# Where are you at in your hay season 2015



## Teslan

I wasn't going to start this thread because we have a pictures thread for 2015. But FarmerCline said he was waiting for this so here we are. I hope Grateful11 doesn't mind.

As for me I'm done with my 1st cutting. 1st cutting alfalfa got prewashed and prewashed and just to make sure it was clean it was prewashed again. It turned a delightful brown color. Better then black though. However thanks to my tedder my grass hay didn't get rain on it at all. Unfortunately it seems there are plenty of idiots out there selling prewashed grass hay for low prices and passing it off as excellent hay. I'll probably do some alfalfa baling for my cousin if he runs out of room for small bales in his barns.


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## Itsmillertime

How many acres are you cutting/baling?


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## Teslan

Itsmillertime said:


> How many acres are you cutting/baling?


Of our own 190 acres. Then about 150 of others. Not to much


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## Grateful11

Nope doesn't bother me one bit.

We've been finished with Spring hay and Oats harvest and straw baling. Made 330 4' round bales of hay this spring, need around 650-700 for the year. Corn has been sprayed and isn't looking too good but I've seen much worse. Some Soybeans and Millet has been planted but it has been decided to stop planting until we start getting more regular rains. We've had 1.9" in 2 months. Pastures are burned up and they're feeding 2 round bales a day which is unheard of here in the Summer.

We're in central NC so we're now consider severe drought.


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## Itsmillertime

What big square baler are you using? Looking to get away from the small square and get into big squares?


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## Teslan

Itsmillertime said:


> What big square baler are you using? Looking to get away from the small square and get into big squares?


 2011 MF 2150. It was nice to get away from small bales. Sold our last small baler last summer. Going to big squares made haying fun again.


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## Thumbtack

1st cut done and in the barn. Fertilized and irrigated.


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## JD3430

Made 476 4x5's. About 300 cattle grade and 175 quality bales. 
Just sold a bunch.
Have about 60 acres I only do once a year in July, should get another 150 bales.
Then hopefully my second cutting gets me another 350


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## haybaler101

Mowed 30 acres of 2nd cut alfalfa today, tedded behind mower, hope to bale and wrap tomorrow. 20 more acres of 2nd cut I plan to mow tomorrow and do the same. Then 2nd cut will be done, just at least. 40% chance of rain everyday this week.


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## foz682

We've got about 30 acres of baleage done. It's been pretty cold here, average temps lately around 14°C (57°F), the odd day it gets up over 20°C. Rainy and rotten weather the last few days.

Have to change a bearing in the baler tomorrow, weather's suppose to clear Wednesday for a few days, nice thing about baleage is not needing much sun.


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## Vol

Grateful, I have a feeling this is about to break on us.....I am classified as moderate drought and I would suspect it is a little more than moderate, but not as bad as you folks are having it. I think with the way things look meteorlogically that we may get moisture late this week. Might just be wishful thinking.

Regards, Mike


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## rjmoses

One field cut -- 22 ac. that's it!

I'm at 8.7" of rain so far this month. Average for June is 3.76"

Ralph


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## Hayman1

Well here it is the risk takers and those who are retired and can jump at a possible window. Really strange season for us. lots of first cutting still standing in these parts and a lot of trash hay made, but very little good, I mean goooood hay made. the boys that can and do wetrap are doing ok but not great.


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## rjmoses

Hayman1 said:


> Well here it is the risk takers and those who are retired and can jump at a possible window. Really strange season for us. lots of first cutting still standing in these parts and a lot of trash hay made, but very little good, I mean goooood hay made. the boys that can and do wetrap are doing ok but not great.


To jump at a window, you have to have a window. One 3 day window wo weeks ago, that's it.

Ralph


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## SwingOak

I'm hoping to cut the rest of my tiny hay field later this week. A major storm today dropped a significant amount of rain on us, but we have a 4 day window coming Thursday through Sunday this week. There's a 50% chance of thunderstorms Wednesday, so I'll take that bet and my plan is to mow Wednesday night and bale Saturday. Fingers are crossed...

The good news is that the field I mowed last Tuesday and baled Friday night already has 4-6" of new growth on it. It's looking good for the second cutting.


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## SwingOak

Teslan said:


> 2011 MF 2150. It was nice to get away from small bales. Sold our last small baler last summer. Going to big squares made haying fun again.


The only thing I don't like about small squares is stacking them in the barn. And picking them up out of the field. Or stacking them on the wagon. Hmm...


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## Grateful11

Vol said:


> Grateful, I have a feeling this is about to break on us.....I am classified as moderate drought and I would suspect it is a little more than moderate, but not as bad as you folks are having it. I think with the way things look meteorlogically that we may get moisture late this week. Might just be wishful thinking.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Man I hope you're right. They were saying a good chance starting Wed. and now it's been pushed back Friday, been like this for 2 months, they just keep pushing it back every week but nothing we can do about, it's out of our hands. Wife is hoping they don't have to make any hard decisions about part of the herd if you know what I mean because it's that bad right now.


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## snowball

there is still some late 1st cutting standing around here we got started on 2nd cutting for some customer last week and knocked out some oat hay also.. a far amount of 2nd has been washed off now and is on the way to be'n junk with the weather forecast looking the way it does .... very little dry bales have been made have wrapped 80% of what we baled some was over 60%.. but 1 st cutting mixed hay in big squares is selling for 35. a ton at the sale last week . IDK but it looks to get very interesting around here


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## SwingOak

snowball said:


> there is still some late 1st cutting standing around here we got started on 2nd cutting for some customer last week and knocked out some oat hay also.. a far amount of 2nd has been washed off now and is on the way to be'n junk with the weather forecast looking the way it does .... very little dry bales have been made have wrapped 80% of what we baled some was over 60%.. but 1 st cutting mixed hay in big squares is selling for 35. a ton at the sale last week . IDK but it looks to get very interesting around here


Most of the grass hay I've seen around here is still standing. Lots of 1st cut alfalfa was chopped a few weeks ago.


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## CaseIH84

We have not cut any dry hay yet. Have done four acres of alfalfa sweet hay and a lot of custom silage bales, other than that no window of three days at all. Have gravel ground bottom of farm with standing water in it. Haven't seen that in ten years I have been there. Going to have to start taking chances with the 50 to 60 percent chance of rain they have in forecast everyday. Very frustrating.


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## Vol

Grateful11 said:


> Wife is hoping they don't have to make any hard decisions about part of the herd if you know what I mean because it's that bad right now.


Well I hope you folks will not have to make that kind of decision neither.....I would sell some less used equipment and use the funds to buy hay for the cattle before I would sell off part of the herd. Cattle are money in the bank right now and will be for sometime. This drought will pass.

Regards, Mike


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## Vol

One thing that I have noticed historically weatherwise in the Southeast and it may apply to other areas is that we usually have a weather pattern shift/change around the first of July.....so before I would gamble on cutting good hay for dry production, I would wait another week or so and see if this bizarre weather pattern across 2/3 of the country will change gears.

Those who have nice looking dry hay to sell later this winter will command a premium price....even though your Orchard grass etc. looks post mature in the stem, the leafy understory has still been building and if heavily conditioned much of that dry mature stem will break up and that nice leafy green will show nicely in a bale.

Patience is a bitter cup and only the strong can drink.

Regards, Mike


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## rjmoses

I have 86 bales sitting in the shed--premium quality OG, dry, 62"x5' rounds, dense, 11-1200 lbs. That's it!

I had been thinking my price would be a minimum of $65/bale last week, but now I'm thinking $80+/bale. This stuff is going in the back of the shed and NOT coming out until late January!

Ralph

Don't you just love supply and demand!


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## snowball

rjmoses said:


> I have 86 bales sitting in the shed--premium quality OG, dry, 62"x5' rounds, dense, 11-1200 lbs. That's it!
> 
> I had been thinking my price would be a minimum of $65/bale last week, but now I'm thinking $80+/bale. This stuff is going in the back of the shed and NOT coming out until late January!
> 
> Ralph
> 
> Don't you just love supply and demand!


Ralph I know you guys are wet wet wet.. and not much hay has been made there but out west and and other places that are always scratch'n for every bale they can get , well they are rolling up more bales than they ever dream of and up here The sheds are full from last yrs hay and there has been a lot of tonnage baled so far this yr , the quality might not be top shelf but the demand is low .. Just give you a view point from where I sit... We are asked to wrap hay even if it's dry because their sheds are full or they are speculating for a more reasonable price


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## SVFHAY

Vol said:


> One thing that I have noticed historically weatherwise in the Southeast and it may apply to other areas is that we usually have a weather pattern shift/change around the first of July.....so before I would gamble on cutting good hay for dry production, I would wait another week or so and see if this bizarre weather pattern across 2/3 of the country will change gears.
> 
> Those who have nice looking dry hay to sell later this winter will command a premium price....even though your Orchard grass etc. looks post mature in the stem, the leafy understory has still been building and if heavily conditioned much of that dry mature stem will break up and that nice leafy green will show nicely in a bale.
> 
> Patience is a bitter cup and only the strong can drink.
> 
> Regards, Mike


thanks Mike, needed that pep talk this morning. 5000 smalls is all I have done. Long way to go. 2 loads left here so far and I'm ducking customer calls at the moment, don't know how to play this one. Third year of this, getting a little old.


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## Colby

I have mud on my baler belts. That's where I'm at.


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## ARD Farm

Colby said:


> I have mud on my baler belts. That's where I'm at.


All my machines haven't left the barn yet this year, so my bailer belts are clean....lol I'm saving plenty of fuel but no hay to speak of.

We got hammered again last night, 4" in the rain gage with high winds, blew the wheat down, can't spray, can't do anything actually. Tornado's just north of us.

Went to the State capitol this morning about 1.5 hours north and west of me. Everywhere I looked at fields, the beans were so weedy it was hard to tell there were beans in the field, the wheat was blown down and the corn moisture yellow and all low lying fields were flooded, but the worst was the cut hay. Was all dark brown and some was floating in water/

Gonna be some high buck hay here I suspect. Shaping up for one good cut and thats it and that might be a cold weather cut.


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## SwingOak

Cut some more tonight. Hay is so thick the front axle of the tractor is mashing the windrows down.

Call me crazy but the late 1st cut last year must have done a pretty outstanding job of naturally broadcast seeding the Timothy - I've easily got twice as much or more Timothy density as last year. There was a mat of grass seed 2" thick on the back of the Haybine when I finished cutting right before dark. I expect a cloud of grass seed when the tedding starts...


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## SwingOak

Got a few minutes of video. I didn't realize until after uploading to YouTube that the video I posted of the second cut last year had the same song playing on the radio. What a coincidence...


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## PackMan2170

Hate to make everybody else jealous, but we are just truckin' along down here in the Valley. Making plenty of nice hay... selling it is a different story.,,,,

Will lay down the first field of 3rd cut alfalfa tomorrow, alot of other people are about halfway done with 3rd cut. Did get a little bit sprinkled on 1st&2nd cut, which is very unusual for us, but nothing that we didn't get full price for. Cuts 1&2 went for $200 delivered, cuts 3&4 are getting hard to find a home for, if so it'll be around $160.

Will be baling some very late oat hay tommorow. Looks great, too bad nobody wants it. Will be stacking around 12-15 loads. Only forage around worth anything is silage corn, which everyone is putting in the ground as fast as they can. Some just planted, but earliest stuff is about head tall right now. My cousin killed out a couple of very decent alfalfa fields (that I would've loved to have) after 2nd cut to plant corn. At least the dairies are still acting interesed in it.

Hope everybody else's luck turns around!


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## Teslan

PackMan2170 said:


> Hate to make everybody else jealous, but we are just truckin' along down here in the Valley. Making plenty of nice hay... selling it is a different story.,,,,
> 
> Will lay down the first field of 3rd cut alfalfa tomorrow, alot of other people are about halfway done with 3rd cut. Did get a little bit sprinkled on 1st&2nd cut, which is very unusual for us, but nothing that we didn't get full price for. Cuts 1&2 went for $200 delivered, cuts 3&4 are getting hard to find a home for, if so it'll be around $160.
> 
> Will be baling some very late oat hay tommorow. Looks great, too bad nobody wants it. Will be stacking around 12-15 loads. Only forage around worth anything is silage corn, which everyone is putting in the ground as fast as they can. Some just planted, but earliest stuff is about head tall right now. My cousin killed out a couple of very decent alfalfa fields (that I would've loved to have) after 2nd cut to plant corn. At least the dairies are still acting interesed in it.
> 
> Hope everybody else's luck turns around!


Selling is slow here also. But I blame the good pasture and the good dryland grass that all the rain the last two months have produced. But that will dry up soon.


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## gradyjohn

Finishing the first cut this week. Been working in between rain storms. Not complaining ... we needed the water. Just wish I had sprigged some of my farm ... maybe would have had to mud it in tho.


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## Grateful11

I say bring this weather on, I'm already sick of dry and hot 98-100˚ weather but I'm sure there's more on the way. Son is getting ready drill in some Soybeans and Brown-Top Millet. Wife just ordered fertilize for tomorrow, enough for another 18 acres:

Friday Night​Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 9pm. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 68. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Saturday​Showers and thunderstorms likely. Cloudy, with a high near 84. Chance of precipitation is 70%.

Saturday Night​Showers and thunderstorms likely. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 64. Chance of precipitation is 60%.

Sunday​A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 79.


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## haygrl59

We have 70 acres of alfalfa and alfalfa-mixed grass down. Thought we could get 30 acres up today as the weatherman forecasted 40% chance of rain during the day and more in the evening. That dream got dashed early this a.m. and the rains continue on here. Heavier rains forecasted for this evening. The ground is so saturated it is ridiculous. We were fortunate to get around 3300 small squares of alfalfa up a few weeks ago and about 2300 small squares of alfalfa-mixed grass. That has been it. Had to chop up about 17 acres of really nice alfalfa last week because it was too wet to even do big rounds on. Its beyond frustrating these days. If you don't mow it, the hay becomes too mature but if you mow it at the right time, the rains won't all it to be baled dry. I agree with everyone, good, dry hay may be in short supply this year but will fetch some good prices too. Hope this weather pattern breaks soon. And for those of you in drought-stricken areas, if there was a way I could push this rain to your neck of the woods I would do it ASAP.

Vol, love this. Posted on my computer as a reminder:



> Patience is a bitter cup and only the strong can drink.
> 
> Regards, Mike


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## Hayman1

looks like you guys in central PA are about to be hammered again this weekend with not much in the way of hay weather until then. We had a window yesterday and today, but they had forecasted heavy rain and wind last night so no one cut. Now no one will cut as it is too iffy the next two days and then the weekend is supposed to be a washout even here. I have beautiful teff wanting to be cut but instead it is falling down, still green but no teff making weather forecasted until 3rd week of July. bummer


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## Jay in WA

Finished with 2nd cutting alfalfa a week age. Planning to start cutting 3rd in 2 weeks. 1st cutting timothy was put up just before the 2nd cutting alfalfa and the field was planted to corn. Corn is already at the 5 leaf stage. All of the hay markets are soft and slow because of the longshoreman strike and low milk prices however I have been aggressively selling and am sold out till 3rd cutting.


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## ARD Farm

Still marking time here and the diesel is getting stale in the bulk tank..... 

Hay is gonna be stupid high here, if, we can make any.

I promised the lady across the way she could have the 250 bales I had in my other barn left over from last year for cheap, thats off now. Everything is top buck from here on out.

My steers and the wife's nags have to eat something this winter so one way or another, I'll bale something...

Lots of anxious growers around here with brown wet hay on the ground. I've seen some floating in water already. That works for shredded wheat in milk, not so good for alfalfa in water.....

I have about 30 acres of clove over wheat straw to take off in rounds this fall so that will suffice if I can't do anything else. At least my animals will have something to digest this winter.....

Was nice today, rain again after midnight. NWS says this is one of the wettest June's on record, I'd say it's the wettest I can ever remember.


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## covenanthay

Watching it get washed again. Had a narrow window, went to field and cut a little, came back in and window slammed shut and rain next 5 days. Not a bale in my barns.


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## rjmoses

Vol said:


> One thing that I have noticed historically weatherwise in the Southeast and it may apply to other areas is that we usually have a weather pattern shift/change around the first of July.....so before I would gamble on cutting good hay for dry production, I would wait another week or so and see if this bizarre weather pattern across 2/3 of the country will change gears.
> 
> Those who have nice looking dry hay to sell later this winter will command a premium price....even though your Orchard grass etc. looks post mature in the stem, the leafy understory has still been building and if heavily conditioned much of that dry mature stem will break up and that nice leafy green will show nicely in a bale.
> 
> Patience is a bitter cup and only the strong can drink.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I waiting, patiently, bottle of Scotch in hand.

I have 86 RB of OG, premium quality, sitting in the barn. I hate to have to feed this to my livestock this winter when I'm thinking I will be able to sell it for a gazillion dollars come February.

There is an extreme shortage of hay of any kind in this area right now.

Ralph

"Alcohol has never solved any problems; then again, neither has milk."


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## bensbales

At a stand still here too, nothing but rain every other day. What a year to try to double my acres. They are forecasting 3 clear days but i don't have any fields that i can get on. Took a chance and mowed yesterday on my one and only high and dry field then it poured on it late last night. My corn and beans need spraying also and the corn need urea badly but can't get on them either. I don't usually let things like this bother me but I'm about had enough. On a brighter note my quebec friends had hay left over so I've been able to keep my customers going and they mowed like 5,000 bales worth yesterday so at least ill have something to sell.


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## SVFHAY

Cut some Monday, wet ground and rain forecast for Tuesday. Tuesday was humid, cloudy and rained 4/10ths around 3. Wednesday was very nice. Ran tedder over some fields twice another 3 times, raked some on singles some doubles. Treated all of it with acid. Missed daughter's softball game to bale 1200 bale of 19 percent rained on hay. Cloudy here this morning, rain this afternoon. Oh joy, the cold front is supposed to stall out and sit on top of us and give a nice cool rain for a few days!


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## CaseIH84

Yeah SVFHAY I also baled yesterday. Now we are forecast to get three inches of rain this weekend. That is the last thing we need around here. This weather pattern will not let go.


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## hayray

Only baled 350 bales of thin brome grass 3 weeks ago, 300 acres to go and no window in sight. My pastures you can't even tell cattle have been grazing them. Still selling some of last hay for top dollar. Some guys in my area are already getting calls about moldy hay they baled a few weeks back and a couple neighbors baled yesterday with only two day window, I doubt it will cure proper.


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## CaseIH84

The hay I baled was on two day window. Mowed Tuesday morning and baled last night around five thirty. I tedded hay three times. Once after mowed and twice yesterday. Not our normal practice but was really pushing hay. Ground in field had a lot of moisture in it also but not muddy. I cut with mower as high as it would go trying to keep hay off ground as much as possible. Raked and let sit for a couple of hours. When we started baling moisture meter reading 10 to 14 percent. Adjusted percentage would actually be 12 to 16 percent because our meter is calibrated to alfalfa. Put the inoculant on a little heavier than recommended. Stacked about twenty bales in barn as tight as I could just to keep an eye on them. Checked the bottom ones this morning with hand held moisture tester and was reading 18 percent in bale with temp of 70 degrees. Will keep monitoring this for a while and see how warm bales get.


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## PaMike

I have pasture to mow but every time the mud dried I had open house for the house we were selling. Then when I was dry yesterday we had the auction. Got A LOT more than we had expected, so I am happy and no so worried about how the side line farming does this year...


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## haybaler101

Baling on one day window here. Mowed Monday & Tuesday and baled Tuesday and Wednesday. Life is soooo easy making balage. Wrapped all of 1st cutting and half of 2nd cut (wished I would have wrapped all of it). I am glad my biggest hay client's cows convinced him last year that balage is the way to go. He feeds 2 bales a day and I have wrapped 650 so far this year.


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## DSLinc1017

Mowed 20 acres of first cut a few days ago. I knew I shouldn't have because of the record and endless rain we have had... I knew for sure after I got out of the field and noticed that the tractor was full of mud.... I'm most certain that it wasn't a good sign. Rained last night.... Just got out of the field from tedding, Again, covered in mud.... Another sign. I'm going to be in shock if I am able to make dry hay... Stranger things have happened.


