# Where are you at in your hay season-2014



## Teslan

I decided to start a new thread this year about where we all are at in our hay season. Last years thread was one of the longest I've seen on haytalk.

I started cutting for the the first time this year today. I hope to have 2-3 weeks of good haying weather. The field in the pictures is a field of Orchard and Brome grass. I cut about 33 acres to start me off of this year today.


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## Grateful11

161 4x4 Round Bales of Oats mixed with crap Ryegrass. There's about 15 acres on the ground now to be baled tomorrow or Tues. Since it got 1.9" of rain on it right after being cut Friday that kinda threw a wrench into things. Tedded it yesterday and skipped today, partly because the sun didn't really come out until about noon and partly because it's Sunday. Gladly they were able to carry over about 60 bales of really prime Soybean and Millet hay from last year, they might need it. Yield this year is at least off by 1/3rd from last year. What few Soybeans have been sowed are just starting to pop after just 5 days. Too wet now to even think about drilling in any Soybeans and Millet. Wife needs to make about 650 bales total for their cattle.

Right after it was cut but before it got rained on.










After Tedding and about 12 hours after 1.9" of rain on it. It was starting to dry nicely on top so she figured we better go ahead and turn it.


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## SVFHAY

Being located in an area that starts late every year and particularly wet last year, I found last years thread a bit tough to read as you guys racked up the bales. So I am going to be sure to get in on this early as I haven't had a single acre rained on yet! May not be able to say that tomorrow evening though as I may bale the first dry hay with a little luck. Made some nice baleage memorial day so there's 30 acres of second cut fertilized and on the way. Grasses are filling in nicely and in another week tonnage will be about ideal.


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## DSLinc1017

Where am I this hay season? Kicking my self for only taking down 8 acres on Friday when I should have taken down 50! The weather was iffy, but turned out to be perfect for hay, Sunny with low humidity for 3 unbelievable rare days. Granted I've tedded 3 times already and plan on tedding tomorrow again before raking and baling. 
I know if I had taken down more the weather would have turned.


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## Teslan

DSLinc1017 said:


> Where am I this hay season? Kicking my self for only taking down 8 acres on Friday when I should have taken down 50! The weather was iffy, but turned out to be perfect for hay, Sunny with low humidity for 3 unbelievable rare days. Granted I've tedded 3 times already and plan on tedding tomorrow again before raking and baling.
> I know if I had taken down more the weather would have turned.


But you know if you had taken down the 50 you would have gotten buckets of rain.


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## Colby

We've made 60 4x5 round bales so far this year. Hope that changes this week. Plan to start cutting Tuesday morning for squares and then move on to a 100 acre patch for 5x5s later in the week.


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## RockmartGA

I usually have my first cutting in the barn by Memorial Day. Not this year as I am about 20% complete. With the cooler weather we have been having, hay is still pretty decent.

Supposed to go out of town on a business trip the week of June 9. We'll probably have ideal hay weather all week and it will start raining upon my return.


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## mlappin

First 25 acres in the barn, was real light, just a touch over a ton/acre.


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## Nitram

Teslan you gonna do this to me again? Being a baler of fine grasses in Kansas we start Brome in June normally this year may be later I hope. And prairie hay in July on I get jealous hearing about all the hay going down! Signed. anxious in oz


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## OhioHay

Nothing happening here yet and with the weather forecast, nothing happening this week either!


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## Teslan

Nitram said:


> Teslan you gonna do this to me again? Being a baler of fine grasses in Kansas we start Brome in June normally this year may be later I hope. And prairie hay in July on I get jealous hearing about all the hay going down! Signed. anxious in oz


This will just keep you motivated.


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## Lostin55

Rain notwithstanding, I will start cutting alfalfa on the 11th. Should be a good first crop this year with the weather helping the irrigation along on a regular basis. I am going to demo a new New Holland Swather just for kicks and grins. They said 2 or three hours, but I will bet I can get it for more than that.


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## slowzuki

At least 2 weeks to first cut here still. I'm still prepping equipment.


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## haybaler101

150 acres of 1st cut alfalfa put up nice, half balage and half in the barn. All fertilized and leaf hoppers sprayed. Start cutting 2nd cut in 2 weeks. Still have 40 acres of over ripe fescue to bale but the forecast looks better for growing corn at this point.


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## Dill

Well I have my first 7 acres down. I had broke a float spring on the discbine last nov and finally got a free second to swap it. So that's a plus. I picked up an Italian rotary rake last month and just found out that it works pretty slick. Sold off the old 256 already so its good that it works. Having a couple issues with the wrapper I picked up but overall the growing pains for this season are pretty darn minor. Hoping to put up 150-175 silage bales, last year it was 75. But the herd has grown, hoping I still get enough square bales to sell.


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## atgreene

Cut about an acre today as a test run. Used the new drum mower, worked good. It'll be round baled and wrapped for silage. We had a frost two nights ago, so its still very early yet for us.


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## GawasFarm

Where am I?? Watching my fields just green up in the last week. Hopefully I have first cut of before July and can get my second in. Really late spring here but everything is trying to make up for lost time.


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## somedevildawg

Late here....just fertilized after removing junk weeds and grasses, still 2 weeks out from first cutting....


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## Hayman1

DSLinc1017 said:


> Where am I this hay season? Kicking my self for only taking down 8 acres on Friday when I should have taken down 50! The weather was iffy, but turned out to be perfect for hay, Sunny with low humidity for 3 unbelievable rare days. Granted I've tedded 3 times already and plan on tedding tomorrow again before raking and baling.
> I know if I had taken down more the weather would have turned.


Yeah, I cut my 5 ac thurs nite. Field I could afford to loose. forecast then was iffy for Sunday and certainly TS for monday-today. Then the window by Sat am was for dry but no wind for sunday, iffy late monday with high humidity. Then it blew yesterday, sometimes at 15 with no humidity and it is still dry as a bone this am. Wish I could send the weatherman a bill for missed opportunity.


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## traden86

Right at 700 4x6 put up so far. Got everything up without any rain as of now. Now its rained every day for the last 6 days..... And calling for more rain staring Friday. I have to start cutting this morning and hope for the best.... Have still got over 400 acres of first cutting to go. Looks like the 2nd cutting will be ready on some fields before I'm done with the first!! The last field I baled made almost 2.5 tons/acre.


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## Bags

Grass here is 10-12 inches. I'm still having night time temps in the upper 30's to lower 40's. Its gonna be awhile before I drop any hay.

Cy sent me some Crown Royal OG. Figured I'd give it a try and see how it does on some of the new field I worked up. Its starting--- 3/4 to 1 inch right now--- just need some summer heat up here in the high country to get things crank'in.


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## hillside hay

I'm going to let things grow for another couple weeks to bulk out the tonnage a little bit.


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## yarnammurt

Same here, got more rain the last week then we needed. I still have 50 acres to square. And WAY behind.


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## Colby

Cut 30 acres for square bales this afternoon. Got a full day of cutting tomorrow for rounds


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## shortrow

First cutting is finished, alfalfa square bales already sold, rolled the orchard grass in 4x4's, it's in the barn. Low yields, but it was all good hay. Doesn't happen on Memorial Day weekend very often around here.


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## Fowllife

OhioHay said:


> Nothing happening here yet and with the weather forecast, nothing happening this week either!


Where about's are you at?

Lot's of guys dropped hay the last week or so. I haven't had a chance to talk to anyone about yeild yet.I have been a little busy with other stuff and haven't dropped any yet. Everything was coming in real slow, but has popped pretty good in the last week or two. I checked my clover field today and it was 30" high and starting to lodge, alfalfa is still lagging though. timothy is just starting to head out. I planned on going for tonnage first cutting anyways, so the next nice window I will drop it all.


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## Grateful11

We rolled 95 more 4x4's today, decent yield but most was low quality.


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## DSLinc1017

Got my 8 acres in, yield was less than half of what it was last year for the same field last year almost to the day. Tried out my new to me round baler on the last wind row. Works great at making them round didn't do so well at wrapping the twine. Had to string it by hand.. 
Think I may have missed something stringing it up. Tomorrows lesson, learn about twine tie. 
Icing on the cake was remembering taking my cell phone out of my pocket and setting it on top of the square baler before I strung new twine... That is I remembered this after I was done for the day....
An hour later driving a golf cart over the freshly cleaned field I found it! 
Not all was lost.


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## SwingOak

Watching the grass grow, and working like mad to get the rake repaired...


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## BPatrick

Almost all of first cut done on fescue/orchard.......need rain on alfalfa and teff


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## Lewis Ranch

1300 rolls so far here, mowed down a little over 100 acres today and have about that much tomorrow to lay down. Yield is a little on the low side but with the cool spring that is to be expected.


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## 8350HiTech

About 2100 small squares made and reasonable per acre yield. Few thousand more to go but the hay isn't too old. Definitely enjoying having the AC charged in my baler tractor and also my new toy, my new-to-me dual rotary rake. But why did the radio in the raking tractor quit?!?!


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## FarmerCline

I have 800 bales orchard/fescue and 600 bales of oat hay in the barn. The orchard/fescue the yield is down about a third from normal. The rest of my oats are needing cut right now except for a really late planted field and my new seeding of early maturing timothy needs cut now also. The forecast doesn't look the best but I'm going to have to take a chance on the oats as they are getting ready to get grain in them.

We had a dry may but I didn't get much cut due to the cold spring it wasn't ready to cut the first part of the month when we had great weather and the latter part of the month there was chances for rain so I didn't cut much but we missed most of the rain. To be honest last year we had better hay making windows than this year in May.


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## Teslan

I'm still cutting hay and haven't baled any yet. No rain. Maybe tomorrow I'll bale some. But now the some weather forecasting sources say 30% chances of rain Friday and some say 80% and others say 50%. Hoping I don't get rained on. I was thinking it's kind of funny. In the summer when I'm planning on cutting and baling hay 30%-40% chance of rain seems pretty high to me. But in the winter when they says 30%-40% chance of snow I don't think it's going to snow at all.


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## Shetland Sheepdog

Ayup, what if's are great! If I had cut on Saturday, I'd be baling this afternoon, but I din't! Almost to the point of saying "Flip it, Nail it!" Dang NOAA anyway!


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## aawhite

Starting to see wheat swathed and rolled here in western KS. Not sure if it because the wheat was poor (didn't look bad, but we had a late frost, may not be filling) or the guys needed feed. We are in our 3rd year of drought, pastures and hay field are short all around.

Teslan, why the mix of brome and orchard grass? Don't see that combination very often.


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## yarnammurt

I put down 10 this morning and hope to get 10 more this afternoon


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## Teslan

aawhite said:


> Starting to see wheat swathed and rolled here in western KS. Not sure if it because the wheat was poor (didn't look bad, but we had a late frost, may not be filling) or the guys needed feed. We are in our 3rd year of drought, pastures and hay field are short all around.
> 
> Teslan, why the mix of brome and orchard grass? Don't see that combination very often.


For us it makes the best production. In fact most of the irrigated grass seed you can buy is Orchard and Brome. Just planted some this year that was about 33% Orchard 33% Meadow Brome, and 33% Smooth Brome. Makes beautiful hay.


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## Tim/South

Got 30 acres of Fescue done two weeks ago. Normally get 150 rolls. got 72. Not sure what is up with that.

Have been given some ryegrass to cut and hope to begin tomorrow. I need the hay Then I will be on the regular rotation of Bahia fields.

We had rain all last week and should be out of the forecast after today.


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## Colby

Cut 45 acres today with the H7450. 1 25 acre coastal meadow and started on a 100 acre Bahia coastal mixed meadow. Pretty good stand in that feild for first cut.


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## Teslan

Had a good 93 degree day with 16% humidity and a nice breeze. Tomorrow I shall bale! An amendment. This morning woke up to heavy fog. Maybe no baling today.


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## Bgriffin856

Bagger will be here tomorrow or thursday. Gonna fill a 8x200 with haylage. Mainly reed canary grass and new seeding of reed canary and clover. Its not headed out yet thankfully. Im expecting yeilds to be variable. One field is nice thick tall and green next one is short and thin even with fertilizer or manure. Excited to dry some and use the new to us baler


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## Hayman1

The dereccio (don't know how to spell that word) that came through Nebraska last night is due here tonight with strong winds, possible hail etc. then 4 or more days of nice weather. Hay going down at noon to avoid lodging which we are likely to get tonight. Think I will windrow it then let ground dry tomorrow then ted it out. We had over 5 inches of rain here in May but low temps at night and during the day held us up more than anything. Guess I am about 20% done for the year with over 1K sqs and 25 rolls in the barn. Hoping to be 50% done with first by Sunday night if the weather holds. only lost about 12-15 bales to moisture so far.


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## FarmerCline

I missed a window the past few days to make hay.....was planning on cutting Saturday but I turned out overcast all day and Sunday was supposed to be nice but since it was overcast I opted not to cut since Tuesday was a 40 to 60 percent chance of rain depending on who you listen to....ended up being not hardly a cloud in the sky yesterday. Now I'm kicking myself for not cutting a bunch Saturday as I would have had plenty of time to get it up.

Today and tomorrow was supposed to be a 30% chance and Friday clear so since I had some oats needed cut badly I decided I had better risk the 30% and cut early this morning. During the afternoon today the weather changed to 50% tonight, 40% tomorrow, and 30% Friday.....now I wished I hadn't cut since it is raining right now.

I have never had oat hay rained on before......I wonder how it will look after drying back out?


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## Grateful11

FC some of ours was mowed last Friday around noon and by Sat. morning it had 2" of rain on it. Hit it with the tedder Sat. around 3pm, skipped Sunday, hit with the tedder again Monday at about 11am, raked it 2 hours later and started baling almost immediately. Most tested at 12-16% moisture. It bleached out on top but still had good green tint to it right underneath. Really couldn't believe it was ready Monday after 2" of rain late Fri. and during the early morning Sat. but humidity was very low Sat. thru Mon. Main thing we were worried about was moisture from the ground but because it was cut at about 3 1/2-4" high we had good stubble for it sit up on.


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## barnrope

Started out with hay today and cut 35 acres or so for a shake down. The Alfalfa is really nice this spring but is late to bloom. It is crotch high and not blooming yet. It will surely rain now that some hay is down.


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## FarmerCline

Grateful11 said:


> FC some of ours was mowed last Friday around noon and by Sat. morning it had 2" of rain on it. Hit it with the tedder Sat. around 3pm, skipped Sunday, hit with the tedder again Monday at about 11am, raked it 2 hours later and started baling almost immediately. Most tested at 12-16% moisture. It bleached out on top but still had good green tint to it right underneath. Really couldn't believe it was ready Monday after 2" of rain late Fri. and during the early morning Sat. but humidity was very low Sat. thru Mon. Main thing we were worried about was moisture from the ground but because it was cut at about 3 1/2-4" high we had good stubble for it sit up on.


 Was it not cloudy Saturday and Sunday down your way? Here it looked like it was going to rain any minute all day Saturday and Sunday was very overcast most of the day with just a little sun.

It stopped raining now....got 2/10ths.....now if we can just not get any more I'm hoping that little amount didn't damage the hay.


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## Grateful11

Sat. the sun didn't break through until almost noon but had a nice dry breeze, that's why we waited to ted at 3pm. Sunday it was sunny all day and really low humidity with an easterly wind, maybe it was pushing the clouds up into the foothills Sunday. This crop was already over ripe so that helped with drying but not the quality. Hay quality and yield has been down with everyone we've talked to around here. Last year we were doing 3 1/2 to about 4 tons/acre, this year more like 2 1/2 to 3 tons.


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## Teslan

After the fog burned off yesterday I was able to rake windrows together then 2 hours later started baling. Baled about 140 3x3x8 bales then a little rain shower stopped me. Hope to get done with that field today, stack the hay and bale and stack another little field.


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## Hayman1

What does one of those bales weigh and what acreage produced the 140 bales?


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## Teslan

Hayman1 said:


> What does one of those bales weigh and what acreage produced the 140 bales?


I'm not done with the field yet. But I think I baled about 18 acres. The whole field is 26 acres They weigh about 750 lbs.


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## Hayman1

Teslan said:


> I'm not done with the field yet. But I think I baled about 18 acres. The whole field is 26 acres They weigh about 750 lbs.


So you are making about 3t/ac-what is it, grass or alfalfa


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## Teslan

Hayman1 said:


> So you are making about 3t/ac-what is it, grass or alfalfa


Orchard and brome.


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## Colby

Put up 700 bales of good first cut coastal today


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## Bgriffin856

Knocked down about 9 acres. 3 of orchard and native grass mix, 3 of 2013 reed canary clover mix and 6 acres of reed canary. Mowing more tomorrow. Yeilds look good gonna chop it


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## mlappin

Dropped sixteen today, looks to yield a lot better than the last field. Anything has to be better than 2400 lbs.acre.


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## Shetland Sheepdog

Looks great! Think I'm gonna cut this morning! Supposed to be good 'til Monday evening!


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## Josh in WNY

Here's where I'm at... the fields are at least two weeks behind, but I'm probably more like a month behind as far as having the equipment ready. The field I seeded last fall has a good stand of timothy/birdsfoot in it that is about 6 or so inches tall right now. The other (established) fields are about a foot tall, but do look a little lighter than last year. I'm planning on spreading some fertilizer tomorrow if I can get things arranged. It has been a pretty cool spring so far and we are still getting lows in the low 50s with highs in the 70s (with an odd low 80s thrown in once in a while). Rain has been pretty good, so I can't complain there.

Where I'm really backed up is on the equipment. I still need to finish putting the new wiring harness in the IH 784, get one of the gearboxes on the mower cutterbar re-timed and install a new knife on that disk, and I have a couple bearings and sprockets to replace on the stacker wagon. To top all this off, I still haven't had a chance to see how the new-to-me JD 348 baler works. I'm not too worried about it as my dad knows the people who used to own it and told me they take good care of their stuff. I just know that there will be some time to get it dialed into where we want it as far as bale length and density.

The guy we let use our fallow fields planted his corn on Monday, so I expect to see that popping up any time now. There are a lot of guys with silage in the bunks and a couple guys have started some hay, but I think that may be more because there supplies are low than them really wanting to start it this early.


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## Dill

I'm into some of the nicest first crop I've ever mowed in 8 years of doing this field. Guess conditions are just right. I also hit it with 100 lbs of Urea/acre minutes before a downpour. Last year I got 55 dry 4x4 bales in late july. I'm hoping to go by that with silage this weekend. It was all I could do to stop mowing and go sell beef at the farmer's market.


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## deadmoose

Dill what is the tractor pulling that?


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## JD3430

Cut and teddered 30 acres today. Still have low wet spots.


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## Dill

deadmoose said:


> Dill what is the tractor pulling that?


My MF 271xe, it handles the mower well. Probably the last time I mow with it for a while. I finally got the baler connector for my Deere 5500 so the MF is headed back to the farm to stack round bales.


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## Teslan

Hay harvest is in full swing here now. Well at least within 2-3 miles of me. Everywhere else is seeming to get rain and hail. Thank God we haven't.


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## discbinedr

You must be living right, Teslan.


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## discbinedr

Dill said:


> I'm into some of the nicest first crop I've ever mowed in 8 years of doing this field. Guess conditions are just right. I also hit it with 100 lbs of Urea/acre minutes before a downpour. Last year I got 55 dry 4x4 bales in late july. I'm hoping to go by that with silage this weekend. It was all I could do to stop mowing and go sell beef at the farmer's market.


Looks like the old 250 is still going strong. Just cut 8 acres of pasture tonight for a neighbor with a 250 that we just had Smucker rolls installed in. She ran beautifully.


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## 8350HiTech

discbinedr said:


> Looks like the old 250 is still going strong. Just cut 8 acres of pasture tonight for a neighbor with a 250 that we just had Smucker rolls installed in. She ran beautifully.


Smucker rolls just came up in the gehl 2350 thread a few days ago. What is the price on them these days, doc?


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## discbinedr

2K in the 250. That's $800 under quote. Wish I could always do business like that.


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## Lewis Ranch

Well as usual for the 4th year in a row it has rained halfway through one of my big custom jobs (220 acres) rolled just shy of 300 bales before the rain.

For you guys up north I shot a picture of some corn, it's up to the bottom of the pivots.


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## deadmoose

I saw some 6" tall corn today. That was tall! For here this year.


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## atgreene

Finally seeing some hay weather. Still no heat, but at least it's not raining.


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## bluefarmer

WAY behind, (not complaining) to wet, got 40 acres cut,only about 300 to go!!!!


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## Teslan

atgreene said:


> Finally seeing some hay weather. Still no heat, but at least it's not raining.


With those side mowers do you just cut the field in circles? I never really thought about that until seeing your picture.


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## atgreene

Yes, similar to a sickle. I just bought this, so I'm still learning how to set it up. I find it tends to scalp on uneven ground, still playing with adjustment's, but it beats the heck out of my old IH moco.


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## Colby

Got a late start today but at least it's only 20 acres. A little over dry but oh well cows won't complain this winter.


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## Dill

discbinedr said:


> Looks like the old 250 is still going strong. Just cut 8 acres of pasture tonight for a neighbor with a 250 that we just had Smucker rolls installed in. She ran beautifully.


Its a really really old 250 I've yet to find a serial number that I'm not ahead of. But its got low hours. A dealer had it and put a well tile through it taking the whole bar out. He ordered parts and it sat in the yard for 12 years. Finally sold it to me for the less than the cost of the new bar. It was a complete machine just had to assemble.

Had a busy day today, too much time hauling and not enough on the tractor. But I think my son got spoiled hanging out with my brother. I don't have a cab so he can't ride along with me.


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## somedevildawg

Always Love the efficiency of that machine Colby, no tedder, just cut and Rake/Bale.....gotta love it


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## somedevildawg

Nice equipment Dill....


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## Dill

Ohhh that's not mine, just my boy in the cab. That's my brother's operation, he's the crop manager for the UNH organic research farm.


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## somedevildawg

Dill said:


> Ohhh that's not mine, just my boy in the cab. That's my brother's operation, he's the crop manager for the UNH organic research farm.


Lol, it does have an eerie similarity to the equipment we have down the road at the UGA experiment station.....was down there just a few weeks ago....man alive do they have some nice equipment, nothing but the best will do I guess......


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## Colby

Yeah it makes it nice when one person can go cut rake and bale 200 acres a week


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## OhioHay

First 75 acres done. All wrapped in tubes. 425 acres dry hay to go.


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## OneManShow

Driest spring we have had in 6 years. We have baled about 60 tons of fairly nice orchard grass. Will likely rake and bale 20 acres of real nice ryegrass tomorrow after church. Our 1075 bale wagon has a significant electrical problem that is creating havoc with the computer, then on my last load, the left pivot arm on the second table broke, so we can't get anything else out of the field until I get everything straightened out and welded back together. At least there is no rain in the forecast until Wednesday. That bale wagon and I have had a troubled relationship for a number of years- It may be time for a divorce. I wish doggone hay equipment would break down in the winter instead of during harvest . Only about 100 acres left to put up, and we may even get a rare second cutting off our grass fields. Good luck to you all!


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## Lewis Ranch

Colby said:


> Yeah it makes it nice when one person can go cut rake and bale 200 acres a week


I'm trying to get more towards a one man show myself, good help is hard to find.


