# Situation...



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I posted in my other thread that I brush hogged my side field because it was overgrown thick and wet underneath. I couldn't get the sickle bar to cut it so I decided to raise the brush hog as high as I could cut the top half off to help dry out the bottom. I thought I could sickle it the second time through it finish cutting. It seems that I screwed myself... All of my tire tracks laid the grass flat and now I don't know how I'm going to finish cutting. I'm pretty sure that if I left it the way it is once I went to bale my baler would pull up green uncut grass............ I'm not even exactly sure what to do now.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Not that this helps my situation but I will mention that my tractor had a hard enough time powering the brush hog lifted all the way up. If I would have lowered it I have my doubts it would have made it.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Not that this helps my situation but I will mention that my tractor had a hard enough time powering the brush hog lifted all the way up. If I would have lowered it I have my doubts it would have made it.


That is to be expected with low hp equipment that is not made to do the jobs that you are trying to do. Sounds like you either need to hire someone to do what you are wanting to accomplish or rent equipment that is capable.

Regards, Mike


----------



## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

You won't be able to pick it up with the sickle mower now, unless you have some lifters on and go the opposite direction its laying. Even then, you're gonna leave probably 75% of it. Your sickle mower may have cut thru it originally, but when grass lays on the sickle, you have to add some speed to get the bar ahead of the grass laying down , make sense?

If you rake what you brush hogged, your baler will pick up some green grass, but not a lot. Set the pickup high enough to lift the windrow, but keep the tines out of the grass. Good luck!


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I cannot get any farmer to come out and cut my field. That is why I had to go buy a sickle bar in the first place. The field was massively overgrown because I waited a month for the guy to come out. I need advice to help me in the situation I'm in.

A newer tractor would be great! Being able to hire it out would be great! Neither are options for me.


----------



## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

I think as you get more experience under your belt, and get a taste of success, it will come more easily for you. That being said, how many bales does your horse require for a year? The reason I ask is maybe buy half the hay you need, and bale your other half yourself. Just an option. Making hay is neither easy nor cheap, and sometimes you'll be money ahead paying someone else to do it, then you can focus on other aspects of life that are more important than a couple hundred bales of hay.


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

Seeing as your alternatives are next to nothing... Bushhog it in the opposite direction and take half passes if necessary.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's not worth learning or doing. I am new to this so I'm going to have learning pains.

If I brush-hog again with a lower cut height will I be able to bale the grass? Seeing since I'll be chopped pretty good...


----------



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's not worth learning or doing. I am new to this so I'm going to have learning pains.
> 
> If I brush-hog again with a lower cut height will I be able to bale the grass? Seeing since I'll be chopped pretty good...


MDP,

I don't know any reason you could not rake/bale, as long as you can get it dry. Bush hogging will most likely make the crop finely cut (possibly harder to rake, because you will miss some), but this (fine cut) will also add to the potential of denser bales (should not be a problem, however).

Biggest thing I can think of, spreading out the wads, that seem to occur when bush hogging, encourage even curing.

Larry


----------



## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's not worth learning or doing. I am new to this so I'm going to have learning pains...


I agree 1000%. I just meant make sure you have enough forage for the horse, just in case your hay gets turned into mulch. I appreciate your tenacity!


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Stack,

I have been accumulating equipment this year so I can do the entire process myself. However, we hired out first cutting and have 28 rounds set aside for our animals. This cutting is to sell to anyone that deems it acceptable  my market demographic maybe small but there is always someone. I'm just trying to learn my equipment, weather, drying, and 1,000 other things that go into this process. I tend to learn the hard way but prefer to minimize my mistakes by asking questions on here. On the bright side I now know not to brush hog a field and expect to sickle cut afterwards LOL.


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

How high of a stubble did you leave? I think I'm still in favor of cutting it again to a more workable height but am curious just how high "all off the way up" really is.