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## ARD Farm

I clicked 'like' on your post but I don't really like it at all. We are in the same leaky boat. It's raining here again, I haen't even pulled the implements from the barn///still parked from last fall.

I see no window until mid July and thats too far off. I'm going to have to do a whopper late first cut get some soil analysis and amend seriously (N probably) and attempt to get a late second, we have steers to feed.

I knows it's wet underneath, we have pretty 'shrooms growing everywhere.......


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## GNA_farm

Started cutting in western WI on Tuesday, have about 20 acres left to do today and hoping to have it all baled before Sunday when the rain comes again. Tough to do with a full time job and only doing the hay gig during lunch hour, nights and weekends and it rains all the time...


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## mlappin

Got 25 acres made the first few days of June, have 140 acres to go. Has rained 4 or 5 days out of every 7 for the last three weeks.

We use a White 4-175 with a 750 gallon tank over the rear axle and either a 60 foot spray boom or a 15 row 28% applicator on the three point, it's about the only thing I've seen in the fields lately, get ours done and may do quite a bit of custom work before long. Had to use a shovel to clean the mud off the cab steps more than a few times already.


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## sethd11

Well, I'm north of haygrl59 and I feel her pain. And my weather sucks. Apparently I don't go to church enough, because it won't stop raining. I cant even get 2 days of sun... Pretty depressing. Only got 160 acres done of first cut and the 10 day forecast has rain everyday....might have to go a job to make up for the lost time.


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## 1oldphart

This is like reading about haying on another planet, dropped 3rd cutting alfalfa yesterday, will consolidate windrows tomorrow and bale with dew sat morning. weather here is 106, zero humidity and haven't seen rain since April. Ive never even SEEN a tedder. On the down side everyone who drives by while I'm irrigating gives me the stink eye....paul


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## deadmoose

If the rain holds off, rolling tomorrow morning.


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## Teslan

1oldphart said:


> This is like reading about haying on another planet, dropped 3rd cutting alfalfa yesterday, will consolidate windrows tomorrow and bale with dew sat morning. weather here is 106, zero humidity and haven't seen rain since April. Ive never even SEEN a tedder. On the down side everyone who drives by while I'm irrigating gives me the stink eye....paul


Don't get in any water wars.


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## Lewis Ranch

Was glad to be able and finally bale some hay today in Texas! Rain on the way again though!


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## Tx Jim

Lewis Ranch

What's the smallest field that you bale with you rake/baler combo? I've owned a H&S Hi-cap rake similar to yours without the tandem hitch for yrs. It's the best rake I've ever owned.

Thanks,Jim


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## IH 1586

Did my first field of 2nd for a customer. All of my hay is still blowing in the wind. Maybe when I am baling 3rd I will be able to do my 1st.


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## Lewis Ranch

Tx Jim said:


> Lewis Ranch
> What's the smallest field that you bale with you rake/baler combo? I've owned a H&S Hi-cap rake similar to yours without the tandem hitch for yrs. It's the best rake I've ever owned.
> Thanks,Jim


If you can get the rake In it'll bale, the baler tracks behind it in the tightest of corners.


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## Josh in WNY

1oldphart said:


> This is like reading about haying on another planet, dropped 3rd cutting alfalfa yesterday, will consolidate windrows tomorrow and bale with dew sat morning. weather here is 106, zero humidity and haven't seen rain since April. Ive never even SEEN a tedder. On the down side everyone who drives by while I'm irrigating gives me the stink eye....paul


Be careful what you wish for... when we dry out, you might be having floods. Everything will look good on average, though. 

I'm with most of you as far as weather. My dad called me at work Wednesday morning and asked if I wanted him to mow since someone had said we had good weather through today (Friday). I check the forecast and it called for 60% chance of rain on Thursday, so I told my dad to hold off. Checked the forecast yesterday morning when I got up and it had be revised down to 30%. We ended up getting some clouds and about two raindrops per square foot. :angry: This would have been the first of our hay for the year, but hindsight is 20/20. I am planing on calling around and seeing what preservative prices are so that I have some on hand. Might be the only way I get any hay put up this year.


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## rjmoses

Just acquired my latest wet-weather haying tool.









Ralph

(This was a bonus payment for getting a custom baling job done in dry weather!)


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## Mike120

A couple of months ago I joked that I probably wouldn't get into my fields until July....Looks like that's coming true. I could probably cut one tomorrow, but I'm going back overseas on a quick trip to Korea and forecast is for rain most of next week anyway. Almost isn't worth rolling up because there will be a lot of cow hay on the market this season and I probably can't sell the stuff. I like Ralph's solution but I'm more partial to Glenfiddich. I was given a 100 year old bottle once and it was a religious experience......"Oh God, that was good!"


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## deadmoose

Ralph has it figured out. Good tool.


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## Coondle

IH 1586 said:


> Did my first field of 2nd for a customer. All of my hay is still blowing in the wind. Maybe when I am baling 3rd I will be able to do my 1st.


This is one of the reasons that I gave up custom haying.

Trying to satisfy the customer's demands to get their hay done and putting mine at lower priority and thus damaging its quality and thus the price it fetched.

Simple, either all custom work and charge plenty or only look after my own production and maximise returns on my own production.

Stress levels went down.

Somewhat less money, appreciably fewer breakdowns because not haying over every obstacle known to man, and some there for me to discover.


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## rjmoses

Now this is stopping being fun and starting to get serious. Water in two basements, garage flooded, tree limbs down, corn busted loose at the roots (not green snap, just blown over), roads flooded, ferries all out. It's funny when it isn't work, but cleaning up every thing getting to be a PAIN!

5" in last 18 hours with more to come. 13+" month-to-date.

Coloradians/Californians, feel free come get some of this and refill the Co. River.

Ralph


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## endrow

The wheat is only a day or two away from being ready and they want up to 3 inches of rain tomorrow


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## haygrl59

endrow said:


> The wheat is only a day or two away from being ready and they want up to 3 inches of rain tomorrow


Your beautiful wheat stand looked like our alfalfa fields before a couple of inches dumped on them and then no drying for days. It ended up being chopped to try to save the field.


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## deadmoose

Just put the leafblower away. Good thing I didn't listen to accuweather. Hay didn't even get washed. Tomorrow I will start fetching em.


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## deadmoose

Raindrops and thunder within an hour of finishing up. Really nothing yet, but nice lil downpour a few miles east.


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## Teslan

I stacked about 276 3x3 bales this afternoon. I timed it to about 55 a minute. This is stacking at the edge of the field with my nh stacker and milstak. This includes making 3 bulkhead stacks, one falling and me stacking it back up


----------



## SwingOak

I was set to bale tonight, then around 3 this afternoon a big red blob showed up over my little farm, and got bigger and bigger without going anywhere before finally moving off to the west and dissipating...

My hay is saturated, the ground is saturated, and I can't help but think I've lost it all. I went out and tedded anyway to try and lift it up so the wind could get in the hay, and the wind dies to nothing, and there's a fog laying over the field.

10% chance of rain this morning, 60% at lunch time, and 100% at 3 pm.

What can you do? Just gotta try and get it dry and in the barn. Fingers are crossed it all doesn't end up lining the edge of the field as snow fencing.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Glad to know im not the only one dealing with the misery of this weather

I'm thinking there will alot more silage made on this farm


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## Bgriffin856

SwingOak said:


> I was set to bale tonight, then around 3 this afternoon a big red blob showed up over my little farm, and got bigger and bigger without going anywhere before finally moving off to the west and dissipating...
> My hay is saturated, the ground is saturated, and I can't help but think I've lost it all. I went out and tedded anyway to try and lift it up so the wind could get in the hay, and the wind dies to nothing, and there's a fog laying over the field.
> 10% chance of rain this morning, 60% at lunch time, and 100% at 3 pm.
> What can you do? Just gotta try and get it dry and in the barn. Fingers are crossed it all doesn't end up lining the edge of the field as snow fencing.


Had that luck before.... more than once. Sunshining everywhere but over the field your trying to bale


----------



## SwingOak

Bgriffin856 said:


> Had that luck before.... more than once. Sunshining everywhere but over the field your trying to bale


Sunny, 80' and a good wind in the forecast for tomorrow with a zero % chance of rain. Might be tedding twice tomorrow and hoping to bale in the afternoon. More rain coming Sunday...


----------



## ARD Farm

Still sitting on my thumbs and watching it rain...again. There is no hay cut around here thats any good. Lots of brown moldy crap from overanxious growers. It' will clear up....by Christmas.


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## SwingOak

ARD Farm said:


> Still sitting on my thumbs and watching it rain...again. There is no hay cut around here thats any good. Lots of brown moldy crap from overanxious growers. It' will clear up....by Christmas.


There's a fair amount of brown hay laying on the ground around here too. It's a real shame We got a washing today my hay is just beautiful this year.


----------



## mlappin

ARD Farm said:


> Still sitting on my thumbs and watching it rain...again. There is no hay cut around here thats any good. Lots of brown moldy crap from overanxious growers. It' will clear up....by Christmas.


Been three weeks since I cut my first 25 acres, seen some yesterday thats laid about two weeks judging by the amount of regrowth. Got all my replanting done Wednesday, brought the tractor and Hiniker home in the dark, 8 hours of steady rain today probably has it under water again. Too late to even think about replanting any corn, me thinks its gonna be another year the crop insurance pays out.

Might already have some custom 28 work lined up, neighbor stopped in and watched Dad applying 28% with our custom machine, he made the comment he managed to get all his corn sprayed, but no nitrogen on.

If required we have carried the tool bar all the way up and just squirted the 28% down. We've been making modifications to that tractor for years so it can get thru pretty tall corn without snapping any off.

Picture of Father running the baby White and 28 bar. If these kind of years keep up may be buying rims and new tires and going with eight 20.8x42 radials instead of the 18.4x38's.


----------



## hillside hay

finally got some first cutting done. Around 18% so its breathing on the wagons for a bit. Still have 10 acres of sudangrass to plant but the ground has been too darn wet to do much. planted some food plots yesterday for one of my landlords. Thankfully no seed tube blockages but plenty of side wall smearing. Hated to do it but this was the last chance I had before the next deluge. This is the first year I've had to bale with the left side dual on to keep from making ruts.


----------



## Colby

Managed to get up right at 600 5x6's this week. 100 of them got pre washed. Still have about 500 more first cut bales to make fixing to start making squares on 2nd cut but we have rain for the next 10 days again so we shall wait.

It's one of those years you just gotta roll with it. If it gets wet it gets wet. Also thank yourself for buying 4wd tractors


----------



## shortrow

I traded my faithful (yet slow and finicky) NH 638 for a BR 7060 Silage Special. Plus some cash of course. I don't remember this much rain, ever.


----------



## Colby

shortrow said:


> I traded my faithful (yet slow and finicky) NH 638 for a BR 7060 Silage Special. Plus some cash of course. I don't remember this much rain, ever.


A lot of guys upgrading this year. Dealer had 10 new 569 balers on the lot in May. They're all gone now unfortunately I wasn't one who bought One.


----------



## IH 1586

Coondle said:


> This is one of the reasons that I gave up custom haying.
> 
> Trying to satisfy the customer's demands to get their hay done and putting mine at lower priority and thus damaging its quality and thus the price it fetched.
> 
> Simple, either all custom work and charge plenty or only look after my own production and maximise returns on my own production.
> 
> Stress levels went down.
> 
> Somewhat less money, appreciably fewer breakdowns because not haying over every obstacle known to man, and some there for me to discover.


Mine would be getting done if we had the weather. Customers have all been baleage.


----------



## SwingOak

After getting almost an inch of rain in an hour yesterday afternoon, my hay spent a lot of time in the air today - I tedded last night after the rain we done, and again this morning. I raked to let the ground dry out, tedded again in the mid afternoon, and by 5:30 I raked again and started baling at 6:30. 115 bales of nice dry hay made, still green, less than 15% moisture on the meter. I quit baling because it was getting late and I wanted to stop before the dew started to set. I should be able to get the rest off tomorrow.

I'm feeling much happier than I was last night, that's for sure.


----------



## IH 1586

2 inches this weekend and still raining. Only 1 day with no rain in the 10 day report. Looks like we will be starting our dry hay after the 4th. The goal was always having 1st done by the 4th.


----------



## Colby

IH 1586 said:


> 2 inches this weekend and still raining. Only 1 day with no rain in the 10 day report. Looks like we will be starting our dry hay after the 4th. The goal was always having 1st done by the 4th.


Dang you just put everything in perspective to how far I am behind. I never keep track of the dates cause they all seem to run together in the summer but it's already July. First cutting isn't finished. Usually we are half way through 2nd by July 4th. Not 3/4 way through 1st.


----------



## rjmoses

Colby said:


> ....it's already July. First cutting isn't finished. Usually we are half way through 2nd by July 4th. Not 3/4 way through 1st.


Me, too, Colby. Me, too!

And weather.com 15 day forecast calls for 50% chance almost every day.

Ralph


----------



## Grateful11

Every tillable acre has something in ground or growing on it here, that's about 48 acres. At least one field of soybeans and millet will probably get sprayed and killed and replanted as it barely came up at all and about 1/4 of is being taken over by red root pigweed, it hasn't gone to seed yet so it might get sprayed the first of the week. May get some more BMR and sow it later.

This our son finishing the soybeans and millet Friday right before what was billed as a rainy 36-48 hours. It never materialized here. My brother, one county over, said some at church this morning said they got as much as 4" Friday and Sat. It'll come sooner or later.


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## ARD Farm

The county I live in (Monroe County, Michigan) right now is at 17 million is crop losses. We lost the entire peach tree croip to a late frost, the hay cannot be cut (my issue) because it rains almost every day and the ground has the consistency of pudding (not gonna get stuck not even coming out of the barn.....).

The wheat looks terrible, lots down. The beans that are not ponded don't look too bad but they are weedy, you cannot spray because it's too soft and the corn is yellow from water and lack of N.

At least my pastures are growing nice so there is grass to munch on.

We got an additional 2.5" yesterday (saturday), was sunny today but scattered t'storms tomorrow and my garden is shot. If I was growing aquatic plants in the garden, I might have something.

I'm 65 and in all my recollection, I've never seen this much precipitation over an extended period like this.


----------



## Coondle

ARD you have one extreme I have the other.

I cannot fathom the amount of rain that some in the US are copping. At12 inches for a month we would be marooned.

For me about 1.5 inches in early April, !.5 inches in mid May and 7/8 of an inch so far in June.

Forecast is 60% chance of 1 to 5 mm (1/25 to 1/5th of an inch) for Wednesday and 30% chance of less than 1 mm (1/25) of an inch for Thursday. Fine warm days with light morning frost that sucks moisture out of the ground. Normally my oat crop would be 6 inches high and tillering out, it has barely germinated.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/g34jcg7823jxaiv/2015-06-29%2013.20.32.jpg?dl=0


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## Coondle

Here is another view, but no better. Look carefully and you can see a couple of clouds.

Would be happy to share some of my blue skies with those with too much rain.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/slx6hzz56lukisz/2015-06-29%2013.21.23.jpg?dl=0


----------



## Teslan

Coondle said:


> ARD you have one extreme I have the other.
> 
> I cannot fathom the amount of rain that some in the US are copping. At12 inches for a month we would be marooned.
> 
> For me about 1.5 inches in early April, !.5 inches in mid May and 7/8 of an inch so far in June.
> 
> Forecast is 60% chance of 1 to 5 mm (1/25 to 1/5th of an inch) for Wednesday and 30% chance of less than 1 mm (1/25) of an inch for Thursday. Fine warm days with light morning frost that sucks moisture out of the ground. Normally my oat crop would be 6 inches high and tillering out, it has barely germinated.
> 
> https://www.dropbox.com/s/g34jcg7823jxaiv/2015-06-29%2013.20.32.jpg?dl=0


For us here in Colorado 12 inches a month would be bad, but what did some areas get in June? 14 inches. Denver Colorado last week got 3 inches in an hour. We got nothing 50 miles away.


----------



## hayray

All week rain on and off and even if we don't get rain looks humid,cloudy, and cool. So basically midway through growing season and basically no hay baled yet.


----------



## Coondle

hayray said:


> All week rain on and off and even if we don't get rain looks humid,cloudy, and cool. So basically midway through growing season and basically no hay baled yet.


The hay growing/harvesting profile is quite different.

Down here, there is only 1 cut at the end of the growing season. The growing season here is book-ended by dry weather.

Whereas you have in most seasons a growing period with potential for up to 3 cuts albeit of diminishing quality. Your growing season is not bookended by arid conditions but cold.

I am about 1/3 through and almost no rain.

The "feast" or "famine" of historical times when we compare our rainfalls.

Can feel the pain.


----------



## ARD Farm

hayray said:


> All week rain on and off and even if we don't get rain looks humid,cloudy, and cool. So basically midway through growing season and basically no hay baled yet.


I guess I'm not the only one with some sense. There have been many around here that got anxious and made dark brown smelly mulch.... I guess they tihnk that if they attempt to make hay even though the forecast is over 50% rain, somehow it will 'miss' them and all will be good.  It ain't working that way.......lol

Candidly, I've wanted to a couple times (I exhibit little common sense ocassionally) but my wife puts the kabash to my senseless ideas...

Of course the big looming issue is the nitrate runnoff and how big the algae bloom will get in Lake Erie this year and of course how it will impact the Cities of Toledo and Monroe who get their water from the lake.....


----------



## mlappin

I may have a little window coming up, may as well just make the second cut hay where I started almost a month ago on first, probably better chance of getting it to dry than the rank nasty stuff thats going to be the rest of my first cutting.


----------



## Colby

Going to wing it with the rain chances this week and finish first cut. About 250 acres. 
Just remember you can't bale hay if it ain't cut


----------



## endrow

Colby said:


> Going to wing it with the rain chances this week and finish first cut. About 250 acres.
> Just remember you can't bale hay if it ain't cut


 my favorite saying


----------



## endrow

Took a load of 3 by 3 x 7 last year's hay to the auction today just 11 bales a small load I was going that way for parts. When we bailed it last year it was 18 to 20 percent moisture acid was applied to it at the rate of 6 pounds per ton . At this auction there were about 10 guys with moisture probes all checking it out they were getting 25 -29 percent moisture one year later.


----------



## endrow

mlappin said:


> I may have a little window coming up, may as well just make the second cut hay where I started almost a month ago on first, probably better chance of getting it to dry than the rank nasty stuff thats going to be the rest of my first cutting.


 we cut Sunday afternoon now they're saying rain before dawn on Tuesday. Today is a good drying day I bet it gets down to 38 by Days end . And at that point we'll probably wrap it before we go to bed


----------



## mlappin

Colby said:


> Just remember you can't bale hay if it ain't cut


Yep, is Father's saying as well, or used to be, last time he said it I mowed his hay, it got rained on for two weeks a few years back. Hasn't said it since. The way the weather has been here this year, the slightest mention of rain in the forecast and it gets stupid wet.


----------



## Coondle

endrow said:


> Took a load of 3 by 3 x 7 last year's hay to the auction today just 11 bales a small load I was going that way for parts. When we bailed it last year it was 18 to 20 percent moisture acid was applied to it at the rate of 6 pounds per ton . At this auction there were about 10 guys with moisture probes all checking it out they were getting 25 -29 percent moisture one year later.


Sure shows the hydroscopic nature of hay.


----------



## SwingOak

With the help of a friend riding wagon jockey I got everything I had down baled and off the field, and within 60 seconds of parking the wagon in the barn it started to rain. I would have lost 100% of that hay if I didn't buy a tedder this year. Yay, tedder! 

Looks like I have another window coming up - If the forecast holds, I'll mow tomorrow night and bale Friday or Saturday. That will be the end of first cutting for me, which is awesome because I didn't finish my first cutting last season until the end of July. Hoping for a strong 2nd this season!


----------



## Josh in WNY

Looks like I might have a chance at some good weather coming up. I'm planning on dropping the first hay of this year tomorrow morning (well, my dad will actually be mowing it). Hopefully the weather holds and we can get it put up on Saturday. If the forecast stays nice, we might even mow a little on Friday to bale on Sunday.

