# Having fun yet? I'm not



## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Haven't cut anything yet (this is crazy). Haven't got a long enough window. We had torrential downpours last night, fields are ponding (again) plus winds. Lots of trees down, nice mess.

Long range NWS says rain every other day, Extended long range not good.

I'll need a chainsaw to cut it the way it's going.

Must be the global warming.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Same here, already had 6 inches of rain this month, but I did manage to get 25 acres done and delivered, long term horrible here as well till the end of the month.


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

Cut seven acres. It got rained on Sunday 1", Monday 1/2", and then spit on again Tuesday 1/10". BTW when I cut the forecast was 30% chance of rain on Wednesday, then when I came in for supper Saturday night the forecast has changed to rain rain rain....

It still smells ok, and I tedded it so it is off the ground, but we have rain coming again tomorrow and it isn't really ready to bale yet. I like to leave rained on hay until it is bone dry.

Good thing my wife needs 400 bales a year of mulch for the flower side of the farm. Also the soybeans and wheat look amazing - so shrug. You win some you lose some.

But I still wish I had my hay off without it getting washed.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

After last year (and the soggy spring) I went and bought a tedder, I figured it wasn't going to go bad sitting in the barn. I'd use it now but alas.... It's raining again.

Evidently, we just missed really getting it last night. I went up to town to pay a bill and lots of trees down. I have a row crop friend about 9 miles due east of me that had hail after midnight and almost 7/10ths in his rain gage. His corn is basically leafless and his car (parked outside) has a textured finish now....

I think what saves us from the really bad weather is Applewood Orchards is just southwest of us and they have propane cannons in the orchard that go off when the barometric pressure drops, I understand the upward pointed 'booms' break up the storm cells so the trees don't get damaged

I was a doubting thomas when they first put them in but it seems to work.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Just consider yourselves lucky that you have enough hay to be worth cutting. We are dry very dry here. Hay crops look like crap. Going to be a record low yield. BUT we are doing GREAT compared to many places in Alberta. Lots of guys considering selling off their herds already!

Yesterday I helped some people move. The one lady's sister was from a 2 hour drive north east of here. She said she can't believe how green it is here. Ya we are only half brown here. Sad but other places are lots worse than that.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

hog987 said:


> Just consider yourselves lucky that you have enough hay to be worth cutting. We are dry very dry here. Hay crops look like crap. Going to be a record low yield. BUT we are doing GREAT compared to many places in Alberta. Lots of guys considering selling off their herds already!
> 
> Yesterday I helped some people move. The one lady's sister was from a 2 hour drive north east of here. She said she can't believe how green it is here. Ya we are only half brown here. Sad but other places are lots worse than that.


If I could my friend I'd send you half the rain we got so far and then some.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Mowed 28 ac. in the mud Monday afternoon/Tuesday morning. Good winds/90's/good sun. Baled 18 ac. yesterday--best looking OG I've ever had! Finished up just a little bit ago (Thurs. PM). All of it's in the barn.

Have another 22 ac. to go, but rain next 6 days! Oh, well!

Ralph


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

Just cut about 45 acres. Forecast is iffy Sunday and beyond. We will see what happens I guess. It can't be worse than last year.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

I'd say mlappin is getting wet about now. I can see it tracking across the weather radar headed right for us.....again.

Next thing will be a 'skeeter infestation.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

ARD Farm said:


> I'd say mlappin is getting wet about now. I can see it tracking across the weather radar headed right for us.....again.
> 
> Next thing will be a 'skeeter infestation.


Got about 7/10's in less than 10 minutes. Couldn't see the shop from the house at its worse.