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## Hayman1

Made 950 small sqs of new timothy and mixed timothy and OG yesterday. drop dead gorgeous hay-low humidity and sunny here last 3 days. Really had to work at the new timothy-did not want to cure, reminded me of teff last year. Tedded 5 times, raked and tedded out then re raked. I cut it before it headed out and still made 100 bales to the ac, can't wait to see what it does at full growth next year.

Hayden- did you cut your new timothy yet?


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## Bob M

I am working a new seeding timothy field also, maybe 10 % heads. Same problem, here hay is very thick. Tedded 4 times so far. Probably ted again this morning and hopefully rake and bale today. Chopped 120 ac 2nd cut yesterday, still have at least 150 ac 1st cutting to bale.


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## DSLinc1017

Just keep tedding, just keep tedding, just keep tedding..... 
Hope to rake and bale today. In the mean time.

Just keep tedding.


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## FarmerCline

Hayman1 said:


> Made 950 small sqs of new timothy and mixed timothy and OG yesterday. drop dead gorgeous hay-low humidity and sunny here last 3 days. Really had to work at the new timothy-did not want to cure, reminded me of teff last year. Tedded 5 times, raked and tedded out then re raked. I cut it before it headed out and still made 100 bales to the ac, can't wait to see what it does at full growth next year.
> 
> Hayden- did you cut your new timothy yet?


 I cut one field of new timothy Wednesday and baled Friday.....this particular field I planted a late maturing variety and it had not headed out yet but the field had a lot of volunteer wheat so I had to go ahead and cut before it turned to straw......only made 60 bales an acre. There were thin places in the field also so I no tilled soybeans into it yesterday. I also have another new field of timothy that is an early maturing variety that is completely headed out and blooming that needs cut bad.....I had a lot better stand than I thought and it is really thick and shoulder high. The 10 day forecast looks dismal at best.


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## Teslan

25 more acres cut this morning at 8 am before I'm to leave for a wedding. Why do people have to choose to get married in June? Don't they know it's haying season? Only took 2 hours. On the NH 1495 swather I learned to cut hay with that field used to take 5-6 hours.


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## Tim/South

A week of rain and more rain forecast the next two weeks. Need to finish first cut and get the next cut growing.

Drilled Tifton 9 Bahia in some pastures, fertilized some pasture. All the rain should help in that respect. Cutting the yard every 4 days which means the grass hay fields are growing as well.


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## Grateful11

It's a start ;-) Should be able to go 4 high from there out to the front. Stacked another 50 in another shed and carried over 60 from last year in another shed.


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## mlappin

Forecast is back to crap till the end of the week.

Hope to get another thirty next weekend.

Middle of the week after that is shot as the Father in Law is back to the VA on the 19th for surgery.


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## Rattler05.5

Teslan said:


> 25 more acres cut this morning at 8 am before I'm to leave for a wedding. Why do people have to choose to get married in June? Don't they know it's haying season? Only took 2 hours. On the NH 1495 swather I learned to cut hay with that field used to take 5-6 hours.


Where abouts are you at? We have had very overcast/drizzle/fog/cool days. (Loveland) Saw a pic of what looked like a funnel cloud out by Roggen today. I am waiting to see what the forcast looks like later this week. I am itching sooooo bad to start cutting but want to make pretty hay.

We have 15 acres grass/alfalfa around our homesite where the grass is belly button height.


----------



## SwingOak

I'd be mowing today if

#1 my rake wasn't taken apart in the shop waiting on parts
#2 I didn't have to go to Kentucky this week because of my day job
#3 I had a tedder

Good haying weather here until Thursday. With all the red clover out there I'd probably need one to get it to dry down in 3 days. I might cut one of the grazing pastures when I get back, probably be good enough for cows...


----------



## C & C Cattle and Hay

Constant rain here! Got about 250 acres that needs to be cut, but it rains here every afternoon with no let up in sight! Haven't been able to cut any hay as of now starting to get concerned!


----------



## PaMike

First cut mixed grass done. Got it all baled dry, and horse quality. Trying to get it sold before straw comes and traps it in the back of the barn. Poor yield this year due to the long hard winter and late spring. Grazed more this year than usual due to high cattle prices. Might as well but the grass into the cattle right now. Gotta spray with Butyrac 200 this week and fertilize....


----------



## Hayman1

Bob M said:


> I am working a new seeding timothy field also, maybe 10 % heads. Same problem, here hay is very thick. Tedded 4 times so far. Probably ted again this morning and hopefully rake and bale today. Chopped 120 ac 2nd cut yesterday, still have at least 150 ac 1st cutting to bale.


you probably don't have the window anymore, but raking in the middle of the afternoon and letting it sit over night did really help


----------



## Hayman1

just helped my buddy up the road with his hay-getting rolls in before the rain. He bought a green tedder that was not a Krone-silly person, right-anyway, the perimeter shield bar broke and he has to cut off to use. Another of his buddies has the same tedder -4 banger- and the whole wheel assembly came off tedding, apparently the same thing happened to another person they both know last year. Message: if you are going to buy a green tedder, make sure it is a Krone!


----------



## Teslan

Rattler05.5 said:


> Where abouts are you at? We have had very overcast/drizzle/fog/cool days. (Loveland) Saw a pic of what looked like a funnel cloud out by Roggen today. I am waiting to see what the forcast looks like later this week. I am itching sooooo bad to start cutting but want to make pretty hay.
> We have 15 acres grass/alfalfa around our homesite where the grass is belly button height.


I'm southeast of Greeley. Got 4 tenths of rain today. I was over near masonville for the wedding I went too today. What part of Loveland?


----------



## Rattler05.5

Teslan said:


> I'm southeast of Greeley. Got 4 tenths of rain today. I was over near masonville for the wedding I went too today. What part of Loveland?


Just North of Berthoud. 
We only got a tenth today but the weather has not been favorable for drying. Hope to start cutting this week. My alfalfa is just starting to bloom. 
How much does this rain really effect the hay? I'm selling to horse folks and they demand "pretty" hay and just freak if it gets sprinkled on.


----------



## Hayman1

FarmerCline said:


> I cut one field of new timothy Wednesday and baled Friday.....this particular field I planted a late maturing variety and it had not headed out yet but the field had a lot of volunteer wheat so I had to go ahead and cut before it turned to straw......only made 60 bales an acre. There were thin places in the field also so I no tilled soybeans into it yesterday. I also have another new field of timothy that is an early maturing variety that is completely headed out and blooming that needs cut bad.....I had a lot better stand than I thought and it is really thick and shoulder high. The 10 day forecast looks dismal at best.


That's weird, I had a volunteer wheat problem too, but mine was contamination in the fertilizer by the coop. Picked all those heads by hand-was bearded wheat-would not have been appreciated by my horse customers or their horses. Yeah, the 10 day here only looks good for tropical ducks.


----------



## Martz Custom Farming Servi

We have only cut and baled 5 acres. first it was equipment and now weather is just not cooperateing. Alfalfa has been ready for 2 weeks. Im extremely nervous. Im really hopeing I can get in the field wednesday.


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## Grateful11

Out of the next 10 days on WeatherBug today is about the only decent looking day but they said the same thing about yesterday and we got 1.2".

Found out yesterday the sprayer missed about 2 foot wide strip in a quarter mile long section of the corn field, not sure the ground will hold a tractor now and it needs to be gone back over for that strip. Corn still isn't very high, may try the golf cart and the 15 gallon electric sprayer if the spacing on the tires is right.


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## mlappin

All depends which forecast you look at here, last week I thought I'd have more ready to bale by tomorrow, then they changed it and I didn't mow, wise decision on that one. If the forecast is to be believed I have another window towards the end of the week then half a week of rain after that. Problem is I'm starting to run out of high ground to mow on.


----------



## FarmerCline

Hayman1 said:


> That's weird, I had a volunteer wheat problem too, but mine was contamination in the fertilizer by the coop. Picked all those heads by hand-was bearded wheat-would not have been appreciated by my horse customers or their horses. Yeah, the 10 day here only looks good for tropical ducks.


 My volunteer wheat came from last years wheat crop which got bush hogged due to the wet weather that prevented harvest last year. The wheat came up in early fall thicker than sod and was sprayed twice and I didn't think about more coming up and contaminating my timothy. It was beardless wheat thank goodness but I still had to cut before it started turning to straw.

How did that brome you planted turn out?


----------



## Maryland Ridge Farms

I have got 30 acres up so far . The weathers not working with us. Yields about 75% of last year. 310 more acres to go and first cut will be done. I am 2 weeks behind right now and the next possible day to cut is thursday


----------



## stack em up

Waiting on go...


----------



## Hayman1

FarmerCline said:


> My volunteer wheat came from last years wheat crop which got bush hogged due to the wet weather that prevented harvest last year. The wheat came up in early fall thicker than sod and was sprayed twice and I didn't think about more coming up and contaminating my timothy. It was beardless wheat thank goodness but I still had to cut before it started turning to straw.
> 
> How did that brome you planted turn out?


I overseeded brome this March in the timothy I just cut. Not sure about whether the brome did ok, well or outstanding since it is a little hard to tell in 4 inch stubble. I can tell you the field is thick as any I ever did. Some of the small skips in the timothy from last falls seeding were more open than I had hoped but the real test will be first cutting in 2015 when it heads out.


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## covenanthay

Cut first piece Thursday night with what I thought was our first window of opportunity, so I thought, washed it good yesterday-don't know if it will go today or not. Rain forcast the next three days. Hope this doesn't continue.


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## atgreene

We baled a little yesterday using this new modern doo-hickey called a bale wagon. 40 years I've been throwing bales onto trucks and trailers, this year I rebuilt an old 10 ton wagon gear and hooked it to the baler before my father knew what was happening. He allowed as how it was kinda nice not handling so much.


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## atgreene

Meant to post a pic.


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## 8350HiTech

atgreene said:


> Meant to post a pic.


You handle bales in shorts?!


----------



## Teslan

8350HiTech said:


> You handle bales in shorts?!


They have tougher legs there in Maine.


----------



## Hayman1

Teslan said:


> They have tougher legs there in Maine.


besides, as soon as the air temps go above 0, they are breaking a sweat


----------



## atgreene

Teslan said:


> They have tougher legs there in Maine.


Ayuh. That hay won't hurt them walking sticks none.


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## JD3430

I bale and roll bales in shorts.....no biggie for me.
250RBs done, 250 to go. 
I have no indoor storage left. Bales sitting outside.


----------



## Dill

I've switched to tractor work in shorts much better.

Got another 25 silage bales in,wrapped and stacked. Which made for a good weekend, I"m halfway done with silage for the year. And I have to say I'm a beleiver in Urea, its the first time I've tried it for hay ground. And I need a way to make the load/haul/unload faster, its an hour per load right now, which is long time for 8 bales.


----------



## Colby

Went ridding around and check all the hay meadows. Probably got around 800 bales till we are done with first cut and are around 3 weeks behind. Fields that were cut last week are already growing fast. Got another .5" of rain this morning. I'm not complaining though


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

Hayman1 said:


> besides, as soon as the air temps go above 0, they are breaking a sweat


Daown heah in Na Hampshah we don't break a sweat 'til it gets up ta freezin'!  :lol:


----------



## mlappin

8350HiTech said:


> You handle bales in shorts?!


I used to all the time. Hate the heat, hate it hate hate it.


----------



## 8350HiTech

mlappin said:


> I used to all the time. Hate the heat, hate it hate hate it.


I hate hay in my boots and socks even more than heat!


----------



## deadmoose

When I was a youngster anyone I knew who handled idiot bricks usually wore shorts and maybe a hat.


----------



## mlappin

8350HiTech said:


> I hate hay in my boots and socks even more than heat!


socks? boots?


----------



## 8350HiTech

mlappin said:


> socks? boots?


I wear mostly clothing that presidential pets have been named after.


----------



## mlappin

8350HiTech said:


> I wear mostly clothing that presidential pets have been named after.


Well and now we know how the stereotype of rich farmers came about.


----------



## mlappin

deadmoose said:


> When I was a youngster anyone I knew who handled idiot bricks usually wore shorts and maybe a hat.


No shirt either unless you were on the wagon stacking when my grandfather was driving, unless you caught one in the back once in a great while he wasn't going fast enough yet. Never look like your waiting on a bale with grandfather or he'd speed up every time.


----------



## FarmerCline

I always put pick up and stack square hay in shorts and short sleeved shirt.....no way when it's 90 plus degrees in the summer am I going to be wearing long sleeved shirt and pants. The hay really doesn't bother my legs or arms but the guy that helps me it eats him up.


----------



## Hayman1

8350HiTech said:


> I wear mostly clothing that presidential pets have been named after.


Are we talking Snookie or Muffin here?


----------



## JD3430

I'm thinking he means "BO" that's the name of Barrack Obamas dog. Lol


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## haybaler101

Waiting again. Would like to put down 50 acres of second cut by the end of the week. It will be 28 days on Monday, but decent chance of rain everyday and if doesn't, it is just cloudy and cool.


----------



## RockyAcres

Fowllife said:


> Where about's are you at?
> 
> Lot's of guys dropped hay the last week or so. I haven't had a chance to talk to anyone about yeild yet.I have been a little busy with other stuff and haven't dropped any yet. Everything was coming in real slow, but has popped pretty good in the last week or two. I checked my clover field today and it was 30" high and starting to lodge, alfalfa is still lagging though. timothy is just starting to head out. I planned on going for tonnage first cutting anyways, so the next nice window I will drop it all.


I am in NE Ohio (ashtabula county) and also still waiting for Timothy. I opened a field last weekend and got under 1 ton/acre, I'm really hoping that I was just too early and that's not going to be what I get for the whole field !


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## DSLinc1017

Here I am again, wondering and weighting in on where I am this hay season. Frankly I'm pissed! We can send rovers to mars, have people flying around in outer space in a glorified tin can, been to the moon some 40+ years ago, Some video gamer can fly a model airplane half way around the world sitting in a shipping container in the US desert and push a button, send a bomb and blow up a moving car..... 
All this technology and they still can't predict the freeking weather more than 6 hours out!! Come on!!!!!! All I'm trying to do is dry some dam hay!!!! 
REALLY!!! something just isn't right. 
So sorry. but this is where I'm at this evening in my particular hay season.

On a good note I did get 300 smalls in and a dozen rounds.. Could have been 5 times that!!!


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## Fireman355

Spraying weeds, spreading fertilizer and enjoying the rain while looking forward to a second cutting, had to wrap most of the first cutting.......


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## mlappin

DSLinc1017 said:


> Here I am again, wondering and weighting in on where I am this hay season. Frankly I'm pissed! We can send rovers to mars, have people flying around in outer space in a glorified tin can, been to the moon some 40+ years ago, Some video gamer can fly a model airplane half way around the world sitting in a shipping container in the US desert and push a button, send a bomb and blow up a moving car.....
> All this technology and they still can't predict the freeking weather more than 6 hours out!! Come on!!!!!! All I'm trying to do is dry some dam hay!!!!
> REALLY!!! something just isn't right.
> So sorry. but this is where I'm at this evening in my particular hay season.
> 
> On a good note I did get 300 smalls in and a dozen rounds.. Could have been 5 times that!!!


Oh I know. Was kicking myself for not mowing hay Sunday morning as was supposed to nice till Tuesday night. As usual they were wrong, didn't really rain hard today, just enough so when I was hauling corn the dust and beeswings stuck to everything including me, but never rained hard enough to actually wash anything off. Semi tractor is filthy, trailer is filthy, I was filthy but the corns all in.

And your right, can't predict a day ahead even with any great accuracy.


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## Bgriffin856

I havent wore shorts since I was like 5 or 6. The hotter the better I would much rather climb out of thd mow looking like I just jumped in the pond rather than shivering. The best days are ones your always sweating even while sleeping. I hate the cold....just dont fill up on milk on a 90 degree day and go pitch down cornsilage


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## Bgriffin856

30 acres of reed canary grass in a bag. Still need more to finish it. Got all but 8 acres chopped sunday before a monsoon set in and dumped 2 inches. Finished the 8 acres today. Amazing how it dried out and still smelled and looked good. Finish that and the 12x35 silo and then dry the rest


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## JD3430

You must hate the cold where you are in PA. Where I am in PA, its probably on average 5 degrees warmer. 
I love the heat, too, but hate the sticky humidity.
I vacation in Arizona with my family and we lover the dry 110 degree heat. 
Lately in SE PA its been cool and rainy. Terrible haying weather. Still waiting for "global warming" to kick in here.


----------



## haybaler101

Shorts are standard issue for me from late April till October. Never could handle idiot bricks with shorts though. I could trash a good pair of jeans in a day loading wagons. But, we never made 40 lb horsey bales, our alfalfa bales usually averaged 75 lbs at 40" long and wire tied. If they dropped into the 60's, dad would make us crank the tension down on the baler. Baled straw on e in shorts and realized that was a big mistake when I had to stop the straw mites before they headed into the tropics!


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## mlappin

Opposite here, I'd rather deal with 0 than 90.

I have a cousin in Arizona, don't care how low the humidity is, 110 is still a 110.

The wife can't handle the heat, she stayed in the AC the whole time in Arizona. Congenital heart defects and pulmonary issues don't get along well with heat.

Like our winter vacations in the UK with her family. Most of the time in the upper 40's to almost 60. After what December was like before we left it felt like late spring there.


----------



## somedevildawg

Them straw mites is tough.....most specially in the tropics....


----------



## JD3430

mlappin said:


> Opposite here, I'd rather deal with 0 than 90.
> 
> I have a cousin in Arizona, don't care how low the humidity is, 110 is still a 110.
> 
> The wife can't handle the heat, she stayed in the AC the whole time in Arizona. Congenital heart defects and pulmonary issues don't get along well with heat.
> 
> Like our winter vacations in the UK with her family. Most of the time in the upper 40's to almost 60. After what December was like before we left it felt like late spring there.


I'd rather have 110 dry than 95 humid. 
Me and the kids hiked from the top of the Grand Canyon to the Phantom Ranch at the bottom. 110 degrees and we barely broke a sweat. 
Around here when it's 95 and humid, you just step outside and you're soaked in sweat to the tropics.


----------



## somedevildawg

JD3430 said:


> I'd rather have 110 dry than 95 humid.
> Me and the kids hiked from the top of the Grand Canyon to the Phantom Ranch at the bottom. 110 degrees and we barely broke a sweat.
> Around here when it's 95 and humid, you just step outside and you're soaked in sweat to the tropics.


Here yesterday it was 96 and 71%rh......and it's just June.....boots and pants required on this farm.


----------



## Tim/South

I have taken to wearing overalls. I like the pockets and lose fit.

Kind of refer them to a farmers 5 star hotel, only with a ball room.


----------



## Hayman1

somedevildawg said:


> Them straw mites is tough.....most specially in the tropics....


seed ticks are worse, I know from one experience-that was enough to make me never want to clear a fenceline with a brushhook once I was making my own decisions. :wub:


----------



## mlappin

JD3430 said:


> I'd rather have 110 dry than 95 humid.
> Me and the kids hiked from the top of the Grand Canyon to the Phantom Ranch at the bottom. 110 degrees and we barely broke a sweat.
> Around here when it's 95 and humid, you just step outside and you're soaked in sweat to the tropics.


Well thats a given, 95 and humid is miserable.

Just saying if I have my choice and it can't be in the low seventies then i'd rather have it cool, a person can always throw another layer of clothes on and work harder to stay warm. Once it reaches a certain temp and humidity level though even if you could run around bucky tailed naked it's still miserable.


----------



## Teslan

mlappin said:


> Well thats a given, 95 and humid is miserable.
> 
> Just saying if I have my choice and it can't be in the low seventies then i'd rather have it cool, a person can always throw another layer of clothes on and work harder to stay warm. Once it reaches a certain temp and humidity level though even if you could run around bucky tailed naked it's still miserable.


and bucky tailed naked for the most part makes everyone else that gets to see that even more miserable.


----------



## Hayman1

Two beautiful days forecast this weekend, Sat and Sun. 60% on Friday and Monday, muggy next week adn the ground is currently saturated and heavy storms on the way today. I think it is time to mothball the hay equipment adn go to Cancun! Or- the salmon fishing in AK is fabulous rignt now.


----------



## Teslan

Raked two windrows around the edge of a field this morning. Shouldn't have. Didn't dry and now rain showers threatening. They are monster windrows now so I'm not sure how well I can turn them again.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Forcast for june and july isnt looking very good for drying hay


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Finished rolling a field today around noon after the last 30 acres got 5" of rain, made 504 rolls on 200 acres. My 7410's pto quit working dropped it off at deere, stop by grandads on the way in and he is mowing weeds with his ol' 495 haybine and 180 massey.


----------



## Grateful11

mlappin said:


> Opposite here, I'd rather deal with 0 than 90.
> 
> I have a cousin in Arizona, don't care how low the humidity is, 110 is still a 110.
> 
> The wife can't handle the heat, she stayed in the AC the whole time in Arizona. Congenital heart defects and pulmonary issues don't get along well with heat.
> 
> Like our winter vacations in the UK with her family. Most of the time in the upper 40's to almost 60. After what December was like before we left it felt like late spring there.


I hear ya. It only made it to 88 here today but the humidity was absolutely through the freakin' roof. My wife said just this afternoon even as rough a winter as we had she'd take that over this. She said, "I can only take so much clothing off in the Summer and I pile it on in the Winter". We've already had almost 3" of rain this month and who knows when the rest of the Soybeans will get sowed, it's raining now.


----------



## Bgriffin856

After last winter I say....turn up the heat

Course we only get like three 90+ degree days a year here


----------



## mlappin

Lewis Ranch said:


> Finished rolling a field today around noon after the last 30 acres got 5" of rain, made 504 rolls on 200 acres. My 7410's pto quit working dropped it off at deere, stop by grandads on the way in and he is mowing weeds with his ol' 495 haybine and 180 massey.


I mowed an obscene amount of hay with a 495 when I was a kid. Pulled it with a Super 88 diesel that had the corn picking rear end. Was slow enough I could mow in fifth gear which was still slower than a 88 with a standard rear end in fifth, but a standard 88 didn't have enough guts to pull a 495 in fifth. So was actually mowing faster then. Around 400 acres a cutting when we still had dairy cows.


----------



## FarmerCline

Grateful11 said:


> I hear ya. It only made it to 88 here today but the humidity was absolutely through the freakin' roof. My wife said just this afternoon even as rough a winter as we had she'd take that over this. She said, "I can only take so much clothing off in the Summer and I pile it on in the Winter". We've already had almost 3" of rain this month and who knows when the rest of the Soybeans will get sowed, it's raining now.


 What a difference a little over an hour away can make.....we have only had 2/10ths an inch of rain this month and only right around 2 inches since the end of April. It seems like every time the rain is supposed to come all we get is a sprinkle and then I look at the radar and it's pouring to the east of us. Two days in a row this past week the rain missed us by just a couple miles to the east. You would think as dry as we are making hay would not be a problem but I never could cut since there has been a good chance of rain just every other day or so.


----------



## Hayman1

Oh, great, just listened to the weather on the news and 2-4" are forecast for our area this pm. Hayden, will you pay postage if I send you some of our rain?