It will be nice to see if my overhaul on the 348's knotters works and I'll finally get to try my bale grab. I'm hoping I can significantly increase the rate at which hay gets put in the loft by using the grab instead of the elevator. If it works out, I may try putting up 800 to 1000 bales a day rather than the 600 or so I've done the last couple of years. It will mean hiring a couple more people for the hay crew, but it will probably be worth it given the way things are going this year.


----------



## shortrow

Call me back when the torrential downpours stop. Right now I can't find my rearend with both hands, let alone...........well, you get it.


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## SwingOak

Finished mowing last night by the light of the moon - a good breeze, late setting dew, and dry tires and I still had six wrap ups on the conditioning rolls from my fine grass being so long. It was bunching up behind the rolls and getting pulled back around from behind.

My forecast for the week is looking good - finally!!!


----------



## mlappin

Mowed the 25 acres of second, needed it anyways, starting to show a little hopper damage along one edge.

Mowed 51 acres of first which is in better shape than I hoped, all standing yet so none of it laid on the ground and got rank and moldy.

Baled half the second cutting today, other half is pretty tough in spots as it's the newer part of the field and has more alfalfa.

Could almost rake the 51 acres tomorrow without tedding, depends just how wet it gets tonight with the dew.


----------



## CaseIH84

We knocked down 30 acres yesterday. Finally had five days of nice weather in a row forecasted. Was going to mow more everyday. Got up this morning and checked forecast and they have 60 percent chance of rain in for Sat. smack in the middle of five day window. One weather station calling for 60 (NOAA) the other calling for 30 (the weather channel), local weather station on TV calling for only slight chance. Never seems to end.


----------



## Colby

CaseIH84 said:


> We knocked down 30 acres yesterday. Finally had five days of nice weather in a row forecasted. Was going to mow more everyday. Got up this morning and checked forecast and they have 60 percent chance of rain in for Sat. smack in the middle of five day window. One weather station calling for 60 (NOAA) the other calling for 30 (the weather channel), local weather station on TV calling for only slight chance. Never seems to end.


I've always liked NOAA but they have gotten many acres of my hay wet this year... So i don't know what to think anymore


----------



## Coondle

SwingOak said:


> With the help of a friend riding wagon jockey


A friend like that is worth keeping.

Impossible to get any labour for hay handling around here.

Come to think of it I ain't so keen on it myself.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Baled till 11:30 tonight trying to beat the rain. Got the baler in the barn by midnight and as I was walking out it started raining which is welcomed by me as we fertilized the square hay meadows this afternoon. The Weather has been crazy, this hay season is looking worse and worse every day.


----------



## CaseIH84

Yeah Colby its tough. We use about six weather forecasters to check weather. NOAA, The weather channel, Intellicast, WIVB (local TV station), weather underground, and Accuweather. On the rare occasions that they all agree with good weather I feel much more confident in knocking down large portions of hay. This seems to rarely happen anymore. Although they all agreed on five day stretch on Tuesday. Now after just checking minutes ago they all agree that there is 50 to 60 percent chance for tomorrow. Going to have to bale like crazy today now. This is getting very frustrating.


----------



## pengs68

I saw the same forecast as you CaseIH84 on Thursday morning. I was going to let the fields dry for a day and mow this morning for Sunday bailing, as it looked solid through Tuesday. Got up at 4 a.m. to mow and saw 60% chance on Saturday and rain Tuesday. Hope I can mow Saturday after the rain for Monday. Looks like good wind Sunday. I have not made a bale yet this summer. Looks like a first cut into September year. Seems this hay weather is more like a trend excluding last summer over the last 7 or 8 years.


----------



## SwingOak

Coondle said:


> A friend like that is worth keeping.
> Impossible to get any labour for hay handling around here.
> Come to think of it I ain't so keen on it myself.


I have several friends who are are happy to help out. To me, that's what friends do - they help each other, do favors for each other, and don't ask to be paid for it. There are some "users" out there but you filter them out of your circle pretty quick.


----------



## hillside hay

Last field planted. Broke the cylinder bracket on the disk. Didn't mow as forecast looks bad for tomorrow now. Second is coming on nicely in the three fields that first is off. Seems all that rain didn't leach out all the N I put on.


----------



## Josh in WNY

My dad mowed about 4 acres yesterday and I mowed about 6 more this morning. I might mow a few more acres tomorrow morning, but we'll see what the forecast looks like when I get up in the morning. We'll bale what my dad mowed tomorrow and what I mowed Sunday and go from there. It's a slow start, but at least it's a start.


----------



## IH 1586

Well caseih and I got about 1000 bales off the field and about 2500 that might get rained on tonight and tomorrow. They bumped it up to 7o% and took away our Tues..


----------



## mlappin

Dropped and made 25 acres of second, Have 76 acres of 1st down, got about 20 of that baled today before the dew set in. Out of dry ground to mow now. Last twenty I mowed had to leave about an acre and a half of it, quicksand in that corner and it had water standing on it. Even last year it wasn't so wet I couldn't mow the whole twenty. Gonna take about two weeks with no rain before even attempting to mow the clay around home.


----------



## endrow

Hundred and forty bales of hay yesterday and a hundred and forty bales of straw and there still some of the to get washed in the field and still wheat standing. Whatever wheat ground we got clear goes to beans but it started raining at 2 a.m. Put the kibosh to the planting


----------



## endrow

So far wheat yeilds in the eighties aint good enough quality to be sold for flour . Staw ll yields good as well. Got an old red combine with an 8.3 Cummins and that thing just begged every step of the way


----------



## Teslan

I'm hoping to start on 2nd cutting alfalfa this week, but of course now there is a chance of rain all week.


----------



## endrow

We were busy this week got some springing heifers on pasture that should have been moved to the dry cow barn.


----------



## Vol

endrow said:


> We were busy this week got some springing heifers on pasture that should have been moved to the dry cow barn.


Oops....well, all IS well.

Regards, Mike


----------



## Hayman1

four day window starting tomorrow just got washed away. Nothing in sight for the next two weeks plus. I have some first cutting still needing to be cut, second cutting og that is rank about 27 inches high and 10% reheaded needing to be cut and some third cutting almost ready. Have 14 ac of prime teff but no way to harvest it. What a truly bizarre year. At least I am not feeding hay in paddocks which I am normally doing by July 1st.


----------



## FCF

Have not made any hay for a month. All first cut is done and second cut alfalfa was ready a month ago. Just looked (again) at long range weather and no window for at least 2-3 weeks and the ground is spongy wet.


----------



## Josh in WNY

Finally have some of this years hay in the barn! It was only 239 bales, but it felt good. I was worried about the knotters since I just got done with an overhaul of them, but they didn't miss a single tie (hopefully I didn't just jinks myself by typing that). We've got another batch of hay to put up tomorrow and a little bit more on Monday and then the rain is supposed to return.

I also switched up how things run at the barn and used the new bale grab to move the bales into the loft instead of the elevator. Seems like it will actually get the hay moved in faster and there is a lot less mess on the ground and barn floor when everything is done.


----------



## SwingOak

1st cutting is done - put up 230 bales today of some really nice, grassy, 99% weed free hay today. This is the first year I've really noticed how hygroscopic hay really is, the stuff I baled early this afternoon all reads 14.5% on the meter. The stuff I baled after 6:00 pm when the wind died and it got really humid is reading around 20%. Still good hay though, I baled a few last evening that were reading a little higher, like 21-22% with the same high humidity, and there was no heating at all. I will keep checking those but I'm sure they will be fine.


----------



## Tx Jim

SwingOak said:


> 1st cutting is done - put up 230 bales today of some really nice, grassy, 99% weed free hay today. This is the first year I've really noticed how hygroscopic hay really is, the stuff I baled early this afternoon all reads 14.5% on the meter. The stuff I baled after 6:00 pm when the wind died and it got really humid is reading around 20%. Still good hay though, I baled a few last evening that were reading a little higher, like 21-22% with the same high humidity, and there was no heating at all. I will keep checking those but I'm sure they will be fine.


There's no way I'd bale hay at 21-22% moisture without adding a preservative to the hay Actually my absolute stopping point for baling is 16% moisture as I have no preservative applicator device.


----------



## SwingOak

Tx Jim said:


> There's no way I'd bale hay at 21-22% moisture without adding a preservative to the hay Actually my absolute stopping point for baling is 16% moisture as I have no preservative applicator device.


That's a good rule, and one I stick to also. I would have waited until today to finish but the threat of thunderstorms kept increasing as the day went on and I didn't want to risk losing hay.

The meter I have typically reads 3-5% higher in straight grass hay, and even higher the tighter the bale is. Conductivity testing provides a reasonable approximation of moisture content, but the only way to know for sure is to test gravimetrically through loss in weight. Gravimetric testing says 16%, and those bales are showing no temperature rise in 24 hours. The meter still reads 20%. I'll check again in the morning.


----------



## Dieselfume

We had gotten about 600 acres of hay put up in about 5 days up until I let my dad mow with our new TM1400 vermeer on the 3rd of july while I took my kids to the carnival. 2 hours later I get a phone call, " you better come home and look at this"

We fixed the destroyed cutter bar only to learn today that the whole LH wing is bent and will require replacement. hope our insurance is good.


----------



## Teslan

Dieselfume said:


> We had gotten about 600 acres of hay put up in about 5 days up until I let my dad mow with our new TM1400 vermeer on the 3rd of july while I took my kids to the carnival. 2 hours later I get a phone call, " you better come home and look at this"
> 
> We fixed the destroyed cutter bar only to learn today that the whole LH wing is bent and will require replacement. hope our insurance is good.


Insurance? I guess I never considered something I broke to be covered by insurance.


----------



## mlappin

Baling yesterday and the smoke started to roll with 13 acres left in that field. Bearing went out in the upper roller. Stopped at the neighbors and he said he was done round baling and if I had to I could either pull a bearing or just take the entire idler roller. Ran to the local dealer to get the emergency number for the holiday, called the owner and gave him the part numbers, normally they stock but were out (of course). Popped a bearing off the roll the neighbor replaced last year, got the old one of mine with a hydraulic gear puller so no need for the gas axe. Looked at the other side and the locking collar was missing, back to the neighbors to "borrow" one of those as well.

Baled the last of that, jumped on the other tractor and went and raked another twenty in town, got about half baled before dew set.

Have that ten and another 2 acres for the commander at the V.

Have 36 acres of 1st cutting left around the home farm on the clay, if it starts raining again it may not even get cut this month either.


----------



## DSLinc1017

Any weather service can't perdict the weather any better than they can tell their a$$ from a hole in the ground!!!!
Had a 4 day window.... Went for it.... The night after I cut day 2 was at 20% chans of passing shower. 4 th of July night it rained half the night!! 1/2 inch..%#[email protected]$$ ........

Spent all day going from one field to the next tedding..... More tedding..... By 3 pm. Had 3 to 4 acres ready... 350 bales in the wagons!!! 
Tomorrow...... I'm going to win!!! Tedding.... Followed by a bit more tedding.... Perhaps I'll finish up tedding. 
Then going to bale to.. The sun sets!

Did I mention I don't trust the weather forcast?


----------



## Dieselfume

Teslan said:


> Insurance? I guess I never considered something I broke to be covered by insurance.


I had never considered it before now either. But the way that it happened, I don't know any other way to describe it but as an accident. It wasn't due to the normal wear and tear, or a normal mechanical breakdown. this was an impact (of sorts) that took out almost half the machine. Don't know how it's any different than driving the ranch truck into the side of the shop.

Tomorrow we will see what they say.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Your insurance should cover it no problems as that's what insurance is for. I had a claim on a mower 3 years ago when a hired hand hit a tree and pretty well destroyed the machine and they took care of it all.


----------



## endrow

Weatherman said rain in the AM storms are coming but not here yet


----------



## Teslan

Lewis Ranch said:


> Your insurance should cover it no problems as that's what insurance is for. I had a claim on a mower 3 years ago when a hired hand hit a tree and pretty well destroyed the machine and they took care of it all.


I guess we haven't had any accidents. Yet.......to try and claim on farm equipment so that's why I never considered it. Now that I say this i will probably run into something.


----------



## Dieselfume

I can't say we've ever had any machinery related accidents worth claiming before now. This machine is so new to us, and is so much different to run than a windrower and will really take some getting used to. I'm pretty handy with it now, but I'm afraid my dad may never get real good with it. And where he was mowing when the accident happened he was maybe getting a bit greedy going after hay that maybe should have been left there. Regardless, it's still an accident in my eyes,no way a person does $5-$8,000 damage to a new machine on purpose.! Need to return a call to the claims office and see what they tell me for coverage.


----------



## Colby

Dieselfume said:


> I can't say we've ever had any machinery related accidents worth claiming before now. This machine is so new to us, and is so much different to run than a windrower and will really take some getting used to. I'm pretty handy with it now, but I'm afraid my dad may never get real good with it. And where he was mowing when the accident happened he was maybe getting a bit greedy going after hay that maybe should have been left there. Regardless, it's still an accident in my eyes,no way a person does $5-$8,000 damage to a new machine on purpose.! Need to return a call to the claims office and see what they tell me for coverage.


So what'd he hit??


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## Dieselfume

well, imagine there's a couple of good sized humps and valleys in front of you you're about to mow over, the valleys are about 20 feet apart, and about 1 foot deep.. each valley is gradually sloping and about 8 feet across. He went across them both. the tractor made it over the first one, and as it went over the second and dropped the tongue down just as the LH cutter bar entered the bottom of the first valley. this dropped the angle of the cutterbar even more severelyand caused it to start digging dirt. the dirt wasn't hard, it was a soft bank, otherwise it might have glanced off. instead it started cutting sod about 4 inches deep for about 4 feet before all hell broke loose.

My dad was pretty defensive about it, but like I told him, if he'd have done that with the slickle windrower, it would have had so much dirt on the header it would have stopped you. you would have had to lift the header to keep it from digging, why didn't you think you'd have to do that with a mower?

Big difference between this mower and a windrower is that the mower has a tractor pulling it that weighs about 20,000 lbs. it doesn't exactly stop on a dime, and has quite a bit of momentum built up.


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## SwingOak

As a follow up I left the meter stuck in one of those higher humidity bales. The bale temp was 76 degrees Saturday night with a moisture reading of 21%.

Last night it was 20.4% and 74 degrees.

This morning, it read 20.1% and 72 degrees.

Just now, the reading was 19.4% and temperature is 76 degrees - but it's also 80 degrees in the barn, and it was 76 this morning. I opened another one of these bales to feed it tonight, and it was cool and smelled nice. Love that smell...

I'll bet the temp in that bale drops to 72 or lower by morning, lows tonight will be in the upper 40's.


----------



## deadmoose

Dieselfume said:


> well, imagine there's a couple of good sized humps and valleys in front of you you're about to mow over, the valleys are about 20 feet apart, and about 1 foot deep.. each valley is gradually sloping and about 8 feet across. He went across them both. the tractor made it over the first one, and as it went over the second and dropped the tongue down just as the LH cutter bar entered the bottom of the first valley. this dropped the angle of the cutterbar even more severelyand caused it to start digging dirt. the dirt wasn't hard, it was a soft bank, otherwise it might have glanced off. instead it started cutting sod about 4 inches deep for about 4 feet before all hell broke loose.
> 
> My dad was pretty defensive about it, but like I told him, if he'd have done that with the slickle windrower, it would have had so much dirt on the header it would have stopped you. you would have had to lift the header to keep it from digging, why didn't you think you'd have to do that with a mower?
> 
> Big difference between this mower and a windrower is that the mower has a tractor pulling it that weighs about 20,000 lbs. it doesn't exactly stop on a dime, and has quite a bit of momentum built up.


Sounss like a collision to me. Your ins probably covers collission.


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## Colby

Sounds like failed header flotation too me.. If it's that new and you have problem with insurance I would be going to Vermeer next.


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## Dieselfume

I called my vermeer rep today and left him a message letting him know about this problem, and the fact my driveshaft fell off because the lock collars on the bearings loosened up a week prior to this. basically letting them know I'm a bit less than impressed by the deign and assembly quality on the mower.

My insurance agent told me this morning that usually on farm implements accidents aren't covered if there's a colision with the ground or roadway. however, He thinks I also have ingestion insurance for the windrower/mower and that should cover any damages by things hit/pulled into the cutterbar/header. My claims agent didn't get back to me today, hopefully tomorrow.

The header float system works fine. vermeer runs quite a bit of drag on the wings from the factory. they reccomend that it takes 100 lbs of lift power to lift each wing when on the ground and float set properly.


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## crhay

Well my hay season couldn't look worse! Its going to rain for the rest of the year i think! It really hit me this weekend. I've never had timothy still standing over 4th July weekend, until this year. It looks awful. its Brown, the heads are even bleach like straw, and its all laid down like carpet!! Forecast shows another 10 days of rain ahead of us! Its also looking like a terrible straw year. Starting to rot, Turning black. Ground is so wet, even if they get it combined, guys are sticking their big balers in the fields! Lot of farmers are over it, and just drilling beans in and not even getting the straw off! the joys of farming i guess


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## FarmerCline

crhay said:


> Well my hay season couldn't look worse! Its going to rain for the rest of the year i think! It really hit me this weekend. I've never had timothy still standing over 4th July weekend, until this year. It looks awful. its Brown, the heads are even bleach like straw, and its all laid down like carpet!! Forecast shows another 10 days of rain ahead of us! Its also looking like a terrible straw year. Starting to rot, Turning black. Ground is so wet, even if they get it combined, guys are sticking their big balers in the fields! Lot of farmers are over it, and just drilling beans in and not even getting the straw off! the joys of farming i guess


 I feel for ya.....that was exactly how 2013 was here.


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## CBarM

So far I've baked a lil over 3500 round 4x5 bales. With all the spring rain we've had I've had averaged as high as 8-9 bales to the acre. I will get my first cutting of Sudan this week. I'm glad all the fireworks are over as I left some equipment in a cut field and idiots from town decided to pull over and shoot some off on the edge of the road.


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## CBarM

Baled not baked sorry


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## SwingOak

CBarM said:


> Baled not baked sorry


My iPhone constantly changes Baled to Baked, Rake to Take, Foal to Goal, etc. Why does it change the spelling of words that are spelled correctly? It's annoying, but I'm too lazy to turn the automatic spell checking off.


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## Bishop

First cut done.


----------



## mlappin

Dieselfume said:


> well, imagine there's a couple of good sized humps and valleys in front of you you're about to mow over, the valleys are about 20 feet apart, and about 1 foot deep.. each valley is gradually sloping and about 8 feet across. He went across them both. the tractor made it over the first one, and as it went over the second and dropped the tongue down just as the LH cutter bar entered the bottom of the first valley. this dropped the angle of the cutterbar even more severelyand caused it to start digging dirt. the dirt wasn't hard, it was a soft bank, otherwise it might have glanced off. instead it started cutting sod about 4 inches deep for about 4 feet before all hell broke loose.
> 
> My dad was pretty defensive about it, but like I told him, if he'd have done that with the slickle windrower, it would have had so much dirt on the header it would have stopped you. you would have had to lift the header to keep it from digging, why didn't you think you'd have to do that with a mower?
> 
> Big difference between this mower and a windrower is that the mower has a tractor pulling it that weighs about 20,000 lbs. it doesn't exactly stop on a dime, and has quite a bit of momentum built up.


I have a field exactly like that except in this case the tractor is already going down the other side of a step hill while the mower is still coming up so the angles change, first time I had a problem was with the 499 haybine, dug in bad enough had the wife bring me a shovel to clean it off. Slightly raise the discbine on that hill or it will scalp it shorter than a putting green.


----------



## Tx Jim

Dieselfume said:


> My insurance agent told me this morning that usually on farm implements accidents aren't covered if there's a colision with the ground or roadway.


Several yrs back I had an employee hit a culvert at the edge of hay field in the middle of the cutterbar on a Vermeer TM 800 and my insurance co(Germania) paid for cutter.


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## mlappin

Have another 22 sitting on the trailer before the rain started, these are saved for a friend and especially his daughters barrel racing horse. Not too bad a looking stuff for a month late.


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## Teslan

Bishop said:


> First cut done.


Nice timelapse. What kinda camera did you use for that?