----------



## Coondle (Aug 28, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Just because it's hard doesn't mean it's not worth learning or doing. I am new to this so I'm going to have learning pains.
> 
> If I brush-hog again with a lower cut height will I be able to bale the grass? Seeing since I'll be chopped pretty good...


Pretty finely chopped clumps of grass are hard to dry, the air cannot get in for the drying process.

Finely chopped grass is not an issue in itself, after all most horses have teeth to mistreat and finely chop any perfectly prepared hay. Most people forget horses have teeth for that very purpose.

I have followed your posts and learning curve with interest and the very good advice delivered by contributors to HT.

You will have also learnt that the advice given is just that, advice and the real learning is in doing.

The machine you know as a "brush hog" is known in OZ as a slasher, i.e. a kind of rotary mower. Output of grass from rotary mowers can vary greatly. New Holland made a rotary mower, the 96, I have baled many bales behind one. In fact last year when my moco broke down with about 2 acres to cut, I pulled in the 96 and finished off cutting for the year. Not the greatest looking hay but hungry horses were be happy to eat it.

Just like an orange, we can stand around and talk about it but you will not know how it will taste until you suck it and see.

Give the options outlined a small trial, try baling with baler pickup at max height, reverse cut. half-width cut then go with the best. The further option may be to keep your brush hogged hay for own consumption, if suitable, and sell the other hay already put up. Many horse owners are more fussy about the hay fed to their horse than the horse would be.

One post on HT sticks in my mind ad I am sorry I cannot give attribution to the wise words which were to the effect:
"A horse is only a conveyor belt for low quality forage"

At worst you may could grow mushrooms to pay for your hay making learning.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

The brush-hog is very old... I don't think I could ID it if I tried. It's been a few years since the blades were looked at. I checked the cut grass to see what it looked like. I was surprised it wasn't as fine as I thought it would be. The stubble is only long where the tires ran over the grass. It's practically full length or uncut. it's probably 6-8 inches tall in ares where it was cut.


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

If mostly less than 8", bale it.


----------



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

8350HiTech said:


> If mostly less than 8", bale it.


Yep, same here. Also, remember to raise your baler pickup up keeping it out of the uncut product.

Then after baling / removing bales, you could practice cutting with sickle bar going the opposite way you bush hogged, if possible. This will help you learn, about how a sharp / properly adjusted sickle works. And if the sickle doesn't work right, needs adjustment or a lot of maintenance, you will have time on your side (verses against you). As a side benefit, if you are able to cut everything with sickle mower, good chance of that 8 inches of leftover material will decompose over the winter better (easier cutting next year). If my memory serves me correctly, that old growth, when wet doesn't cut well and plugs up the old sickle bar, a royal PIA. :angry:

Larry


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

The baler has 2 heights. Low for proper baling and high for road travel. I guess high it is


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

These blades are round! Blunt no edge at all! Shocking it cuts period.


----------



## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> The baler has 2 heights. Low for proper baling and high for road travel. I guess high it is


But are there unused holes between the field and travel notches? You can put a pin/bolt through one of those to make your own height.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

8350HiTech said:


> But are there unused holes between the field and travel notches? You can put a pin/bolt through one of those to make your own height.


 I'll have to check!


----------



## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Thats a Rowse bush hog.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

mlappin said:


> Thats a Rowse bush hog.


Is that good or bad? Are the blades supposed to be baseball bats? I didn't even see a hint of an edge on them...


----------



## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

They should be about as sharp as a lawn mower blade, which is to say that there is not an edge that would cut something like a knife would.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I guess I need to remove them and try to create an edge.


----------



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> I guess I need to remove them and try to create an edge.


You have a Bush Hog dealer a couple of miles from you, go and look at a new blade to get an idea of 'sharpness' that you should try to achieve. If they want a part number telling 7555BH.or 50053185.

Larry


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Would it be worth buying new blades? Any idea how much they cost?