----------



## Vol

FarmerCline said:


> What a difference a little over an hour away can make.....we have only had 2/10ths an inch of rain this month and only right around 2 inches since the end of April. It seems like every time the rain is supposed to come all we get is a sprinkle and then I look at the radar and it's pouring to the east of us. Two days in a row this past week the rain missed us by just a couple miles to the east. You would think as dry as we are making hay would not be a problem but I never could cut since there has been a good chance of rain just every other day or so.


Hayden, you have described my situation to a T here....yesterday we finally got .53 of rain....most that we have had in 24 hours in months. Been getting a little rain the last 2 weeks but its always been around a tenth of a inch so as hot and dry as it is, the very small amounts have not helped alot.....other than to keep me from finishing first cut....which I like very little....need to start on second alfalfa in alot of places.

Regards, Mike


----------



## Grateful11

FarmerCline said:


> What a difference a little over an hour away can make.....we have only had 2/10ths an inch of rain this month and only right around 2 inches since the end of April. It seems like every time the rain is supposed to come all we get is a sprinkle and then I look at the radar and it's pouring to the east of us. Two days in a row this past week the rain missed us by just a couple miles to the east. You would think as dry as we are making hay would not be a problem but I never could cut since there has been a good chance of rain just every other day or so.


Wow last month we had 5.65" and so far this month we've had 2.9". Needless to say it's down right swampy. My Uncle down in eastern NC farms 1500 acres and they also need rain. Seems like central NC just keeps getting hammered, been that way since last Summer. Wish out west could get a little rain.


----------



## FarmerCline

Hayman1 said:


> Oh, great, just listened to the weather on the news and 2-4" are forecast for our area this pm. Hayden, will you pay postage if I send you some of our rain?


 I will gladly pay postage, but only if the rain has a return policy.


----------



## Nitram

8350HiTech said:


> I wear mostly clothing that presidential pets have been named after.


Oh you wear FLIP FLOPS!! sorry late to the party.


----------



## haybaler101

Back to the topic, dropped 55 acres of 2nd cutting alfalfa today. Looks good thru Sunday, except for slight chance tonite. Hay is only 24 days but the opportunity was there. Get'r done!


----------



## Colby

First cut jiggs hay. Gonna be fun to bale 3-4 ton per acres


----------



## Orchard6

The ol' 14t thumped out 400 for me on the 30th of May. Earliest I've ever got done with first, crop was kinda light though.


----------



## FarmerCline

Orchard6 said:


> The ol' 14t thumped out 400 for me on the 30th of May. Earliest I've ever got done with first, crop was kinda light though.


 That looks like some mighty nice hay.....orchard grass?


----------



## mlappin

Dropped another 16 today, if it gets wet so be it. Planned on setting it back for cow hay anyways.

Still have another 80 acres to go after this, if the long term holds true maybe the freaking middle of July before i can get it done. Have 40 acres left on the sand, then the other forty is on the clay. Wet enough now that even our high pastures that are normally high and dry and prone to drought squish when you walk thru em.


----------



## Orchard6

FarmerCline said:


> That looks like some mighty nice hay.....orchard grass?


Yes sir it is! And thank you!


----------



## Maryland Ridge Farms

dropped 30 acres of alfalfa og mix yesterday way over ripe. Its go time! its 530 am and raining!


----------



## Hayman1

mlappin said:


> Dropped another 16 today, if it gets wet so be it. Planned on setting it back for cow hay anyways.
> 
> Still have another 80 acres to go after this, if the long term holds true maybe the freaking middle of July before i can get it done. Have 40 acres left on the sand, then the other forty is on the clay. Wet enough now that even our high pastures that are normally high and dry and prone to drought squish when you walk thru em.


yep, using a ztr to mow around the fences in paddocks and even that makes tracks in the mud. Second cutting is going to push first cutting before we are done I think.


----------



## JD3430

Just sold 20 tons today. He wants it delivered rain or shine. It's for cattle.


----------



## Fowllife

I dropped 2 fields last night, well kind of. The waist high clover was was lodged bad and real thick. It was a little more then my haybine could handle & I blew the reel drivel apart again. A buddy had to come bail me out & finish cutting.

There is rain in the forecast for Monday, so it will be iffy to get it dry before then. Every one has been saying they are taking an extra day at least to get their first cutting to dry & to plan on 4 days to dry down. Might get a light shower this morning so my 2 1/2 day window may not cut it. It's ok though, my cows don't mind pre washed hay......you can't bale if you never cut right?


----------



## FarmerCline

The 50% chance of rain today amounted to me watching it storm about 15 miles away....that's how it's been since April here....next two days supposed to be clear and then the next two days are 30% chances. I generally don't cut hay with a 30% chance on the baling day but this is the best window we have had forecasted in a while and I'm behind on cutting so I put 10 acres of oat hay on the ground this evening and if the weather don't change I'm going to cut 8 acres of timothy in the morning. Past three days were 80%, 60%, 50% chances of rain and we didn't get enough to settle the dust.....now that I cut hay it will probably rain.


----------



## somedevildawg

Of course it will Hayden......


----------



## Vol

Really nice looking oat hay Hayden.

Regards, Mike


----------



## FarmerCline

Vol said:


> Really nice looking oat hay Hayden.
> 
> Regards, Mike


 Thanks!


----------



## Bgriffin856

Mowed two rounds around a orchard grass field to chop just getting ready to chop and mother nature pisses on it. That was wedensday....its still laying out there. Supposed to be nice this weekend gonna mow more. Finish the bag and start the 12x35. The 14x45 is empty and if this weather pattern stays it might get filled also

Nice oat hay Farmer Cline! Thats about the same stage of growth we chop ours at


----------



## KFhunter

almost 20 acres under the tarps with all new to me equipment, tickled pink about it too.

new to me JD 347 baler with a high bale count but well maintained, was pretty leery but the price was right so I scooped it up. Didn't miss a single tie and really nice bales +/- 90lbs grass hay. The hydraulic tensioner wasn't working, found the little drive sprocket had all the ears chewed off and chain was just skipping so I took that all off and put on the springs. I'll rebuild the hydraulic pump and put it back on with a new chain and sprokets. The knotter luber was toast with a couple of hoses cracked and not squirting grease so I took a grease zerk and got all the knotters lubed up. I'll fix that up too or just replace it all with zerks - I don't do enough hay to warrant a lube system on the knotters.

NH swather did "ok" at least it didn't come apart on me. crimps were so/so and it pushed the grass down in some areas but again the price was right. It's a great start. came with several knife bars and lot's of guards and blades and parts. It'll get me by a while longer.


----------



## Maryland Ridge Farms

Ted Ted Ted Ted then Ted some more


----------



## Hayman1

FarmerCline said:


> The 50% chance of rain today amounted to me watching it storm about 15 miles away....that's how it's been since April here....next two days supposed to be clear and then the next two days are 30% chances. I generally don't cut hay with a 30% chance on the baling day but this is the best window we have had forecasted in a while and I'm behind on cutting so I put 10 acres of oat hay on the ground this evening and if the weather don't change I'm going to cut 8 acres of timothy in the morning. Past three days were 80%, 60%, 50% chances of rain and we didn't get enough to settle the dust.....now that I cut hay it will probably rain.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> image.jpg


good looking hay Hayden-I dropped some yesterday at 5 with a big line coming east from WV. Figured that the drier ground cutting was worth the risk-lodged badly in many places-made the 100hp whine at 5 mph. We had two days of good weather forecast with Monday being iffy. Did not get the squall last night, and now Monday is supposed to be hot and sunny so now 31/2 days to make so some times you just have to go with it. Even this late it is still in nice shape other than the stubble looks like the devil messed with it but that only lasts til second cutting. Had a bunch of wind caused shocks-hay twisted into shocks-been a tough spring hay season. Good luck on getting that made dry. Rick


----------



## Teslan

Got done with my 1st cutting yesterday evening. Although I maybe have some baling and swathing to do for my cousin.


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## swmnhay

I'm watching it rain again.Been raining every 2-3 days so haven't cut yet.Starting to bloom pretty good now so needs to be cut.


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## Colby

100 acres of first cut on the ground, 100 acres to go. Also have 75 acres of second cut ready now as well.


----------



## KFhunter

wish I had enough land I could quit my day job and just put up hay and run cattle, but without the day job I wouldn't be doing none of it so off to work I go.


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## Hayman1

Teslan said:


> Got done with my 1st cutting yesterday evening. Although I maybe have some baling and swathing to do for my cousin.


Teslan-looks nice-how many sqs you make for first cutting? Do you have any teff this year? our first cut teff should be ready in 10-14 days.


----------



## Teslan

Hayman1 said:


> Teslan-looks nice-how many sqs you make for first cutting? Do you have any teff this year? our first cut teff should be ready in 10-14 days.


I made about 700 3x3x8 bales for my own crop. Not sure how many I'll do custom. Had a guy call today about baling grass hay, but I don't know if I'll have time since I have alot of flood irrigation to do now. No teff this year. I like hay that I don't have to plant every year.


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## Rattler05.5

I got rain on my hay and turned what should have been amazing horse hay into mediocre hay. Should be dry enough to bale today. This is alfalfa grass mix.










How it looks this am.










Went to Sterling (Eastern CO) yesterday and the hay and wheat fields look amazing. This rain has been good for a lot of folks. Couldn't help but notice all of the hay that was on the ground prior to the storm that rolled through. Can't have your cake and eat it too....


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## Colby

Cutting some good coastal this afternoon on a 50 acre patch


----------



## SwingOak

Looks like there's no chance of cutting here until Saturday. 80-90% chance of rain and thunderstorms every day this week. I should have cut last week but was away for work. Grrr!!!


----------



## C & C Cattle and Hay

Colby said:


> Cutting some good coastal this afternoon on a 50 acre patch


Awesome pic!!


----------



## FarmerCline

Baled 600 bales of oat hay today....just now getting in from getting it all hauled and stacked in the barn.....been a long day. Was supposed to have 800 plus bales of nice timothy to put up tomorrow but now there is a 50% chance of rain tomorrow afternoon. Even if I get It baled before the rain there is no way I can get it out of the field that fast.


----------



## Hayman1

FarmerCline said:


> Baled 600 bales of oat hay today....just now getting in from getting it all hauled and stacked in the barn.....been a long day. Was supposed to have 800 plus bales of nice timothy to put up tomorrow but now there is a 50% chance of rain tomorrow afternoon. Even if I get It baled before the rain there is no way I can get it out of the field that fast.


got 629 bales in and under roof yesterday, like you said, a long day-did not fell very fatherly. Hate those 800 days on top of a 600 day when you are flying solo. Good luck on making the rest before the rain. 10 day for us has NO hay weather and the teff comes due in that 10 days.


----------



## Hayman1

Colby said:


> Cutting some good coastal this afternoon on a 50 acre patch


great picture, did not realize you guys cut when it is so short.


----------



## Vol

FarmerCline said:


> Baled 600 bales of oat hay today....just now getting in from getting it all hauled and stacked in the barn.....been a long day. Was supposed to have 800 plus bales of nice timothy to put up tomorrow but now there is a 50% chance of rain tomorrow afternoon. Even if I get It baled before the rain there is no way I can get it out of the field that fast.


I would just rake and bale what I felt I could safely manage.

Regards, Mike


----------



## Teslan

Rattler05.5 said:


> I got rain on my hay and turned what should have been amazing horse hay into mediocre hay. Should be dry enough to bale today. This is alfalfa grass mix.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> How it looks this am.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Went to Sterling (Eastern CO) yesterday and the hay and wheat fields look amazing. This rain has been good for a lot of folks. Couldn't help but notice all of the hay that was on the ground prior to the storm that rolled through. Can't have your cake and eat it too....


Looks good. One rain shouldn't hurt it that bad. It hasn't hurt my hay. Can't even tell it got rain.


----------



## ETXhayman

Finished our first cutting last week. Baled up about 500 bales. Most of our fields were on the thin side compared to what we would expect on our first cutting. Hit our two biggest meadows with a heavy dose of ammonia nitrate and got a timely rain soon after for a nice kick in growth. Wont be surprised if our second cutting yields more than our first cutting on those two meadows since we are finally getting some rain.

Have got another 500 bales of hay to get cut and get off the ground and deliver to fill our standing orders then its down to trying to get some hay saved up for our own cows!


----------



## Lostin55

Every feild that I have is down waiting on some wind and sun to cure it. Weather has gone around us twice so far. If I can just be that lucky tomorrow we might be baling on wed/ Thurs.


----------



## Colby

Hayman1 said:


> great picture, did not realize you guys cut when it is so short.


It's actually really as tall as it gets in this pic. It's laying down. If you pick it up it's between you're knees and thighs. Coastal isn't a very tall growing grass. Just gets average height and thick


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## Hayman1

Colby said:


> It's actually really as tall as it gets in this pic. It's laying down. If you pick it up it's between you're knees and thighs. Coastal isn't a very tall growing grass. Just gets average height and thick


yeah, I have too much experience this year in cutting 30+" grass that is 10" tall-lol


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## panhandle9400

It rained on 2 circles of alfalfa and 2 circles of triticale , atleast it finally rained !!!!!!!! Got done with bailing today. damn glad the 1st round is over................next cuttings will hopefully go in a barn somewhere, alfalfa is looking outstanding right now ...........................


----------



## Lewis Ranch

80 acre field on a 140 acre custom job.


----------



## ETXhayman

Lewis Ranch said:


> 80 acre field on a 140 acre custom job.


It's always nice to look back out on those big fields in the evenings when their baled up. It's one of the things that keeps me excited every year for hay season!


----------



## Dill

80 acres in one field? Don't see any of that around here. Too many darn trees in the way.

Just about done with silage bales. I've got one more field that I was planning on cutting, before swapping to horse hay and actual making money. This was how I got to spend my day today. Not bad.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Dill said:


> 80 acres in one field? Don't see any of that around here. Too many darn trees in the way.


Most of my fields close to the house average 15-20 acres, get 10 miles out all the way around and tract sizes start picking up quick.


----------



## Colby

All of our fields at home are 40-60 acres besides one being 100 acres but we cut it in 3 sections. Then we have 3 25 acre fields on lease places.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Bag done. 8x200 split in two due to pad lenghth. Started the 12x35 5 doors filled 8to go

60% chance of rain today.....nothing but sun....shoulda mowed more hay


----------



## Tim/South

I finally got to cut some nice Bahia yesterday, 15 acres. Will ted it when the dew leaves.

Our weather window has grown. I will probably start on a new 50 acre free lease today as well. Not much in that field but I need to get it cleaned up.


----------



## slowzuki

Rolled the front axle back under my mowing tractor, need to get it buttoned up asap.

Silage guys just getting moving now, everyone is very late. 5 years ago I had all my first cut in a week ago. We are doing 3000 of our squares as rounds this year, only better stuff getting square baled so maybe 7000 bales.


----------



## Colby

Tim/South said:


> I finally got to cut some nice Bahia yesterday, 15 acres. Will ted it when the dew leaves.
> Our weather window has grown. I will probably start on a new 50 acre free lease today as well. Not much in that field but I need to get it cleaned up.


Tim you mind showing us what good Bahia is? Here in Texas it's a weed in our hay meadows. Maybe it does better your way


----------



## hillside hay

Timothy fially getting there. Orchard and fescue are holding quality well just looking for a good window in the next two weeks and we'll hammer down.


----------



## Colby

Baled 50 4x6's of excellent coastal in two hours before dark. It was just 4 rounds around a patch.


----------



## FarmerCline

I managed to get my timothy baled and put up yesterday without it getting wet.....all 900 bales worth. This particular fields sits on top of quite a high hill and you have great views in all directions and on a clear day you can see some mountains that are on the NC/TN line. I could see the clouds rolling in from the west so I only baled 100 bales as I figured that is all I could get picked up.....by that time the storm had fizzled out and was looking clearer to the west so I baled about 50 more and I looked to the east and it was absolutely pouring about 2 miles away.....somehow the storm skipped over me and I didn't notice. If I didn't have hay on the ground it would have been really neat to watch it storm so close from that vantage point.....it was like a wall of water and you could actually see a cloud of mist being blown off the rain about half way between the cloud and the ground.....wish I had taken a picture. The hay had gotten really dry before the rain and was kind of like splintering but almost immediately after that rain that was so close the humidity rose and gave the hay some moisture which made it kind of soft but not too damp and the hay turned out near perfect and looks great in the bale. I feel very fortunate of how the weather turned out for me.


----------



## FarmerCline

Here is a couple pictures of the oat hay I baled Sunday when it was curing and while baling and of the timothy when cutting. Didn't get any of the timothy when baling yesterday.....to pushed for time.


----------



## Tim/South

Colby said:


> Tim you mind showing us what good Bahia is? Here in Texas it's a weed in our hay meadows. Maybe it does better your way


I should have taken pictures.

I use pastora every few years to keep the Bahia out of our Alicia Bermuda. Last week I drilled Tifton 9 Bahia into our grass pastures.

Bahia does not make the quality of hay Bermuda does. It will not produce the tons per acre Bermuda does. I believe it makes better pasture than Bermuda when mixed with Fescue.

The Bahia field I cut was once in Bermuda. The people cutting the hay would not feed the Bermuda and it got thin. Then Bahia took over. This is my third year leasing this field. Finally got the PH right and it does make a pretty hay field.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Picture of bahia field i cut this am, 350lbs acre of fertilize the first of may. Also some B-dahl i cut today.


----------



## Hayman1

FarmerCline said:


> I managed to get my timothy baled and put up yesterday without it getting wet.....all 900 bales worth. This particular fields sits on top of quite a high hill and you have great views in all directions and on a clear day you can see some mountains that are on the NC/TN line. I could see the clouds rolling in from the west so I only baled 100 bales as I figured that is all I could get picked up.....by that time the storm had fizzled out and was looking clearer to the west so I baled about 50 more and I looked to the east and it was absolutely pouring about 2 miles away.....somehow the storm skipped over me and I didn't notice. If I didn't have hay on the ground it would have been really neat to watch it storm so close from that vantage point.....it was like a wall of water and you could actually see a cloud of mist being blown off the rain about half way between the cloud and the ground.....wish I had taken a picture. The hay had gotten really dry before the rain and was kind of like splintering but almost immediately after that rain that was so close the humidity rose and gave the hay some moisture which made it kind of soft but not too damp and the hay turned out near perfect and looks great in the bale. I feel very fortunate of how the weather turned out for me.


You go boy!


----------



## Colby

I cut a Bahia field yesterday. Nothing but stems and a bunch of cuss words. I hate that grass.


----------



## Dill

I'm done with silage. Just unhooked the wrapper and put the tedder on the 265. Cutting for squares tomorrow, I got 5 calls before lunch looking to see when I was going bale horse hay.


----------



## DSLinc1017

Cut 15a last night, new it was going to rain that night. Tedded it out this afternoon under clear sunny skies. Then jumped In and cut a small 2 a field near the farm. Will lay down a few more tomorrow late AM. finally a good window of sun!! 
However this year I seem to be cutting later in the afternoon then it rains that evening... I think I'm just going to have to use it to my advantage....... "Come get your freshly washed hay". Washed early after cutting to make sure all the toxins are gone. Can I use "green". In my advertising? 

On another note, hade a nut fall out of the cam gear that triggers the needles on my 565 small baler. That was last week, The needles wanted to trip every cycle. Needles to say the shear bold did its job. Took me a while contiplating the strange math that goes into a knotter... finally saw the bent bolt sticking out on the back side of the cam.... Picked up a new bolt and lock nut. Problem solved!! Re checked the timing all is good!! Funny how a 47 cent part can screw up a perfectly fine afternoon of baling! Good thing my new round baler was ready to go... Disaster struck, followed by sence of ...... "See dear, it was a good thing we spent all that money on a round baler". Justification, Priceless.


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## Hayman1

DSLinc1017 said:


> Cut 15a last night, new it was going to rain that night. Tedded it out this afternoon under clear sunny skies. Then jumped In and cut a small 2 a field near the farm. Will lay down a few more tomorrow late AM. finally a good window of sun!!
> However this year I seem to be cutting later in the afternoon then it rains that evening... I think I'm just going to have to use it to my advantage....... "Come get your freshly washed hay". Washed early after cutting to make sure all the toxins are gone. Can I use "green". In my advertising?
> 
> On another note, hade a nut fall out of the cam gear that triggers the needles on my 565 small baler. That was last week, The needles wanted to trip every cycle. Needles to say the shear bold did its job. Took me a while contiplating the strange math that goes into a knotter... finally saw the bent bolt sticking out on the back side of the cam.... Picked up a new bolt and lock nut. Problem solved!! Re checked the timing all is good!! Funny how a 47 cent part can screw up a perfectly fine afternoon of baling! Good thing my new round baler was ready to go... Disaster struck, followed by sence of ...... "See dear, it was a good thing we spent all that money on a round baler". Justification, Priceless.


I hear you, reading from the same script. That is the only reason I bought a used rb


----------



## JD3430

Lost a carrier bearing on my NH prorotor rake today.

Making a horrible screeching sound.

Gotta get baled up, though. I hope it holds a few more acres.

500 round bales. Only 125 stored inside. 375 i wish I had cover for.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Mowing some every morning, not much since it rains every evening. Silo is now half full...the easy half now all its gonna do is settle. Always surprises me how much it takes to fill that little silo


----------



## Bgriffin856

I should mention we are adding silo king inoculate to the haylage going in the silo. Have been feeding right out of it as we go. Seems to be working usually it heats right up overnight hot like hot enough you feel it through your boots and can barely put your hand in it. But it is much cooler using silo king just like our dealer said it would. We'll see if improves milk production like its said to. Have to take into account the quality of forage going in is getting rather mature and isnt the best quality


----------



## Bgriffin856

FarmerCline said:


> I managed to get my timothy baled and put up yesterday without it getting wet.....all 900 bales worth. This particular fields sits on top of quite a high hill and you have great views in all directions and on a clear day you can see some mountains that are on the NC/TN line. I could see the clouds rolling in from the west so I only baled 100 bales as I figured that is all I could get picked up.....by that time the storm had fizzled out and was looking clearer to the west so I baled about 50 more and I looked to the east and it was absolutely pouring about 2 miles away.....somehow the storm skipped over me and I didn't notice. If I didn't have hay on the ground it would have been really neat to watch it storm so close from that vantage point.....it was like a wall of water and you could actually see a cloud of mist being blown off the rain about half way between the cloud and the ground.....wish I had taken a picture. The hay had gotten really dry before the rain and was kind of like splintering but almost immediately after that rain that was so close the humidity rose and gave the hay some moisture which made it kind of soft but not too damp and the hay turned out near perfect and looks great in the bale. I feel very fortunate of how the weather turned out for me.