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## Teslan

SwingOak said:


> My iPhone constantly changes Baled to Baked, Rake to Take, Foal to Goal, etc. Why does it change the spelling of words that are spelled correctly? It's annoying, but I'm too lazy to turn the automatic spell checking off.


There probably is some way to make it learn the words but I'm to lazy to search and do it. I have the same thing happen. I guess apple doesn't care to put farming words in there.


----------



## Colby

Last of the first cut will be baled this evening. First of 2nd cut is hitting the ground now. Square bale week. Yay...


----------



## SVFHAY

Probably the worst year I have ever seen for DRY hay. I seem to be always struggling with a wet season but this one....... There are guys here who haven't made a bale. I have a little less than 200 acres to go. Too wet to cut, been 3 weeks since I made a dry bale without rain. I have cleared some acres by bailing mulch or cow hay and could spread the last booked fertilizer with hopes of pushing 2nd but awfully wet to get on ground and really, why would I expect it could be harvested properly? Stupid career choice. Well, gonna go drag a forage harvester out of the weeds to shred some crop back on fields. Maybe we'll only get a sprinkle tonight instead of the predicted 1".


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## luke strawwalker

SwingOak said:


> My iPhone constantly changes Baled to Baked, Rake to Take, Foal to Goal, etc. Why does it change the spelling of words that are spelled correctly? It's annoying, but I'm too lazy to turn the automatic spell checking off.


I'm convinced the autocorrect "vocabulary" that runs the spell checker in the computer is programmed by nutters from SoCal...

I cannot hear a voice call on the cell phone on my open station tractors, even with the phone pressed tightly to my ear, and nobody can hear what I'm saying anyway... so I only text when I'm on the tractor. Of course with my old flip phone, I could "touch text" and not have to look at the screen to see what I was typing (one bad thing about the touch screen keyless new phones-- you cannot touch-type on them, because there's nothing to index your finger locations without buttons!)

Nevertheless, I greatly amused my wife one day... she texted me asking what I was doing, and I typed "raking hay" and the phone decided that I was "baking gays"...

Damn you auto correct!... http://www.damnyouautocorrect.com/87669/autocorrect-painful-4th-of-july/

At least the new phones you can "teach" then new words by typing them in and saving them...

Later! OL JR


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## SwingOak

Bishop said:


> First cut done.


Nice time lapse!

How do you like the 273 with the thrower? I'm thinking up upgrading to a baler with a kicker because so often I'm haying by myself. It's more of a time issue than anything else, I don't mind throwing bales by hand but when I only have a few hours to bale or rain is coming there's no time to waste by stopping every 4-6 bales to stack them on the wagon.


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## CaseIH84

mlappin said:


> Have another 22 sitting on the trailer before the rain started, these are saved for a friend and especially his daughters barrel racing horse. Not too bad a looking stuff for a month late.


Nice looking bales!


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## Grateful11

SwingOak said:


> My iPhone constantly changes Baled to Baked, Rake to Take, Foal to Goal, etc. Why does it change the spelling of words that are spelled correctly? It's annoying, but I'm too lazy to turn the automatic spell checking off.


If you correct it a couple times it will learn that that is what you what to spell. It replaces these words because so few people use words like baled, raked, foal, etc.

It usually flashes what it wants to change it to above or below the word you've just typed, if you tap that word in the little letter box it take the word you've typed and not change to their word and will learn that that's what you want.


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## Teslan

Grateful11 said:


> If you correct it a couple times it will learn that that is what you what to spell. It replaces these words because so few people use words like baled, raked, foal, etc.
> 
> It usually flashes what it wants to change it to above or below the word you've just typed, if you tap that word in the little letter box it take the word you've typed and not change to their word and will learn that that's what you want.


Mine is a dumb Iphone then. It doesn't learn.


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## Bishop

Teslan said:


> Nice timelapse. What kinda camera did you use for that?


iPad Gen 4, stock Time Lapse (not an app). Was working great until the sun hit it then the iPad shutdown (overheated) and didn't finish capturing the whole field. Next time I make one I'm putting it in the shade.


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## Vol

Grateful11 said:


> If you correct it a couple times it will learn that that is what you what to spell.


If you train up a child in the way he should go.....

Regards, Mike


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## Bishop

SwingOak said:


> Nice time lapse!
> 
> How do you like the 273 with the thrower? I'm thinking up upgrading to a baler with a kicker because so often I'm haying by myself. It's more of a time issue than anything else, I don't mind throwing bales by hand but when I only have a few hours to bale or rain is coming there's no time to waste by stopping every 4-6 bales to stack them on the wagon.


I like it. It is quite old though and showing its age a bit. I give it shop love every winter to keep it going. I have another baler for parts so that helps. I don't mind the thrower. Nice to be able to make hay by myself and just pull the wagons in the shed after I'm done. I have 4 wagons, so I can do about 600 bales. You have to unload within a week or so though or the bales start to get squished into weird shapes.


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## Coondle

My much-smarter-than-me phone is set for predictive text. I struggle with auto correct because it puts in a word I do not want and because of basic laziness I do not proofread my typing often enough, as many will abe aware from my posts here.

The phone's predictive text gives 3 options as I start a new word and updates the options as I add more letters. Its best idea is in the middle, bolded and dot underlined plus its idea of 2 less likely options. For instance when I type "baled" it gives "baled " as my dumb idea, "balef" underlined as its intelligent choice" and of course "baked" as another half baked idea as the third choice.

Who would use "balef " as a word. Had to check:

Not even scrabble dictionaries list balef as a word.

But it is the start of several words, e.g. "balefire", I shudder even typing the word, it is one hidden deep in my vocabulary for obvious reasons here and because I lost a tandem drive truck to that very event with me in the truck, at least when it started, and;

"Baleful", the glare I gave the phone for its idiotic top choice of balef; plus extensions of those two words

By continuing to correct the phone it will change its ways

Corrected it three times and it decided it could have "baled as the first and foremost option.

Triumph over an electronic gadget at last 

With "raking", choices were "taking", "raking", and "faking".

Perhaps it now realises its destiny is in haymaking.

After using a few messages with baling in them, as soon as I type in "bal" it predicts "baling" as first choice, so it really wants to prove again it is smarter than me. If the right prediction comes up, I touch that and my old blind eyes and fat fingers do not have to find the touch screen keys for so many letters. That help keeps my grumpy disposition under control. After all, something has to.

Finding and contacting the right point on the touch screen is another whole challenge in itself with the handicaps I have in intellect, eyesight, dexterity and disposition  .


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## SwingOak

Teslan said:


> Mine is a dumb Iphone then. It doesn't learn.


Mine sure seems to struggle with learning also. Don't even get me started on Siri.


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## Dieselfume

Got an inch of rain today in the middle of the day. it suspended hay cutting for the afternoon, but will most likely be enough moisture to ensure we get some kind of second cutting.! a real treat in the high plains dessert!


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## carcajou

Ready or not tomorrow we start cutting the worst crop of hay i have ever seen. Might average a ton an acre. Maybe.... kinda hope so. What a difference a couple inches of rain would have made.


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## Vol

Good luck Ray, wish you the very best outcome.

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin

carcajou said:


> Ready on not tomorrow we start cutting the worst crop of hay i have ever seen. Might average a ton an acre. Maybe.... kinda hope so. What a difference a couple inches of rain would have made.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> summer 1015 017.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> summer 1015 021.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> summer 1015 018.JPG


Don't remember what year it was, in the 200x's though, made first cutting which was kinda light then I had about 100 acres on the light ground that second got about 8 inches tall then turned brown and went dormant, got a heavy rain about the first of August, it came back in time to make a real light second cut in September, I should have bush hogged it or something though as it still had some of the brown stalks left in it. I might be cussing the heavy ground this year, but that year when the light ground gave up the hay kept growing on the clay.

Sorry to see it though, if I could I'd send all this extra rain we don't need your way I would.


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## mlappin

Bishop said:


> I like it. It is quite old though and showing its age a bit. I give it shop love every winter to keep it going. I have another baler for parts so that helps. I don't mind the thrower. Nice to be able to make hay by myself and just pull the wagons in the shed after I'm done. I have 4 wagons, so I can do about 600 bales. You have to unload within a week or so though or the bales start to get squished into weird shapes.


We had 5 big kicker wagons so I could bale about a 1000 bales by myself, worked good but was always hard to find people who could unload them in a timely manner.


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## Chessiedog

:wub:Worst hay year ever , made more in drought year then in this rain every day . 50 acres mowed a month late now has been rained on twice . still calling for rain chances about everyday .


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## mlappin

You guys been getting it worse down there haven't yah Chessie?

I have a friend that works for the co op and he's been driving a tender truck with urea from Bremen to Converse so they can fly it on the corn.

It's wet here but not quite that wet. Have had several inquiries about our 4 wheel drive White with the tank over the rear axle.


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## simangus

I am about a month behind here in North Central N.M. we are way above average for rain, we got another inch of rain last night. It may not seem like much for all you mid westerners or further east but here in the mountains and hills that causes flash floods. After years of drought we welcome the rain , mountains are green and hay production should be well above average. My brome has begun to lay down and oats and rye are heading out. Hoping by this weekend that I can begin tripping !!


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## DSLinc1017

Last weekends hay making was dismal... Did manage to salvage about half the fields. Round baled about 3 dozen wet rounds then wrapped them, and gave away about 12 to a friend. Made about 450 smalls until one of my knotters gave up and decided to be rebuilt.....

Ill have some fields to repair in the low places.


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## DSLinc1017

Chessiedog said:


> :wub:Worst hay year ever , made more in drought year then in this rain every day . 50 acres mowed a month late now has been rained on twice . still calling for rain chances about everyday .


You're not alone.


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## Chessiedog

Had another inch and a tenth yesterday , has rained or misted all day today .


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## crhay

So this rain is looking like something that is all over entire Midwest plus some? This is getting ridiculous. behind in my hay season is an understatement compared to last year. And to top it off, the wheat is even a bigger disaster!! Seed is sprouting in the head and there is still a lot standing. The few that did get it combined, guys are getting tractors/big balers stuck in field trying to bale it!

Sorry just had to vent, I did hope to be able to ship wheat straw in (need 5k-6k big squares a year), but from the sound of things, it may be bad everywhere? Is anyone in your guys area getting any straw baled?


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## crhay

I feel lucky i did get some hay baled, But it defiantly hasn't been a turn loose and bale like crazy season!!!


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## Teslan

Man I feel bad for all your guys with all the wet. I sure hope it will change for you soon. At least enough to put up some excellent hay.


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## deadmoose

carcajou said:


> Ready or not tomorrow we start cutting the worst crop of hay i have ever seen. Might average a ton an acre. Maybe.... kinda hope so. What a difference a couple inches of rain would have made.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> summer 1015 017.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> summer 1015 021.JPG
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> summer 1015 018.JPG


Beautiful scenery. Hope you get aome rain.

What are the blue things?


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## mlappin

Bishop said:


> iPad Gen 4, stock Time Lapse (not an app). Was working great until the sun hit it then the iPad shutdown (overheated) and didn't finish capturing the whole field. Next time I make one I'm putting it in the shade.


My iPhone 5S has that as well but have never used it before&#8230;


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## simangus

Well more rain last night. And now we are headed into a monsoon pattern for the next few days thru the weekend . Weather folks say we may dry out next week. Here's hoping there right.


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## GNA_farm

8 inches of rain on Monday, tried to get out and get some down yesterday to bale before rain on Sunday but still too wet... almost buried the cutter twice. Going to need a week of sun just to dry out enough to get in the field without wrecking everything. It's a shame too, all fresh planted this spring, looking good but the weeds have taken over and can't get into the fields to take care of them...


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## haygrl59

We haven't cut any more hay for about 2 weeks and had hoped we would have a window for the weekend. Now the forecast has changed and chances of rain all weekend and next week isn't looking very good either. Its tough all over the Midwest. Our friends down in southern IL and MO got hit again last night. I really feel for them. A lot of fields are still totally under water. We still have a good amount of good dry hay in our barns but getting calls from all over. I have a suspicion that whatever dry hay we have will be gone by the first of the year.


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## mlappin

Well things were going somewhat better, even though I didn't get started till noon delivering hay as my customer didn't have a loader free to unload when I wanted to start which was at 6am. Managed to get 5 loads delivered then a BTO's high boy that was applying 28% to some seed corn decided to take out my right front fender/hood on the straight truck. He came up to the end of the field, stopped and sat there and I didn't think anything about it then he proceeded to pull out in the road to turn around. Stepped on the brakes and turned left but was a very narrow road and didn't feel like hitting the trees in the woods on the opposite side of the road.

The operator of the hi boy looked about ready to crap himself but this is the third time in less than two years somebody else has tried to take me out, I don't think my pulse rate even changed a bit. All the rest of the year has sucked anyways so why not have a hi boy take my front fender out?

Told em to call his boss and get em down there ASAP, talked to the boss and showed em the pics I took already then told em we can either call the police and do the accident report thing or he could just run to a truck graveyard and get me a different hood. He took the latter.

I'm starting to think its time to invest in a dash cam.

I think his gauge wheel assembly on the end most likely caught my right front tire as I had it turned left and thats what flipped it up on the hood, bright side is I buggered it up good enough that they didn't get it fixed last night and we've had another two inches of rain since. Can't hardly see it but the turn signal is electric taped and zip strapped on.










His applicator.


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## Chessiedog

mlappin said:


> You guys been getting it worse down there haven't yah Chessie?
> 
> I have a friend that works for the co op and he's been driving a tender truck with urea from Bremen to Converse so they can fly it on the corn.
> 
> It's wet here but not quite that wet. Have had several inquiries about our 4 wheel drive White with the tank over the rear axle.


I'm not sure mlappin , I've talked to folks they say it's worse north of here . So maybe in between us . I just hope we get some drier weather for a bit . Raining or misting again today . I suppose if i hadn't done the custom work that I normally do I would have had my first cutting in or most of it . Hind sight is always 20/20 .But on a normal year I've been able to get it done . Just guessing but I most likely had 3 or 4000 bales in the barn last year at this time .Right now I have a maybe 1000 and they will go pretty quick .

Some one emailed me few days a go that I have not sold too looking for some hay . One thing they said they might use was some high quality grass . I thought yea right I don't have high quality anything so far this year . Just emailed them back sorry don't think I have anything that would work for you . Just barley making enough for customers I have .

Bad luck on your truck hope they get all your parts . Always something . Few weeks ago had New Holland down working on a tractor we couldn't get to start,at the same time he came , guy was putting new front tires on the ts130 decided it was time after running a deer shed in one . $$$$$$$ Oh yea co-op pulled in same time with feed for freezer beef calves . $$$$$$$


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## simangus

Wow couldn't even imagine 8 inches of rain in a day we would get washed out of these mountains. I guess we will have to wait it out, no other choice. Only problem is we will not be putting up very good quality hay !


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## Coondle

haygrl59 said:


> We haven't cut any more hay for about 2 weeks and had hoped we would have a window for the weekend. Now the forecast has changed and chances of rain all weekend and next week isn't looking very good either. Its tough all over the Midwest. Our friends down in southern IL and MO got hit again last night. I really feel for them. A lot of fields are still totally under water. We still have a good amount of good dry hay in our barns but getting calls from all over. I have a suspicion that whatever dry hay we have will be gone by the first of the year.


Just another example of the supply and demand equation. Seems like the supply of good hay is very low so the price should be very high to keep the equation in balance. Price for good hay is high and there is unmet demand for feed so the price of not-so-good-hay rises and you never know you will get as much for stuff you would not normally bale as you get for good hay in a normal year.

Simple explanation without going into elasticity of demand and supply. There is however little opportunity for stock owners to substitute for hay. You will have to go with whatever you have and screw the price up until the supply/ demand equation is in balance. No need to have any guilty feelings because buyers when the balance is the other way have no scruples in pushing the price down.

Made that mistake soon after I got into reasonable volumes of hay. Had a buyer virtually crying about shortage of good hay so sold at a good price for him his year's requirements, about 50 cents a bale below market. Effusive in his thanks and swearing undying gratitude.

The next year he was back, told him the price, very fair price but he said could get it 10 cents a bale cheaper further out. My response would not grace this Forum but you can imagine, so he departed and told not to come back, not welcome.

Would have cost more than 10 cents a bale to freight it the extra distance. Go figure.

Two years ago another big buyer decided at the end of the selling season he would not pay my price, so I was left with quite a carry-over of bales. This year, I am told, he has been caught short and is having to truck large quantities in, instead of picking it up just down the road and delivering direct from my shed.

Rare to lose everything. Folks have been here since 1946 and only lost out on one year of hay since then.

Moral of the story:

Put up as much as you can, there will be a buyer at a price that will make you more money than leaving it in the field.


----------



## Teslan

I cut my 2nd cutting alfalfa today. Not a cloud in the sky when I started. Now it's pouring rain. Wasn't planning to ted it, but I guess I will now.


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## SwingOak

I held off on a custom haying job this week because 80% forecast of heavy rain Monday, 40% chance of rain Friday, 60% Saturday, 80% Sunday. It rained a bit Monday, but it mostly missed us. This place I'm haying is hill country, so it would have dried out fast and if I'd mowed Monday night, we'd be baling Saturday (lots of RC so we're thinking it should have an extra day or two). It's been 0-10% precip chance all week. Now next week starting Sunday is showing 40% chance of rain EVERY DAY.


----------



## Coondle

simangus said:


> Wow couldn't even imagine 8 inches of rain in a day we would get washed out of these mountains. I guess we will have to wait it out, no other choice. Only problem is we will not be putting up very good quality hay !


I can not only imagine it, saw it in 1955, yes 1955, getting to show my age.

Not pretty the brook normally couple yards wide broke out to 500 yards wide near me and every little creek into it was awash and all of the ground was mush foe weeks and weeks. That was in our dry summer time too.

If it had been haytime NO HAY, not a chance. Feeling your pain.


----------



## ARD Farm

All the equipment is still in the barn.....IOW, I haven't done squat. It keeps raining and the fields are on heavy ground so no go.

Got another 1.5" the other night.

Gonnja be a one rank cut year... Oh well.

More time for firearms and communing with the wife......


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## Nitram

Brome all done moving to prairie hay. Moved equipment Wed 17 miles...except Vrake oh yeah the wheel bearings I forgot about last winter.,. All new now but found broken mounts on caddy would need a boat to transport today...let's go fishing!!!


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## deerebentley

Hi guys. Might be starting a 3 day window of no rain here in northeast PA. Hope everyone else can get a little dry time. Gunna try to cut. Only second time this year. Ouch.

Jordan


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## crhay

Next 10 days shows above a 50% chance everyday but one. I'm sitting here looking out at it raining now. Might just be hooking up the bush hog to take care of the fields!! I really dont know whats its going to look like by the time its dry.

About 6 weeks ago, this was the most beautiful field of Timothy, Thick and dark green!!

Now look at it, brown, weedy and laid down like carpet! Sickning


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## haybaler101

Another beautiful slow 0.8" of rain today, temps below 70 again. WOW! Oh, and now the phone is ringing crazy with people needing hay.


----------



## simangus

Well, I'm gonna try to trip some oat,field pea and Sanfoin that I planted this spring tomorrow. Oats are 5'6" tall and falling over, so should be fun if its a go.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Baled up 500 small squares and twenty something rounds Sunday from what was mowed last Thursday. Didn't mow Friday as rain forecasted for Saturday which didnt happen so mowed some Saturday. Got one field raked Monday and just before starting the other it sprinkled enough baling was a no go. Tuesday raked the previously raked field over again and left the other lay as it was still green yet. Got half the two thirds of the raked field baled and it let loose again. Finally able to ted it out today plus layed a very small amount out as forecast for Sunday was iffy. Probably be changed by morning. This is getting ridiculous....

Tried plastic twine for the first time ever. Only problem is that we shoulda done it years ago. Baled 500 bales and didn't miss a beat even cranked it down a bit and finished baling as the dew was making the hay tough. Very pleased






I must say I love this kicker baler more and more each time I use it just wish I had a few more wagons. Actually makes small squares fun now

The pto shield is loose on the baler and that's what's making the clanging sound in the vid


----------



## Colby

This is a year of many first. Including baling 6 bpa Bahia grass. Never have I seen this.


