they won't have anything else to eat,other than what you give them. Even dirty they will think it is much better than going hungry.


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## Blue Duck (Jun 4, 2009)

I guess maybe all flood water is not equal. My pasture is right on a river and after a flood the grass is dirty and stinks. A nice rain on it does not completely wash all the dirt off but it is definitely a noticeable improvement in looks and the cows will start to eat it again. If it goes two or three weeks without any rain the cows will slowly start to eat it again.

If I do not feed hay after a flood and my cows get hungry the dead fish smell makes them immune to barbed wire and they go find their grocery's somewhere else.

If it smells I would wait, CP is irrelevant if you bale mulch and that is all my grass would be good for after a flood until it gets some rain to wash it off.


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

I agree with blueduck, rain won't wash it off. Got 16 acres flooded in Ohio of first cutting. Took several inches of rain after the flood waters were gone and I still couldn't see baler when I was baling. I hope the cows will eat it. My best advice is to watch out for debree when mowing. Can really tear up a mower if not careful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


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## Rodney R (Jun 11, 2008)

If this is standing hay, and the value is all but gone from it, is there any reason to even harvest it? Run a flail chopper over it a few times and it'll be gone till next year.

Rodney


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

I lived in Ames and got flooded out in 93'. I'll never forget the crappy smelling dirt residue those flood waters left on everything! Good Luck!


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Here I've had flooding but it is field run off and tile water.It made the hay dusty but not smelly.If it was ground and put in feedlot ration and it didn't bother.

Sounds like river water is more of a problem with making it smelly according to other posters.


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