----------



## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

I think others have suggested it - were it me, I'd try to dry it out and bale it. THEN - come back with the sickle mower and try to cut whatever is left over.


----------



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Would it be worth buying new blades? Any idea how much they cost?


First you need to find a dealer (there is none in Michigan). This doesn't mean it is a bad piece of equipment however.

In any case your would need to find your model / serial number. Only you can answer your first question. That's why I mention going to your local Bush Hog dealer a few miles away to 'see' what new blades look like. And then you can contact the company that made your machine to find out the cost of new blades is. For a Bush Hog, you are looking at $25-$35 per blade for some models (this is just to give you an idea of pricing). The second question will require more research with your given model, if it is correctly given. As you have experienced lately with your new mower was advertised as a NH, an you found out only the H part was apparently right (IH was the brand, I believe).

Larry


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

mlappin said:


> Thats a Rowse bush hog.


Rowse or Howse??????

The blades are only sharpened on the last 3 or 4 inches. The pic you showed was the back side of the blade. Look at the ends and you will see where the sharpened edge is. They can be sharpened while attached to the mower.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I'll check it out thanks.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

I agree with raj.....just lift the hog up....take a c clamp or another kind and clamp the end of the blade at the grass exit and tie it off and take a grinder to it.

Regards, Mike


----------



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

rajela said:


> Rowse or Howse??????
> 
> The blades are only sharpened on the last 3 or 4 inches. The pic you showed was the back side of the blade. Look at the ends and you will see where the sharpened edge is. They can be sharpened while attached to the mower.


Pretty sure that is a Howse sticker in the pik. I have an old 7 footer 3pt I inherited from my dad-it's my "loaner" and it takes a likin and keeps tickin.

Just be really careful MDP if you try to lift and grind the blades in place-one slip up and you could end up with a cuttersittin on top of you. Given your learning curve, you would be well served to remove the blades put them in a vise and get the proper edge on them, and save the grind in place option for regular touch ups


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

I bet a dollar to a donut he can't get them blades off.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

rajela said:


> I bet a dollar to a donut he can't get them blades off.


One of the best ways to guarantee I can do something is to tell me I can't.


----------



## rankrank1 (Mar 30, 2009)

I certainly hope you understand that only the very tips of bushhog blades or about 6 inches to 8 inches or so of the bush hog blades is where the cutting edge is. (The cutting edge is the side opposite where the little ear bends up towards the deck. That little ear bent up is supposed to be like that as it creates suction as the blade spins to help lift grass just like on a push lawnmower does). Your pictures show the backside of the blades not the leading cutting side.

Your blades look fine and straight (at least what I can see). Many older units get the blades all bent up. When bent I will replace them otherwise simply sharpen. I certainly would not spend the $60 or more to replace blades that look that good, but I would use a handheld grinder to dress up the cutting edges. Removing the blades is better but that is often a very difficult task. Try to grind even amounts on each blade end so as to keep the blades as close to balanced as you can.

If you decide to try to remove the blades they are sometimes held on with bolts that are Left hand thread -not always though.

If that cutter is 6 foot is width that is one heck of a load for a Farmall 200. A 5 footer would be a better match in heavy stuff.


----------



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> One of the best ways to guarantee I can do something is to tell me I can't.


A good heavy duty 1/2 or 3/4 impact wrench, map gas torch, and a boat load of penetrating oil, 2# mallet


----------



## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> One of the best ways to guarantee I can do something is to tell me I can't.


Well just jump on it Hot Rod.....Let me know how it works out for ya...


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Both sides felt round. I'll check it out again tomorrow.


----------



## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> One of the best ways to guarantee I can do something is to tell me I can't.


I hope that you have a gas axe or blue wrench.....


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

If they need to come off I have whatever it's going to take.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I decided that I'm going to brush hog the side field a second time today. It's a bummer that the field is going to get rained on Wednesday night (.50 - .99) and possibly (.01 - .10) on Thursday. I am optimistic that it will dry out Friday and Saturday so I can bale on Sunday afternoon.