----------



## Jay in WA

Will finish cutting 3rd cutting alfalfa tomorrow. Will start baling tonight. Will 3 tie it if we get enough dew. If not it will be big baled.

Hay market is weak and getting lots weaker here. Just way too much supply thanks to the Longshoremens union.


----------



## DSLinc1017

Jay in WA said:


> Will finish cutting 3rd cutting alfalfa tomorrow. Will start baling tonight. Will 3 tie it if we get enough dew. If not it will be big baled.
> 
> Hay market is weak and getting lots weaker here. Just way too much supply thanks to the Longshoremens union.


Complete opposite here in the north east! Every one seems to have lost hay, The cost for a small square has never been higher, as the demand is high. We just really had the first good haying weather this year in Vermont. Hot with low humidity. I was able to make dry great looking bright green hay in two days! The ground is still saturated however and I will have to go do some repair on that field. Unfortunate however that most of my first cut is sub standard, with a lot of it going into wrapt rounds.


----------



## endrow

Second cutting alfalfa 10% bloom 20% orchard grass cut Friday 9 a.m. tedd at noon and Ted again at 4 p.m. On Saturday rake2 winows side by side at 9 a.m with arotary then at 3 p.m. rake 
those two very gently in the one big fluffy windrow. Bale at 6 p.m. 16 to 19 percent on the meter 5 to 6 pounds of acid. It was a 15 acre field pretty far from home 46---' bales 3 x3x8


----------



## Mike120

Finally got dry enough to get into the fields on Saturday. Got one field cut and about 20% into the second when I lost the high-side of the Dual-Power in my 7710. Limped over to the house and parked it. About 15 minutes later, a little cell appeared over my tractor, grew to a bigger cell and dropped 1.25" of non-forecast rain on my place. I guess I was lucky....a friend down the road got 2". That evening, I went to get a bottle of wine from my wine frige and found that one side was very cold and the other side was pretty warm....Lucky again, it's under warranty and they'll be out to look at it on Wednesday. Yesterday, I got up and it was warm in the house.....AC compressor wasn't running. Called my friendly AC repairman, he came out and determined it was only a bad capacitor....my luck knows no bounds. Called around found a cab tractor I could use this weekend to cut the other fields (yes, I'm spoiled, I want the AC and my other two are open-station) and mentioned it to my wife who promptly informed me that we were going to a family reunion this weekend. Oh well, it'll probably be too wet anyway and I'm thrilled at the opportunity to spend time with my dysfunctional family. Today, I'm loading the tractor up along with a large bag of money and hauling it to the dealer. Might as well, do a double split and check the PTO shaft/clutch as well. Sometime, later this month, I will have the joy of rolling up a lot of weeds, to make really bad cow bales.....if I'm lucky, someone will come and take them away and I MIGHT get a couple of cuttings that I can square bale. Life is good, I think.


----------



## Josh in WNY

Finally had a good batch of hay, sort of... My dad mowed about 7 acres and one of the gearboxes on the cutterbar gave up with 100 feet to go on the last pass. Hay turned out real nice, but there were a few bales (small square) that got tossed into the treeline since they landed in a puddle. We had figured on getting about 650 to 700 bales off of what was mowed (based on what the outside laps of that field had produced) but ended up putting 865 bales in the barn. The fun part was I had plenty of workers in the loft and the bale grab worked almost perfectly (only had 3 bales fall out of it). The bales were stacked in the loft in an hour and 45 minutes. Using the grab instead of the elevator is a big time saver!

Still have about half our acres to get through for first cut, but at this point, I'm not even thinking of trying for a second cut. Another 2000 bales or so and I'll have enough for my customers. If there is any hay left not cut at that point, it may go into rounds instead of squares just to save me the headache of putting it in the barn.


----------



## Colby

June was cut around the wet spots July is hurry up and cut before it burns up


----------



## mlappin

Had 2" then another 1" and another 1" last night over the last week, no chance of making the last of the 1st cut hay on the clay this month at the current rate.

Even had a seep start in one of the less used drives, have a few traffic cones up now so nobody drives thru it.


----------



## FCF

If extended forecast is correct may be able to get on higher ground next week. Suppose to clear up tomorrow and stay that way until middle or end of next week, not counting on that big of a window. We got 1.5 inches today, an inch yesterday, and 7.5 so far for this month. Heavy rains this morning had the creek beside lower fields out into them by about 100 feet and washed silt and debris into them. Some guys here are just making first cut to get it off the field, total loss. All our first cut is in the barn or sold, made it late May early June.


----------



## haybaler101

Mowing first half of 3rd cut alfalfa tomorrow. A week late and it looks like chit. Yellow and small leaves from too wet and leafhoppers. Would have sprayed but would have needed a plane.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Baled up hay that got rained on last week....don't even want to count how much. Baled up a load of squares from the little we had cut. Had a flooding thunderstorm last night roads and ditches washed etc. Figures was just getting dry enough to cut and chop oats. Did finish spraying corn only got stuck twice which is surprising. From looking at others corn ours is doing quite well. Lots of yellow sad looking corn. Every time we get some dry sunny weather it grows quick.

Hay seems to be yielding well just wish it coulda been baled a month ago at the latest


----------



## Bgriffin856

Pretty much how haying season is looking



I miss having 7-10 days of dry sunny warm weather where you could mow for 4-6 days straight ted it out once then rake just ahead of the baler and bale for 4-6 days straight. Spend a few days gathering and stacking round bales


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Been a long last two days, if it could go wrong it has. Trouble with 2 tractors (bad fuel) rake problems, new clutches in baler, moisture meter cable got caught and ripped off square baler and bandit is giving hell! Be glad when this week is over lol oh and I finally took the pickup head off and put it back behind the baler.


----------



## Coondle

Bandit pickup looks lonely lying on the ground.

Did you have problems with the pickup?

If so; what was the problem?


----------



## rjmoses

*Finally!* First cutting OG done. 90+ temps/70% humidity/7-8 MPH/clear skies winds got dry down over wet ground done in 3 days! Mowed tall, narrow windrows, waited 24-30 hours for ground to dry a little along side windrow, then tedded.

Probably loose 6 or so BR bales because baling over seep springs (4). Only came close to getting stuck twice--thank God for 4WD.

In hindsight, maybe could have waited a couple of more days, but at the time, the forecast window was five days. People 50 miles to the north got hammered Monday night!

Ralph

If success comes from skill, hard work and luck, I'd rather be lucky.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Coondle said:


> Bandit pickup looks lonely lying on the ground.
> Did you have problems with the pickup?
> If so; what was the problem?


Just the way that chute is designed the bales don't feed into it very well and it's very aggravating. Here on our flat ground it's just easier to pull it behind the baler.


----------



## Josh in WNY

Parts for the mower should be in today or tomorrow and I just looked at the weather forecast... a little rain over the weekend and then it looks like it might clear up. The one website with the long range forecast has a 20% or less chance of rain starting next Wednesday and going for a week... I sure hope it stays that way so I can finish things up.

My hay is in OK shape quality wise since I seed a later maturing variety of timothy, but it is still past prime. The corn we have another guy put on our extra land is doing OK, but there was some of it that was actually turning red... I've never seen that. The 5 acres of corn the guy has on our only gravel ground is doing real well (all the rest of our ground is clay). I've seen a lot of oats around that are getting close to being ready, but are already starting to lodge due to all the rain and wind we've been having. A little ways south of us they have a bunch of towns which have declared states of emergency due to flooding from the storm that just went through, we got about 2 inches over 36 hours, so it wasn't too bad near us.


----------



## FarmerCline

Lewis Ranch said:


> Just the way that chute is designed the bales don't feed into it very well and it's very aggravating. Here on our flat ground it's just easier to pull it behind the baler.


 I know the feeling.....I have come to the conclusion that the pickup is junk. Been trying to modify it to get it to work but haven't been successful. I guess the next step is to try and build a whole new pickup attachment. Unfortunately my fields here aren't well suited to pulling behind the baler......small fields and hilly/steep terrain.


----------



## Leggupfarms

We have 45 of 70 acres of first cutting. made 70 4x5 round bales dry and wet wrapped another 35 4x4 triticale/pea mix. If we get 3 days without rain I'll cut the other 25 acres which is standing dry and see what it yields. It will be something for the cows to chew on anyway. Should be ready for some 2nd cutting in about a week with the fields I cut second week of June.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

FarmerCline said:


> I know the feeling.....I have come to the conclusion that the pickup is junk. Been trying to modify it to get it to work but haven't been successful. I guess the next step is to try and build a whole new pickup attachment. Unfortunately my fields here aren't well suited to pulling behind the baler......small fields and hilly/steep terrain.


The brakes sound like a good option for you. I think it would help to build a chute down the side of the tractor to help guide them toward the pickup but it's just easier for me to hook behind, maybe I'll mess with it this winter.


----------



## SVFHAY

Lewis Ranch said:


> The brakes sound like a good option for you. I think it would help to build a chute down the side of the tractor to help guide them toward the pickup but it's just easier for me to hook behind, maybe I'll mess with it this winter.


is the problem because it's ground driven? Too steep? I knew guys that had homemade pickups years back that were hydraulic driven and they seemed to like them. Big flat fields though.


----------



## FarmerCline

SVFHAY said:


> is the problem because it's ground driven? Too steep? I knew guys that had homemade pickups years back that were hydraulic driven and they seemed to like them. Big flat fields though.


 The problem is the pickup chute is too wide allowing the bale to come in contact with the chain at an angle and the chain cuts the twine. I tried narrowing up the entrance to the chute but then the bales didn't want to feed into the chute unless I hit it dead on straight which doesn't happen often. Thinking about coating the tips of the chain where it contacts the bale with plastic or rubber to see if that won't cut the twine.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

SVFHAY said:


> is the problem because it's ground driven? Too steep? I knew guys that had homemade pickups years back that were hydraulic driven and they seemed to like them. Big flat fields though.


I haven't had trouble breaking the twine like farmercline has, where mine has trouble is if you don't hit it perfectly straight it turns sideways just a little and hangs up in front. My pickup is controlled of the second hydraulic remote and I just engage it at every bale.

Edit: and it's also a pain looking to the left side to watch the pickup when everything else is on the right, and it's in a blind spot because of the rear tractor tire.


----------



## FarmerCline

Lewis Ranch said:


> I haven't had trouble breaking the twine like farmercline has, where mine has trouble is if you don't hit it perfectly straight it turns sideways just a little and hangs up in front. My pickup is controlled of the second hydraulic remote and I just engage it at every bale.
> Edit: and it's also a pain looking to the left side to watch the pickup when everything else is on the right, and it's in a blind spot because of the rear tractor tire.


 After I narrowed up the pickup then I was having the problem you are of the bale hanging up in front and not going in if you didn't hit it perfectly straight. Are you using the factory pickup or a custom made? 
Ditto on the pickup being on the left.


----------



## haygrl59

After almost 4 weeks of being on 'stand-by' getting any hay work done, we finally cut into a partial field. Got 1512 small squares in before dampness in the air and on the ground put a stop to baling. This a.m. the weather forecast had changed with 50% of thunderstorms and joy of joy, a flood watch. It is now pouring outside and the hay that we have left in the field will have to be tedded and raked and then put into big rounds. It wasn't great hay before we cut it and now with a good dumping, it'll be only good as round bales, considering we can get it dried down enough for round bales. *sigh* I realize we haven't gotten as hammered with the rains as some of you other guys but I'm pretty darn tired of rain. Seems I should have gone into the umbrella business.


----------



## mlappin

haybaler101 said:


> Mowing first half of 3rd cut alfalfa tomorrow. A week late and it looks like chit. Yellow and small leaves from too wet and leafhoppers. Would have sprayed but would have needed a plane.


I hear that, my leaf hopper resistant alfalfa looks pretty good yet considering it should have been mowed six weeks ago. Weeds coming in of course, be the third year in a row that it gets made late from the ground just being saturated in spots.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

It came from the factory a few years ago, it's not like the new ones on 200 model. It might help if the guides in front of the chain were a little bit longer.


----------



## Leggupfarms

Well this sunny weather is awesome! Farmers have been out cutting everyday. Looks like an agricultural highway around here. Campers are not happy about slow traffic. Put 50 acres down Sunday and Monday. Tedded it Monday night and began baling Tuesday evening. So far after just one 3 acres field ended up with 20 4x4 bales of first cutting with decent alfalfa and grass mixture. Need to change the density of the bale because the bigger spear won't penetrate. It will be nice to get off all first cutting and the little bit of second cutting that I was able to cut in early June.


----------



## Abrooks

We got through our third cutting of alfalfa and first cutting of grass. The second cutting was gorgeous and we had a stray shower pop up when wind rowed. Actually dried good but sold it cheap to my dad..

We just have 14 acres of alfalfa. The rest is manly pasture (25acres) of orchard grass timothy and a little clover. It has been a bear this year with all the rain. We had a good window of hot dry weather last week and took advantage! The stars and moon aligned, lol. We just square baled the clean alfalfa (165 bales) and rolled the rest (10 rounds) and rolled the pasture also. We are set for ourselves and ended up with a little to sell. I hope we can get a fourth cutting (last year we got 5) if we don't we will be ok.

We are actually going to give up on 2/3 of the field of alfalfa until we can get the drainage resolved b/c the resistant pigweed has became a huge issue. It's a never ending fight it seems. We have definitely learned a lot since starting this little journey!


----------



## Leggupfarms

Well I got 65 4x4 rounds out of about 30 of the acres. The alfalfa was a bit ripe but I don't think the cows will mind too much. So far 65 off of 30, 40 off of 15, 15 off of 6 and 35 wet wrapped triticale/pea mix off of 8. The Rebel 5410 did a great job, even with the wet stuff. I think after I finish the last 10 acres on top I will give it a rest for a bit. I put down another 10 of second cutting hoping to get some small squares to put up. Cleaned up the Case inline baler and will put work clothes n it soon. The alfalfa looked good and no rain in forecast till Sunday so here's to hoping that it stays dry.


----------



## Hokelund Farm

Have a 10 acre alfalfa with a little OG that was seeded Spring of 2014. Put in really wet then had some spots drown. Only got 1 cutting last year. Spring of 15 I patched in some areas. 1st crop we got 16 round bales.

Last night we baled 2nd crop and got 43 rounds!!!!! We don't make the max bale size but we guess the bales are about 850# each from our 853 baler. Windrows were so thick we had to just inch along.

Hopefully we get another 2 cuttings.

I think thats probably the best yield from 2nd crop that we have ever gotten.


----------



## Leggupfarms

Baled the 4 acres of alfalfa 2nd cut and ended up with about 175 small squares. Still have about 10 more acres of second cut down that will get squared. The case 8545 ate up the hay like it hadn't been used since last fall. I like it when its sunny.


----------



## haybaler101

Mowed last of third cut alfalfa today.


----------



## Teslan

I'm deep into 2nd cutting grass hay now. Yesterday was hot and the grass hay I cut and tedded the day before sure seemed like it was ready to bale, but I feel it was lying to me. Best wait another day.


----------



## Bishop

Teslan said:


> ... seemed like it was ready to bale, but I feel it was lying to me. Best wait another day.


Yeah, I hear you. I've had hay do that once or twice. Nice when you have a dry window of weather and can wait.


----------



## Teslan

Bishop said:


> Yeah, I hear you. I've had hay do that once or twice. Nice when you have a dry window of weather and can wait.


I didn't wait first cutting and have some grass that turned yellow in the bale. Good cow hay, but sadly there is tons of cow hay around this year. But then if I hadn't baled it would have been rained on 2 days in a row. But this time I think I could wait 3 days if needed.


----------



## SwingOak

Finished my custom hay job Friday, 430 bales made off 3.75 acres (according to Google Earth Pro). Surprisingly, nothing broke. Until I get an equipment trailer, 15 miles is definitely going to be my service area limit.


----------



## haybaler101

Finally baled some dry hay this year that was dry, only took till the end of 3rd cut!


----------



## hillside hay

According to AccuWeather I'm going to start mowing sudax tomorrow. I seeded at 70 lbs per acre and where the heavy rains didn't drown it looks good. Stems are about as thick as OG and its eyeball high. Hopefully it dries down like OG. Putting all 4k lbs of pressure on the rolls that oughta wring it out a bit.


----------



## FarmerCline

hillside hay said:


> According to AccuWeather I'm going to start mowing sudax tomorrow. I seeded at 70 lbs per acre and where the heavy rains didn't drown it looks good. Stems are about as thick as OG and its eyeball high. Hopefully it dries down like OG. Putting all 4k lbs of pressure on the rolls that oughta wring it out a bit.


 Here you need 4 days in the 90s to get it cured out good......later in the fall when it is in the 70s-80s it takes 5-6. Make sure the whole stem pretty much gets split for the whole length or it will lay for a week and not be cured. The stems are very juicy and will easily mold with the high sugar content if not fully dry. Makes nice hay if you can get it dry.


----------



## Hayman1

Just finished with the first week of real haymaking weather for this year. 90s every day and clear. Thundershowers and downpours overnight and into this morning broke the trend.

I managed to catch up for the season and sit at about 4000 squares for the year. Made 7 rounds but they turned up bad so gave them to a buddy of mine to feed to his cows. Made 21 other 4x5s of premium timothy. I have finished second cutting and have one more to go in early September. Probably will end with about 5K sb. Most of my hay is good quality but more than half got rained on at least once but still has good color and smell. Last year, not a bale got rained on.

Wagons are all filled and there are equipment repairs to be made. No rest for the wicked! :lol:


----------



## hillside hay

Supposed to be mid 90s finally all week. Lots of tedding planned for it


----------



## rjmoses

This AM, forecast was HOT, humid, 20% chance of scattered showers.

Hooked onto my NH Model 7230H WeatherMaker, mowed a couple of small fields, unhooked, did some chores, sat down to eat supper---and it's raining--HARD!

I love that machine. How it makes it rain--I don't know--but it works like a champ. Planning on hauling it out west to California and charging by the inch.

What do you all think should be a good rate? $1000/inch? More?

Ralph


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

Ralph, Ya gotta define that inch a li'l better, or they'll skin ya alive! $1,000 per acre inch might work for some! 'specially if they gots fancy lawns! Jus' sayin'! Dave


----------



## hillside hay

Mebbe its a good thing that the conditioner drive chain decided to wrap itself up. If its raining on Ralph I'm site to see it two days later. Sorghum Sudan at 70 lbs per acre might just be a Lil too thick. 5 ft tall and just as heavy as OG. Looks very nice I'll have to take a couple pictures of it and appropriately post them.


----------



## luke strawwalker

Yeah, I've noticed that too... especially when I was row-cropping...

I formed a theory, runs something like this... you when fire up the tractor,
windrower, combine, cotton picker, or whatever machine you're running, two things
are instantly released into the air- engine heat from the engine/etc., and diesel
smoke... usually dust is also rising from whatever tool you're pulling behind
the tractor or from the baler, combine separator, etc and that's rising in the
air as well...

Now heat causes "lift" in the atmosphere, which draws the dust and smoke particulates
from the engine exhaust up higher into the atmosphere. Once the dust and smoke reaches
the upper levels of the troposphere in cooler conditions, it begins to form raindrops,
since particulates in the atmosphere are raindrop nuclei...

Hence, that's the reason it rains pretty soon after we start doing any substantial field
work. Couple that with higher humidity rising into the atmosphere from drying soils
after a rainy spell, when you're already pressed to get the work done, and you
get a double-whammy that make rain almost guaranteed...

That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it... 

Later! OL JR


----------



## SVFHAY

Done. Finally dOne with First cutting. Hasn't rained Here for about 8 days more or less. Beautiful weather, If I close my eyes it's like 3000 miles west kinda weather. Suddenly I can can do wrong, don't need acid or a tedder. Made more bales in a week than the previous 8 weeks. AVERAGED 1537 bales per day for 7 days with one small square. Of course there were 4900 bales of rye straw and some 2 nd cut alfalfa and 2nd grass in there too. I could hear thunder in the distance as I put everything under roof tonight. I hope all of us get a weather break, whatever that means to your situation.