Our farm is on top of a hill facing north and northwest into NY and some of PA. Always have been a weather fanatic. I love the scenery and watching the weather. It always has amazed me. Seems like if there are pop up storms they start just over us just as heavy clouds and it downpours a mile away. It can be sunny and we'll be baling hay off to the east it'll be a wall of black. Not sure if its cause its we stick up above everyone else that triggers them or the distance from lake erie of a number of factors. Maybe its luck


----------



## Lewis Ranch

DSLinc1017 said:


> Cut 15a last night, new it was going to rain that night. Tedded it out this afternoon under clear sunny skies. Then jumped In and cut a small 2 a field near the farm. Will lay down a few more tomorrow late AM. finally a good window of sun!!
> However this year I seem to be cutting later in the afternoon then it rains that evening... I think I'm just going to have to use it to my advantage....... "Come get your freshly washed hay". Washed early after cutting to make sure all the toxins are gone. Can I use "green". In my advertising?


I sell it as "pre-washed". Sad part is some people actually believe its a step.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Lewis Ranch said:


> I sell it as "pre-washed". Sad part is some people actually believe its a step.


Horsey people?


----------



## C & C Cattle and Hay

Some of our Bahia


----------



## shortrow

8350HiTech said:


> About 2100 small squares made and reasonable per acre yield. Few thousand more to go but the hay isn't too old. Definitely enjoying having the AC charged in my baler tractor and also my new toy, my new-to-me dual rotary rake. But why did the radio in the raking tractor quit?!?!


Probably a fuse.  You're spoiled.


----------



## somedevildawg

Finally got a break in weather to get a few bales of Bermuda baled and out the door.......not nearly enuf, it's already history, some pics.....

As you can see in the background, we don't hurt for cell reception on our farm.....


----------



## Colby

75 4x6 bales and 83 5x5 coastal bales baled up yesterday on a 50 acre patch.


----------



## Vol

somedevildawg said:


> Finally got a break in weather to get a few bales of Bermuda baled and out the door.......not nearly enuf, it's already history, some pics.....
> 
> As you can see in the background, we don't hurt for cell reception on our farm.....


Howse that Green telehandler working out for you.....didn't you get that last year?


----------



## HALLSHAY

A microburst a few hours before it was time to bale. What a mess!





  








wind




__
HALLSHAY


__
Jun 20, 2014


----------



## somedevildawg

Vol said:


> Howse that Green telehandler working out for you.....didn't you get that last year?


HAH, yea, it was that god awful sunbelt green.....fixed her up and painted, really nice for our operation.....great visibility, small enuf to drive into vans, powerful enuf to load vans from the outside and push bundles in, and can stack four high....win/win (and I got less than 16k in it) 
We used it during the late winter to load with, infinitely better than a tractor equipped FEL, the 6420 with IVT is nice for loader work but visibility is awful....wish the tele had a ivt  and air, while ima wishin.....


----------



## Lewis Ranch

somedevildawg said:


> HAH, yea, it was that god awful sunbelt green.....fixed her up and painted, really nice for our operation.....great visibility, small enuf to drive into vans, powerful enuf to load vans from the outside and push bundles in, and can stack four high....win/win (and I got less than 16k in it)
> We used it during the late winter to load with, infinitely better than a tractor equipped FEL, the 6420 with IVT is nice for loader work but visibility is awful....wish the tele had a ivt  and air, while ima wishin.....


 I'd love to have one of those here!


----------



## somedevildawg

HALLSHAY said:


> A microburst a few hours before it was time to bale. What a mess!


From a Birdseye view, it looks like one of those old games you had to start with your pencil and "find" your way through the openings to the center, without liftin the pencil of course....

Do you just re-rake or scatter and re-rake or .....

A mess for sure, at least its not of your makin,


----------



## mlappin

I haven't cut any in over a week. Wasn't supposed to have a window over the weekend. Was supposed to be raining by noon Father's day, not a drop, also nothing till Monday night. Might have missed the only window for the next week and a half. 

Forecast had strong chances of rain those days but never materialized. To top it all off, our town festival was this last weekend, will be the first time in 5 or 6 years it wasn't washed out or blown away. With the forecast and the festival figured it was going to rain cats and dogs, but not a drop.


----------



## somedevildawg

Lewis Ranch said:


> I'd love to have one of those here!


The only thing that's crap about these or skids, NO suspension......that's why we rarely use it in the field, this happens to be right next to the barn on a very smooth field, very handy though


----------



## Maryland Ridge Farms

the quack weathermen have all called for rain! I missed a 4 day window! I give up gonna mow 20 acres today


----------



## swmnhay

Maryland Ridge Farms said:


> the quack weathermen have all called for rain! I missed a 4 day window! I give up gonna mow 20 acres today


And we all still listen to the weatherman


----------



## mlappin

swmnhay said:


> And we all still listen to the weatherman


So far here this year, the slightest mention of the "r" word and it gets wet.


----------



## SVFHAY

somedevildawg said:


> The only thing that's crap about these or skids, NO suspension......that's why we rarely use it in the field, this happens to be right next to the barn on a very smooth field, very handy though


I'll make ya a deal since I feel bad for ya. I'll give ya what ya got in the thing and the phone number of a dealer with a brand new blue one w air. All ya have to do when ya get it home is squirt a little paint on it and roll in comfort!


----------



## SVFHAY

HALLSHAY said:


> A microburst a few hours before it was time to bale. What a mess!


Dang cameras everywhere these days. Not safe to jump out and take a leak with any sense of privacy!


----------



## mlappin

Maryland Ridge Farms said:


> the quack weathermen have all called for rain! I missed a 4 day window! I give up gonna mow 20 acres today


That's hard to miss that big a window, I feel for you.

The window I missed started on a Thursday, mowed after lunch after getting rain the night before and a little that morning. Tedded Friday morning and again Saturday morning, was raking by 2, baling by 4. Got a third of em picked up that night and started early Father's Day and got the rest home, then waited on the rain that showed up a day and a half late. Of course they didn't change the forecast till noon Sunday so too late to mow anymore. I should have dropped the rest of that farm Friday morning then moved everything to town for the next window.

Several times Sunday it sure felt like rain was coming, but it never materialized, Monday was mostly cloudy till about 11am. What they did was drop the chanc of rain from 60% Sunday and 70% Monday down to 20% on both days. Did absolutely pore Monday afternoon about 4 or 5.


----------



## HALLSHAY

SVFHAY said:


> Dang cameras everywhere these days. Not safe to jump out and take a leak with any sense of privacy!


Don't worry, no super zoom to see extremely small objects.


----------



## SVFHAY

Man did I walk into that one! Ouch!


----------



## SwingOak

SVFHAY said:


> Man did I walk into that one! Ouch!


You sure did!


----------



## hillside hay

well that sucks broke my tedder! oh well guess Messicks got tired of me spendin all my monet at Cazenovia.


----------



## Maryland Ridge Farms

Cut 20 acres pulled the mower in the shed...... rained 2/10s


----------



## Hayman1

hillside hay said:


> well that sucks broke my tedder! oh well guess Messicks got tired of me spendin all my monet at Cazenovia.


you know moma messicks gonna get you!


----------



## Hayman1

Maryland Ridge Farms said:


> Cut 20 acres pulled the mower in the shed...... rained 2/10s


Why? cut when or just before it rains, ground drier so you don't tear it up as much and ted the next day. Works fairly well.


----------



## crhay

Finally got a start earlier this week! a lousy 30 acres lol! But its a start, weather has been very tough and discouraging. But it is a good feeling when bales are on the ground!!


----------



## DSLinc1017

crhay said:


> Finally got a start earlier this week! a lousy 30 acres lol! But its a start, weather has been very tough and discouraging. But it is a good feeling when bales are on the ground!!


What's your location crhay? 
Better feeling when those bales are in the barn! 

Nice rig by the way, how has the Claas worked out for you? They seem to be getting a good foot hold in our valley here in Vermont.


----------



## crhay

Thanks, SE Indiana. The Claas has been ok now that I have the bugs worked out of it. Its a few years old, Big balers are not very common in my area so I wanted to start out with a cheaper baler to see if I have a market for them. So far I've had good luck selling big bales, so hope to upgrade in the years to come on a newer one. It will be ether a Claas or Krone. Yeah, the best feeling is bales in the barn or on a trailer being sold!!


----------



## Lewis Ranch

What tractor are you running it on?


----------



## Hayman1

Orchard grass, or at least volunteer native orchard is so fired off now that you can cut and reseed at the same time and then have your hay double rinsed to remove any dust. Wow, what a deal and only requires one equipment pass. Looks like we have a short window to dry out hay through tues and a great window next weekend with sunny and high 90s for 3 days. Time to cut teff it that forecast holds.


----------



## JD3430

Woke up to unforecasted rain this morning.


----------



## swmnhay

They forcasted rain here for last night and it didn't rain. They have rain forcasted for tonight again.

Who the hell is "They" and why do we listen to them LOL.


----------



## Teslan

swmnhay said:


> They forcasted rain here for last night and it didn't rain. They have rain forcasted for tonight again.
> 
> Who the hell is "They" and why do we listen to them LOL.


I think farmers take the weather forecast more serious then just about anyone else. For most people weather can be a minor inconvenience. But for farmers it can mean everything.


----------



## DSLinc1017

Just finished 50+ rounds and 150 smalls on 5 fields.... Will finish off another 10 acres tomorrow befor a 5pm flight for Wisconsin on business. Used first response for the first time. Seemes to have went well, only time will tell. It sure does gel up quick. As soon as your done you have to rinse the system out. Left the round baler sit with it in it while I did some smalls. A few hours sitting and wham, clogged tips. 
Does Hay Guard do that?


----------



## JD3430

DSLinc1017 said:


> Just finished 50+ rounds and 150 smalls on 5 fields.... Will finish off another 10 acres tomorrow befor a 5pm flight for Wisconsin on business. Used first response for the first time. Seemes to have went well, only time will tell. It sure does gel up quick. As soon as your done you have to rinse the system out. Left the round baler sit with it in it while I did some smalls. A few hours sitting and wham, clogged tips.
> Does Hay Guard do that?


Crop saver doesn't. It just smells terrible. Lol


----------



## carcajou

Colby said:


> 75 4x6 bales and 83 5x5 coastal bales baled up yesterday on a 50 acre patch.


Hey Colby I gotta ask. Do you have an auto shutoff installed on your rake when you stop to wrap?


----------



## crmarrott

I've put down 40 acres grass 20 actress alfalfa and speed all but 15 ton I proceed the hay a little low but was unsure where to start on price the 3x3 big grass sold at 80 per bale and went in one day the alfalfa I priced at 90$ it has not sold as fast which had really amazed me both were good quality horse hay what are people in the West us selling at.


----------



## crmarrott

I've put down 40 acres grass 20 acres alfalfa and sold all but 15 ton I priced the hay a little low but was unsure where to start on price the 3x3 big grass sold at 80 per bale and went in one day the alfalfa I priced at 90$ it has not sold as fast which had really amazed me both were good quality horse hay what are people in the West us selling at.


----------



## carcajou

2 weeks to go till we start cutting, you guys are making me jealous.


----------



## Vol

carcajou said:


> 2 weeks to go till we start cutting, you guys are making me jealous.


Holy smokes Ray.....first cut in July.

Regards, Mike


----------



## Colby

carcajou said:


> Hey Colby I gotta ask. Do you have an auto shutoff installed on your rake when you stop to wrap?


Ya we turn the rakes off to get enough pressure for a faster gate cycle time if that's what you're asking. Everything on the baler and rake is ran off of one remote on the tractor with a monitor in the cab for basket speed, windrow width, left and right wing width, turn rake basket on and off, and baler open and closed and pickup up or down.


----------



## deadmoose

Hoping to get mine in this week. As of yet hope isn't the greatest plan. Equipment is ready to go. Hay is ready to be cut. I am on vaca from the j o b this week. Right now still too wet with rain in the forecast.


----------



## OhioHay

Looks like we will be making lots of first cutting in July. 425 acres to go and not much more than a two day window in the current ten day forecast. Timothy is holding on well. Orchard starting to have a brown cast. Cool weather is helping slow maturity. Haven't even got to try out new to me big square yet. Had to fill round bale orders with the 90 acres we have got baled.


----------



## hillside hay

Tedder all fixed. Turns out I already had the new parts on hand so just have to replenish the spot on the shelf. I may just redesign that part of the machine should it fail again.


----------



## Vol

I wish all you fellas better climatic conditions and trouble free machinery. Hope you can get your hay up right away. What you fellas are going thru is what I had to endure last year.....I refused to let my hay get wet so I did not cut until over mature.....but come winter, my hay was in great demand and what was my toughest year harvesting in 35 years turned out to be my best year financially selling hay. You just never know....but with all the rain you fellas are enduring, it will carry some weight if you can tell your clients that, yes, I did have to harvest the hay past prime, BUT....it never got wet.

Regards, Mike


----------



## OhioHay

Thanks Mike,
We sell mostly to horses and ripe is better than rained on. A lot of folks have lost patience and have wrapped hay or gotten it wet. Hoping that makes for a good horse hay price. 
Tim


----------



## Hayman1

Mike- I agree that it is preferable to not have the hay get wet, but this year (it seems like for most of us) one has to balance the available windows with not having all your hay on the ground for a predicted good window only to have the weatherman blow the forecast. Looking forward we have little good windows here well into mid to late July. So, most of my hay (all of which is sold for horses to repeat customers) was made without getting wet but not all. I had hay washed yesterday but when I tedded it this morning, it was just as fresh and green as when I cut it. I think the trick is to manage the rain impact with a tedder and shoot for the best situation you can get. Rick


----------



## FarmerCline

This hay season has been just as aggravating and difficult as last year for me.....from mid may to last week it was good chances of rain every day but we never got much of any of it but I wasn't going to cut hay when there was 50% chance or better.....I did chance some 40% days and was able to get some hay put up though. I had 17 acres of oat hay that got rained on and I must have not let it dry back out enough before baling as it got hot and turned moldy in the barn.....I knew the hay was borderline but I really thought it would keep and with the forecasted 80% chance of rain the next day I decided to bale it.....first hay I have ever put up wet.....now I have to figure out what the heck I'm going to do with all that spoiled hay and I need it out of the barn to make room for good hay. The 80% rain never happened. It was dry enough that I have had soybeans in the ground over 2 weeks and now after the rain a few days ago they are starting to germinate but it looks like I'm going to have a poor stand. To top it all off the oat hay yielded about half what I figured for and orchard/fescue bout a third less than I figured.....the timothy is the only thing that has yielded well. Been a tough and discouraging year to say the least. I still have some timothy and new seeding orchard/MaxQ fescue to cut and the weather looks dismal.


----------



## somedevildawg

I sold my junk moldy hay to road department, $2.25 a bale....delivered, took a beating but got it out of the barn....


----------



## FarmerCline

somedevildawg said:


> I sold my junk moldy hay to road department, $2.25 a bale....delivered, took a beating but got it out of the barn....


 I will have to check on that but normally here they prefer straw and with wheat harvest in full swing there is not going to be a shortage of it.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Same here with the weather. Forcasted rain for today and monday so we only cut three loads for haylage friday. Saturday they changed it to nice monday rain tuesday. Kicking ourselves for not mowing some to dry. Had three beautiful sunny days with breeze and low humidity. Perfect drying conditions. Chopped four loads today and put in the silo today. Two more for tomorrow and it'll be done. Mowed a four acre paddock gonna try out the new baler and make bedding out of it.

The Timothy that we are planning on drying is rather heavy and thick and in the boot stage and will take four days to dry atleast. The rest is average mix of grasses that should dry quick. Still have new seeding of clover grass yet that is lodged badly it'll take awhile to dry it. Second crop that we chopped from is coming along great. Still have 30


----------



## Bgriffin856

Chopping timothy tall fescue mix


----------



## Lostin55

My hay has been down anywhere from a week and a half to two weeks tomorrow, and it just rained again. Every time we get it ready to go and wait for dew to set, it rains again. You win some and you lose some I guess. Now if I can just get it off the feild.


----------



## ETXhayman

Lostin55 said:


> My hay has been down anywhere from a week and a half to two weeks tomorrow, and it just rained again. Every time we get it ready to go and wait for dew to set, it rains again. You win some and you lose some I guess. Now if I can just get it off the feild.


I admire your patience. I would have gotten frustrated and raked it up into windrows and burned it all. I can't imagine it has retained much of its original nutritive value.


----------



## Liberty1

I have my first cutting of round rolls (90) done and already sold them. I would love to get 3 cuttings this year but I'm being told not to waste my time with fertilizing. ???? My alfalfa is cut for the second time and a buyer is hitting me up. I have 220 bales.


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## Lostin55

ETX Hayman, it isnt terrible yet. The value is getting worse by the day though. We have had very poor drying conditions, low humidity and very little breeze. Frequent showers are just enough to set us back another day or two. We have only had one bad rain, and it will still make good cow hay/grinder hay. Of course my horses will eat it too, more than likely no one elses though.


----------



## mlappin

DSLinc1017 said:


> Just finished 50+ rounds and 150 smalls on 5 fields.... Will finish off another 10 acres tomorrow befor a 5pm flight for Wisconsin on business. Used first response for the first time. Seemes to have went well, only time will tell. It sure does gel up quick. As soon as your done you have to rinse the system out. Left the round baler sit with it in it while I did some smalls. A few hours sitting and wham, clogged tips.
> Does Hay Guard do that?


Nope, I leave my Hayguard in the applicator all summer. Just can't let it freeze or it crystalizes.


----------



## mlappin

Vol said:


> I wish all you fellas better climatic conditions and trouble free machinery. Hope you can get your hay up right away. What you fellas are going thru is what I had to endure last year.....I refused to let my hay get wet so I did not cut until over mature.....but come winter, my hay was in great demand and what was my toughest year harvesting in 35 years turned out to be my best year financially selling hay. You just never know....but with all the rain you fellas are enduring, it will carry some weight if you can tell your clients that, yes, I did have to harvest the hay past prime, BUT....it never got wet.
> 
> Regards, Mike


I've seen that over and over here, folks much prefer mature hay to rained on hay.


----------



## mlappin

Rain this Am, rain this afternoon, rain tomorrow. Might have a small window towards middle/end of the week, but everything is saturated now, even the sand. Have had another 2 1/4 inches since Friday.


----------



## Colby

Had a 30% chance of rain today and hay ready to be baled. Now it's a 70% chance. Time to start baling till it starts raining. 
Blew out a brand new back tire on the case this morning, idiot had a culvert sticking 4 feet off the road and buried in grass and not marked. Now we can't find a tire. Go figure. 
Oh and caught the 567 on fire Friday. Shoulda just burnt the junk down. 
Good ole hay season huh. 
Let it rain.


----------



## deadmoose

How bad did the JD burn? Sounds like a couple of rough days in TX.


----------



## Colby

300 bucks in parts. 2 bearings and a chain. Caught the chain luber on fire but at least we don't use it.


----------



## swmnhay

Just checked to see if I could cut today,3" of water standing in low spots.Chest high meadow brome/alfalfa and some annual rye throwed in also.

3.5 ton acre.  

Now just to get it cut and baled..


----------



## deadmoose

I thought that's what your ark was for. I was hoping to copy your design if it worked out. How much land is sitting idle this year there? Here within a 5 mile radius I would guess well over half. Further south more sand. Maybe more like 75% in some places.


----------



## swmnhay

Everything got planted here.But now I would say 5% at least is drowned out.Have a hay customer lost 20% of his corn acres to flooding.The prevented plant acres start about 90 miles north of me.We got everything in well before it got wet here.


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## mlappin

I've seen ground just in the next county the other night that still isn't planted. They had it all disced and finished and just started planting it looks like when the latest rains hit, what ain't covered by water is soup anyways.


----------



## SwingOak

I cut a small section of clover on Sunday - 50% chance of showers Sunday night and tonight. That clover has now been double rinsed. It is supposed to rain every day except for one in the 10 day forecast, and I'm wondering if I'll ever get my hay cut!


----------



## Maryland Ridge Farms

We got a tenth last night, forcast is for about .75 today. Going to cut 35 acres of fescue[cow hay] and hopefully hit a window wed thurs and get it up Rain chances every day but it depends on which weather you look at as far as the chances. Got to start gambling on the weather!!


----------



## hillside hay

Baled the first 300 yesterday. Just enough to get everything limbered up. One small 1/3 acre section of old barnyard yielded 4tpa! Rest of the maintenance area was about 11/4 tpa.


----------



## IHCman

Still haven't started haying up here. Alfalfa is just starting to bloom but it rains almost every day. A lot of the fields I've drove through with the atv have standing water underneath. Its gonna make for another real fun haying season again as it was this wet last year too. Our usual start date is around June 20 to 25 with the bulk of our haying in July and August but I think I'll be lucky to even be started by the 1st of July.


----------



## Teslan

It seems everywhere is getting rain, rain and more rain. Had 1/2 inch last night and more likely today. Glad my hay for 1st cutting is done. I might not have to irrigate 2nd cutting more then 2 times (normal is 5 times). All this rain also means lower hay prices.  Until people figure out there isn't much non prewashed hay around.


----------



## Josh in WNY

Teslan said:


> It seems everywhere is getting rain, rain and more rain. Had 1/2 inch last night and more likely today. Glad my hay for 1st cutting is done. I might not have to irrigate 2nd cutting more then 2 times (normal is 5 times). All this rain also means lower hay prices.  Until people figure out there isn't much non prewashed hay around.


It could mean higher prices if you have non-rained on hay. Also, with the rain in our area, a lot of guys are chopping their first cutting and yields seem to be down overall... might be a shortage of good hay later in the year.


----------



## Hayman1

beat the odds yesterday with 32 rolls of really nice hay considering it was overmature early orchard grass mixed with fescue and bluegrass-still fairly green underneath. Worked myself to death on the tedder for three passes but it is in the barn and not wet or hot. Have a few windrows to finish today that were too wet and the weather this am is still really nice despite the forecasts for today for the last 10 days. Looks like the great window over the weekend promised by the weatherman (or woman) has collapsed into the same old, same old, cloudy, high humitity, periods of sun and showers with possiblity of fog in the am. Where is our hot dry summer?


----------



## HALLSHAY

A few pics of 1st mix





  








1st orchard Alfalfa 14




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HALLSHAY


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Jun 24, 2014











  








IMG 2642




__
HALLSHAY


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Jun 24, 2014











  








IMG 2652




__
HALLSHAY


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Jun 24, 2014


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## Shetland Sheepdog

HALLSHAY said:


> A few pics of 1st mix


4'x4'x8'?
1500 # ?


----------



## OhioHay

If not being able to get hay baled wasn't bad enough, last night we lost several acres of corn to flash floods in the river bottoms. To add insult to injury, some of it we side dressed yesterday!


----------



## Teslan

Shetland Sheepdog said:


> 4'x4'x8'?
> 1500 # ?


They should weigh about 1700 lbs.


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## somedevildawg

OhioHay said:


> If not being able to get hay baled wasn't bad enough, last night we lost several acres of corn to flash floods in the river bottoms. To add insult to injury, some of it we side dressed yesterday!


Damn it man.....


----------



## Colby

Everything up and running today. Hay was dry enough to bale today from the 1" yesterday. Made 10 baled then it rained a few more tenths lol

It's rainin in Texas y'all!


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## HALLSHAY

4x4x8 These were 1750-1800.


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## Vol

OhioHay said:


> If not being able to get hay baled wasn't bad enough, last night we lost several acres of corn to flash floods in the river bottoms. To add insult to injury, some of it we side dressed yesterday!