On the bright side I have two other tiny fields that were not overgrown and are drying great. I will be able to rake and bale them tomorrow before the rain.

Before I cut my big to me 4 acre back field which is also thick and overgrown I am going to try to adjust my sickle bar the best I can. Hopefully my next experience will be better equipment wise and weather planning wise.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Field pictures. I worked the poor tractor pretty hard... I hit it again it did help a lot put it wasn't perfect. I ended up shearing the bolt that goes through the pto shaft entering the brush hog. Simple fix but definitely working the equipment to hard. Here are some pictures of the field. It might look better than it actually is because some uncut grass is laying completely flat. It is what it is at this point. On the bright side it's drying really good.


----------



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Field pictures. I worked the poor tractor pretty hard... I hit it again it did help a lot put it wasn't perfect. I ended up shearing the bolt that goes through the pto shaft entering the brush hog. Simple fix but definitely working the equipment to hard. Here are some pictures of the field. It might look better than it actually is because some uncut grass is laying completely flat. It is what it is at this point. On the bright side it's drying really good.


I don't know your equipment, but sometimes, shear bolts are 'special' type of bolts. A standard Grade 5, (or a Grade 8 or 2, Grade 5 is pretty standard around my area) will work as a short term, get the job done, fix. BUT, I would caution using a standard bolt. Do you have a manual with this piece of equipment? It will tell you what type (or Grade) bolt to use. Sorry to always seem to want to direct you to a manual, but they are a treasure trove of proper operation information. This bolt may also be found in a part manual, if you can find out who the manufacturer is for certain.

Hope, you have already sent for the manual someone found on E-bay for your mower.

You appear to have learned a lot, you might be amazed at what you didn't know. The good news is you seem to be a good 'student', the bad news, I am still learning and hopefully so are you.  HT has be a God's blessing to myself, too bad you didn't have the opportunity to have HayWilson's expert advice, yet. Hope he is still recovering well.

Larry


----------



## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> These blades are round! Blunt no edge at all! Shocking it cuts period.


That's a Rowse mower, not that old at all... (compared to a lot of stuff-- maybe between 10-20 years old).

The pic of the blade you showed is the BACK of the blade, which is of course rounded. The upcurled corner is to create suction and lift of the cut material, and is on the back edge/outer corner of the blade. The front edge is probably beveled. A shredder/Bush-hog will cut so long as the PTO speed is high enough and the height is low enough, and the ground travel speed isn't too high. The higher a shredder is operated, and the faster you travel, the less "chopping" or grinding up of the material you will get. The faster the stuff can get out from under the deck (like through a side sheet exit or out the back which is what yours has) the less chopping you get as well. Full-skirted bush-hogs driven "low-n-slow" will pulverize stuff to rot down. The wheels sticking out the sides makes that a less desirable mower-- it's ALWAYS gonna flatten out some material before it gets cut (as will your tractor tires, especially tricycle type tractors that leave three (or four) tire tracks, one or two in the center and the two rear tire tracks.) That's the reason why a sickle mower is offset-- it cuts the material before the tires run over it.

What you CAN do, and what *I* would probably do in your shoes, is run the rake high and rake up what you've already cut, if it's not too ground up (which you said it was surprisingly intact). Allow it dry down, rake it up into a windrow, and then bale that stuff up, and get the bales off the field. Allow the stubble to regrow for a few weeks, (as long as possible, say 3-4 weeks if the weather will cooperate in your local climate) and then cut it again with the sickle mower, cure it, and rake and bale that again. If you can't let it regrow that long, let it grow out a couple weeks (should get a few inches of fresh green growth up top) then cut it, cure it, rake it, and bale it.

That will get you the best hay (and most hay) with the situation you have.

Best of luck! OL J R


----------



## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Yeah, didn't think but it COULD be a "Howse" mower...