----------



## FarmerCline

SVFHAY said:


> Done. Finally dOne with First cutting. Hasn't rained Here for about 8 days more or less. Beautiful weather, If I close my eyes it's like 3000 miles west kinda weather. Suddenly I can can do wrong, don't need acid or a tedder. Made more bales in a week than the previous 8 weeks. AVERAGED 1537 bales per day for 7 days with one small square. Of course there were 4900 bales of rye straw and some 2 nd cut alfalfa and 2nd grass in there too. I could hear thunder in the distance as I put everything under roof tonight. I hope all of us get a weather break, whatever that means to your situation.


 Glad you finally caught a break in the weather.....gotta love that kind of weather for making hay. That's a impressive amount of small squares to get done. How much help did it take to get all that done?


----------



## SVFHAY

Just the three of us in the pic. Dad is 85, father-in-law is 77. My nephew helps now and than but not this week, he went to the beach. Rye was custom cut, but other than that it was us. I have enough wagons and trailers hold 106 bundles, so we never unload during the day. I cover that after dark or early morning. Most likely our last year together, changes are a coming.


----------



## SwingOak

Wish we had some rain coming now that all the hay is up. I've got some slow growing grass out there, barely a foot high and I was hoping to get a second cutting in before the end of August. Thinking about how I can irrigate on the cheap, I have a creek and an artesian well putting out around 15 gallons per minute into the overflow. With this hot weather near 90 coming in the 10 day, with a little rain I'd be in good shape. But there is nothing in the forecast. Wish I had a weathermaker!!!


----------



## Vol

SVFHAY said:


> Just the three of us in the pic. Dad is 85, father-in-law is 77. My nephew helps now and than but not this week, he went to the beach. Rye was custom cut, but other than that it was us. I have enough wagons and trailers hold 106 bundles, so we never unload during the day. I cover that after dark or early morning. Most likely our last year together, changes are a coming.


Heck of a crew.....I know they are special to you. Good for you for having your "tough times" behind you this year....looks as if all the rain is beginning to wain a bit nationwide......one of the greenest July's I ever remember here. Your father is amazing at 85....my father is 83 but is really fading fast and can barely keep his balance....he will never operate any equipment again. That pic is one you will be able to frame and cherish about the summer of 2015. Good health to you and your family.

Regards, Mike


----------



## Teslan

luke strawwalker said:


> Yeah, I've noticed that too... especially when I was row-cropping...
> 
> I formed a theory, runs something like this... you when fire up the tractor,
> windrower, combine, cotton picker, or whatever machine you're running, two things
> are instantly released into the air- engine heat from the engine/etc., and diesel
> smoke... usually dust is also rising from whatever tool you're pulling behind
> the tractor or from the baler, combine separator, etc and that's rising in the
> air as well...
> 
> Now heat causes "lift" in the atmosphere, which draws the dust and smoke particulates
> from the engine exhaust up higher into the atmosphere. Once the dust and smoke reaches
> the upper levels of the troposphere in cooler conditions, it begins to form raindrops,
> since particulates in the atmosphere are raindrop nuclei...
> 
> Hence, that's the reason it rains pretty soon after we start doing any substantial field
> work. Couple that with higher humidity rising into the atmosphere from drying soils
> after a rainy spell, when you're already pressed to get the work done, and you
> get a double-whammy that make rain almost guaranteed...
> 
> That's my theory, and I'm sticking to it...
> 
> Later! OL JR


I'd agree. Except when planting anything. Then it won't rain.


----------



## rjmoses

Teslan said:


> I'd agree. Except when planting anything. Then it won't rain.


I've got the solution!!!! Put a seed box on your mower, then plant with your mower! That way Mother Nature will think you're mowing and cause it to rain.

Buuuutttttt! Remember that commercial---"It ain't nice to fool Mother Nature!"

Ralph

Idle minds are devil's workshop! And he's having a field day here.


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

Ralph, Don't need a seed box on the 408!  Every time I mow, the seed piles up a couple inches deep on the cover!


----------



## luke strawwalker

rjmoses said:


> I've got the solution!!!! Put a seed box on your mower, then plant with your mower! That way Mother Nature will think you're mowing and cause it to rain.
> 
> Buuuutttttt! Remember that commercial---"It ain't nice to fool Mother Nature!"
> 
> Ralph
> Idle minds are devil's workshop! And he's having a field day here.


Why not... guys put spray nozzles behind their bush-hogs to band 2,4D over the top
of the cotton stubble as they mowed it off-- kills the roots so it doesn't green
back out...

Later! OL JR


----------



## hillside hay

I am at the breaking things part of the year. Haybine now the tedder. Broke two wagons taking a shortcut. Habine is fixed tedder is not neither are the wagons. Oh well just my turn I guess.


----------



## Teslan

Done with 2nd cutting. About 2 weeks from starting 3 cutting.


----------



## haybaler101

Mowed 2nd cut grass today, drying nicely. Finally some lower humidity.


----------



## dubltrubl

Starting into 2nd cut tomorrow. Finally got first finished this past weekend. Sheeesh! It's been a challenging season so far. Weather of course has been crazy, then several breakdowns that were completely unexpected. On top of that I dropped the little JD in a ditch while cleaning field edges with the bushhog and bent one of the bucket cylinder rods. New cylinder comes in tomorrow. What a year! One other note, aside from the feed stores we supply, very little hay moving so far. Everyone has great pastures right now so they're sitting tight. The only real bright spot for us is I'm so thankful we bit the bullet and built a bigger barn. Looks like come September it's gonna be slap full. By the first frost of the fall, I expect there's gonna be a mad rush to stock up on hay around here. Not much good hay to be found right now but lots of rained on hay and it's selling dirt cheap. Should make for a very interesting selling season!

Regards,

Steve


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## deadmoose

I gotta remember to stop and take a pic of a field on my way to work. Must be 20 30 ac of alfalfa (planted last year) that they cut @ the WRONG time. Hard to believe they squared it. It must have been rained on almost 2 weeks. Then they finally made their idiot bricks and left them on the field another week or so. Now there are a few big piles on the edges of the field. A lot of work for nothing. Bas deal for them.


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## Vol

You are describing the hay situation to a T here dubltrubl....not much moving here at all....pastures are all good but I think it is fixin' to dry up and when it does it will do it quickly this time of year.

Regards, Mike


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## clowers

SVFHAY said:


> Just the three of us in the pic. Dad is 85, father-in-law is 77. My nephew helps now and than but not this week, he went to the beach. Rye was custom cut, but other than that it was us. I have enough wagons and trailers hold 106 bundles, so we never unload during the day. I cover that after dark or early morning. Most likely our last year together, changes are a coming.


That is an awesome picture. Your father reminds me of mine, he wore cotton gloves just like your dad has on. Cherish your time, haymen like him and my dad are hard to find. Thanks for sharing that photo, it helps bring back a bunch of great memories of me and my father baling hay.

Scott


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## slowzuki

Not a good day yesterday, had 2700 bales worth down, 1300 should have been ready yesterday but the sun hid around 3 pm. At 1 am the thunder and lightning started and got about 1" of rain. It's supposed to be sunny this pm but there is no way to bring all 2700 bales in today! I'm going to round bale 700 and see how big of dent we can make in the rest with the square baler. Rain forecast again tomorrow morning.


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## Josh in WNY

Been so busy for the last month that I haven't been visiting this site as much as normal. Over the last week, I put up just over 1500 bales to finish what I need for customers this winter. I have about 14 acres left to go (1st cut, not even thinking about 2nd cut this year) but most of that will be put up in round bales. I have one more local customer that is going to pick up 250 bales right off the field. I'll need to find some buyers for the rounds, but if I get them put up without any rain, that shouldn't be a problem. Maybe I'm overly conservative when I look at the forecast, but none of my hay has been rained on yet.

It seems like every year, one machine picks itself to be a pain in the neck. The machine that decided to be the breakdown problem child this year was the mower. A disc gearbox decided to let loose and once I got that fixed and put back in I had a lot of problems getting the 1st and 2nd discs to time back up properly (too much backlash between them). Ended up using the cutoff tool to take about an inch off the knives of disc #1 (the knives were pretty much shot anyway) so that they would clear the knives on disc #2 and will limp by with it that way for the rest of the season. The cutterbar will be coming off this fall for a complete overhaul, there is just too much backlash in the gears to keep everything timed the way it should be and I need to change the grease in the gearboxes anyway. This is just one thing on a long list of repairs that are needed.

I think I will use the old 336 to finish the last few small squares just to keep it in working shape. That old baler has baled hay every year since it was purchased and I don't want to be the one to break that record. I also want to be sure that it is ready to go in case I need it during the season... the last thing I want to have happen is to need it after it has been setting idle for a couple years and find out the knotters are rusted up or something like that.

The bale grab worked great for putting bales up in the loft. I just need to have at least 4 or 5 people in the loft to keep up, but that is about the same number as before when we used the elevator. The real nice thing about it is I don't have any hay chaff to clean up on the ground anymore and there are a lot less broken bales. Makes putting things away at the end of the day a lot easier. I'm working on getting a addition put on the side of the barn to use next year for stacking hay. Hoping to have it up to store equipment this fall and winter.


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## Dill

Looks like NH is going to have a hay shortage. I'm at 3/4 of an inch of rain in the last 30 days, and I don't even think I got that. Most of the guys around here are saying 50% of usual. Going to be lots of horsey ladies looking for hay in Feb.

The pasture isn't coming back at all either. Just ordered a couple tripod sprinklers, going to hook the sap pump up in into an old dug well and try my hand at irrigating, not something I ever pictured having to do.


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## hillside hay

It would appear that while 70 lbs per acre planting rate for sorghum Sudan was tough cutting 100 lbs cuts nice and dries down in one third the time. The first rate was cut Mon pm while the latter was cut Wed pm. They are both the same moisture today at 28%


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## Bgriffin856

Been busy the past two weeks got 2200 squares and well over 100 rounds in the barn and another 60+ rounds in the field and all our oats chopped and in the silo not to mention twice daily chores as well. Coulda been all done with first and what second is ready if we had know it wasn't gonna rain when the guessers said it was supposed to rain. Been hot and dry and it sure has the corn looking much better almost could watch it grow.

I figured I could fit another 15-20 bales on  already got 200 on it I stacked most of it and kicked the last bit on

Sure would be much nicer with a couple more kicker racks. Especially with just two people sure would get more done. I must say since switching to plastic twine the 337 hasn't missed a knot even when switching balls of twine and having the chamber cranked right down. Shoulda done it years ago

I will say being able to make more dense bales take quite a bit more power


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## IH 1586

If all goes well we will be done with 1st by the end of next week. Get some custom caught up and will have 2nd to start. The only good thing is we are earlier getting 1st done than last year.


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## RockyHill

Started baling on the last of the 1st cutting today . . . and some good 2nd cut fields too. Too bad that 1st cut field was timothy :mellow:

Shelia


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## ARD Farm

I have 11 acres of rank hay left to cut tomorrow, then I need to apply granulated urea and exhibit some patience. I sold every bale I made so far, rounds and cubes.


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## Vol

ARD Farm said:


> I have 11 acres of rank hay left to cut tomorrow


Rank hay has a very nice way of looking not so rank in small squares.....sock those away in the very back of the storage area and bring those little babies out in January and they will look almost premium.

Regards, Mike


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## Lewis Ranch

http://texoma.craigslist.org/grd/5148308716.html

Saw this tonight thought it was a pretty good ad.


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## Vol

Pretty funny Lewis.....I wonder how many beers he had consumed when he posted that ad.....probably late one evening. 

Regards, Mike


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## slowzuki

Gonna try to bale some double washed hay this afternoon if the rain holds off. Forecasting hasn't been really good this year.

Pic is tedding after the rain, by the time I was done the moon was out.


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## Hayisforhotses

We saw the back clouds just as the field was raked, rained all around us but held off so we got 800 squares off


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## Coondle

Lewis Ranch said:


> http://texoma.craigslist.org/grd/5148308716.html
> 
> Saw this tonight thought it was a pretty good ad.


Excellent ad, it is downright honest,gives great narrative background, no painting a bright picture, no mistaking his parameters and expectations. Alludes to a bonus as an attractant and appeals to Snowball's view of machinery.

Worth buying some just to meet the man behind such an amusing and refreshing ad.


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## FarmerCline

Cut some 3rd cut alfalfa today. Only been 24 days since it was cut last but it was already at late bud and showing a few blooms and since the weather is clear I wasn't going to miss an opportunity.


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## somedevildawg

FarmerCline said:


> Cut some 3rd cut alfalfa today. Only been 24 days since it was cut last but it was already at late bud and showing a few blooms and since the weather is clear I wasn't going to miss an opportunity.
> 
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Good looking alfalfa cline.....very nice


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## Colby

FarmerCline said:


> Cut some 3rd cut alfalfa today. Only been 24 days since it was cut last but it was already at late bud and showing a few blooms and since the weather is clear I wasn't going to miss an opportunity.
> 
> image.jpg image.jpg image.jpg


Good looking stuff. Wish I could get it to grow in Texas


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## somedevildawg

Colby said:


> Good looking stuff. Wish I could get it to grow in Texas


You can probably grow it Colby, harvesting can be a bear however.....


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## slowzuki

Hit us square on 4 times yesterday, good 1-2", blew trees over all over here, it was all day drying again today, the middle of the field was barely ready at 5:30 pm but we started anyways, had 920 baled by 8:30 and had to shut her down as the dew was too heavy. Its 2:30 am here and I just got in from unloading squares and stuffing the sheds with rounds from the day before.

Still 100-200 bales worth in the field, I'll rake that up in the morning hopefully and join my family on vacation finally!



Hayisforhotses said:


> We saw the back clouds just as the field was raked, rained all around us but held off so we got 800 squares off


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## Hayman1

Finally understand what you guys are yammering about on leaf shatter. Baled about 550 bales of second cut alfalfa for a guy down the road yesterday, in the 90s and no humidity. Went from having green underbelly on windrows to a cloud of leaves as the bales were hurled to the wagon. My first experience in ever baling alfalfa. Made for beautiful bales, smelled great. A little stemmy on the outside, but really nice on the inside. Pretty hilly piece of property and with 180 bales in the wagon, I wanted everything my 6115M would give me in 4wd to hold it.


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## hillside hay

Where am I at? Well I'll tell ya. I have been very busy breaking every piece if equipment that can be pulled behind a tractor. Not from lack of maintenance mind you but some serious gremlins. Haybine= destroyed conditioner drivetrains. Still works but gotta go real slow to keep the chains on. Rake = broke the drive to second turtle twice so far. Ran my local equipment dealer out of bearings. Something is going on there I think the Good Lord wants me to buy a new one. Busted up two hay racks crossing a break I've been going over for five years no problem. Baler = going down a hill that's mighty steep but manageable wagon gets ahead of baler tears the thrower off. I barely managed to keep the tractor ahead of the baler. This hill I've been baling no sweat for 25 years. So thats what's happen in northern Broome CTY


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## FCF

Hillside- you are not alone in the will not quite repairs department. Since June 1: 2 tractor water pumps needed rebuilding, voltage regulator went up on one of those tractors then the alternator on the same tractor (regulator isn't built in), then a weld on the pin that holds the drawbar to the tractor broke allowing the drawbar to slide out while going uphill with the rake; taking the rake, drawbar, hydraulic line (non brake away couplers on tractor) from tractor etc. to the bottom of the hill also broke hydraulic tee check valve on rake. Drawbar pin is NLS, arrangement has been "upgraded to new design" for about $130, worked good for 40 years why change now. Hydraulic line also NLS. Made a new drawbar pin. Changed formed steel lines to hoses with a break away coupler clamp. Header tilt cylinder seals on discbine started leaking, has been rebuilt twice so bought a new one. Lastly, air conditioner on 5220 needs recharged.

And to make things interesting; the wife was approached by 3 men while raking a field next to the state road, wanting to know where and how we got the rake. Seems one of them had his rake stolen and it was very similar to ours. We have one of about 4 rotary rakes in the area and he thought it might be his.

That where we're at in the repair season. All second cut done in the hay season.


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## Bgriffin856

Well hillside when you get it all fixed you'll have a smooth operating hay operation 

I know how that all goes....if you would never think of it happening it will


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## Bgriffin856

FarmerCline said:


> Cut some 3rd cut alfalfa today. Only been 24 days since it was cut last but it was already at late bud and showing a few blooms and since the weather is clear I wasn't going to miss an opportunity.
> 
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Thats one sweet 986 Cline and beautiful alfalfa


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## Bgriffin856

Been mowing a few acres at a time here there. So far only had a small "teaser" shower last night. Went from monsoon for a month to desert

2015 is reminding me very much of 2011


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## SwingOak

Bgriffin856 said:


> Been mowing a few acres at a time here there. So far only had a small "teaser" shower last night. Went from monsoon for a month to desert
> 2015 is reminding me very much of 2011


I'm having the same problem. We went from tropical rainforest to desert. I was going to order a load of fertilizer but I keep holding off because even when there is a passing thunderstorm, it misses us. It's so dry out there I'm starting to think I might not get a second cutting at all. There's barely a foot of growth in a month - and half of that growth was between the time I mowed and when the hay came off four days later.


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## mlappin

Finally thought I was done with first cutting, wrapped the last 36 acres on the clay as the ground was still moist enough wasn't sure I could get it dry. Had some of the best drying days in two years while I was trying to make wet hay, go figure. Rented a Silage Special from the local NH dealer with bale slice, supposedly ready to run, wasted so much time the first day trying to make a bale I had to wait till the next morning to bale as it was getting too dry. Mowed the last 18 a few mornings later and started baling it that afternoon, made nine bales and their ready to run baler chucked the main gear box as it was as dry as a bone.

Was going to start on 25 acres of third cut then the bank finally got ahold of me that is handling a trust that some land I made hay last year was placed in, so instead of starting on third I get to make another 10 acres of first, gonna try to make it dry as somebody is always looking for some cheap cow hay, that and I'm out of places to wrap any more bales.

Repairs have been as plentiful as the rain here. Was grinding feed wit the 1755 and started to smoke and the load killed it, started right back up but has a miss, hoping just dropped an injector, place that used to test and rebuilt that was less than an hour away is out of business. So went to finish up the 1855, just had to set valve lash after replacing a head gasket, unfortunately thats gonna be a do over as all the antifreeze found its way into the oil pan after sitting a week. Been feeding the cows un processed round bales and they ain't happy, unfortunately only the 1755 or 1855 have enough power to run the vertical TMR and fit in the feed alley. Cab tractor won't even come close to fitting because of height.


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## hillside hay

Rake is back up after another 300 bucks. Sorry to hear about everyone else's trouble.i gptta fab up a temp nale chute untol i can revuild the thrower. Weathers nice thoughh


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## FarmerCline

Started baling 3rd cut alfalfa last night but didn't finish so I had to bale this morning as the dew was coming off. Last couple bundles had some leaf shatter but not too bad. It got hot and dry fast. I don't like baling alfalfa as much in the morning as I do in the evening since it seems like it goes from too wet to too dry really fast most mornings and the stems are damper from the nights dew. Went ahead and finished baling anyway because they were calling for storms in the evening which we never got.

Yield was right at 1 ton per acre. Late bud/early bloom 24 days since 2nd cutting with only 1.25 inches of rain.


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## FarmerCline

Wish we could get some rain now that I have the alfalfa baled......no rain in almost 3 weeks and 90s everyday......99 today.


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## ARD Farm

I have 14 acres of extremely late rank hay cut raked and ready to go (tomorrow). Was a forest. After that, some urea and hopefully a late second cut, we will see.

Love the discbine. Mowed a about 5 mph and it used every bit of my M9. Usually it don't work, this time it did.

Got the belt replaced on the 575 (with Mike's helpful shop drawings) and no expensive service call and received a new roll of Pritchett net from our moderator. Hopefully that clears up my net woes as this 14 gets rounded. been having a snit with the net the NH dealer shipped with my new bailer. Total junk. I spent more time switching to twine on the fly (and not loosing a full bale), rethreading the net and generally sweating, than actually bailing. Tomorrow will tell the story for me. The twine carriers are full, just in case.

I have orders for second cut already. Looks like September maybe. Anything past September is iffy. I'm booked on an early November elk-mulie combo hunt and I still have 2 rifles I have to work up loads for which takes time. I need to wrap up the haying and get to rifles as fast as I can plus all the honey do stuff...

Retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be......