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## CaseIH84 (Jun 16, 2013)

We are very wet here in western New York. Got four acres of sweet hay done and that is it. No weather for making dry hay. Have been doing a lot of custom silage work so that has been keeping us busy. Long range has a chance 40/50 percent of rain everyday. This keeps up going to need boat to pull hay equipment through field.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

We've only had 1.5" of rain since April 19. Not sure I've ever seen it this dry this soon in the season. Some around have planted their soybeans and they're not looking to good. Corn still has a chance if we get rain within a week or so but they're calling for low to mid 90's for the foreseeable future, not good. The soybeans and millet my wife son planted look ok for now but they're going to have to have rain soon.

Corn needs to be sprayed with RU but we've decided to hold off, the weeds aren't that bad and the corn is still short enough for now to be sprayed. Right now the best chance for a rain prediction is next weekend and that's only 30%.


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## JMT (Aug 10, 2013)

rjmoses said:


> Mowed 28 ac. in the mud Monday afternoon/Tuesday morning. Good winds/90's/good sun. Baled 18 ac. yesterday--best looking OG I've ever had! Finished up just a little bit ago (Thurs. PM). All of it's in the barn.
> 
> Have another 22 ac. to go, but rain next 6 days! Oh, well!
> 
> Ralph


Wow. You did good getting some up. Was planning to try to cut Tuesday if Monday dried the ground. Monday evening brought heavy downpours and hail so scrapped that plan.

Here April and first week of May was dry as a bone. Got all the corn planted around the first couple days of May and parked everything because it was to dry for soybeans. Couple days later finally got some rain... over a month later, yesterday, was the first time we could even get back to any tillage. Had more hard rain tonight and forecast looks wet for another week.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

We got pounded last night again. Serious ponding in the fields and the corn is getting a bit yellow...

No way to get afield for at least a week unless you want to pay to have an excavator come out and dig you out..... Real bad here.

Hay looks terrible, it's almost waist high now and falling over. Local hay (any dry made hay around here) will be at a premium this year, there isn't any.

It's dark and gloomy here right now. Looks like ...uch, more rian.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

ARD Farm said:


> We got pounded last night again. Serious ponding in the fields and the corn is getting a bit yellow...
> 
> No way to get afield for at least a week unless you want to pay to have an excavator come out and dig you out..... Real bad here.
> 
> ...


I feel for yah, sounds like last year here. Still plenty wet here now, not a lot of ponding but just enough rain to keep everything saturated. Even with our homemade self propelled sprayer it's too wet to finish spraying corn, keeps this up may have to get the forty foot spray boom out and use drops with orifices to apply the 28%.

Haven't stepped foot in our garden for over a week now, unless you want to lose your shoes that is.


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## SwingOak (May 19, 2014)

It's bad here too. Seems like it rains every other day. I cut about 1/2 an acre to test my haybine out after fixing it last week, and that's been the only good 3 day window this season. Lots of folks chopping their alfalfa but very few are making dry hay yet. I saw one field with about 10 acres down, bunch of rack wagons lined up on the edge of the field, not even raked yet, and it was pouring rain. There's going to be a lot of washed hay on the market this year.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

The washed hay don't bother me, it's the rain and then it gets hot and then the forage starts doing bad things as it lays there in that moist enviroment.

We have quite a few fields south of here that are contracted to alfalfa pellet producers. No issue for them, They come in and take it out in forage wagons or semi's to the mill. Moisture is of no concern, it gets 'cooked' anyway.

I watched them 'clean' a 100 acre field in one day, actually 8 hours.

The drainage ditch behind my back field is almost over the banks and is over the drain pipe where the access crosses. Lots of nutrients going down that torrent.

This is getting old.


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

Not as wet as last year here, but just as far behind. Weatherman calls for 30-50% chance of rain everyday. Only the fortunate have guessed the right windows. Everyone else hasn't baled, got it rained on, or baled tough to beat a rain that didn't happen. Don't ask me how I know. I almost think it is more frustrating missing an opportunity when the weatherman is wrong. Either way, third year in a row of tough hay making.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

drizzling here this morning...again and now. it's hot too. The only thing getting mowed is the lawn and even thats iffy.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

ARD Farm said:


> drizzling here this morning...again and now. it's hot too. The only thing getting mowed is the lawn and even thats iffy.