Basically they sell rebranded versions of them at TSC... they're sort of a "no-name" mower... just a "cheapy" but they can get the job done, til they fall apart anyway. That one looks in decent shape.

As for blades, they really don't have to be THAT sharp. A lot depends on what you're cutting. Looks like you have some bunch-type grasses, which are always hard to cut. If it were me, I'd just sharpen the FRONT side of the blades a little bit with a grinder and call it good-- about maybe the last 6 inches of the blade. I wouldn't pull them off until you HAVE to, because they can be a ROYAL PITA to get off... be prepared to put a concrete block under the gearbox crossbar/stump jumper near the end, take the nut loose (BIG socket wrenches, sometimes requires a torch due to corrosion, either to heat the things red hot and allow to cool or just burn them off) and then have a sledge hammer and plenty of beans behind it ready to beat the pins out of the cross-bar. Once you have the blades out, you can usually match them up at TSC, Big R, Rural King, or your local equipment dealer(s). Of course you'll probably need new pins/bolts. Another handy thing to have is a can of Kroil or another EXCELLENT penetrating oil (don't use it on red-hot parts-- allow them to cool enough so you can't see light coming from them anymore... if it's still so hot that the penetrating oil turns to smoke, let it cool more). Give it time to work.

Given your small tractor, you need to make half-passes. Yeah, it'll take a lot longer, but it will give the tractor and shredder time to work and not overtax your stuff. Make the first pass high, then go back at the desired cutting height over the same pass again, then start making half-width passes as you go. Of course you'll want to be in about the lowest (slowest) gear you have, and full throttle.

later and good luck! OL J R


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

I'm just hoping I don't have issues with the baler pulling green grass up. I guess if I get it in windrows I shouldn't.

The field is going to get rained on tomorrow. I doubt it will be dry enough to bale before work tomorrow. In the case it's not ready and it will get rained on... Is it better to leave as it lays or rake it into windrows?


----------



## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Leave it as it lays. From the looks of it, there isn't that much to worry about. When you said massively overgrown, I was expecting 4' tall, almost laying over.

With it bush hogged, the stems are short enough now that a heavy rain will take it right down to the ground, and you won't be able to pick it up with the rake.


----------



## CDennyRun (Nov 26, 2015)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> These blades are round! Blunt no edge at all! Shocking it cuts period.


Looks like most brush hog blades I've seen. They are great at beating things into submission, rather than cleanly cutting grass. I use an angle grinder with a flapper wheel to put an edge on mine, while they're still on the unit. Just don't make them too sharp.. they'll dull out real quick.

I had to deal with baling a field after brush hogging this year. Cutting with my sickle bar mower was one of the most miserable jobs I've ever had. It took FOREVER! I did get it cut and baled though. I had to go over the field and remove all the big clumps with a pitchfork prior to cutting. Now the field has been hayed, and aside from being a bumpy horrible field, it's ready for next year and produces some nice grass!

I have similar equipment, and have gone though a lot of what you're going through now. PM me if you ever have questions. I'd love to help!

Chris


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

So it's better for the field to be rained on Un raked as opposed to raked into windrows? I guess I thought windrows would be better. Can anyone elaborate for me please.


----------



## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> So it's better for the field to be rained on Un raked as opposed to raked into windrows? I guess I thought windrows would be better. Can anyone elaborate for me please.


I guess it depends on how much rain you're talking, but think of it this way. Take a dish towel, soak it in water, twist it good, then let it lay out in the sun.

Take another dish towel, soak it in water, and lay it out flat in the sun.

Which is gonna dry out faster?


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

.5-1 inch of rain. I thought less surface area would be exposed. Perhaps some hay underneath would not get wet just the top.


----------



## CDennyRun (Nov 26, 2015)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> So it's better for the field to be rained on Un raked as opposed to raked into windrows? I guess I thought windrows would be better. Can anyone elaborate for me please.