I hate that for you Ohiohay....that is really tough. Maybe you will be fortunate enough to make up for your losses before fall with someother aspect of your operation. Hang in there.

Regards, Mike


----------



## SwingOak

I got lucky tonight and after having my crappy clover test cut get washed two nights in a row, a major thunderstorm barely missed us, right after I finished raking it.

In other news, three large equipment dealers report there are no 2 or 4 basket rotary tedders available, and manufacturers are out of stock as well. Apparently the rainy wet weather this summer has made tedders very popular in the upper midwest...


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## mlappin

OhioHay said:


> If not being able to get hay baled wasn't bad enough, last night we lost several acres of corn to flash floods in the river bottoms. To add insult to injury, some of it we side dressed yesterday!


LOL, too wet to even start side dressing here. I have a few spots that won't get planted again, figured after replanting twice god don't want a crop there this year.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Baled 35 small squares off part of a paddock. Layed it wide and cut it at six inches when mowed plus it was light to begin with and it was still damp and tough when we baled it. No sure how the horsey neighbor mowed one day and baled the next. Maybe it is his new idea cut-ditioner.

Might lay some down tomorrow if the forcast holds. Looks like we wont get a long weather window till july









First dry hay of the season


----------



## Bgriffin856

OhioHay said:


> If not being able to get hay baled wasn't bad enough, last night we lost several acres of corn to flash floods in the river bottoms. To add insult to injury, some of it we side dressed yesterday!


I see you guys got a big storm tuesday. We have been fortunate to have missed most of the big storms. We were dry till tonight. Have to check ro see how much we got overnight. May start plowing to get our summer annual in and some oats and seeding in. 20 acres of annual and 30 of oats and new seeding....way behind. Atleast we arent like the bto dairys who ar stilll planting corn. If the humid warm weather keeps up we will have knee high corn by the fourth of july.


----------



## endrow

finish the first cutting started the second cutting on the same day


----------



## endrow

Now barley


----------



## Nitram

Okay Teslan about to get the disc&baler out and regreased! Brome is ready + IF no rain tonight may lay down 30 acre field Sat with next call Tues night. Temps areto be in the ninety's I am itching to be itching


----------



## FarmerCline

Here we were bone dry up until 10 days ago and since then it has rained almost every day. The rest of the oat hay has turned to straw.....some kind of leaf rust made it turn brown before the grain matured so It won't be worth combining.....I guess I will mow it for straw but it doesn't have good color so I will have to probaly discount it to be able to sell it. The rest of the timothy just finished full bloom so it is still okay but is getting awfully mature fast. Was supposed to have a 3 day window starting tomorrow but now Friday is 50% chance of rain. I only have 3,000 bales of good hay in the barn.

The soybeans I planted towards the first part of June I have a spotty stand due to lack of soil moisture.....thinking I may need to replant. The soybeans I planted last week after we got the first rain are coming up good and it looks like I'm going to have a good stand. I still have more beans to plant but I have to get this hay and straw made before I can......and soybeans need to be planted by the Fourth of July here.


----------



## haybaler101

Sprayed first of 3rd cut for leafhoppers. Got 85 acres of 2nd cut that is a week overdue and weatherman keeps 40 to 80% chances everyday for next week. Problem is, not really getting much rain though, 0.7" last Friday and 0.5" yesterday. Just humid and can't dry hay. Corn loves it though, should start pollination early next week!


----------



## mlappin

I'm gonna have some second ready shortly, probably before I can finish first at this rate.


----------



## Hayman1

Dropped the last of first cutting tonight-rb hay, over mature but good and green underneath and makes up nice in a roll. Showered on it just as I finished but no wetness under the trees on the road so it wasn't that much. If we can avoid a heavy rain tonight we get low humidity and wind for two days and only about 30-40 chances on sat and sund so I am counting on making good rolls. Have lots of second that I could cut but it is still growing, not a sign of firing off at the bottom so might as well let it rip since the weather is so bad. Have teff ready but no weather for that and 15 ac of mixed grass that looks like second cut that I topped in april and May, then fertilized. Most people here haven't made a serious dent in first cutting, just too much risk with no really good windows. Those people holding out on first cutting for good weather aren't going to get it for at least 2 more weeks per all forecasts and by then, they might as well wait for the understory to grow up and cut second cutting as first.


----------



## deadmoose

Seen some alfalfa on the ground that I think I saw two weeks ago. Very well washed by now. Reminds me of my first cut last year. I am hoping I learned my leaaon. Still waiting for some sunshine without rain.


----------



## shortrow

I've got a joke for y'all. Made this up myself. How do you save a drowning weatherman? ..........................Take your foot off of his head.


----------



## deadmoose

They have been spot on all year here. Started out cold. Now that it has warmed up its wet.


----------



## shortrow

deadmoose said:


> They have been spot on all year here. Started out cold. Now that it has warmed up its wet.


Not here.


----------



## Hayman1

if I had listened to the weatherman, I would have about 400 squares in the barn instead of 3K made and sold.


----------



## Colby

You look down when making hay, not up.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Yeah if it were me running the show we would be almost done with first cutting. But no the old man likes to listen to the weather man. Then wonders why im p!ssed off all the time......


----------



## mlappin

Bgriffin856 said:


> Yeah if it were me running the show we would be almost done with first cutting. But no the old man likes to listen to the weather man. Then wonders why im p!ssed off all the time......


Here if I had listened to father I wouldn't have made a single bale yet that wouldn't have been washed several times. When the local paper, Accuweather, and the NWS all say rain, it's going to rain. This year especially, even 20% chances are getting everything good and soaked.

Your Dad has most likely dealt with a similar year before....

About time you start ignoring the forecast is when you start getting crap hay.

I did the same last year, mowed as it was just a 30% chance of some stray showers that night, then clear enough after that to get it baled. Stray showers that night were frog drowners that left water standing all over the field, then it rained for the next two weeks. Finally baled that field thru 6 inches of regrowth.


----------



## somedevildawg

Easy boys....theys a reason why theys ya elders


----------



## JD3430

I don't think I'll ever bale hay before June 15 again. 
My fields won't dry enough until about mid June. Seems like the ground holds moisture all spring. 
Crop saver is expensive and even though the hay is preserved, it seems awfully tough when its baled before its ready.

What's better to do, preserved hay baled up early or dry more mature hay? I know the later is cheaper to produce!


----------



## hillside hay

We only have one local weatherman who still gives an ag-centered forecast. Other than Mick I have to go to about 4-5 different websites pull together all the pieces of information and make my own forecast. So far its been working well. I also have been using the shoutbox as a good tool to see whats coming my way and the actual strength of the front.


----------



## mlappin

JD3430 said:


> I don't think I'll ever bale hay before June 15 again.
> My fields won't dry enough until about mid June. Seems like the ground holds moisture all spring.
> Crop saver is expensive and even though the hay is preserved, it seems awfully tough when its baled before its ready.
> 
> What's better to do, preserved hay baled up early or dry more mature hay? I know the later is cheaper to produce!


Well technically it is still "tough".

A along as it can breath where you have it stored it will continue to dry down in storage. I've stored 25% hay and have it test at 15% when hauled to the auctions in February.


----------



## endrow

the second cutting is looking good


----------



## foz682

Got 135 4x4 rounds made over the last few days. Weather has been really frustrating, we're about 2-3 weeks late this year because of the rain. There was a short window a couple of weeks ago, but we were waiting on a bearing.

Pouring rain right now and tomorrow looks like it's going to be the same, suppose to turn around on the weekend and be nice all next week though.


----------



## dubltrubl

As of Monday we've completed our 1st cut. Averaged a little over 2 T/ac which was surprising given our late winter. We're actually running 4-6 weeks behind our normal schedule, but then again, mother nature has been a bit tougher than normal on us this past 6 months. We had to dodge the weather a lot this year, but have been very blessed not get anything rained on that was layed down. 

Regards,

Steve


----------



## Hayman1

endrow said:


> the second cutting is looking good


looks like your green genie is about ready for some new shoes


----------



## endrow

Hayman1 said:


> looks like your green genie is about ready for some new shoes


Yes it is


----------



## Tim/South

Looks like we will begin cutting again Monday. Should finish first cutting next week, several small 10 acre fields.

If yields continue to be poor then I will be 85 rolls short of normal first cutting.

I have not been able to get fertilizer out on the fields we cut last week, too much rain. Regrowth for second cutting looks good. Just need to feed the grass and get as much yield as we can and try to catch up on numbers.


----------



## Bgriffin856

mlappin said:


> Here if I had listened to father I wouldn't have made a single bale yet that wouldn't have been washed several times. When the local paper, Accuweather, and the NWS all say rain, it's going to rain. This year especially, even 20% chances are getting everything good and soaked.
> 
> Your Dad has most likely dealt with a similar year before....
> 
> About time you start ignoring the forecast is when you start getting crap hay.
> 
> I did the same last year, mowed as it was just a 30% chance of some stray showers that night
> , then clear enough after that to get it baled. Stray showers that night were frog drowners that left water standing all over the field, then it rained for the next two weeks. Finally baled that field thru 6 inches of regrowth.


Lost 30+ 4x5's last year first in a long while to get rained on. Woulda been baled but......not going there

It is frustating when you get a weather window and we have so much that needs done but were sitting on our thumbs while everyone else in the neighborhood is going full throttle getting done.


----------



## endrow

spreading fertilizer on the last of the first cutting


----------



## endrow

Corn loves the weather when is difficult to make dry hay


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

endrow said:


> Yes it is


Run on pavement much?


----------



## slowzuki

Dropped about 1700 bales worth today. Tedded this afternoon. Neighbour asked me to pull out a tandem crane truck stuck to its axles on his lawn. That didn't work out, had to wait for a very large magnum to come from another farm.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Slight Rain for the last week here, had 45 acres down that has been rained on the last 5 days. Mowed down about 45 acres this am and will lay down 50 tomorrow morning. I'm glad some of y'all are getting good haying weather, we are dry dry dry. Rain hasn't amounted to much just enough to slow you down around these parts.


----------



## Dill

Well I took the tedder out for the first time today. I've got 170 silage bales stacked up, and its time for square bales and some money. It just occured to me that last year I wasn't able to start squares until mid July and was doing 1st crop into the last week of august. Looks like I should be done with 1st by mid july if the weather keeps holding like it is now. We could use some more rain, but I"ll take these Canadian highs, low humidity and highs in the mid 70s.


----------



## Colby

Finally got the stuff I cut last Friday baled today. Been rained on every day this week. 
Gotta spray 50 acres in the morning for grass hoppers then cut 30 acres before the hoppers eat it up any worse


----------



## SwingOak

One of my neighbors cut his hay yesterday. It was not supposed to rain until late tonight, but this morning by 5am it was raining hard. Luckily I only have a very tiny amount cut and not baled.

Of course, tonight I had to pull the ram out of my baler (long story) and have to go pick up some hardware in the morning to pt it all back together. 90% chance of heavy thunderstorms on Sunday, so it looks like the earliest I will be able to have a chance of making dry hay is if I cut Monday night. If I'm lucky I will get 4 days of 10% rain probability. Fingers are crossed...


----------



## barnrope

Got 25 acres of 1st cutting getting washed right now. Have 100 acres first cutting alfalfa yet to drop. Normally I like to be done with 1st cutting by about June 1st. This year it'll be done after July 1st. Gotta get after some second cutting now too.


----------



## stack em up

Hate to say it barnrope, but I'm glad I'm not the only one with that problem. What I did get cut and chopped hasn't come back for crap.


----------



## mlappin

Same boat here, 40 acres left to make on the sand, then just may go back and start over on the first 25 I mowed while the clay is drying out some.

Just barely dry enough to rototill the garden today and it even has tile under it. Hayfields have to be wetter as the garden doesn't have 3 foot of rank first cutting blocking sunlight.


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

mlappin said:


> Same boat here, 40 acres left to make on the sand, then just may go back and start over on the first 25 I mowed while the clay is drying out some.


That's the way I've always done it! When 2nd crop is ready I go after it whether 1st crop is done or not!


----------



## slowzuki

Hot and sunny here today but high humidity. Hard time drying much. Weird wet spots in fields, I'm thinking some old clay tile I don't know about has failed in the last few wet wet years.


----------



## hillside hay

Set some kind of speed drying record yesterday and today. Everything is about a third less on yield but I got dutch and crimson up in two days. Stem moisture 16% on the clover I pulled out and tested. Brome and timothy are ready early on second day orchard by the end of the day. I never thought I'd see the day where I needed dew to put up legumes!


----------



## SwingOak

Got my old baler back together today - sharpened the knife on plunger and knives on the knotters. Found some other screwy stuff while I had the plunger out and fixed it. Let's just say whoever had this critter in the last 50 years should not be fixing their own equipment. Also found the twine tensioner had grooves worn so deeply in the plates that there was almost no tension on the twine with it cranked down all the way. I fill welded the grooves, ground them smooth and it's like having a brand new twine tensioner (it even got a fresh coat of red paint).

I made 10 really nice, tight, consistent bales with the tiny amount I had down so I'm ready to roll. Finally made some hay I'd feed our horses, so that's pretty cool. Now I just would like the weather to cooperate!


----------



## endrow

delivering straw to a customer


----------



## endrow

Ready is the weather?


----------



## covenanthay

Had rain 7 of the last 10 days and still 40 acres of first to do. If I could cut without rutting and dry in the rain, I would be in great shape.


----------



## SwingOak

Sold off my first hay of the season. It wasn't much, but it's a start. Finally looking like some good weather for haying this week. I'm itching to get out there and start cutting but it's supposed to rain all day tomorrow. I'm definitely going to ask Santa for a tedder this Christmas...


----------



## Teslan

All done now with my own and custom 1st cutting. 2 weeks or so from 2nd cutting alfalfa. I guess I have a little 7 acre field of new seeding grass hay that is drying, but that will make so little it doesn't even count.


----------



## slowzuki

Great day today, started at 12:30 raking, started baling at 3 pm, by 6 pm had 950 bales in the barn. Pretty good considering they go up conveyors to mows or in the back of odd sheds and we were only running one baler instead of 2.

180 went home with a customer, finished so early we went with him and helped put it in his mow.

There is 500 bales laying outside for tomorrow, nice easy day. All being delivered to customers. May cut another 500 bales to fill a customers barn, after that we have to send all of it up into our big old dairy barn.

Will tinker with the round baler wiring tomorrow to see what is wrong with the tie cycle.


----------



## Bgriffin856

People here were baling yesterday and today. Dont ask me how they would have been mowing in rain and dragging through mud even then its been so humid i dont know how it would have dried. Looks like our window may start as early as wednesday till tuesday.

Corn is knee high already and was planted first weekend in June. Time to spray

Amish neighbor has corn almost waist high but is very spotty some is only ankle high. Planted in the cold and wet in the first of May. His oats are almost knee high and fully headed kinda yellow looking....ours are still in the bag...


----------



## Bgriffin856

slowzuki said:


> Hot and sunny here today but high humidity. Hard time drying much. Weird wet spots in fields, I'm thinking some old clay tile I don't know about has failed in the last few wet wet years.


Same here. Finding wet holes that i never remember being in odd places


----------



## Bags

Well--- if we don't get some rain up here pretty soon, it wont be worth pull'in the baler out of the shed this season. Constant wind blow'in is sucking the moisture right outta the ground. Horses are kick'in up dust just walking across the pasture.

The Crown Royal Orchard grass Cy sent this spring is doing pretty well considering the dry conditions, but I know it would be doing better if it had a drink.


----------



## Colby

Cutting the last of the first cut! 25 acres of a jiggs, tifton, coastal, common and Bahia. Pretty good crop


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## mlappin

slowzuki said:


> Hot and sunny here today but high humidity. Hard time drying much. Weird wet spots in fields, I'm thinking some old clay tile I don't know about has failed in the last few wet wet years.


Wouldn't surprise me, over the winter we had the tiles on 25 acres of muck just quit. It was heavily tiled as well as the guy that did it was raising mint on it, installed sock tile which nobody does anymore as the sock seals up and it quits working after awhile...


----------



## Hayman1

Now we got some flippin hay weather, not thanks to the weatherman who totally blew the forecast for the last 3-4 days. Got tired of the rain that wasn't and cut 8 rounds on a 14 ac field of first cut that is like second- clipped it twice to take off the seed heads of mixed bluegrass, orchardgrass and fescue. beautiful stuff and about 90% dry in 24 hrs. Don't even care if we get a shower tonight-it will be fine. But at least it is finally hot enough to have a chance to play dodgeball between showers.


----------



## Lostin55

The neighbors have banded together and are running in a herd. Everyone has bad hay on the ground. So far 4 balers, one large square and three inline smalls, and a big V rake. They are going to bale up my place tomorrow. The alfalfa has been on the ground 3 weeks. It is bad. Just have to get it off before 2nd cut gets screwed up. I am out of state and someone is running my equipment in the mix too. I think that I trust them........The guy running the show I trust for sure. That is what neighbors do in bad times I guess. I have volunteered to help when I get home next week. Hopefully we can get everyone taken care of and the hay off of the fields.

This is a first for me, but desperate times call for desperate measures I guess. Too bad we don't have mushroom hay buyers.....


----------



## deadmoose

I finally started cutting today. Lots of hay cut today around here. It was slow going but it's a start. Didn't get going til after 7 with sickle machine so not too much cut yet. On the bright side I think this is the first time I figured out how not to break a shear bolt. Slow and steady.


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## endrow

Another good day for 2nd cutting hay was dry . weatherman here said 10to 20% chance glad we cut I know it wont work every time


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## slowzuki

Ended up getting 555 bales in today, same story, was early so we went along with the hay to the customers and put it in their mow, again up a conveyor and hand bombed into the back of a loft. I'm not sure why but even brand new horse barns here don't build at grade hay storage.

Before baling I cut 400 ish for tomorrow, would have dropped 1000 but the weather man keeps changing his mind.

RE the tile, found part of my answer, discbine clipped some tile that must have got spun up in the ruts last year. Its sopping wet but plugged full. Guess I know what I'll be doing once a firmer lease is in place on the ground.

Just for giggles I ran some timing, some of you know RodinNS on ytmag, he runs a JD327 and has bad bad luck with it when pushed hard. Without pushing the JD348 I filled the basket 3 times, 310 bale approx. in exactly an hour all by myself.

After that I unhooked the basket and put the chute back on to load a rack. 1.5 hours+ to put 269 bales on the rack. The ground was rough and didn't want anyone to get hurt, there were 3 people on the rack.


----------



## dirtball08

Finally got started on 1st cut. Put down 63 ac today with the new machine. Pretty big learning curve going from center pivot to sp. Have to say, should have got a self-propeled yrs ago. Way easier on a person than a pull-type. Love'n the massey so far.


----------



## Josh in WNY

Well I finally have something to post here! Dad mowed the first bit of our hay last Thursday and between Saturday and Sunday we got all of it put up. Only about 480 bales, but that included a breakdown in the new-to-me JD 348 that we picked up in the spring auction. The baler ran great once we got it adjusted to make the bales we wanted (had to shorten them down a little and play around with the tension). The breakdown happened when my dad took out the 2nd shear bolt in 6 bales. After a little looking around we found that the brake "disc" for the knotter brake had broken the weld to the needle frame and we letting the safety catch stop the plunger. A little welding and everything was fixed.

The stacker wagon ran OK but I am having problems with it not wanting to let the load rack slide all the way to the back. It gets to the last couple of tiers and really starts to stick. I don't know if it is just a little rusty from setting all winter or if there are actually some worn parts in there to replace. I'm going to lube the rollers up with some graphite spray and see what happens.

Got another weather window coming the end of this week and my dad is getting anxious to get the hay done since he heads back to Florida in a couple weeks. I guess I'm getting anxious too, since I don't want to be finishing 1st cutting in August like last year.


----------



## endrow

he was done with his second cutting


----------



## Teslan

dirtball08 said:


> Finally got started on 1st cut. Put down 63 ac today with the new machine. Pretty big learning curve going from center pivot to sp. Have to say, should have got a self-propeled yrs ago. Way easier on a person than a pull-type. Love'n the massey so far.


I think anyone would say the same thing. I don't think I would enjoy a PT. I've never run one in my life. How is it a learning curve? I think I would face a much larger one if I had to go to a PT.


----------



## Hayman1

Made 316 premo bales off 8 rounds on my "clipped" field-clip in april and May, then fertilize. Have not figured out what the approximate acreage is but it is really nice hay, no weeds at all. Need to start on second-looks like we have a window starting thursday night when the hurricane goes by.


----------



## SwingOak

endrow said:


> he was done with his second cutting


Nice barn! Love those stone barns...


----------



## barnrope

endrow said:


> he was done with his second cutting


How does he handle his bales? How big of team does it take to pull that Krone?


----------



## mlappin

Mowed 20 acres today, flat as a pancake. Last 5 or 6 rounds I could only mow south to north. So tall the rolls would grab the stuff before the blades could cut it and about killed the tractor a few times. That and even tipped all the way it was leaving a lot.

Gonna mow another 20 tomorrow, maybe another 18 after that if the forecast holds.


----------



## Dill

We've got 1800 bales up in the last 2 afternoons, nice heavy 1st cut, which puts us 3 weeks ahead of last year. Got another 800 for tomorrow and then more to mow on friday. All on the same farm, it fun custom work, all we have to do is fill wagons and hook up an empty. The farm handles unloading and even shuttles empty wagons down to us.

This year we can really race balers since we are both baling with 5500s, but we've found the Deere 328 and my 8530 are pretty well matched.


----------



## mlappin

Oh yah, taking the skid steer with grapple to a hayfield in the morning to clear up the mess form the derecho that came thru. Clea nup four big trees then mow the last few passes along that fencerow.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Window opening up thursday-monday or tuesday. Did some scouting and have found lots of lodged timothy. Gonna be loads of fun......shouldnt have spread manure so heavy


----------



## Bgriffin856

Got the haymow ready, cleaned up loose hay and chaff and small squares etc. Room for 60 4x5's and 2000 small squares and the bank barn section has room for 50-60 4x5's have hay from 2011-2013



















The rest will be stored outside


----------



## dirtball08

Teslan said:


> I think anyone would say the same thing. I don't think I would enjoy a PT. I've never run one in my life. How is it a learning curve? I think I would face a much larger one if I had to go to a PT.


Everything is now in front instead of behind you. Setting up str stiffness and response. Setting up control panel. Figuring out what everything means on screen. Other than that, cutting hay is cutting hay.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Baled till midnight trying to get everything up before rain that is supposed to be on the way. Pic of the bluestem when I cut it, a little thin but only it's third year.


----------



## somedevildawg

Lewis Ranch said:


> Baled till midnight trying to get everything up before rain that is supposed to be on the way. Pic of the bluestem when I cut it, a little thin but only it's third year.


Damn if Jim! Even after 3 years it's thin? For crying out loud.....how many years does it need to fully mature....not sure I could stand to plant any of that....that's the delimma I face in planting PP, takes two years and perhaps a lil more....


----------



## Bags

Well--- we finally got some moisture up here. Last night at 2145 we got 10 minutes of golf ball (No--- Obomba didn't show up to play.lol) size hail. It sounded like a freight train come'in up the drive before it hit. I'll be going out to check the damage in a bit.