As long as you dont have a lawn mower like mine. It has six safety switches that have to work to start it. At least one is not working so mower will not start. These new mowers are so safe they are dangerous. Its when this type of thing happens that people get mad and jump start it and than get hurt. Iam in the middle of rewiring it to bypass those switches.

P.S I didnt get hurt from it.


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## JMT (Aug 10, 2013)

OhioHay said:


> Not as wet as last year here, but just as far behind. Weatherman calls for 30-50% chance of rain everyday. Only the fortunate have guessed the right windows. Everyone else hasn't baled, got it rained on, or baled tough to beat a rain that didn't happen. Don't ask me how I know. I almost think it is more frustrating missing an opportunity when the weatherman is wrong. Either way, third year in a row of tough hay making.


Yeah it's real frustrating when a landlord says there were three good days for making hay and that we should have cut it. Never mind the fact that day 1, the field was to wet to cut, and day 3, forecast was for rain but was dry. All that they can see is that there were 3 days that were dry and sunny. Especially frustrating when ground is cash rented and landlord has no stake in the hay, then complains that the hay didn't get cut.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

If anyone can make bailed hay in 3 days on wet ground I'd like to see it done. I have one job where the owner is whining. Told her I'd cut it and then she could burn it later.... No ditch to rake it into.......

I see our moderator is getting hammered again today.... North Liberty is right in the storm tracker red zone (just like we are).

My wife and I cleaned the gutters today. I've gotten so much crap from the trees in them, they quit flowing. About halfway done I got a nice shower, washed the rotting vegetation stink off...somewhat.

It gets black, rains cats and dogs and then the sun comes out and repeat every hour or so.

I cannot remember it ever raining like this. if it was snow, it would be roof high.

It's getting old but I'm not burning any diesel at least.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

ARD Farm said:


> If anyone can make bailed hay in 3 days on wet ground I'd like to see it done. I have one job where the owner is whining. Told her I'd cut it and then she could burn it later.... No ditch to rake it into.......
> 
> I see our moderator is getting hammered again today.... North Liberty is right in the storm tracker red zone (just like we are).
> 
> ...


Did it this week. Started mowing Tuesday at 9 am. Just had 1.8" Sunday and Monday. Ground was slimy till noon. Layed windrows narrow, son started tedding at noon and finished about an hour after I was done mowing. Raked half Thursday morning and bales that evening and other half raked Friday morning and baled that afternoon. Did push the moisture pretty hard, treated it really heavy with silo king but beat the 70% chances of rain Thursday and Friday and Saturday and today and still have not gotten a fricken drop of rain. Oh, and this was 2nd cut alfalfa too at 27 day cut interval, not overripe 1st cut.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

Brome smoked two weeks ago had 3 day window some made. Now looking at week or better unless it doesn't rain tonight and tomorrow. Repeat after me Patience is a virtue..


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

ARD Farm said:


> I see our moderator is getting hammered again today.... North Liberty is right in the storm tracker red zone (just like we are).


Missed us, nailed the counties south of us.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Just watched the local seven day forecast, only one day forecasted with no threat of rain or T storms.

Least I know I'll be able to make my mens meeting at the VFW this Wednesday, kinda had to make it anyways as I think I'm getting sworn in as the new 3 year trustee.


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

The 7 acres I cut over a week ago got rain on it 4 times, it was already tedded and spread out, and with rain forecast for the whole week I went out Saturday and mowed it down / chopped it up with the bush hog.

Didn't even have a window to get it dry enough to bale for mulch.

Glad I did. We got another 1" yesterday, and 1/4" this morning, with more rain coming all week.

Grow 2nd cut grow!


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Nothing but haylage done yet around here. They've had some nice dry windy days, windy because a big storm blows in that night to soak anything not chopped!