When the hay is in windrows, only the upper portion gets the opportunity to dry. If you do rake, you'll need to rake/turn over the hay several times to dry it our properly. It's what I did before getting a tedder. If the ground is dry now, I wouldn't rake (if you have to wait out the rain). If the ground is wet, depending on how long it's been down, I would rake to avoid mold on the lower cut grass.

I've missed a lot lately. What model tractor, rake and baler are you working with? And are your knives on the sickle mower sharp or new?

Chris


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Farmall 200
NH 256 rake
NH super 66 baler
IH 27V sickle mower

Not new blades. Sharp but not great. I did post a picture of them somewhere in this thread if you wanted to judge them.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Ground is damp. I guess it's a lose lose situation whether or not to rake before the rain.


----------



## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

1" of rain will throughly soak the entire windrow.


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Ok so I don't rake


----------



## CDennyRun (Nov 26, 2015)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> Farmall 200
> NH 256 rake
> NH super 66 baler
> IH 27V sickle mower
> ...


People have hayed with smaller tractors and higher HP demanding balers. The NH 66 is a great machine for what you're doing. Looks like you got yourself in a pickle with the weather though!

I didn't see that pic for some reason. It's a pain in the butt, but I would go through and change out all your knives, if you don't think they're very sharp. The difference between dull, semi sharp and new knives is huge. I changed mine right before the season, and boy am I glad I did. Even with new knives, they will miss some grass, and or get clogged up. I can only imagine how much of a headache it would be with questionable knives. Also, the cleanliness of the cut can determine how well the grass grows back.

Chris


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

The baler is motor operated not pto


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

*WEDNESDAY-THURSDAY* Clouds will blanket West Michigan Wednesday and it'll become more humid. We'll see scattered showers and thunderstorms Wednesday and through at least Thursday morning. *One-half inch of rain or more * is certainly possible and pretty much everyone will get rain. It will be *breezy Wednesday*. from the southwest at 10-20 mph with gusts to 25-30 mph. The chance of severe weather is not zero, but it is low. Thursday there is still a chance of a lingering shower primarily during the morning. * It should be dry in the afternoon* :mellow: with highs near 80 inland and mid 70s at the Lake Michigan shore. *Winds Thursday will be west at 10-15 mph.*

*__________________________________________________________________________________________________________*

*I'm hoping more in the .5 inch range! I do like that it'll be windy I think that will help a little bit.*


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

After the rain I hope it can dry out over Fri into Saturday so I can bale Saturday afternoon.

We'll be mostly sunny and pleasant (less humid) on Friday and Saturday highs in the low 80's.


----------



## Hugh (Sep 23, 2013)

Solve the problem? Easy, move out West. I bailed at midnight last night, the humidity in the last few days has been 8-12%, with 20 MPH winds gusting to 40. Drier than a popcorn fart...


----------



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> After the rain I hope it can dry out over Fri into Saturday so I can bale Saturday afternoon.
> 
> [background=#ffffff]We'll be mostly sunny and pleasant (less humid) on Friday and Saturday highs in the low 80's.[/size][/background]


Your expected humidity is above 70% today and tomorrow, hope you left your hay un-raked. It will most likely not dry enough today to bale, at a low enough moisture level. Friday / Sat. humidity will be lower, giving you a better chance of getting below 18% moisture.

Larry


----------



## MyDaughtersPony (Jun 12, 2016)

Looks like most of the storms are breaking up. Still chances for a passing shower today and tomorrow, but not near as much as forecasted. I should be good to go Saturday.


----------



## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> I'm just hoping I don't have issues with the baler pulling green grass up. I guess if I get it in windrows I shouldn't.
> 
> The field is going to get rained on tomorrow. I doubt it will be dry enough to bale before work tomorrow. In the case it's not ready and it will get rained on... Is it better to leave as it lays or rake it into windrows?


Me personally, I'd rather have it out flat than in windrows... it can dry out quicker and more evenly.