----------



## Teslan

Bags said:


> Well--- we finally got some moisture up here. Last night at 2145 we got 10 minutes of golf ball (No--- Obomba didn't show up to play.lol) size hail. It sounded like a freight train come'in up the drive before it hit. I'll be going out to check the damage in a bit.


I hope it didn't hurt things to bad. I didn't know there was any moisture in Colorado yesterday. Just a nice cool 75 degree day.


----------



## Josh in WNY

Glad my father didn't get the urge to mow yesterday even though it was beautiful weather. Last night about 11pm the thunder started rumbling and 15 minute later the rain showed up. There was 1.5 inches in the rain gauge this morning!

Sorry to hear about your hail, Bags. Hopefully nothing got damaged.


----------



## mlappin

My phone has been ringing off the hook.

Can you come mow my hay my haybine won't cut it, can you come ted my hay I broke my tedder, can you come bale my hay, my baler won't handle the big rows.

No, I have plenty of my own to mow and yours is rougher than a cob.

No, don't break your tedder, I have plenty of my own to do.

No, you rake too soon with a bar rake and I'm tired of unplugging my pickup and it's too rough anyways, stay off your fields when their wet.

I hate to be an ass about it, but some of these people need to realize if your going to make hay, you can't cheap out on equipment and expect me to save your butt when I'm already a month behind.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

somedevildawg said:


> Damn if Jim! Even after 3 years it's thin? For crying out loud.....how many years does it need to fully mature....not sure I could stand to plant any of that....that's the delimma I face in planting PP, takes two years and perhaps a lil more....


It should be pretty thick by the 3rd year but it has been dry dry, this field has seen less than an inch of rain during it's growing season this year.


----------



## 8350HiTech

mlappin said:


> My phone has been ringing off the hook.
> 
> Can you come mow my hay my haybine won't cut it, can you come ted my hay I broke my tedder, can you come bale my hay, my baler won't handle the big rows.
> 
> No, I have plenty of my own to mow and yours is rougher than a cob.
> 
> No, don't break your tedder, I have plenty of my own to do.
> 
> No, you rake too soon with a bar rake and I'm tired of unplugging my pickup and it's too rough anyways, stay off your fields when their wet.
> 
> I hate to be an ass about it, but some of these people need to realize if your going to make hay, you can't cheap out on equipment and expect me to save your butt when I'm already a month behind.


Last Saturday afternoon the one neighbor calls. They have two of everything and keep buying more but I hear "can you do some custom tedding?" I ask if their tedders are broken. Nope. "We mowed more than we can ted"

It's pushing Saturday night and I have plans. 
I don't care how good the weather is you shouldn't get ahead of yourself without thinking ahead. 
If you won't work on Sunday, you should have seen this coming.

I told them I was waiting on some tedder parts and let them down easy.


----------



## Teslan

I got a call a week ago from a neighbor that farms a lot of acreage and has 2 4x4 balers. He wanted me to bale some grass hay with my 3x3 (I think anyways. Maybe he thought we were still doing smalls squares). I was already committed to my own hay and my cousins. I was wondering if he really thought he could make more money by paying me to bale his grass hay with my 3x3 then just doing it with his own balers. He ended up baling it himself.


----------



## slowzuki

How can one mow more than you can ted? A tedder takes less than half the time mowing does...


----------



## Bgriffin856

Spread a load of manure today on one of our wetter fields that we chopped. Had water running off the tires. Ground is pretty soft not sure how the hay is gonna dry


----------



## Bgriffin856

slowzuki said:


> How can one mow more than you can ted? A tedder takes less than half the time mowing does...


Some people have disorganized priorities


----------



## JD3430

My barns area led with stemmy first cut. Not a great situation. Need to make room for (hopefully) better 2nd cut. Nobody seems to want first cutting.


----------



## Teslan

JD3430 said:


> My barns area led with stemmy first cut. Not a great situation. Need to make room for (hopefully) better 2nd cut. Nobody seems to want first cutting.


Somewhat having the same problem here. Lots of hay out here for sale.


----------



## Vol

JD3430 said:


> My barns area led with stemmy first cut. Not a great situation. Need to make room for (hopefully) better 2nd cut. Nobody seems to want first cutting.


Keep that first cut until the first of the year when most folks who sell are sold out....then the buyers will be glad to get it if priced fairly.

Regards, Mike


----------



## 8350HiTech

slowzuki said:


> How can one mow more than you can ted? A tedder takes less than half the time mowing does...


By having two operators running two 10' discbines until too late in the afternoon (miles apart) and then wondering why one didn't stop soon enough to start tedding. They're not the brightest.


----------



## endrow

8350HiTech said:


> Last Saturday afternoon the one neighbor calls. They have two of everything and keep buying more but I hear "can you do some custom tedding?" I ask if their tedders are broken. Nope. "We mowed more than we can ted"
> 
> It's pushing Saturday night and I have plans.
> I don't care how good the weather is you shouldn't get ahead of yourself without thinking ahead.
> If you won't work on Sunday, you should have seen this coming.
> 
> I told them I was waiting on some tedder parts and let them down easy.


Been there and done that!


----------



## AndyL

Just enough rain on my parade to shut it down.


----------



## Nitram

35 down in 5 hours son drove disc bine for the first time bout 7of it did a nice job must a been he had a fantastic teacher....lol.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Nitram said:


> 35 down in 5 hours son drove disc bine for the first time bout 7of it did a nice job must a been he had a fantastic teacher....lol.


I have come to learn that kids learn by watching. Thats how i learned most of what i know. Then once i started doing more on my own i got better at it. Now my teacher gets mad cause im better than my teacher....


----------



## mlappin

slowzuki said:


> How can one mow more than you can ted? A tedder takes less than half the time mowing does...


Beats me, even with my old two basket i could still ted more than i could mow with a haybine. Bought the six basket and can still easily ted twice as much in a day than i can mow with the discbine.


----------



## mlappin

ARGH!!!! Got home and checked messages, the silly girl that I told and the wife told I wouldn't have time to bale her hay saturday went ahead and mowed anyways. I mowed twenty yesterday, another 40 today, the last field I mowed was barely dry enough to be on. I plan on leaving it sit till Sunday. She thought I'd have time anyways so she mowed. I went to school with her brothers, I may just have to leave her hang this time as it isn't the first time she's pulled this happy crap on me.

I also have a 50th wedding anniversary party for my aunt and uncle to attend Saturday, I have a aunt and uncle I haven't seen in years that will be there. Anniversary party is a priority, her hay isn't.


----------



## barnrope

Independence Day looks kinda busy. I will be done with haying in time to see the fireworks! As does Saturday. 25th class reunion which will likely be held without me. Ah well maybe I can make it to my 50th if I'm not busy hay'n!


----------



## OhioHay

Arrrrgh...mowed 50 acres yesterday on a good forecast. Got a half inch of rain last night. Now today called mostly cloudy today with a chance of rain. This hay season is starting to get old


----------



## JD3430

Vol said:


> Keep that first cut until the first of the year when most folks who sell are sold out....then the buyers will be glad to get it if priced fairly.
> 
> Regards, Mike


Yeah I know, but I don't have indoor storage room for the good stuff.


----------



## endrow

first time in awhile no Hay laying so I hauled some to auction. WORKED out got some private loads. One auctionhad the highest dollar load that is per ton with round bales


----------



## Teslan

endrow said:


> first time in awhile no Hay laying so I hauled some to auction. WORKED out got some private loads. One auctionhad the highest dollar load that is per ton with round bales


I've never seen that many guys wearing those kinds of hats in the same place. Everyone here just wears baseball caps or cowboy hats.


----------



## 8350HiTech

Teslan said:


> I've never seen that many guys wearing those kinds of hats in the same place. Everyone here just wears baseball caps or cowboy hats.


You should see pictures from the PA auctions during the winter!


----------



## mlappin

Teslan said:


> I've never seen that many guys wearing those kinds of hats in the same place. Everyone here just wears baseball caps or cowboy hats.


That picture looked pretty normal for our hay sales except we'd have even more of those hats.


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

Looks like most every one of them hats had "expenders" below 'em!


----------



## endrow

they are all very good farmers too.You just can't have a better hay customer than these guys. many of them milk cows and farm with horses and their farms are not large enough to produce all they need so they buy a lot of hay


----------



## PaMike

What sale is that? Not NH, Wolgemuth or green dragon.


----------



## endrow

they bring produce to the same auctionn with horse drawn wagons. it is a very nice setting


----------



## FarmerCline

Teslan said:


> I've never seen that many guys wearing those kinds of hats in the same place. Everyone here just wears baseball caps or cowboy hats.


 I can't say I recall ever seeing anyone around here wear hats like that either. Around here myself included most everyone baseball caps with a few people that wear cowboy hats.


----------



## mlappin

endrow said:


> they are all very good farmers too.You just can't have a better hay customer than these guys. many of them milk cows and farm with horses and their farms are not large enough to produce all they need so they buy a lot of hay


Yup, and I've never ever had a check from an amishman bounce.


----------



## PaMike

The thing I like about selling hay to amish/Mennonites is most of them are farmers or have a farm background so they know how hard it can be to make horse hay. You sell them a load of horse hay and there is one moldy bale. They figure it was the edge of the field and they feed it to the heifers. You sell that same load to a horsey person and you will get a call about that one partial moldy/dusty bale.


----------



## DSLinc1017

Wow! I guess the weather has been good here in Vermont, been out making great hay for the past few weeks. Finally sat down and I had a lot of reading to do on this topic! 
I have the last 10 aces of first to lay down, 5 is in a wet area that is pretty thin, the other is the land owners are having a wedding and they wanted a the field uncut for pictures..... Some times the sacrifices we make Only have had one sets back with a Tedder tire blowing out, scared the pants off me. Thought some one had taken a shot at me. Never imagined that noise coming from a Tedder.. The sealed bearings froze up. Yet another excuse to get a 6 basket!! 
Been using first response, so far it seemes to be working both on the smalls and rounds. Still futzing with application rates. 
A note to self on rounds, if you intend to bale rounds, rake for rounds! Not for small squares. Made a few cones while day dreaming.....
Cheers to y'all,
Michael


----------



## Colby

2.7" of rain last night! Should have one hell of a second cut in 2 weeks


----------



## slowzuki

Predicting 5-6" of rain tonight in a span of 4 hours. They have predicted rain the last 3 days so we didn't cut but it has been beautiful drying conditions. Could have got another 4000 bales in.


----------



## endrow

slowzuki said:


> Predicting 5-6" of rain tonight in a span of 4 hours. They have predicted rain the last 3 days so we didn't cut but it has been beautiful drying conditions. Could have got another 4000 bales in.


I know what you mean we did not cut any for this one .We had something laying for the last month and a half at all times. We gave in to the weatherman and lost 3 days as well. But mowing on the 4th of July that's for sure.


----------



## JD3430

endrow said:


> first time in awhile no Hay laying so I hauled some to auction. WORKED out got some private loads. One auctionhad the highest dollar load that is per ton with round bales


So you just SHOW UP with a trailer full of hay and stand next to the trailer and wait for an offer? 
Or is there a registration of some kind?


----------



## mlappin

JD3430 said:


> So you just SHOW UP with a trailer full of hay and stand next to the trailer and wait for an offer?
> Or is there a registration of some kind?


Here you take your weigh slip in to the girls in the office, they write your name down, and the weight, THEN you just stand around until the auctioneer gets to your load. You can sell or if you don't like the price no sell.


----------



## mlappin

Stupid weather though, sure wish this window had shown up a little sooner.

Missing the parade today, the wife's carrying the flag this year for the ladies auxiliary. She's been offered the honor before but this is the first year it hasn't been too hot for her or windy enough that a good gust would have her and the flag in the next county.

Hopefully somebody we know gets a good picture, her Dad would be tickled pink.

Considering it's July 4th the first cutting here doesn't really look that bad now it's raked up, probably our crazy low soil temps right into May held it back some. Orchard grass is headed out and I had seed everywhere but most of the seed stalk is still pretty green.


----------



## mlappin

Oh yah, forgot to mention when I went by the American Legion this AM on the way to ted hay, the hog they're cooking smelled fabulous.

Stupid weather.


----------



## endrow

mlappin said:


> Here you take your weigh slip in to the girls in the office, they write your name down, and the weight, THEN you just stand around until the auctioneer gets to your load. You can sell or if you don't like the price no sell.


yup same way in Lancaster Countymost places they want the tickets signed by a weighmaster and you don't want to sell by the Bale .not sure what you have the past history has told me there is no market for bales that have sat outside and have seen rain


----------



## 8350HiTech

endrow said:


> yup same way in Lancaster Countymost places they want the tickets signed by a weighmaster and you don't want to sell by the Bale .not sure what you have the past history has told me there is no market for bales that have sat outside and have seen rain


Move west a little to Shippensburg and they don't care about weighmasters, don't care about outdoor storage, don't seem to care even when loads are labeled dusty. 
They DO care if they know you.


----------



## endrow

Yeah the weighmaster thing I have to wonder. They people cheating on the scale slipssome of the auctions think certified tickets mean guys can't cheat But most places when you get there with the loadthe guy at the scale says what is your empty weightand he just punch is that in signed the slip and you're on your way the action . SOME people always ruin it by not being honest


----------



## haybaler101

Baled up 200 3x3's of second cut alfalfa in 4 hours this afternoon off of 60 acres. In case anyone is keeping score, that is about 3200 idiot bricks!


----------



## SwingOak

Mowing today and had three breakdowns. Ah, the joy of using old, old equipment... Hopefully I will have time this winter to go through it all nose to tail and rebuild everything.


----------



## foz682

slowzuki said:


> Predicting 5-6" of rain tonight in a span of 4 hours. They have predicted rain the last 3 days so we didn't cut but it has been beautiful drying conditions. Could have got another 4000 bales in.


Same here, they've been calling for rain starting Wednesday and been pushing it off one day at a time since then. We could've been done first cut this week if we had taken our chances.

Even now it looks like "Arthur" is going to just graze us, other than a little wind.


----------



## Nitram

Broke down and no one to get parts from maybe tomorrow if can get broken bolt out Cy ready for that wore out SM 605


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Rain yesterday, will be cutting my sudan tomorrow. Checked on my beans I planted to bale and they are waist high. Surprised me as I just drilled them in plowed pasture and let them be.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Mowed 6 acres of orchardgrass/brome mix and 6+ acres of orchard fescue and weeds mix. On the dead and light side. Only stuff on dry ground that'll dry in three days. The rest is standing on mud and is thick lodged and heavy gonna need 4-5 days to dry it. Sick of 2014


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## Bgriffin856

endrow said:


> first time in awhile no Hay laying so I hauled some to auction. WORKED out got some private loads. One auctionhad the highest dollar load that is per ton with round bales


Those are the civilized ones


----------



## Bgriffin856

Picture does no justice. Taken from one of our most recently leased farm over looking the valley.










The farm is about 50acres only 6 or so is decent for hay rest is weeds. Had plans to get it put into production but mother nature had to piss on that too


----------



## hillside hay

Cut ten acres of timothy ograss and brome mix. Barbequed for the family then back out to cut a few more before the airshow and fireworks.


----------



## mlappin

8350HiTech said:


> Move west a little to Shippensburg and they don't care about weighmasters, don't care about outdoor storage, don't seem to care even when loads are labeled dusty.
> They DO care if they know you.


We have one like that in the area, until you get a good rep their, doesn't how nice a stuff you haul in, you ain't gonna get the bids. Rarely if ever goto that one, it's a pretty long drive in a car.


----------



## slowzuki

Arthur has left us with about 3.5" so far and no power. Tree blew down on my mothers donkey shed so chainsawed that enough to get them in out of the rain. Watching the radar there is a swath of 1.5" per hour coming that will last about 2-3 hours. Gonna tinker with the old honda generator I think. Don't dare open the shop doors in this wind to bring equipment in to work on it.



foz682 said:


> Same here, they've been calling for rain starting Wednesday and been pushing it off one day at a time since then. We could've been done first cut this week if we had taken our chances.
> 
> Even now it looks like "Arthur" is going to just graze us, other than a little wind.


----------



## Colby

Game camera caught a cool pic of the storms rolling in the other night


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## mlappin

WOW, I left this am and tedded 20 acres of hay, then went and raked another 20 for when I get back from the anniversary party, I didn't get two steps in the back door and the wife comes storming up and told me "you will NOT bale that woman's hay". Not sure what happened while I was gone and not gonna ask. I'm guessing maybe that woman tried to do an end run around me and called the wife and tried talking her into getting me to bale the hay.

The wife is pissed for sure which is unusual. Tammy's rather quiet and very likable to the point she sometimes lets people take advantage of her. But, her grandmother on her dads side was a true red head with some cherokee some where else in the family, on her maternal side her grandmother and mom are both redheads with some Irish somewhere. All I can say is I'm glad the wife ain't pissed at me.


----------



## Hayman1

foz682 said:


> Same here, they've been calling for rain starting Wednesday and been pushing it off one day at a time since then. We could've been done first cut this week if we had taken our chances.
> 
> Even now it looks like "Arthur" is going to just graze us, other than a little wind.


I don't know about up north, but here when a hurricane passes by, it sucks everything with it for multiple days. Arthur went by on the 2nd, blew all day on the third and I cut as much as I can do myself, hay up today and tomorrow. Beautiful stuff. So be patient, your days should come.


----------



## Nitram

Balers fixed went to finish the two acre paddock still tough weedy but the Brome in their is dry as dirt hot and windy guess try tomorrow...need to move to next 17 miles away rain called for Tues & Thur


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

Marty,

I sure would be interested in hearing the rest of that story!  

Just be patient, Tammy will fill you in directly!  :lol:

Dave


----------



## mlappin

Oh I don't know, if she don't bring it up I sure ain't. I have a rather strong sense of self preservation.


----------



## SwingOak

Baled the outside of a field I started cutting on Wednesday night. I have some tweaking to do on the old s68, making some bananas because they hay isn't getting pushed far enough into the chamber. I''ve got uneven twine tension too. But hay I've 70 more bales in the barn tonight than I had this morning!


----------



## C & C Cattle and Hay

275 more 4x5s rolled up all sold. Now gotta haul them! I am now about 1/3 of the way done with 1st cut!!


----------



## Teslan

SwingOak said:


> Baled the outside of a field I started cutting on Wednesday night. I have some tweaking to do on the old s68, making some bananas because they hay isn't getting pushed far enough into the chamber. I''ve got uneven twine tension too. But hay I've 70 more bales in the barn tonight than I had this morning!


Looks like good hay. I really like the picture. Caught the the light of the day just right for that picture.


----------



## SwingOak

Teslan said:


> Looks like good hay. I really like the picture. Caught the the light of the day just right for that picture.


This part of the field is pretty good, it's mostly orchard, timothy, and bluegrass with only a little red clover so it dried down really well.

And thanks - glad you like the photo. I'm also a semi-professional landscape photographer, and for a while there collecting photo apps on my iPhone was kind of a thing. Some of them are pretty useful too, because the best type of camera is the one you have with you. Even if it's got a lens covered in hay dust so the photo is a little out of focus...


----------



## barnrope

SwingOak said:


> This part of the field is pretty good, it's mostly orchard, timothy, and bluegrass with only a little red clover so it dried down really well.
> 
> And thanks - glad you like the photo. I'm also a semi-professional landscape photographer, and for a while there collecting photo apps on my iPhone was kind of a thing. Some of them are pretty useful too, because the best type of camera is the one you have with you. Even if it's got a lens covered in hay dust so the photo is a little out of focus...


That's a beautiful picture and your Super 68 looks like it has really fine paint for its age. What year was it made?

Why do you stack the bales on your rack on edge?


----------



## swmnhay

Nitram said:


> Broke down and no one to get parts from maybe tomorrow if can get broken bolt out Cy ready for that wore out SM 605


I might sell it this winter and get a new one,not sure yet.


----------



## rjmoses

July 5th--1st cutting finally done, finished, stored and drank to! Spent the holiday baling and moving to storage. 59 acres done this week, 242 5x5 bales, by myself and my cousin (he's 74).

Minor casualties: 4 bolts on tedder, 2 hydraulic hoses on rake, only 1 bale in the pond (that's a record!), one pair of blue jeans, 150 gallons of diesel, truck transmission maybe, two six packs and a 1/2 bottle of scotch.

Time to start second cutting. But it only has a week to grow!

Ralph


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## JD3430

Hopefully, I can start hauling the less than spectacular hay to the mushroom house this week. Found one still taking round bales. My previous buyer paid a lot more for round bales. Not a great situation.

I think I'm going to take a gamble and sell him all my remaining first cutting he will take, even if its decent. 
I have a lot of calls for 2nd cutting. Need to make room for "the good stuff". Gotta get plastic and stone down on barn floor and get prepared for winter.


----------



## haybaler101

2nd cut all done. Over 1.5 tpa on a new seeding from last fall that I thought looked terrible in April. Start cutting 3rd as soon as rain chances pass on Tuesday. Hoping for some measurable rain!


----------



## Teslan

JD3430 said:


> Hopefully, I can start hauling the less than spectacular hay to the mushroom house this week. Found one still taking round bales. My previous buyer paid a lot more for round bales. Not a great situation.
> 
> I think I'm going to take a gamble and sell him all my remaining first cutting he will take, even if its decent.
> I have a lot of calls for 2nd cutting. Need to make room for "the good stuff". Gotta get plastic and stone down on barn floor and get prepared for winter.


Are your mushroom farms stopping taking round bales now? Or just not taking anymore hay?


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## SwingOak

barnrope said:


> That's a beautiful picture and your Super 68 looks like it has really fine paint for its age. What year was it made?
> 
> Why do you stack the bales on your rack on edge?


From what I understand the s68 was made from 1958-1960. The dealer said it was so old the serial # wasn't in his computer. I'm guessing it's closer to '58 than '60.

I put the bales on edge because I can fit one more bale across the width of the wagon. It also makes it easier to pull the bales from the wagon while I'm standing on the ground. Fewer trips on & off the wagon while stacking them in the barn that way.


----------



## endrow

JD3430 said:


> Hopefully, I can start hauling the less than spectacular hay to the mushroom house this week. Found one still taking round bales. My previous buyer paid a lot more for round bales. Not a great situation.
> 
> I think I'm going to take a gamble and sell him all my remaining first cutting he will take, even if its decent.
> I have a lot of calls for 2nd cutting. Need to make room for "the good stuff". Gotta get plastic and stone down on barn floor and get prepared for winter.


are mushroom house paying more or less than last year


----------



## deadmoose

I just finished my first cut baling today. I was hoping to rake and bale early. Then it rained last night. I went and tried raking but was too wet. Went to town ate breakfast tried again too wet.

Aha! This is what tedder is for, right? Tedded it all and was surprised it didn't beat up clover and alfalfa too bad. Raked it up tried baling made a couple wet bales. Gave up on that, hauled a couple loads of rounds home. Had third loaded up and checked hay time to bale. My brother was driving his truck for bales and then it didn't start. Chevy broke down. Figured battery. He didn't have cables. Went home got cables jump him and get to baling. Finished up.

Only break down was Chevy and that was not it's fault. 2005 with just under 4k hours and 165k miles and original battery.

Other than that didn't even break a shear bolt.