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## Colby (Mar 5, 2012)

Our rain stopped long enough here in Texas for me to get about half our fields cut. 
Going to get pounded by a tropical storm this week.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

We managed to get 3.5 inches over the weekend and it's raining today...again. It's amazing, California is drying up and everyone else is mudding up....

I have to have the saddest looking garden in history.


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## JMT (Aug 10, 2013)

What online weather sources does everyone use? Maybe I can find a better forecast than the one I am using. http://forecast.weather.gov/MapClick.php?lon=-90.90736&lat=39.36574#.VX9vXmoo5pU

Seriously though what websites do you like/use? Paid or free?


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

I use my wif'e arthritis actually. She can really predict the weather by her discomfort level and she's been taking motrin for about a month steady..... (and a real treat to live with I might add)(because she don't read this forum is why I added that...lol).

The county drain behind my hayfield back of the house is about 2" below flooding right now. I guess my rank hay is about to get a dose of nitrate from the fields upstream.....

Never seen it that high in 30 years.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

We've gotten lucky up till this past weekend a good majority of heavier rains had went around us. But now its wet and muddy. I hate mud


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

Pretty much how it's looking....


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## Thorim (Jan 19, 2015)

Bgriffin856 said:


> We've gotten lucky up till this past weekend a good majority of heavier rains had went around us. But now its wet and muddy. I hate mud


You might have to install ski's instead of tires on that new 830 lol


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## Westcliffe01 (Feb 16, 2015)

Also in SE Michigan, putting up hay on a sheep farm. First 1/3 of best quality hay field was rained on for over a week before we had a few dry days and looked more like straw than hay when baled up. Got 3 round bales off 2 acres. Second 1/3 of the field slightly better conditions, got 7 round bales off that but checking bales today they had heating and extensive mold in outer 4-6" after the torrential rain of the last 2 weeks. Last 1/3 cut has been rained on for nearly 2 weeks every day. Ground is completely waterlogged and humidity is so high I don't think it will ever dry before it is completely black.

So far first cutting is a complete bust. Have many more acres of lesser quality fields not yet touched and of course it is all growing like crazy, so can only hope there is finally a dry spell ahead.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

ARD Farm said:


> We managed to get 3.5 inches over the weekend and it's raining today...again. It's amazing, California is drying up and everyone else is mudding up....
> 
> I have to have the saddest looking garden in history.


Nope not everyone else. Here in NC we've had I think 1.4" in almost 8 weeks and daily temps are pushing close to 100˚. Saw waist high or shorter corn tasseling out Sat. It's scary dry and hot here, it's not even July yet. Wife and son have basically stopped planting anything until we get some rain.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

I'd sure like to send you some moisture...... At leas it don't rain EVERY day here now. Just every other day.... Lets it soak in a bit.....

Ground is spongy and I'm getting concerned about out leachfield, it has to be saturated.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

ARD Farm said:


> I'd sure like to send you some moisture...... At leas it don't rain EVERY day here now. Just every other day.... Lets it soak in a bit.....
> 
> Ground is spongy and I'm getting concerned about out leachfield, it has to be saturated.


Oh I bet, I see at least a few septic trucks go by the farm everyday. Systems are probably backing up from all the excess moisture.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Marty... I bet you got it yesterday. I was out your way (Saturday afternoon) over by South Bend. It rained all the way out and back.... hard.

I went out and got a set of B train doubles and attempted to come back on 6 only to find the road closed due to water at 69 so I went north on 69 to the greenstamp and ran the stamp across (trucks all have easy pass transponders). It was blowing so hard my pup was all over the road (lead and pup were curtainsided Reitnauers), 11 axles total, 3 on the tractor and 8 on the trailers with the 2 spreads in the air. They can gross about 140K split on the trailers loaded, I was empty....

We got another soaking here, 2.5 in the rain gage for a total of over 12 inches so far this month and it was nice today but T'storms forecast for tomorrow again.....