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## Josh in WNY

The last of my first cut is all mowed as of 8:10pm last night... the patched-up mower made it to the end of the season without any more repairs, thankfully. I have 250 or so small squares for a local customer to do (he's picking them up right at the barn) and then the rest is going up in round bales. The squares will be put up tomorrow and the rest will get baled on Saturday or Sunday. After that all I have left to do is run the bush hog over the unused fields, trails and the pasture. Then it's just getting things cleaned off, fixed up and ready for next year... I must be insane because after a year like this, any sane person would quit haying. 

I'll try and remember to snap some pictures, but it is usually the last thing on my mind when I'm putting up hay.


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## Colby

Haven't cut hay in 3 weeks. Hasn't rained in a month and heat indexes around 112-115. All the grass in the pastures have turned into a HUGE fire hazard


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## Vol

One reason I never post in this thread is because it is just the same thing for me over and over and over....nothing new about making hay really, just more efficient. Let's see.....I cut last week, I tedded this week, I raked this week, I baled this week, I loaded this week, I unloaded this week. In about 10 days (or less if it rains) I will do it all again. And this storyline will continue until October....isn't this exciting! 

Regards, Mike


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## Teslan

Vol said:


> One reason I never post in this thread is because it is just the same thing for me over and over and over....nothing new about making hay really, just more efficient. Let's see.....I cut last week, I tedded this week, I raked this week, I baled this week, I loaded this week, I unloaded this week. In about 10 days (or less if it rains) I will do it all again. And this storyline will continue until October....isn't this exciting!
> 
> Regards, Mike


I think a lot of guys add in the exciting parts of their season. Those consist of weather and breakdowns.


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## Coondle

Vol said:


> One reason I never post in this thread is because it is just the same thing for me over and over and over....nothing new about making hay really, just more efficient. Let's see.....I cut last week, I tedded this week, I raked this week, I baled this week, I loaded this week, I unloaded this week. In about 10 days (or less if it rains) I will do it all again. And this storyline will continue until October....isn't this exciting!
> 
> Regards, Mike


Very good Mike:

You never post in this thread but just did.

If you are trying to confuse me, you succeeded.

May be sameness to you but your experiences, triumphs and frustrations are of interest to others.

With breakdowns, mechanical and/or emotional and weather challenges, that may be a morbid interest, but interest nevertheless.

Keep on keeping on until October and then I may have my annual two-week hay making opportunity. A little simpler than yours.

God willing and if the Creeks do not rise, cutting will take one day. I cut and windrow in one pass, covering about 65 acres. Down from previous years and no custom cutting. Then about a week later bale bundle and cart each day for another week. More if the weather gods do not smile on me. It will be underway and all over almost before it starts. I am optimistic of getting up to 10,000 idiot bricks plus a couple thousand custom bales. One cutting one chance of an income for the year. Many pitfalls to trap the unwary and little time to recover. That is part of the joy of haymaking.

As ARD said:

"Retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be......"


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## Vol

Coondle said:


> I am optimistic of getting up to 10,000 idiot bricks plus a couple thousand custom bales. One cutting one chance of an income for the year. Many pitfalls to trap the unwary and little time to recover. That is part of the joy of haymaking.


Well that IS real pressure Coondle....one chance to get it right......where, mercifully I usually have 4-5 chances.....this year 3-4. Good luck my friend when the time presents itself. I would enjoy making hay like you do in the years that rain did not punish me..... 

Regards, Mike


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## IH 1586

Last of the first cutting baled yesterday.


----------



## Josh in WNY

Finished baling the last of my hay for the year last weekend. Put up just over 300 small squares on Friday (most of which were sold right at the barn and hauled away) and then put up 37 rounds on Saturday and 52 more rounds on Sunday. It was a nice feeling when that last round bale rolled out the back of the baler. Now it is on to less weather dependent adventures like hauling the rounds out of the field and getting the equipment all cleaned up and stored away.


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## Shetland Sheepdog

Josh, I'm kind of curious as to why you don't do a 2nd crop! :huh:


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## mlappin

ARD Farm said:


> I have 14 acres of extremely late rank hay cut raked and ready to go (tomorrow). Was a forest. After that, some urea and hopefully a late second cut, we will see.
> 
> Love the discbine. Mowed a about 5 mph and it used every bit of my M9. Usually it don't work, this time it did.
> 
> Got the belt replaced on the 575 (with Mike's helpful shop drawings) and no expensive service call and received a new roll of Pritchett net from our moderator. Hopefully that clears up my net woes as this 14 gets rounded. been having a snit with the net the NH dealer shipped with my new bailer. Total junk. I spent more time switching to twine on the fly (and not loosing a full bale), rethreading the net and generally sweating, than actually bailing. Tomorrow will tell the story for me. The twine carriers are full, just in case.
> 
> I have orders for second cut already. Looks like September maybe. Anything past September is iffy. I'm booked on an early November elk-mulie combo hunt and I still have 2 rifles I have to work up loads for which takes time. I need to wrap up the haying and get to rifles as fast as I can plus all the honey do stuff...
> 
> Retirement isn't all it's cracked up to be......


New Holland net is crap, have used Farmers in the past with little problems and have had no problems since buying Pritchet from Cy.


----------



## Josh in WNY

Shetland Sheepdog said:


> Josh, I'm kind of curious as to why you don't do a 2nd crop! :huh:


Well, we kind of did, but it still had the 1st cut standing with it.  We also plant a later maturing variety of timothy so we usually only get two cuttings in a normal year. With all the rain this summer, we weren't able to get the first cutting off like we should have, so by the time the fields regrow enough to be worth cutting again, it will be too late in the year to be able to get it dried and baled. Even this time of year we start to get heavy dew and fog in the mornings. The next field I refit and put back into hay will probably have a different variety of timothy on it that matures a little more quickly. We are getting enough acres to cover that I want to stagger the maturity dates a little to help with getting everything baled at the right time.


----------



## SwingOak

Up until end of June it didn't look like it would ever stop raining. Now it doesn't seem like it will rain again. The occasional thunderstorms miss us like it's part of a plan. 6-8 weeks after first cutting came off and my hay is barely more than a foot high. Thinking seriously about irrigation...


----------



## broadriverhay

Finishing up 3rd cutting of coastal Bermuda. Abt 20 acres of 4th cutting looking good and will be ready to cut in a few weeks. 6255 bales so far this year. I only have 34 acres of coastal. Its been dry here but that's better than all the rain we had last year.


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## Colby

Dry as a bone here... They've threw out a new weather word; our area is experiencing a "flash drought" not a drop of rain for 50 days and 100 degree temps has done a number on us


----------



## panhandle9400

Should be done with our 3rd cutting but still on the 2nd , this is one of those years you wish you did not grow hay . go from 4 years of extreme drought to wet in just a few months amazing . Here at HQ I am slightly over 26 inches from May 1st to date ...............talk about delays. I just hope I can get my cutting out before the snow flies this year, its a comin too I feel it .


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## dubltrubl

panhandle9400 said:


> Should be done with our 3rd cutting but still on the 2nd , this is one of those years you wish you did not grow hay . go from 4 years of extreme drought to wet in just a few months amazing . Here at HQ I am slightly over 26 inches from May 1st to date ...............talk about delays. I just hope I can get my cutting out before the snow flies this year, its a comin too I feel it .


I hear ya panhandle. For sure nothing scientific, but I feel an early winter in my bones. These days, I listen to these old bones,,,


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## armyturner

We have had a pretty good year so far. Sitting at around 5800 4x5 round bales right now. Wet weather in May and the first of June got us off to a slow start, but it picked up pretty good after that. We don't bale much for ourselves, but have a good customer from Texas that leases land and runs cattle in north central Arkansas that we do a lot of custom work for, as well as one other local guy that we are working on baling 1000 or so bales for now. If we get some of this rain that is in the forecast this next week, we should have 450+ acres left to finish out the year. Also had my most productive day ever this year. We had a morning with no dew, started baling a little before 10 am, and was in hay making almost 7 bales per acre. I put 510 bales out the back by 9:30 pm.


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## Shetland Sheepdog

Finally finished 1st crop, have taken off some 2nd crop, about to take some more 2nd!


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## Teslan

I'm just irrigating, irrigating, irrigating for 3rd cutting. Hopefully going to finish up irrigating for the last time this year in the next couple of years. This time of year I'm not tired of cutting, raking, baling hay. I'm tired of irrigating. Quick edit. I'm always tired of irrigating.


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## ARD Farm

mlappin said:


> New Holland net is crap, have used Farmers in the past with little problems and have had no problems since buying Pritchet from Cy.


Cy's net runs flawlessly btw. Never missed a wrap. I have the only rounds withb white stripes on green net around here...lol


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## mlappin

2nd about done, have done some 3rd as well, next time around will be 4th and 3rd if I don't run out of summer.


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## slowzuki

Cut last 15-20 acres of first cut this morning in beautiful sun with a 3 day clear forecast. Currently watching the storm clouds roll in lol. Ah well, it will dry out fine tomorrow.


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## SwingOak

I put the last application of soil-correcting fert down a week ago, and we've had a couple of mild rain events since then. We're getting a good soaking today so I'm happy about that. I'll have to take whatever I can off in the next 2 weeks so my second cutting is going to be light.

I can't believe some guys around here mowed Sunday and Monday this week - we had rain Monday night, and it's been in the low 60's and cloudy all week. Might as well mow and put your hay in a refrigerator for a few days before baling. I saw one guy round baling last night who mowed Sunday and the dust coming off the baler made it look like it was on fire. Still looked very green too, and no acid tank on his baler.


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## FarmerCline

Baled some 2nd cutting orchard that had a considerable amount of crabgrass today. Really wouldn't have been worth cutting if it wasn't for the patches of crabgrass because the orchard had very little growth with the dry weather we had over the summer but I didn't want the crabgrass to seed out so I cut. Didn't think it would be worth tedding because it was very thin and the field is 10 miles away. Cut Tuesday afternoon and raked Friday but was still pulling up wet hay into the windrow. Baled today and it was real borderline of being dry enough but it is supposed to be cloudy with chance of showers tomorrow. It only made 18 bales an acre. We haven't had the best drying weather because of heavy dews that stay on until 1pm. Can't believe it took so long to dry as thin as it was.


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## shortrow

I am almost done.


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## Grateful11

Getting there and there's small shed with 70 bales of Oats hay, it's full.


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## SwingOak

I'm nervous... I'm going to have to take my second cutting off in the next 2-3 weeks and there's just not enough growth. I will be pleasantly surprised if I come close to 4 tons/ac this season. Too much rain when I didn't want it, and nothing when I did.


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## Colby

Need to fill up 1 barn about 1000 squares and we will be pretty much done for the year. Have plenty of rounds. Need go buy a load of alfalfa large squares... But haven't been in the hay feild since July 23rd. Should change next week as we will be chasing coastal where we can to fill up the barn. Been plenty busy weaning calves and doctoring yearlings.


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## Hawk40

3rd cutting alfalfa done, probably could make a light 4th if I thought we could get it to dry.
Running out of summer now.


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## mlappin

Must be a picture of hay that was made in Idaho.

Had 16 acres down last Monday, forecast was for cool temps but sunny and windy all week. Tuesday was calm and cloudy as was Wednesday. Thursday was partly cloudy and calm. Wind came in friday morning along with a little sun, raked about 3:30, in the time it took me to drive home and bring the baler back the hay actually got wetter. Clouds rolled in and temp dropped and dew started to set before 5pm. Just grabbing a few handfuls said it was a wasted drive to the field, made several bales from under the tree lines that never stood a chance to get dry anyways this time of year. Rained Saturday, misted Sunday, crazy humidity today, calling for 100% humidity in the morning hours tomorrow, not rain but dense fog, may get this stuff washed again Wednesday at this rate.

Getting tired of making hay this year, buying lottery tickets tomorrow.


----------



## FarmerCline

Hawk40 said:


> 3rd cutting alfalfa done, probably could make a light 4th if I thought we could get it to dry.
> Running out of summer now.


 Wow, that is some pretty hay. I don't think I have ever seen dry hay that green......almost looks dyed.


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## Hawk40

FarmerCline said:


> Wow, that is some pretty hay. I don't think I have ever seen dry hay that green......almost looks dyed.


Yeah I had to stop looking at it, the color was scaring me but it was dry and the stems were snapping.
Hay seems to cure fast here. 1st and 2nd had to be cut in sections to keep from drying out too far ahead. Its desert conditions out here this year, not so lucky last summer, entire first cutting rained on.


----------



## discbinedr

Is that John Deere Green?^^


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## deadmoose

I dont think my hay is that green BEFORE I cut it. Looking good.


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## Vol

Looks like the color of money to me. 

Regards, Mike


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## IH 1586

Mowed the first of my 2nd cutting today. Clear all week, now they put in rain for Thurs and Fri. We will see what happens.


----------



## shortrow

If it will quit raining for a minute I'll reassess exactly where I'm at. Third should have been in three weeks ago. :/


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## SwingOak

So I mowed, had three good hot sunny days in a row with good wind, but very high humidity. It wasn't supposed to rain until late Monday night. I made exactly 23 bales Sunday afternoon (16-23% moisture) before I called it quits, looking like I'd need the extra day. Then 20 minutes after I had everything put away it started raining hard - we got almost 4" of rain between Sunday night and Tuesday at noon. And now my entire second cutting is laying out there brown, rank, and depressing. Guess I'll bale it to get it off the field and see what I can get for it. It's not dusty or moldy, just leached out.


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## Josh in WNY

SwingOak said:


> So I mowed, had three good hot sunny days in a row with good wind, but very high humidity. It wasn't supposed to rain until late Monday night. I made exactly 23 bales Sunday afternoon (16-23% moisture) before I called it quits, looking like I'd need the extra day. Then 20 minutes after I had everything put away it started raining hard - we got almost 4" of rain between Sunday night and Tuesday at noon. And now my entire second cutting is laying out there brown, rank, and depressing. Guess I'll bale it to get it off the field and see what I can get for it. It's not dusty or moldy, just leached out.


Given the way this year has gone, you will probably find someone that would want it this winter.


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## mlappin

Haven't hardly made any hay the last ten days or so, high humidity and these pop up sprinkles, no soakers or anything but enough to keep any hay from drying.

A few weeks ago I though I had time to make another go around, now not even sure if I'm gonna get what really needs mowed done.

This simply has to be one of the worst years ever for hay here. Fought the rain getting it all done the first time, got it done then we got a good dry spell but no hay ready to make, now that its past ready, have no weather again.


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## haybaler101

Was hoping for a fifth cutting but I ran out of water. Got about six inches tall and stopped. Plus it is time to start combining, baler tractor goes on grain cart and mower tractor to turbo-till.


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## Garf

We are finishing up 2nd and last cutting here in Dubois Wy. But the sheep love to come down and have some of that fresh cut alfalfa. Then they get full and go up on the cliffs and hang out! Lot's of fun watching them.


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## RockyHill

Garf, really like the pictures - especially the middle row far right.

Shelia


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## Vol

Really nice scenery Garf.....been to Dubois a few times....the sheep museum is really nice. Have spent a lot of time in there. Don't know if I will draw a tag soon or not.....I have 16 NR points. Any big Rams ever come down in the summer to your fields? Not many kids with the ewes....pneumonia?

Regards, Mike


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## JayTN

Love the pictures Garf. I am envious of the variety of big game you guys have out west. We just have whitetail here and the small herds of reintroduced elk in East TN an KY. I do my hunting in Colorado but since dad is getting to old to handle the mountains I have been thinking about doing and antelope/deer hunt in Wyoming.


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## Jay in WA

Possibility of a shower mid week. Once that clears I plan to cut 5th and 4th on the spring planted pivot. Hope to have everything done by the end of the month.


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## mlappin

haybaler101 said:


> Was hoping for a fifth cutting but I ran out of water. Got about six inches tall and stopped. Plus it is time to start combining, baler tractor goes on grain cart and mower tractor to turbo-till.


Nobody try's to run a vertical tillage tool in the fall here anymore, three years worth of monsoon rains in the spring that washes all that chopped up fodder to the low spots or plugs culverts ended that awhile ago, not to mention with the rain we get in the spring you just get to run it over the same ground again anyway's,


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## Garf

Vol said:


> Really nice scenery Garf.....been to Dubois a few times....the sheep museum is really nice. Have spent a lot of time in there. Don't know if I will draw a tag soon or not.....I have 16 NR points. Any big Rams ever come down in the summer to your fields? Not many kids with the ewes....pneumonia?
> 
> Regards, Mike


No, don't see the big guys come down too often, once in a blue moon...


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## haybaler101

mlappin said:


> Nobody try's to run a vertical tillage tool in the fall here anymore, three years worth of monsoon rains in the spring that washes all that chopped up fodder to the low spots or plugs culverts ended that awhile ago, not to mention with the rain we get in the spring you just get to run it over the same ground again anyway's,


Not been a problem here. Great plains TT leaves root and lower stalk intact to catch trash and keep it inplace. Plus use TT to iincorporate cover crop seed.


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## SwingOak

Josh in WNY said:


> Given the way this year has gone, you will probably find someone that would want it this winter.


I baled Saturday. Turned out ok once it dried out, I lost probably half the crop because it got driven down by the rain and the Tedder wouldn't lift it out unless I set the tines about 1" off the ground, and then it just made a mess and stripped out green fresh grass.

Not dusty, not moldy, just leached out. Smells ok. Horses seem to like it too.


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## slowzuki

We finished up 2nd cut hay last Saturday and did 1100 bales of straw on Sunday. Probably done baling this year, will help a friend start carting grain to finish up the season.


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## mlappin

haybaler101 said:


> Not been a problem here. Great plains TT leaves root and lower stalk intact to catch trash and keep it inplace. Plus use TT to iincorporate cover crop seed.


Some of the rains we've had here the last few springs just the corn head made enough loose fodder to plug ditches and leave mounds of fodder when the water went down.


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## mlappin

Mowed 20 acres Saturday afternoon, got a light sprinkle Saturday night, tedded Sunday, tedded again today, could have raked and baled this afternoon but the wind might have blown it into the next county, Will ted the 20 I mowed today tomorrow morning then rake and bale the first 20. Have another good 20 to make then 10 thats iffy and very hard to dry, going to corn next year anyways so I may wait till we are ready to wrap stalk bales and make the last ten. Have another 25 acres of fourth ready anytime, and another 50 acres of third I'll make a frost cutting if weather cooperates.


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## haybaler101

mlappin said:


> Some of the rains we've had here the last few springs just the corn head made enough loose fodder to plug ditches and leave mounds of fodder when the water went down.


yeah, we have piles too. Doesn't matter what tillage or whatever it is going to pile up in places. Seems worse on flat ground, get into the rolling stuff and water moves fast enough to take it somewhere or leaves it on the field.


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## shortrow

Done. Done I tell you!


----------



## atgreene

Just picked up a 60 acre field that hasn't been done yet. Full of vetch, considering I'm way down due to drought I took it. Second cut has been very lean to non existent.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

We haven't rolled much of anything here in 3 weeks it's bone dry, gonna try to finish up a barn we started this spring. Should start baling again next week.


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## Bgriffin856

Guess dry hay is done



Waiting on corn to dry down some to start chopping then have some second/third to chop but needs to grow. Stockpiling majority of second and third to start grazing here in a couple weeks


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## BWfarms

Just rolled my last bale for 2015 this afternoon unless somebody hires me to custom. I guess I will give the baler a good bath this weekend. Had a good year, now it's back to fencing and winter prep for me.


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## IH 1586

Another beautiful week. No rain in sight. Going to mow down the last 45 acres of 2nd this week for dry small squares.


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## MDill

Still struggling along here, it has been a terrible hay year up here. Yields from 1st, 3rd and whatever 4th is growing have been about half. 2nd cut in places has been excellent but still not enough to make up for missing hay. 
We had forecast rain early this year that was 50, 60 or 70% chance and it just evaporated before hitting. Then it rained hard, it feels like so long ago since we've had rain I don't remember it! 
Dry, dry, dry. Trying to scramble and piece together crappy fields to get enough bales for myself. 1st and 3rd cut at work have been horrible, not sure how much 4th will actually come up, probably 200+ bales short. 
Hopefully next year is better, we'll be haying until the snow flies up here. Maybe after too!