Time to move some hay and fertilize.


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## atgreene

Almost halfway through first cut. Thought I'd post a pic representing us antique hay equipment users. This is my '46 B, hand start with my 640 $600 rake. I use it for raking and tedding, not the most efficient, but nice to maneuver.


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## deadmoose

atgreene said:


> Almost halfway through first cut. Thought I'd post a pic representing us antique hay equipment users. This is my '46 B, hand start with my 640 $600 rake. I use it for raking and tedding, not the most efficient, but nice to maneuver.


Million dollar view.


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## mlappin

Have gotten 60 acres of first done in the last couple of days, Including driving it came out to .063 gallons of diesel per bale to run the baling tractor.

Now decision time, baled the last 20 of that 60 today. Was mowed Wednesday and made rows as narrow as possible to let the ground dry out between rows, tedded Saturday, tedded again this AM, then raked about 2. High spots were just a little tough yet but still read 17-18% as the rest of the row was pretty dry, rows were pretty dry on top in the low spots too but bales read anywhere from 22-26% as anything near the ground was wet.

Figure even if it heats or gets quite dusty the cows will still prefer it over snowflakes come the dead of winter. Problem is the last thirty I have isn't as dry as the one I just did, I left a few wheel tracks in the lowest part of the field, don't think I hurt it but only time will tell. Get much rain tonight or tomorrow I guess I'm gonna head back towards the next county and start on second. Had six days of sunshine and it still wasn't enough to dry the ground out.


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## deadmoose

0.063 gallons per bale. That sounds efficient. White 2-110? How many gph and bales per hour?


----------



## mlappin

deadmoose said:


> 0.063 gallons per bale. That sounds efficient. White 2-110? How many gph and bales per hour?


Saturday was slow....

Quite breezy so was running a little slower to let the pickup pull in all the whisps of hay the wind moved around.

Took a little over four hours to bale 152 bales Saturday. Didn't take as long for the 129 Friday but could run faster as no wind messing with windrows, same today baling another 127.

And yah, those 354 Perkins always had a rep as being efficient. Before I mow again I want to bring the other White 2-110 home and refill to see exactly how much it took mowing forty acres of heavy down hay.


----------



## JD3430

Teslan said:


> Are your mushroom farms stopping taking round bales now? Or just not taking anymore hay?


Fewer taking round bales.


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## JD3430

endrow said:


> are mushroom house paying more or less than last year


About 10-15% less, demanding lower moisture hay, too. 
Bales have always been checked, but usually 25% was acceptable. Now they want under 20%. 
I don't mind making 20or under, but the falling prices are brutal. 
To make up for lower prices, I do all my own shipping now. Can no longer afford to pay trucker. 
He ends up being the casualty in all this, and I work a lot more hours trucking everything myself to make up for lower $/ton.


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## SwingOak

I started out making a few bales, got the twine tension and banana factor fixed, but the hay wasn't ready yet - still too green. So I opened up a bunch of them, spread them out and fluffed all the windrows back out. Clearly needed another day in the sun, which it didn't get today. Maybe we'll get lucky and the rain will miss us tonight.

I'm about to test Fleet Farm's return policy on that Jaguar twine. The 16,000 is way too thin and weak. I had a few heavy bales that the twine broke on. Not the knot, the twine. Already have some 9000 to switch over to, we'll see how that works.


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## mlappin

9000 should work fine, when we had our thrower wagons we would never run less than 7200.


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## Bgriffin856

Made 34 4x5's and 160 small squares. Shoulda mowed more....

I must say I am very fortunate to have the hay help I do. Show or tell them how to do something and its done and done right. If they dont know how to do something they use their brain and figure it out. Had to switch tractors on the 337 since the 574 blew a power steering hose. They unhooked the baler and hooked up to the 7405 without my dad or I helping.

Very happy with the 337 makes nice bales. Its not bad stacking on a flatrack with a kicker. Hope to mow more maybe midweek. Have a lot of beautiful timothy that is chest tall and some lodged. New seeding clover grass yet to do too


----------



## Bgriffin856

One or "rolling" fields some is quite steep.










After raking today I think its time to get a twin rotor rotary rake. So easy to mow more I one day than we can get baled up in a day and thats with a haybine......


----------



## Hayman1

SwingOak said:


> I started out making a few bales, got the twine tension and banana factor fixed, but the hay wasn't ready yet - still too green. So I opened up a bunch of them, spread them out and fluffed all the windrows back out. Clearly needed another day in the sun, which it didn't get today. Maybe we'll get lucky and the rain will miss us tonight.
> 
> I'm about to test Fleet Farm's return policy on that Jaguar twine. The 16,000 is way too thin and weak. I had a few heavy bales that the twine broke on. Not the knot, the twine. Already have some 9000 to switch over to, we'll see how that works.


Did that once when I started baling hay. Had no idea that 16000 was round baler twine. My wife still brings up that I made her follow the baler and tie the bale in the chamber before we figured out what we did wrong. Used 9000 for a long time dropping bales but 7200 sisal works best for throwers. ties nicely.


----------



## atgreene

deadmoose said:


> Million dollar view.


Yes, amazing old farm. Once owned by the B&M Baked Bean heir. Nice breeze up there to help dry quick.


----------



## SwingOak

Hayman1 said:


> Did that once when I started baling hay. Had no idea that 16000 was round baler twine. My wife still brings up that I made her follow the baler and tie the bale in the chamber before we figured out what we did wrong. Used 9000 for a long time dropping bales but 7200 sisal works best for throwers. ties nicely.


I didn't know 16000 was for round balers either. I was trying to be a little bit frugal and also figured a thinner twine would go easier on the old baler. It runs fine but it's just too weak. I'm hoping I'll get the rest of my hay up this evening so I'll switch the twine out and see how it goes.


----------



## mlappin

One of those days, had a sprinkle this morning but not much. So called by buddy to see if he was ready for some hay, said in a couple of hours. So I got the loader on the trailer and headed to town, brought home about 36 bales I wasn't going to sell him, full of tree branches and what not from last weeks storm. Called again to see if he was ready, said he had a flat on his loader tractor and wasn't ready. So loaded my tractor again and went to the other field that I planned on keeping back for my cows, was halfway home with the second load and a popup storm hit, went back for the third load and had just enough there was no way of getting across that field without tracking it up, so loaded my tractor AGAIN and went back to the first field and loaded up, by this time he finally had his tractor fixed. Only got one load delivered to him, so took all day, loaded the tractor three times, got rained on, and didn't even get a hundred bales of hay moved.


----------



## SwingOak

I had a fairly lucky day. The rain missed us last night, but it was damp and foggy this morning. So I came home at lunch time, raked everything I had down to spread it out one more time. and went back to work. I left a little early, and thanks to having a helper on the wagon we got all the hay up. 225 bales in the barn, and it started raining 15 minutes after I pulled the last load into the barn. About 150 are surprisingly decent. The rest are mostly red clover, and about 25 of those were still too green and needed another day or so but I baled it anyway. It was either that or let it rot. Good for cows I guess.

The 9000 twine ran pretty well, only 2 or 3 missed ties and I blame the clover for those. It worked great on the grassy hay. I kinda like the old s68, although it would be a heckuva lot faster if I had a kick baler and a few throw racks!


----------



## Teslan

atgreene said:


> Yes, amazing old farm. Once owned by the B&M Baked Bean heir. Nice breeze up there to help dry quick.


Is the house and the barn all connected? My mom is from Maine and told me many of the larger farm houses were many times connected to the barns and such.


----------



## Josh in WNY

Had quite a big day on Sunday (for a small operator like me). We put up a total of 968 bales (small squares) of which 400 were sold to a local guy who picked them up at the barn door before we ran them into the barn. The hay was really nice, but drier than I wanted which made it hard to get good weight in the bales. Other than the stacker wagon rolling rack needing some graphite spray, everything ran pretty well. The picture below is of my dad raking the hay with my 2520 and the tandem hitch 258 rolabar rakes.

I'm real happy we got the hay in since we had 1.5 inches of rain yesterday (Monday) and more rain in the forecast for today and tomorrow.


----------



## mlappin

Used to have a pair of rolabars and the same hitch. Was real nice if you could make the outside rounds first, made turning around a LOT easier. Would usually cut one field then goto the next and take just the outside rounds off. Mow the rest later and goto the next and take the outside rounds.


----------



## Josh in WNY

mlappin said:


> Used to have a pair of rolabars and the same hitch. Was real nice if you could make the outside rounds first, made turning around a LOT easier. Would usually cut one field then goto the next and take just the outside rounds off. Mow the rest later and goto the next and take the outside rounds.


That's pretty much what we do. Mow 6 rounds around each of the bigger fields and bale that first. Leave the headlands for parking equipment in the downtime. Some of the smaller fields we still mow everything at once, but we still have our old model 55 rolabar that we can pull by itself if needed.


----------



## Dill

My brother bought a hydro swing tandem hitch last year, we've got it setup with a NH 256 in front and a Deere 660 with a dolly in the back. I've run it twice and each time I have to stop and think about how to rake. But boy does it save time.


----------



## mlappin

My cousin has the hydro swing hitch, has two left hand rakes and a right. Heavy first cut use the two rights, later cuttings use a left and right for a v rake. Works okay, still wouldn't ever trade my v wheel rake for his.


----------



## Dill

I don't think I know of a guy with a right delivery rake around here, but quite a few of the swinging tandem hitches, just send it left to double and right to single. I screwed up and made the outside windrow 3.5 rake passes. I crept down it, but it filled the wagon quick.


----------



## atgreene

Teslan said:


> Is the house and the barn all connected? My mom is from Maine and told me many of the larger farm houses were many times connected to the barns and such.


These aren't, but most around here are, including my home place.


----------



## Dill

My real job is farm insurance and the connected stuff is interesting. I forget its a New England thing. Most are the house, an Ell, than a carriage shed attached to the main barn. My place isn't connected, but its 10 ft from the back door to the barn door. The problem of course is if a fire starts in the barn its going to be in the house pretty quick. I've heard plenty of stories over the years of having to smash a skidder or a dozer through the Ell to try and save the main house.

But its great in the winter.


----------



## Teslan

Dill said:


> My real job is farm insurance and the connected stuff is interesting. I forget its a New England thing. Most are the house, an Ell, than a carriage shed attached to the main barn. My place isn't connected, but its 10 ft from the back door to the barn door. The problem of course is if a fire starts in the barn its going to be in the house pretty quick. I've heard plenty of stories over the years of having to smash a skidder or a dozer through the Ell to try and save the main house.
> 
> But its great in the winter.


I think if I remember correctly when my mom was very young her families or some relatives family's home burned like how you said. From the barn to the house. No skid or tractor around at that time that could knock down walls that easily.


----------



## atgreene

Teslan said:


> I think if I remember correctly when my mom was very young her families or some relatives family's home burned like how you said. From the barn to the house. No skid or tractor around at that time that could knock down walls that easily.


My real job is as a firefighter. I've seen logging trucks, loaders, excavators, anything that would work used to break the ell from the house or barn when one or the other is in danger. Most have metal roofs, so it takes some serious effort to trench cut up and over. With a regular shingle roof I can bust a trench up one side and down the other with an Axe pretty quick. Not a fun job, but with a good crew on a 2 1/2" pushing the fire back we can usually save one or the other. Fire was a major downside of the connected farm buildings.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Got lucky today worst of the storm went just to our south. Still got lots of wind and some rain. Hope to mow tomorrow amd atleast get the home farm done. Had this just as evening milking started


----------



## deadmoose

Hay all hauled but last wagon. It is loaded up ready to head home with 8 bales on it. Equipment home for cleaning maint and inspection. Spread a buggy of fert today.

I am ready for some more rain. Grow grow grow.I am hoping to get a cut within a month and then a third on this field.

My brothers small field is nice and green now new seeding a o. His bigger.field wasn't able to be planted until Independence Day. Hopefully will get a cut off of that yet.

He needs to make some money on his so he can buy a nice flatbed trailer for hauling hay. Which I could then borrow.


----------



## Vol

By all means, he does need to make a nice profit!....some of us have to keep the country afloat until we can get this sorry tail potus out of the WH.

Regards, Mike


----------



## deadmoose

It will not be true profit for him or I for some time as day jobs fund investments. But some return will be nice. And down the road we will both profit.


----------



## haybaler101

First 40 acres of third cutting on the ground.


----------



## Teslan

haybaler101 said:


> First 40 acres of third cutting on the ground.


I haven't even started 2nd. Quit being such an over achiever.


----------



## Gearclash

We've got some first cutting hay that is still standing yet.


----------



## Josh in WNY

Gearclash said:


> We've got some first cutting hay that is still standing yet.


I feel your pain, I'm only about half done with 1st cutting. Have an small field of my neighbors that was mowed yesterday and another 5.5 acres of my own mowed today. It's all going to have to be put up on Saturday as there is a 50% chance of rain on Sunday. On the up side, with the rain on Sunday, at least I'll have a day this weekend to sit back and relax with the family.


----------



## Colby

Cut first of second cut yesterday, fixing to go bale it. 
Second cut square bales will start next week


----------



## somedevildawg

Dropped a 22 acre field Tuesday and baled all day today....problems, problems, problems, you name it.....one of them days, managed to get 1700 off and stacked in the dry.....a tough day, weather bearing down from all sides, rods popping, raining 1 mile down the road, but we're still baling.....not a drop! Hell it couldn't rain on such a good parade! Glad it's over, move on to the next.....what a pita


----------



## barnrope

SwingOak said:


> I started out making a few bales, got the twine tension and banana factor fixed, but the hay wasn't ready yet - still too green. So I opened up a bunch of them, spread them out and fluffed all the windrows back out. Clearly needed another day in the sun, which it didn't get today. Maybe we'll get lucky and the rain will miss us tonight.
> 
> I'm about to test Fleet Farm's return policy on that Jaguar twine. The 16,000 is way too thin and weak. I had a few heavy bales that the twine broke on. Not the knot, the twine. Already have some 9000 to switch over to, we'll see how that works.


My experience with the Fleet Farm Jaguar 9000 twine has been less than desirable! I think most of it got used making trips around peoples houses on their wedding night.


----------



## slowzuki

Dropped just under 1000 bales of first cut this am, will mow maybe another 800 in the am and start tedding. Busy weekend, rain starts mon. 3000+ bales of first cut still to go after this weather window. One square baler still down and the round baler isn't working yet. Hope the JD348 holds up!


----------



## SwingOak

barnrope said:


> My experience with the Fleet Farm Jaguar 9000 twine has been less than desirable! I think most of it got used making trips around peoples houses on their wedding night.


 I will probably get some NH wine instead of the Jaguar from FF. I also was considering cutting the twine knife rivets and making some new knives out of D2. I keep finding so much poly twine half embedded in the ground all over the farm that I think I'll stick to sisal.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Mowed 8 acres of timothy some was a mix with fescue. Lodged pretty bad some almost flat. Made for slow going. I am surprised the ground is as dry as it is for as much rain we got yesterday ands tuesday. Planned on mowing 15-20 acres but the big hose that goes from the filter to the motor blew out. Pain in the n*ts to getting it broke free. Missed out on a nice window of weather










Timothy doesnt take much N to lodge. Never is good seeing dust fly off the haybine....woulda been prime hay two weeks ago


----------



## mlappin

I had a 499, hell of a good mower. A little trick, when your done and it's good and warm, loosen the filler cap for the hydraulic oil at the back of the tongue then tighten it back up. I've heard of guys filling them with oil when it's still pretty cold out, the reservoir isn't vented, filled when cold, then they get hot they can plow seals out of the pump.



Gearclash said:


> We've got some first cutting hay that is still standing yet.


Same here, 30 acres yet of first. I might mow it Monday if we don't get any frog drowners over the weekend.


----------



## Bgriffin856

We did that with the filler cap to take pressure off so we didnt lose all our oil. Only had to add a gallon so we didnt do bad but it was warm too. I would hate to fill that hitch at $50-$75 per 5 gallons depending on brand.

I hear all these bad things about haybines but I never had much trouble except in lodged or wet hay. Even then it isnt bad. Guess some are better drivers than actual operators. Maybe im just one that can make due with what I have and not bitch about it

We are only about half done with first cutting as well. 7/9/12 we baled the last of first that year and even chopped oats


----------



## MT hayer

It has been full tilt in this part of the world. Usually only get one cutting on dry land so we make the most of it. I have some pics but I can't get them uploaded. All the machinery seems to be staying together. Breaking in some new parts people! Had rain to start with and now it is getting mature. Cut during the day and bale at night. All things considered, a good year. The phone just keeps ringing!


----------



## JD3430

Bgriffin856 said:


> Mowed 8 acres of timothy some was a mix with fescue. Lodged pretty bad some almost flat. Made for slow going. I am surprised the ground is as dry as it is for as much rain we got yesterday ands tuesday. Planned on mowing 15-20 acres but the big hose that goes from the filter to the motor blew out. Pain in the n*ts to getting it broke free. Missed out on a nice window of weather
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Timothy doesnt take much N to lodge. Never is good seeing dust fly off the haybine....woulda been prime hay two weeks ago


Man that's great looking Timothy. Would love to be able to grow that down here. I see you battle some Queen Anne's lace, too.


----------



## Hayman1

JD3430 said:


> Man that's great looking Timothy. Would love to be able to grow that down here. I see you battle some Queen Anne's lace, too.


JD- why can't you grow Timothy like that in PA? We do in Va and we are farther south than you.


----------



## DSLinc1017

The last of first cut, had to stop as the sun was setting and the dew was setting in. Tomorrow it goes in the barn!


----------



## FarmerCline

Hayman1 said:


> JD- why can't you grow Timothy like that in PA? We do in Va and we are farther south than you.


 That's what I was thinking....I had some timothy like that also.....averaged 130 bales an acre. Timothy does very good on first cut here but after that is when the heat zaps it.


----------



## deadmoose

Dsl- nice looking vid. Equipment looks sharp. Nice uniform windrows and some nice scenery as well. Rotary raked?


----------



## Lostin55

Had a little Easter egg hunt in the 4 week regrowth alfalfa and got it all in the stack and all sold. Spent the day , and several days to come,loading it out. Finally have irrigation back on the feild. For all of the rain we have had in the last month the ground is awful dry.


----------



## mlappin

Since Monday have got 220 round bales of first cut delivered, hauled home 150 for the cows, managed to mow some second cut, got it baled today and home as well. Hopefully the rain misses us this weekend so I can drop the last thirty of 1st cutting monday.


----------



## Hayman1

FarmerCline said:


> That's what I was thinking....I had some timothy like that also.....averaged 130 bales an acre. Timothy does very good on first cut here but after that is when the heat zaps it.


I was trying an experiment this year by cutting my timothy early and then topdressing with 50N. Don't bother. greened up nice and is still more green than not but sameole, sameole. Maybe I will see something good in late Aug and into Sept if we get a hurricane remnant but as of now, I am going back to cutting at heading out with timothy.


----------



## DSLinc1017

deadmoose said:


> Dsl- nice looking vid. Equipment looks sharp. Nice uniform windrows and some nice scenery as well. Rotary raked?


Thanks! Yes rotory rake, the baler on the out side had a tree fall on it I think, so the tin is a bit bent, but bales like a champ.


----------



## DSLinc1017

1st cut done! And in the barn!!


----------



## Dill

Wow, I think I have another month or so of first cut. Just finished the big horse farm, 3500 bales in their barn, another 800 squares delivered to other customer's today, and my father was banging out 100 rounds. Not a bad 3 weeks. Just stunk that we had 2 long stretches of rain mid job.

The only big breakdowns were tires, had 4 flats down there and I just had another one on the way home. Hoping to put 1500 bales my barn from the neighbor's place next week. Then off to a new field, which should be interesting always nice to meet new rocks.


----------



## DSLinc1017

Dill said:


> Wow, I think I have another month or so of first cut. Just finished the big horse farm, 3500 bales in their barn, another 800 squares delivered to other customer's today, and my father was banging out 100 rounds. Not a bad 3 weeks. Just stunk that we had 2 long stretches of rain mid job.
> The only big breakdowns were tires, had 4 flats down there and I just had another one on the way home. Hoping to put 1500 bales my barn from the neighbor's place next week. Then off to a new field, which should be interesting always nice to meet new rocks.


It helps when your only doing some 80 acres!


----------



## FarmerCline

Hayman1 said:


> I was trying an experiment this year by cutting my timothy early and then topdressing with 50N. Don't bother. greened up nice and is still more green than not but sameole, sameole. Maybe I will see something good in late Aug and into Sept if we get a hurricane remnant but as of now, I am going back to cutting at heading out with timothy.


 Did you top dress your orchard grass as well? If so can you see any improved growth? I read somewhere that for timothy that cutting before heading actually could stress the stand and slow regrowth. All of my timothy fields have soybeans growing on them now except for a small 2 acre patch that is inaccessible for a combine. It will be interesting to see whether that 2 acres of timothy will amount to anything later in the fall and if I made the right decision as using the rest of my timothy as an annual crop.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Squared up 660 small squares and 20 some rounds some was hay the horsey neighbor got wet lasr week

Very happy with the 337 dont think im going back to a chute baler. Kicker makes a easy job of filling a flat rack less lifting and carrying. Woulda baled more small squares this evening but ran out of twine. Surprising how nicley the hay dried in a short time.....shoulda mowed more


----------



## Bgriffin856

JD3430 said:


> Man that's great looking Timothy. Would love to be able to grow that down here. I see you battle some Queen Anne's lace, too.


Thanks JD Queen Ann's lace isnt blossomed yet. Have some of it. Those weeds are like goldenrods but have white little flowers on them. Biggest problem weed in our hayfields is sour dock. But its not a huge problem. Only seem to get foxtail when its dry.

I do like having different fields seeded to different grasses with different maturites so you can spread out the hay season if needed and still make quality hay. Thats about the only reason I like timothy. Does make good feed


----------



## Hayman1

Dill said:


> Wow, I think I have another month or so of first cut. Just finished the big horse farm, 3500 bales in their barn, another 800 squares delivered to other customer's today, and my father was banging out 100 rounds. Not a bad 3 weeks. Just stunk that we had 2 long stretches of rain mid job.
> 
> The only big breakdowns were tires, had 4 flats down there and I just had another one on the way home. Hoping to put 1500 bales my barn from the neighbor's place next week. Then off to a new field, which should be interesting always nice to meet new rocks.


especially those in the fields that landowners say "have no rocks"


----------



## Hayman1

Bgriffin856 said:


> Those weeds are like goldenrods but have white little flowers on them. .
> 
> I do like having different fields seeded to different grasses with different maturites so you can spread out the hay season if needed and still make quality hay. Thats about the only reason I like timothy. Does make good feed


Griff- we get those too-tall boogers. best control I found is cutting early-after about 2 years they are gone. That doesn't work in timothy but we had them in OG. We do timothy for the same reason-spreading out the season so we have a better chance at more quality hay.


----------



## slowzuki

Cut a little more that planned on Thurs. Ended up baling 1550 bales Sat on the JD 348 by itself. That is unheard of here without acid, we usually run 2 balers to get the short window. Great drying conditions. Sat evening delivered 300 to customer. Sunday cleaned up the scraps, 500 bales. All in the dairy mow by 6pm or so.