I don't like having to flip wet windrows, to find stuff getting nasty/slimy on bottom... although the stuff on top might look a little better.

Later! OL J R


----------



## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

MyDaughtersPony said:


> So it's better for the field to be rained on Un raked as opposed to raked into windrows? I guess I thought windrows would be better. Can anyone elaborate for me please.


If the forage is up in windrows, in a soaking rain or heavy rain, it's gonna get wet through and through. The bottom of the windrow will end up down on top of wet dirt, which will stay wet, as will the interior of the windrow, well after the outside has dried. Then you have to come and flip the windrow over with the rake, or with your rolabar rake, crank the right hand end (the front end of the basket) down to working level and leave the left hand end cranked all the way up, and try to "spread" the windrow back out (poor man's tedder job). I've done this and it works (sorta) and sure beats hay laying there sopping wet in a big ol' honkin' windrow waiting for sun and wind to do its thing. They hay on the bottom of the windrow starts getting slimy real quick, as with moisture and nutrients in the hay cause the start of decomposition by fungi and bacteria. It's important to roll the hay over as soon as possible to 1) flip the wet stuff up off the ground and expose it to sunlight and wind, so it can dry out-- bacteria and fungi require water to live; drying it out will halt their activity ASAP. And, 2) get the windrow off the wet ground it's been sitting on and onto (hopefully) dry (drier) ground BESIDE where the windrow was. If the windrow is fairly large, a lot of hay inside the windrow will probably be wet and will stay wetter a lot longer than it will on the top and sides exposed to sun and wind after the storm. It's important to get this hay dry too, as quickly as possible. That's why the old "crank the right side down and leave the left side up" trick with the rolabar rake (if you don't have a tedder to spread the windrow back out as much as possible) is important to know.

Now, a lot depends on what KIND of rain you get-- if you get a big honkin' pouring, pounding rain that beats the stuff down to the ground, you're gonna have a mess. If you have a ton of rain and standing water and waterlogged soil (no dry ground to roll the windrow over onto for a few days) you're gonna have a mess. All you can do is make the best of it. If you have a gentle, slow, or light rain, without a big accumulation, sometimes the outside of the windrow will "shield" the inside of the windrow and it won't be wet at all... if it doesn't rain a bunch, the ground MAY be drier underneath the windrow than beside it! It's sort of like the old Amish haystacks-- for thousands of years before balers were invented, people stored hay in haystacks-- and a guy that knows how to make a PROPER haystack can make it so the top of the stack sheds rainwater like a thatch roof-- the rest of the stack stays DRY underneath! In a light rain, the top layer of hay MAY shed most of the water off the underlying windrow-- It all depends... you have to get out there as soon as you can and see what you've got. You don't want to mess with a WET windrow-- let the top and sides dry out at least a few hours (if you get some sunshine and wind after the rain passes) or even another day's drying if necessary (or several days if the ground is simply too wet to get on the field-- don't rut up a field and make a huge mess trying to move windrows around in the mud-- if it's that far gone, let it go-- you may have to bale off whatever's on the field for bedding or whatever but it's better than messing up the field, and they hay won't be worth a sh!t anyway if it's THAT wet no matter WHAT you do...)

What I usually do is, if the windrow is wet down inside it (run you bare hand down into the windrow and feel around, pull out some hay, and smell it, feel it, etc... you can gauge how damp/wet it is) and/or wet on the ground, I'll try the "unroll the windrow" trick by setting the rake with the RH side down in raking position, and the LH side all the way up, or nearly so. Rake like you're rolling the windrow over the next swath of cut hay, like you're making a 2-3 pass windrow, where the windrow from the last pass is just inside the RH end of the rake basket. Rake a little slower than normal, and the hay should roll over and the windrow kinda spread out and fluff out under the rake-- little/nothing should be coming off the LH end of the rake basket. If the windrow is small, you might have to lower the LH end until the hay is ALMOST coming off the LH end of the basket before it's all spread out. If the windrow is large, even with the LH end "all the way up" SOME hay may still roll off the LH end of the basket-- it's okay so long as it's not still a "big windrow". This will spread the hay the width of the rake, at least, and open it up to drying from the sun and wind. It's probably BEST to go the OPPOSITE WAY you raked it the first time-- this will tend to "unroll the rope" if you have any roping of the windrow from the rolabar rake and make it spread much more evenly, especially in taller crops that like to rope more.