The mosquito's are as big as horseflies and I bet I could get the FWA rtactor stuck pulling it out of the barn....lol

I heard Angola got 4 and South bend 3. Defiance, Ohio got 4, I guess our 2.5 is small potatoes.

I still haven't cut one field but I must say, everything I've seen (around here) cut has been junk.

Global warming?


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

Luck is nothing more than preparation meeting opportunity. Maintenance, good weather window, good market to sell into and some long days got 1st cutting up. It was about 1/3 of the normal yield, but given what others are facing I will take it.


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

We got 3.5" in southern Ontario, East of you guys. River swelled, then jumped. 5 acres of worked ground ready for Teff is under water, along with 4 acres of soybeans. I've never seen the river flood this late in the year.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Not good. I'm going to need a chainsaw to cut it I suspect, if, it ever dries out enough to cut.

The county I live in (Monroe) according to the local paper has about 17 million in crop losses as of last Friday. With what we got on Saturday plus the resultant flooding, it should be well on it's way to 20 million.

I can't even get to the farm on the pavement right now, the pavement is under water, have to take the high roads (dirt).

Actually, I'll just wait it out cut it when it dries out, crimp and bale it and it will be gone in a flash because there isn't any around here and the 'nags' have to eat...right? I have 500 idiot cubes sold already and I haven't made any. Thats not all bad.

I heard Fayette, Ohio (west of Toledo and north of Napoleon, Ohio), got 9" of rain, Saturday and Saturday night. WOW.


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

Strange year. Here is how I make hay now based on the forecast below.

1) Wait today to see if rain comes. If no rain cut 7 acres later this afternoon. Drop it narrow.

2) Let it get rained on tomorrow.

3) When ground dry Monday go in and spread it out with tedder.

4) Hope no rain comes on Tuesday.

5) Rake and bale Wednesday. If rain came tuesday ted again and bale Thursday.

Too much thinking involved.


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## Bgriffin856 (Nov 13, 2013)

I don't get too excited about 30% chance of rain closer to 50 I do. But even then the weather guessers can miss it just like this past week....


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Wet.....and hot!

http://finance.yahoo.com/news/monster-el-ni-o-makes-175409846.html

Ralph


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## Westcliffe01 (Feb 16, 2015)

What is an idiot cube ? A square bale ?

I have 500 idiot cubes sold already and I haven't made any. Thats not all bad.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Westcliffe01 said:


> I have 500 idiot cubes sold already and I haven't made any. Thats not all bad.


That could depend: You've sold them, so I'm guessing you've set the price and maybe collected some money.

On the plus side, they're sold, hopefully at a price that covers your cost-of-production and maybe some profit.

On the down side, they're sold .... but maybe at a price less than the fair market value this year. So you might be giving up quite a bit of money. And then....can you deliver the quality that the customer is expecting? (This has been a terribly strange year for hay production, so are you covered?)

I'd be curious about more details of the deal.

Ralph


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Westcliffe01 said:


> *What is an idiot cube ? A square bale ?*
> 
> I have 500 idiot cubes sold already and I haven't made any. Thats not all bad.


Very astute on your part.. I thought you were going west to an arid climate?


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

I must say I laid down 29 acres today and it don't look bad considering it's about 8 weeks overdue.... I have another 20 or so to do, but that will wait as I have my hands full with this.

It';s a split harvest. One field in squares and 2 in rounds...... Have the crew ready for a Saturday barn filling and I have to comandeer the company drop deck and a tractor for the rounds.

Loving my new tedder. This year is certainly a tedder year.

Interestingly, all my idiot cubes are sold too, at least an estimate of what I see in the field. I make it a rule never to take any payment in advance, in fact, the buyer actually has good credit with me, IOW, they don't pay up front. Been buying hay from me for years and have never stiffed me, ever.

Forecast looks good through Tuesday. It will all be in the barn by Sunday AM.


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