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## Grateful11

We rolled 47 bales last Friday and about 8 for a neighbor in a bind with her baler in the shop.

There's 19 acres of 2nd growth Brown Top Millet and some BMR and 5 acres of first cut BMR to go. Looks like some decent rain might be moving in this weekend, we need it.


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## broadriverhay

Done , best year yet. Horse people will be grateful.


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## IH 1586

Small square bales done. Not good yield. Avg. 20 bales to acre. Will be doing some baleage for customers and myself for the next few weeks.


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## Shetland Sheepdog

Mowed a batch of poor Rowen Friday, I'll be lucky if it makes 25 small bales!  Prolly bale it tomorrow!

Finished mowing the low land mulch yesterday! Some of it didn't get cut last year!  5610 was busy with the 408, in 4th gear! 

One more batch of Rowen to cut, and I'll be done for the year!  Hoping it makes 100 bales! :mellow:

Dave


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## JayTN

Baled the last 20 acres yesterday. Squared a few and rolled the rest. This year has been awful for hay here. Maybe a couple inches of rain in the past couple months. I cut it mid week and it was ready to bale Friday evening. Had great color and was gonna sell it for horse hay. Saturday morning woke up to a drizzling rain and overcast skies. Didn't dry out enough for me to rake until after lunch Sunday. Only nice color anymore was the bottom half of the hay. Just thankful we didn't have dew last night until I got finished up. Glad my haying is over for the year and hope next year is better.

Now time to give all the equipment a good washing and greasing and put them to bed for the winter.


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## Colby

We've been done for 2 weeks now. Burying oats and rye grass for winter grazing today


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## barnrope

We are getting finished with hay trying to combine soybeans and hay at the same time. Baled a few more than 5000 big rounds of hay. Now its time to combine out the beans and corn and put the powered wind guard in the 605SM Vermeer round baler and think about corn stalks. We usually bale more corn stalks in October and November than all spring and summer struggling along with hay.


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## deadmoose

I thought I was done almost a month ago. Then a note from a neighbor on my swather offering (junk) hay. But with the plan of taking over the land next year. Then another call similar situation. His tenant never cut hay. So, I will cut as much as I can (if I get my mower fixed), with hope of taking on this ground next year.

Today a neighbor asked me to roll 15 20 acres. Not too thick, but he doesn't want to handle that many idiot bricks. Earlier in the year he made enough for a couple years as another guys round baler was broke down. Now, everyone else is busy with beans.

So, this hay season seems to be extending itself out. Looks like I will have plenty of bedding to clean up next year. Cheap fertilizer I guess.


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## glasswrongsize

Moose, sounds JUST like my year. Thought I was done @ Sept 10th. Thursday I cut 10ac patch and an 8ac patch. Each are close to my house and more square and flatter than any other field that I own or currently bale. I've kinda been drooling over them for a couple of years. Not too thick or tall(each was baled "1st cut" at the beginning of August), but not over mature either. I have calculated that I need to make this cut to get my foot in the door. I'm feeling pretty proud of myself on another patch. Had 10 ac offered to me for 1/2. Creek bottom ground that is dirty, hasn't been bales in 1-1/2 years, rough, etc... Finally had the smarts to tell someone "No". I explained that I wouldn't do it for all of the hay. This site is making me a LITTLE smarter.

73, Mark


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## Tim/South

We finally have a weather window and I should finish this week. Have 40 acres left and a small 3 acre field. The 40 should make 100+ rolls.

A friend and I went in together on some free fields that needed cutting. People had enough hay and wanted 3rd cutting taken off.

My Mack water pump rebuild kit has not arrived and I need to be hauling hay home. I have over 500 rolls staged at 3 different places. Looks like we will be hauling hay for a while after the baler is stored.

This year is going by fast for me.


----------



## somedevildawg

Lol, they seem to be gettin faster and faster Tim.....reckon it's cause we r gettin older each year?


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## Jay in WA

All finished and started spreading compost today. Also shipped 15 semi loads of alfalfa today. Sure is nice to see the hay leaving the farm


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## SwingOak

IH 1586 said:


> Small square bales done. Not good yield. Avg. 20 bales to acre. Will be doing some baleage for customers and myself for the next few weeks.


My average was 15/ac. for 2nd. Terrible.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Fall grazing



Still wanting to chop some haylage but it might get too wet. Fingers crossed


----------



## Trotwood2955

25 acres of third cut OG on the ground and 9 more to mow. Then will be officially done for the year. I hope.


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## glasswrongsize

I started out this year doing 25 acres of hay and planning to keep all of it for dad's and my flocks. I studied Haytalk for info/pointers/advise, finally dipped my toe in the water, and was graciously accepted and warmly welcomed into the folds of this forum. I ended up the year with 65-70 acres of hay ground that I will continue next year. I have successfully marketed all of the hay I have offered and still have enough to sell when snow flies. I started growing my own hay about 5 years ago and knew everything there was to know about haying. Now, you would think that I must be a super-genius&#8230;but alas, the more I learn the more I learn that I am ignorant (not the normal connotation of "ignorant" but merely without knowledge of a subject) about haying . I just sold a load of hay tonight (horse owner not Horsey person ) and entered the proceeds into my ledger. I'm "in the black" for the first time in years and it's a good thing, 'cause there are millions in the recipient class depending upon me and my taxable income&#8230;too bad they weren't anywhere to be found until AFTER the work was done.
I have found no other opening, thus far, in which could incorporate a "thank you" to the members of this forum into one of my rants. So, *THAT* is where I am at in *MY* season...the point of acknowledging the people that helped me be here. Thanks y'all.
73, Mark


----------



## Tim/South

I am finished with my fertilized regular hay fields. Rolled 121 last Saturday to finish up. I now have enough hay to get me through until spring.

May help a friend who is behind on 2 of his leased fields.

Hope to start drilling ryegrass this week.


----------



## Uphayman

2015 is in the books. Finished up 50 acres of alf/tall fescue yesterday. Got it down to the high teens on moisture. Really nice hay. Had an overnight low of 23 F, baled it at 44F. With snow on the ground just 50 miles to our north,it's time to call it done.
Machines held up well, weather was again a huge challenge, and other than a heart attack, the season was uneventful. I'd like to thank my wife,and dad (he's 80 years young ), for pulling off the impossible this year. We made a lot of hay.....we were blessed with a bountiful harvest in 2015.


----------



## Coondle

2015 has turned into annus horribillis, but not a heart attack like Uphayman.

Bought a new to me Case 8380 mower conditioner and to have enough power to run it fitted a new clutch to my Case 1490.

All set to knock the hay season over.

Not shaping up as great with a nearly 5 week drought to finish the season. The oats was drying and dying; it was pulling nutrient from the leaves to fill the seed head.

tractor set and moco seemed good.

150 yards into the first round of the first paddock and mower conditioner working OK and tractor purring along........birds singing, sun shining, all well with the world.

151 yards and the tractor died. Not able to start it, looks like the injector pump went awol.

Oats drying like it was in a kiln; which I guess it was with no rain and soaring temperatures.

Borrowed a Case 2290 from a mate since he had retired the tractor but plenty of power for the job.

Now the new to me moco began and continued plugging with monotonous regularity. Then the left knife broke. The previous owner had used a laminated knife back but curiously had built it out of segments none of which was longer than 18 inches.

Plus then had to do an urgent rebuild of the left half of the cutter bar and build a new knife.

Plugging continued reducing cutting to about an acre an hour.

Eventually finished cutting after achieving physical, mental and mechanical breakdowns.

The JD 348 baler ran flawlessly for the first 4500 bales.

I will get back to that.

Out with the Bale Bandit and the monitor has a communication problem, so set out flying blind and the first pack failed to band at all.

Reset and try again; same result failure to band. Fetchers were fully out and stopped,

Careful examination showed the left fetcher had derailed between the last pack last year and the first this year.

The good news is that the fetcher was put back on the rails and even without the monitor the Bandit has worked perfectly since.

Then the JD 348 right knotter decides to not do what a knotter should.

Twine with no knot on either end and neatly square cut ends.

Go through the usual suspects.

Hay dogs; operating properly with no broken springs or frozen hinges.

Twine holder tension too high; reduce tension until twine pulls out. No improvement so reset to previous setting.

Twine disc timing; all good.

Twine discs, check for burrs and sharp edges; all clear.

Twine holder, check for burrs and sharp edges; all clear.

Twine disc timing correct

Billhook is the multi-twine version, so suited to the plastic twine in use.

Billhook beak; no damage and pin in place.

Billhook pinion in place and pin drive present.

Billhook roller not worn, missing or damaged.

Billhook cam not worn excessively.

Fast running out of options.

In desperation check the tucker fingers.

Aha, something out of adjustment, the right tucker finger is set outside of specification; so set to specification, but in this downtime and after weeks without rain, an evening shower meant I was unable to bale any hay to check the outcome of my adjustments.

Next afternoon try some bales.

Knotter still failing.

Now real grasping at straws ( straws I cannot bale) to identify the culprit.

Needle penetration, setting and timing checked and all OK.

A lightbulb moment on lifting the knotter AGAIN. The billhook cam is out of place !!!!!!!!

Checked numerous times already and always in place with the key set in the keyway.

Too much end-play on the billhook resulted in the cam being able to rotate with the billhook rather than remain stationary. Result was the billhook not opening at all on the bales where the cam rotated.

Re-shim the billhook and pinion to remove end-play. This is one not in the book but can now be added, indeed has been pencilled in already.

Started baling and not missed a stitch in 800 bales since.

Enough mental, physical, financial, and mechanical anguish to make retirement a probable attractive option to creating idiot cubes.

Oh, and where am I at in this 2015 haying season?........ near breaking point but now about 80% complete done.


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

80% done on our equivalent of May 19th ??? Man, I wish I could get done that quick !!! I'm about 99% done, as we speak, and I'm in the northern hemisphere! Wass up wi dat ???


----------



## Teslan

I'm all done with haying. Now I'm getting ready to rip 150 acres in preparation for next year. Hopefully get some good snow so moisture can soak in.


----------



## slowzuki

We've had two small snow squalls here already, haven't even got the discbine cleaned out yet!

The last couple of fields of junk hay my sister strung some temp electric up around it for grazing.


----------



## Coondle

Shetland Sheepdog said:


> 80% done on our equivalent of May 19th ??? Man, I wish I could get done that quick !!! I'm about 99% done, as we speak, and I'm in the northern hemisphere! Wass up wi dat ???


Dave, difference is I get one cutting per year not 3,4 or I read today someone doing 5. One chance and if that is missed no income for the year. I guess if there is to be any, the agony is over quickly.

Winter does not last long and little rain this year and summer comes with a vengeance. Technically Spring here but forecast for tomorrow is for 95*F and 3.00 pm relative humidity of 16% and 2.5 MPH winds. In summary,HOT,DRY and STILL. Ripens crops and cooks hay really quickly. We have another 5 plus months of that and higher temps and believe it or not lower RH to look forward to.

North and also to the East of me the farmers are harvesting grain. For some their grain season will be over this year before technical end of Spring. Summer is supposed to start here on December 1. Sadly by then there is not even any resemblance of Spring.

Seems the weather the HT guys in Texas are experiencing is with me already, but we choose to live and farm in what others would call a desert, we like to call it "Dry Land Farming".

Local paper reports only just over 7 1/2 inches for the 4 months of June through September inclusive for the growing period of my crop of oats and there was almost nothing in the soil profile to start with. Mid August to mid October had only a little over 1/2 inch causing my oats to literally die to put content in the seed head.

Western Australian grain growers year-after-year grow cereals like lupins (a high protein pulse seed that also fixes nitrogen), peas,canola, oats, barley and wheat (mostly wheat) without any irrigation and on as little as 5 inches of rain. No till, triple shoot planting, and post emergence sprays to control weeds together with large machines mean they have all planting done on 10 to 14 days for many operators. Big combines, and road trains (payload of 50 tonnes = 55 tons) to shift the harvest also means only a few weeks of harvest.

Keeps me going to read of your haying operations over there and would love to come and play, the scenery and greenery is fantastic. Hard for someone to play here because the season is over in a very short time, the optimum time to cut for me for best quality was as little as 3 days for the best of my crop and did not happen for some on higher ground It went from immature to dead as it flowered. Seems will be a 40% discount (if my market assessment is correct) on that poorer quality stuff and all of you would realise that every $ discounted comes out of what would otherwise be net profit. It cost me as much to get those discounted bales to market as premium quality stuff. The few thousand premium bales I have I hope will attract a premium of 25% over my budget calculations.I will delay putting those up for sale until later in the season when I hope shortages will become a factor in the market. In fact I will not market the hay until the expected late Spring, early Summer glut is over when all the STO with no knowledge, skills or storage have panic sold the few bales each makes and cannot store. Their weather damaged hay will make my rubbish stuff look better.

That is "Wass up wi dat" in this part of the Land Downunder.

But I am alive and well, though ageing and becoming more like the characters in the movie "Grumpy Old Men" and still relishing the contributions of the other members of the HT community.


----------



## somedevildawg

Thought about you the other day Kevin, there was a special about the grasshopper epidemic you spoke of.....only I knew that the wind parlayed in your favour and relegated the pest to the eucalyptus forest and ocean...they didn't mention what happened to them, but thanks to my buddy Kevin, I already knew "the rest if the story"


----------



## Bgriffin856

Kicking myself for not mowing yesterday to chop. Damn weather guessers can't get their story straight. ...long term doesn't look promising


----------



## Coondle

Finished my hay for 2015 with the last pack of hay into the shed at 4.30 pm yesterday. Wife broke out some white wine and I treated myself with some Lemonade in celebration.

Only 1500 or so idiot bricks to make and bundle for a neighbour. His hay is still drying down so look at that job on Monday. He will bale, I bundle and both cart. Shou;d be all over in the afternoon.

Deliveries start in earnest on Tuesday with 10 packs to go about 50 miles.

Deliveries will be slow at first until the STO (small time amateur operators) with no storage have flooded the market and run down their stocks.

Year was very poor, I barely made production budget (but I budget conservatively) at average just over 100 bales per acre, although my best made a shade over 150.

Got nearly 12 months to do a rebuild on my Case 8380 mower conditioner.

Despite its problems, the windrows were great to bale and made better bales than from my NH 1411. Yes I retreated into the dark ages and went from a discbine to a sickle mower, but at 15 feet wide it can cover some ground when it does work. If I had a bumper season though I would have to harness a baler tractor with slower ground speed to let the JD348 swallow the windrows. At 150 per acre I was in low low and the baler at its max capacity and a bale about every 6 yards or so. With my best ever production of 250 per acre I would need a much slower ground speed.

For those interested and even for those that aren't, after shimming the billhook referred to in post 375 above, the JD348 only missed 2 knots caused by "pullouts" due to reduced tension on the twine holder. Retightened to original tension and no more missed knots. Until I tracked that obscure cause down I was very frustrated and my curly locks were at risk of being torn from my head.

It is good to be finished, now time to refurb, repair and attend to the seasonal maintenance ready for next year, that is if a masochistic incorrigible gambler with money does not come along and buy me out.What other type of person would gamble the stakes we do on getting an income, oh I know there is another name for a masochistic incorrigible gambler..... that is a farmer.


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## somedevildawg

You done went and said a mouthful Kevin........


----------



## Troy Farmer

Finished today for the year. Best year yet. I sure do thank the Good Lord for it all.


----------



## azmike

We are very happy with our new alfalfa pivot built this spring, this last cutting will make 4 for the year, figure 6 for next year.

Our bermuda field came in slow and was passed up by finger and panic grass. We hayed the summer grasses, found a price and market with the crazy horse folks and paid fuel and seed/fertilizer costs.The bermuda really came on strong after August, It should be great pasture next spring/summer.

Had a couple of good cuttings of sudan sorghum (super sugar), pulled a lot of plastic wrap over it.

We over seeded triticale in the bermuda, it is coming good. Setting on a bunch of baleage, watching the cattle market real close....hope to put on another 40 or so little heifers....kinda spooky!


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

*DONE!!*

Baled the last of the mulch today!

Tomorrow my hay ground will be white! 3 ton of lime per acre going on!


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Pretty well done baling hay we rolled 150 or so last week and have been steadily planting winter pasture. Got some much needed rain this week and currently on the road to Nebraska, will be back to planting soon as I can get back.

Hope all y'all here on HayTalk had a great summer!


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## IH 1586

I believe all the custom baling is done, unless someone calls. Still have about 35 acres of my own to do yet.


----------



## OhioHay

Down to 20 acres of fall oats to bale and wrap in a couple weeks. It has been a long season. Total yields off 15%. Really good prices making up for it.


----------



## shortrow

OhioHay said:


> Down to 20 acres of fall oats to bale and wrap in a couple weeks. It has been a long season. Total yields off 15%. Really good prices making up for it.


Good prices make us feel all warm and fuzzy.


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## bbos2

Good year to make corn stalks for bedding. Got enough straw moved to get them inside.








Sorry it's upside down ??


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## somedevildawg

Not if ya hold your computer upside down......(and turn off auto-rotate  )


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## Vol

bbos2 said:


> Good year to make corn stalks for bedding. Got enough straw moved to get them inside.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 1029151347.jpg
> 
> Sorry it's upside down ??


How much snow do you get bb?

Regards, Mike


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## bbos2

Vol said:


> How much snow do you get bb?
> 
> Regards, Mike


Last two years we got close to 80" of snow. But typically get half that amount. Weatherman Callin for a mild winter. I could use a break from pushing snow for a winter, but typically that means it's muddy all winter...


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## somedevildawg

My hats off to you guys.....I could not even begin to imagine 80" of snow per year, I do however have a snow blower in the shop....Just in case


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## mlappin

somedevildawg said:


> My hats off to you guys.....I could not even begin to imagine 80" of snow per year, I do however have a snow blower in the shop....Just in case


Our normal is 66-67"

A few winters ago we had a lot more than that.

Just depends on how bad the lake decides to screw us.


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## IH 1586

Last of my hay is down and will be baled by Wed. Beautiful week with temps in the lower 70's.


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## Grateful11

Not looking too good for any more Fall planting for a while. It would be ok if this were Rice . The Oats sowed a week ago are starting to come up, not sure how or why, only had a day and half of sun in the last week. We've had 14" of rain in the 60 days. 3.9" of rain since this field was sowed.










Same field, different camera angle 10 days ago.


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## Grateful11

bbos2 said:


> Good year to make corn stalks for bedding. Got enough straw moved to get them inside.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 1029151347.jpg
> 
> Sorry it's upside down ??


Fixed that for ya.


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## IH 1586

Done for this year.


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## Grateful11

Corn isn't picked, still 20 some acres not tilled or sowed. More rain coming in tonight, possibly 1-2" more, not looking good for anyone east of the Appalachians in our area. Most Soybeans are still in the fields around here. 16.5" of rain since Sept. the 5th. It's as wet as I've ever seen it. Even a .6" rain last week created a big time runoff.

On a positive note what Oats did get sowed are coming up quite well.


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## deadmoose

Grateful11 said:


> Corn isn't picked, still 20 some acres not tilled or sowed. More rain coming in tonight, possibly 1-2" more, not looking good for anyone east of the Appalachians in our area. Most Soybeans are still in the fields around here. 16.5" of rain since Sept. the 5th. It's as wet as I've ever seen it. Even a .6" rain last week created a big time runoff.
> 
> On a positive note what Oats did get sowed are coming up quite well.


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## Hay for Sale Ads

Just stuffed the haying equipment in the shed before it starts snowing around here. Going to replace tines on the old Ford haybine this Winter and hopefully start a great year early in 2016!


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## deadmoose

Hay for Sale Ads said:


> Just stuffed the haying equipment in the shed before it starts snowing around here. Going to replace tines on the old Ford haybine this Winter and hopefully start a great year early in 2016!


Where is the anow coming? You should add at least a state to your locale on profile. The thing to do here. Welcome to haytalk.


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## Dill

I think I"m about done. Just made 2.5 rounds on 10 acres for 3rd crop. We are officially in a drought. My hay yield was 50% of first and 30% of normal 2nd and 3rd crop. Getting some rain now, but had a killing frost mid october.


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