If the windrow is just barely damp inside and the ground is just damp underneath it, I'll usually just put the rake in working position (both sides down so the tines are just above the ground) and I'll just give the windrow a half-flip. To do this, you want to drive basically so the windrow is hitting JUST INSIDE the LH end of the basket (the drive star wheel in the basket) so that it flips up and over off the LH end of the basket. Depending on your rake width and where your tractor tires are set, that might be just inside the rear wheel, or just outside it. I don't like to drive on the windrow if possible-- move your drawbar over or hitch the rake over to one side if necessary. It's best if the ground has had a chance to dry out before doing this, but at least you're putting the dry top of the windrow onto the ground instead of the damp/wet bottom of the windrow, which you're turning up to the sun and wind to dry.

I've gotten caught with hay in the windrow ready to bale and had inopportune afternoon thunderstorms (impossible to predict) pop up and shower the field... When I was driving a school bus, this happened one time when I was baling for my boss. I wanted to do a good job for him, so I went home after the evening route, unhitched the baler, hooked up to the rake, drove about ten miles to his place, flipped the windrows over (the ground had dried out and the hay was dry on top/sides of the windrow, though the bottom 1/3 of the windrow was still damp) and left it overnight to dry out the next day. Got another shower the next day, so I drove back and did it again. Let it dry out the next morning and went up just before lunch, checked the windrows, they were dry, so I set the rake off and put the baler on and got after it, and got it all rolled up for him before any more rain could hit it. Sometimes it just happens. The hay was pretty darn nice despite the rain-- certainly not as good as it would have been WITHOUT the rain, but when life hands you lemons-- make lemonade!

IMHO, if it's gonna rain, I'd rather have hay get rained on RIGHT AFTER ITS CUT-- while it's still high moisture and hasn't dried down much. The closer it is to baling when it's rained on, the worse it is in my opinion. I'd rather have it rained on laying out in the swath than windrowed up by the rake-- hay laying out more or less evenly spread over the field will all dry out again at about the same rate-- it's FAR easier for the sun and wind to penetrate a thin, even layer of forage on the field than a piled-up windrow. Of course, MORE of the hay is laying in close proximity to the ground surface, which is bad, BUT, it generally dries out faster, which IMHO is more important... and so long as you can get out there and get it raked, you can get most of it up off the ground, let the surrounding ground dry out, and then make another pass to give the windrows a half-flip onto dry ground later that day or the next day if needed.

BTW, I don't think you'll have to worry too much about the baler pulling in green grass-- a LITTLE won't hurt... it'll generally wick out into the dry hay it's pressed in tight with in the bales, so long as it's 1) not TOO much green stuff, and 2) the rest of the hay is dry enough to store properly. Plus you can always let the hay 'go through a sweat' and cure before you stack it to make sure. (We used to "field cure" the hay if we had another day or two of good weather with no chance of rain, let the sun and wind work on the finished bales-- it's harder to do with square bales, obviously, but I typically let round bales sit on the field at least 3 days before moving them to allow them to "breathe" and "field cure" before moving them and stacking them up tight.)

You're almost NEVER going to have PERFECT conditions for haymaking-- you have to learn to "roll with the punches" and do what it takes to make the best of the conditions you have at the time-- and that comes with practice and experience. In time, you'll learn how to pick the best conditions you can-- but sometimes you'll STILL get caught by a sudden rain or whatever-- cannot be helped-- nature of the beast!

Later! OL J R


----------