Had extra time so got my new to me 1000$ round baler out and tried it out. Worked great on manual, autotie not so much. Baled up 6 4x5's from pasture clippings we raked up. Its a rebadged Gehl 1310 with the steel rollers. Makes a nice tight softcore bale. Tighter that the last solid core baler we had, can't get a forklift tine in them. Pickup doesn't like the heavy yields here, rake narrowed to 10 ft the swath still plugged the pickup several times. I'll get some pics off phone later.


----------



## Teslan

Large chance of rain over the next couple of days. Some 2nd cutting alfalfa needs cut, but I'm gonna wait a day or so. Also soon to cut 2nd cutting grass as well as 1st cutting of some new seeding Alfalfa. Best looking new seeding alfalfa I've ever raised.


----------



## FarmerCline

Teslan said:


> Large chance of rain over the next couple of days. Some 2nd cutting alfalfa needs cut, but I'm gonna wait a day or so. Also soon to cut 2nd cutting grass as well as 1st cutting of some new seeding Alfalfa. Best looking new seeding alfalfa I've ever raised.


I'm drooling over your field......that's the kind of field I dream about at night......large, flat, and irrigated......I wouldn't know what to think if I could farm a field like that. Nice looking stand of alfalfa too.


----------



## Teslan

FarmerCline said:


> I'm drooling over your field......that's the kind of field I dream about at night......large, flat, and irrigated......I wouldn't know what to think if I could farm a field like that. Nice looking stand of alfalfa too.


It's not very large for this area. Just 34 acres. I was talking to my dad about this field this morning. It used to be a full 40 acres and not so flat. But my great uncle made a living from just this 40 acres when it was flood irrigated up until about 1973 or so. We ourselves flood irrigated it until about 6 years ago. It has two small pivots with about 2 acres of flood irrigation. 20 years ago or so a city guy bought it and thought it would be his country estate. He was such a pain in the butt and let weeds grow 10 feet high all over it that my dad finally offered him enough money and he sold. Still fighting those weed seeds today. Thanks to RR alfalfa this field looks as good as it does. Before RR alfalfa I just clipped the field all summer and the next year the alfalfa established enough to make something. This is why I'm so impressed with RR alfalfa after experiencing the weeds in this field over the years. 1st RR alfalfa I've ever planted.


----------



## Colby

Good looking stuff teslan


----------



## Vol

Yes, I have been singing RR alfalfas praises for a couple of years now on haytalk. You just cannot beat it....looks like you need a few leafhoppers for that tract....maybe I can send you a strong Southeast wind for a few days?? 

Regards, Mike


----------



## Hayman1

Teslan said:


> Large chance of rain over the next couple of days. Some 2nd cutting alfalfa needs cut, but I'm gonna wait a day or so. Also soon to cut 2nd cutting grass as well as 1st cutting of some new seeding Alfalfa. Best looking new seeding alfalfa I've ever raised.


Teslan- isn't having a field like that illegal or something. like not even working


----------



## barnrope

We finished custom cutting second cut alfalfa yesterday and the weather provided a photo op.


----------



## rajela

Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


----------



## mlappin

Teslan said:


> It's not very large for this area. Just 34 acres. I was talking to my dad about this field this morning. It used to be a full 40 acres and not so flat. But my great uncle made a living from just this 40 acres when it was flood irrigated up until about 1973 or so. We ourselves flood irrigated it until about 6 years ago. It has two small pivots with about 2 acres of flood irrigation. 20 years ago or so a city guy bought it and thought it would be his country estate. He was such a pain in the butt and let weeds grow 10 feet high all over it that my dad finally offered him enough money and he sold. Still fighting those weed seeds today. Thanks to RR alfalfa this field looks as good as it does. Before RR alfalfa I just clipped the field all summer and the next year the alfalfa established enough to make something. This is why I'm so impressed with RR alfalfa after experiencing the weeds in this field over the years. 1st RR alfalfa I've ever planted.


Just need some RR orchard grass to go with it. I have a much harder time here getting rid of straight alfalfa, seems even the dairy guys want a nice alfalfa/grass mix.


----------



## Teslan

mlappin said:


> Just need some RR orchard grass to go with it. I have a much harder time here getting rid of straight alfalfa, seems even the dairy guys want a nice alfalfa/grass mix.


I'm going to drill in some orchard and brome after 3rd cutting into an older non RR alfalfa field. It's pretty easy to get rid of straight alfalfa here and this year the price is holding up better then grass hay as lots of rain and abundant irrigation water doesn't mean there will be more alfalfa for sale like it does with grass hay.


----------



## slowzuki

Pics from Sunday - basket working well in one of our biggest fields at 8 acres or so. Tried to get a pic in the mow we are near the old hay loader track now and can look down to where the short 24 ft conveyor is stored almost on end.


----------



## slowzuki

Some of the first rolls from my 1000$ round baler purchased in the fall. Only made 7 bales so far from cutting the ditch next to my sisters farm and some pasture. Seems to work ok if you shut the door a second time. First close it seems to lose pressure.


----------



## Colby

Suppose to get some rain today and tomorrow. Will be perfect timing. Square bales got put off a week due to the rain but oh well


----------



## Dill

Amazing how wet the fields are today after 6 inches of rain in 2 days. I did 2 very small "dry" fields today. I have a wet one that I'm hoping to mow tomorrow.


----------



## SwingOak

Finally figured out what was wrong with my Haybine and why it wasn't cutting and was jamming up on the far side: I'm a dope. The tip of the end guard needs to go INSIDE the rail tube. INSIDE. Duh.


----------



## JD3430

rajela said:


> Nice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


Try incredible!!!!! 
That's a postcard picture!


----------



## Rattler05.5

Our second cutting that would have been nice got hailed on with .75" rain and 37mph wind. Some sustained stripped leaves and broke stems. What didn't get stripped was laid down and might stand back up to make some decent hay.

I've been thinking I would cut now to let hay grow for 3rd cutting. I've got irrigation water left. Is the alfalfa that hasn't blossomed yet good hay? Lower protein or just lower yield?

A very wierd, wet year for us here in CO.


----------



## Teslan

Rattler05.5 said:


> Our second cutting that would have been nice got hailed on with .75" rain and 37mph wind. Some sustained stripped leaves and broke stems. What didn't get stripped was laid down and might stand back up to make some decent hay.
> 
> I've been thinking I would cut now to let hay grow for 3rd cutting. I've got irrigation water left. Is the alfalfa that hasn't blossomed yet good hay? Lower protein or just lower yield?
> 
> A very wierd, wet year for us here in CO.


Rattler you sure did have some nasty weather over the last week or so come down into from up north the Loveland/Berthoud area. We only had .3 inches of rain in the last 2 weeks here.


----------



## Rattler05.5

This is the area that is blown down and not shredded too badly.


----------



## Teslan

Rattler05.5 said:


> This is the area that is blown down and not shredded too badly.


That should turn out ok. If it was really damaged it would start turning white. I baled some much worse last year.


----------



## mlappin

So mowed hay last Tuesday, laid em narrow as possible to let it dry between the rows as front tires and mower tires were actually packing with mud. Had a few iffy days of drying, tedded the two driest fields Thursday morning, raked Friday then the clouds rolled in. Underside was still wet Friday afternoon, left lay Saturday as we had her fathers 71st birthday party to go to Saturday. Tedded the last two fields Sunday morning and then the raked hay. Last two fields tedded the tedder tires were wet where they ran under the rows. Reraked the stuff that had been raked before, some rows were dry, the rows that ended up back on the wetter spots where the rows laid originally still had some real tough spots.

Grounds been exposed to air and sun for almost a week now and still not any where near being dusty.


----------



## Teslan

I have nearly all our 2nd cutting on the ground. Pretty good weather outlook except 20% chance of rain on Wednesday. Supposed to be nearly 100 degrees today.


----------



## somedevildawg

If anyone's looking for some damn nice pre-washed coastal, just let me know, got plenty.....gonna be a premium however, for the washin and all, nice and textured, excellent looking hay.....worth ever bit of the premium we charge


----------



## Orchard6

Knocked down the first 6 rounds of second cutting orchard grass last Friday. Baled it today and got 174 small squares. Now I wish I would've cut more but when I cut they had rain in the forecast for Monday evening and of course it was pushed back to Tuesday now.


----------



## JD3430

Not even close to 2nd cutting here. Grass is maybe shin high and looking kind of thin...


----------



## 8350HiTech

JD3430 said:


> Not even close to 2nd cutting here. Grass is maybe shin high and looking kind of thin...


I mowed some that wasn't much taller last week. Tips were brown so it was now or let it shrink even more.


----------



## PaMike

Yeah, mind wasnt much better than that and I took it off a week ago. There were some weeds coming on I figured I might as well clip it off to help control the weeds.


----------



## DSLinc1017

Was out of town for the last 5 days, And go figure we had great weather for hayin. Mentioned this fact to the wife when I got home. She clearly pointed out the fact that we don't have any first cut left, and second isn't ready. 
She then pointed out all the other projects I promised I would get done.

I think I need to find more hay land! 
Utter disappointed on my part.


----------



## JD3430

PaMike said:


> Yeah, mind wasnt much better than that and I took it off a week ago. There were some weeds coming on I figured I might as well clip it off to help control the weeds.


Yeah but can you justify the fuel and time on such a small tonnage ?
Sounds like a great way to get rid of foxtail, though.

If you take a light 2nd cutting, what will the 3rd cutting consist of ? Will cool season grasses make a comeback, or will warm season grasses like foxtail come back to frustrate me?


----------



## mlappin

Last of my first cutting is done. Baled almost 15 acres Sunday then the bearing went on the top drive roller for the belts. Only available thru New Holland, no dealer in the area has one of course. Supposed to be here in the AM, get it back together then finish the last four rows in the other field, then finish the other 16, what little color the hay had left in it is gone now. Gonna mow some more second Thursday AM most likely.


----------



## 8350HiTech

JD3430 said:


> Yeah but can you justify the fuel and time on such a small tonnage ?


As long as you're getting decent money for it, justification should be easy.

I mowed 16 acres last week, almost nothing taller than the hood on the discbine. It only made 520 small squares (probably around 13 tons). Less than a ton per acre doesn't impress anyone, but at potentially $6 per bale, that's $3000. That ought to cover the fuel and twine 

Yes, it took nutrients off of the field. It also cleaned weeds before they got ugly for later cuttings, improving the value of that cutting as well. Had I waited, this cutting would have become less valuable as the grass shriveled and as weeds increased. I'm sure PaMike is looking at it the same way.


----------



## Dill

Finally got 600 bales up in my loft. Hay was bone dry, the ground under it in parts, not so much. Actually a good thing I put the 4wd on to bale, had to use 4 and diff lock to get out of a jam, thought I was sunk.

Hauling my 5500 down to a mechanic tomorrow, at least one of the cables for the remotes is froze up and I snapped off the remote lever. Hard to start right now cause the hydro pump is trying to deliver.

So with my MF 265 still in the shop getting a new front bolster casting its a good thing I have 3 tractors for my little enterprise.


----------



## slowzuki

Got another 1100 in Sun and 300 in Mon, fired up up the new to us round baler and made 30 round bales to finish up on Monday. Into home stretch on first cut, only about 1500 squares and maybe 150 rounds left!


----------



## foz682

Pretty much finished up first cut today. 340 bales of silage and 220 bales of dry hay in all. Still have 7 acres of oats that we'll bale and wrap, should be ready early next week.

Spread some manure on our meadow last week, since it has to be made anyway to cut down on trash getting caught up in the grass when it floods, figured I'd try getting a little extra off of it.

We graze most of the aftergrass, make very little second cut, if we have any fields that are too far away to graze that grow back good, then we let neighbors that need it make it.


----------



## mlappin

Just baled the last of the first cutting not half an hour ago, also made a few bales of rye straw for the garden.

Mowed the stuff a week ago, let it sit to air the ground out, ended up tedding it three times, baled some Sunday in a drier field, then a bearing went out on the round baler, let it all sit another day, raked the two wetter fields about 10 this morning. Everything on top was drier than a popcorn fart, anything near the ground was still tough.

You would think after a week the ground would have dried out enough not to get the hay wet again.

Made almost another 150 round bales today.


----------



## PaMike

8350HiTech said:


> As long as you're getting decent money for it, justification should be easy.
> 
> I mowed 16 acres last week, almost nothing taller than the hood on the discbine. It only made 520 small squares (probably around 13 tons). Less than a ton per acre doesn't impress anyone, but at potentially $6 per bale, that's $3000. That ought to cover the fuel and twine
> 
> Yes, it took nutrients off of the field. It also cleaned weeds before they got ugly for later cuttings, improving the value of that cutting as well. Had I waited, this cutting would have become less valuable as the grass shriveled and as weeds increased. I'm sure PaMike is looking at it the same way.


Yup, I looked at it the same way. I hate running that much over the field for little hay BUT, It was nice fine hay that dried real easy and I have a sheep customer that I had it sold to before I even cut.

The one thing to remember when cutting a thin/light crop is that it is easier to dry so the likelyhood that you will get top quality hay is much better.


----------



## haybaler101

Waiting for last of 3rd cutting and the start of fourth. Baler has run 450 3x3's for a neighbor so far this week.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

3" of good slow rain late last week that we desperately needed, gonna start cutting again this morning.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Didn't see much on the radar and nice till Saturday so my dad decided to finish a field of timothy. Just got done and the engine in the 1066 crapped out. Hooked up the 7405 and I started mowing some new seeding clover/grass made a trip around and it started getting hazy and foggy and misting. Got the second round made as it started sprinkling so decided to quit...rained enough to keep the dust down on the road. Surprised how dry the ground is besides the wet holes.



As the fog/mist moved in. Weird frikin weather


----------



## Bgriffin856

JD3430 said:


> Yeah but can you justify the fuel and time on such a small tonnage ?
> Sounds like a great way to get rid of foxtail, though.
> If you take a light 2nd cutting, what will the 3rd cutting consist of ? Will cool season grasses make a comeback, or will warm season grasses like foxtail come back to frustrate me?


Had some second like your saying mowed it and it was light. Third came back and out yeilded it and grew quick at that


----------



## Teslan

Done with second cutting, but just cut 1st cutting of some new seeding alfalfa.


----------



## SVFHAY

Teslan said:


> Done with second cutting, but just cut 1st cutting of some new seeding alfalfa.


Thanks, thanks a lot. Finally finished1st today, 23k bales with weather to do maybe 1/4 of that properly, and now you remind me I have some new seeding rr alfalfa. Just freakin wonderful.


----------



## Teslan

SVFHAY said:


> Thanks, thanks a lot. Finally finished1st today, 23k bales with weather to do maybe 1/4 of that properly, and now you remind me I have some new seeding rr alfalfa. Just freakin wonderful.


Better get to it. That RR alfalfa seed isn't cheap.


----------



## rajela

Lewis Ranch said:


> 3" of good slow rain late last week that we desperately needed, gonna start cutting again this morning.


You got some more heading your direction......raining like hell here and it is headed west southwest.


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

Bgriffin856 said:


> Had some second like your saying mowed it and it was light. Third came back and out yeilded it and grew quick at that


Had the same thing a few years ago, 3rd out yielded 2nd! :huh:

Edit: Of course it's seldom that I get any 3rd!


----------



## Lewis Ranch

rajela said:


> You got some more heading your direction......raining like hell here and it is headed west southwest.


I now have some pre-washed hay with a rain chance 10-20% this morning. I'm not complaining though I need every bit of it.


----------



## expensive hobby

bgriffin, i noticed a lot of sour dock in your field,do you find it bad this year? I have it in my fields also this year, spent hours pickin it out of windrows, never had a problem with it until this year


----------



## rajela

Lewis Ranch said:


> I now have some pre-washed hay with a rain chance 10-20% this morning. I'm not complaining though I need every bit of it.


Yea I know what you mean..bearing at the bottom of the gate on the 468 went out at 2:00PM got it replaced and rolling again by 4:00PM and only had about 10 bales laying on the ground when the bottom fell out.


----------



## Colby

I'm glad y'all are getting some rain. We had 3" last week as well but it isn't lasting long with the heat. We got hay on the ground, square bale hay, maybe that will up our rain chances? Lol


----------



## sethd11

Well, for the last 5 days finally finished first cutting with the last 6000 idiot bricks. Had the neighbor big square the new seeding/alfalfa/oat bales. Got about 150 of those. Then got a call to cut a failed subdivision and went down and mowed that while waiting for some hay to dry and surprisingly got another 217 big bales of alfalfa/grass. Now I am completely out of room and am storing hay at another barn. Now onto 140 acres of straw to little bale. Started that today with about 700 bales to get balers set up to rock and roll tomorrow. And now onto sell those big squares I don't need. Not exactly a pro at those, having never sold those before. If I could trade hay for cows I'd be set.....


----------



## somedevildawg

Colby said:


> I'm glad y'all are getting some rain. We had 3" last week as well but it isn't lasting long with the heat. We got hay on the ground, square bale hay, maybe that will up our rain chances? Lol


It'll rain for sure now....


----------



## Colby

somedevildawg said:


> It'll rain for sure now....


Haha it did rain


----------



## rajela

Lewis Ranch said:


> I now have some pre-washed hay with a rain chance 10-20% this morning. I'm not complaining though I need every bit of it.


How much did you guys get Lewis? Got another 2.5" here.


----------



## IHCman

Gotten rain the last 3 out of 4 days here in ND. Raining right now at the moment. Got everything baled up before this rain started other than 3 rounds Dad started on a field before getting rained out Monday. I guess when your 2 weeks behind whats another few days. haha


----------



## Nitram

MOMMA I'M COMMING HOME!! 100 acres my place then to brothers place for 50 +- more of native grass


----------



## Bgriffin856

Finally got this 5acre field mowed. Been mowing on it since June.



It is the last of the timothy fescue mix lodged pretty bad and im surprised how well the haybine picked it up even with my dad driving. He isnt a haybine operator.....


----------



## deadmoose

Good deal Griffin. A side note about your tractors in work clothes: like a good book its what's on the inside that counts. Some people pay extra to make bikes or hot rods look like that tractor.

Looking good.


----------



## Bgriffin856

expensive hobby said:


> bgriffin, i noticed a lot of sour dock in your field,do you find it bad this year? I have it in my fields also this year, spent hours pickin it out of windrows, never had a problem with it until this year


We always seem to get some in new seedings.We chop the oats and dont spray them which makes a difference. One field was loaded with them and we were to busy to get it sprayed. Looked awful but now the grass is growing taller than it so it dissappers a little each day.


----------



## Bgriffin856

deadmoose said:


> Good deal Griffin. A side note about your tractors in work clothes: like a good book its what's on the inside that counts. Some people pay extra to make bikes or hot rods look like that tractor.
> Looking good.


Yeah i prefer orginal paint it paints a picture on the history on the machine. New paint hides alot...


----------



## Colby

Baled some pretty dang good coastal this afternoon. Put 400 in the barn and have another 340 sitting on the trailer to be unloaded in the morning. That'll really get it to rain tonight huh? Anyways it was about 18 acres on 28 days with $7.15 in cost per acre without baling. Pretty good.


----------



## slowzuki

The 1000$ round baler is working quite well, needs some work on the pickup bushings for the tine bars. Drug some of a neighbours junk out of an old shed we have and stuffed 30 4x5 bales in. Twine tie with the autotie broken and my first time really using it but still rolled them up in just over an hour.

Shaggy bale is the last one, a fixed chamber baler doesn't like part bales.

Was using pallet forks to load the shed and caught the rack on the roof on the last bale, can see the beam laying on ground in pic. Ooops.


----------



## SwingOak

Finally finished baling last night, and unloaded snd stacked he rest of it this morning.

I have about 30 bales that I made 4 weeks ago, lots of clover and it wasn't ready, but it was either bale it to get it off the field or leave it down until I got back from a business trip. Good thing I didn't leave it down because my 3 day trip ended up being a week and a half. It rained a LOT while I was away.

They didn't get hot, they do not have wet moldy spots, but these bales are really dusty which I'd bet is just s different type of mold. I'll probably end up using them to make a snow fence this winter, or maybe burning them to chase the hordes of mosquitoes away. I don't know what else they would be good for.


----------



## slowzuki

I find clover to be very dusty even when dried correctly. We have some fields with a high % clover and by the time the other stuff is dry the clover is powder when baling. I've heard reference to it being dusty to combine for seed too.



SwingOak said:


> Finally finished baling last night, and unloaded snd stacked he rest of it this morning.
> 
> I have about 30 bales that I made 4 weeks ago, lots of clover and it wasn't ready, but it was either bale it to get it off the field or leave it down until I got back from a business trip. Good thing I didn't leave it down because my 3 day trip ended up being a week and a half. It rained a LOT while I was away.
> 
> They didn't get hot, they do not have wet moldy spots, but these bales are really dusty which I'd bet is just s different type of mold. I'll probably end up using them to make a snow fence this winter, or maybe burning them to chase the hordes of mosquitoes away. I don't know what else they would be good for.


----------



## mlappin

SwingOak said:


> Finally finished baling last night, and unloaded snd stacked he rest of it this morning.
> 
> I have about 30 bales that I made 4 weeks ago, lots of clover and it wasn't ready, but it was either bale it to get it off the field or leave it down until I got back from a business trip. Good thing I didn't leave it down because my 3 day trip ended up being a week and a half. It rained a LOT while I was away.
> 
> They didn't get hot, they do not have wet moldy spots, but these bales are really dusty which I'd bet is just s different type of mold. I'll probably end up using them to make a snow fence this winter, or maybe burning them to chase the hordes of mosquitoes away. I don't know what else they would be good for.


Gets cold enough somebody's beef cattle will eat it. Our girls like to be difficult, had some bales that sat on the ground for years and was crap when baled, just dumped them in the winter pasture figuring the cows would have something dry to lay on, they got to pushing them around and un rolled them and ended up eating 3/4's of it.


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## PaMike

When we small square baled if there was hay that wasn't fit or had been rained on we would throw it off in a pile in the woods. The pile was in the pasture that the cattle wintered in. By spring there was virtually nothing left of the pile. They ate most of it and laid on the rest. Sisal twine rotted away and all was good...


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## endrow

30 acres o/g alfalfa mix this would be horse hay if it gets dry.. fingers crossed for sun tommorow late day showers forecast


----------



## somedevildawg

Gotta ask endrow, on the last pic....there seems to be a very low yield with the amount of winrowed grass in the pic vs the amount of vacant ground....did some already get harvested in that pic? Just curious as I know nothing about that o/g mix....


----------



## SwingOak

I'm giving them away, I'm just getting started here and the last thing I want is to sell some hay and have someone's critter get sick. I figure if it's free and I say why up front I'm covered.

The red clover that dried down nice isn't dusty at all. The stuff that was still not quite dry enough you can stick your hand in the bale, pull out a clump, shake it just a little and a light brown cloud rolls out. Probably some dry mold too. They never got hot though.


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## Bgriffin856

300 more small squares made not sure if its was dry enough. I stacked 170 bales one layer over what was put in last time hopefully they will get enough airflow and not heat up. 130 bales of clover grass mix we left on the wagon to let it cook before unloading. Think it'll work? Have had enough of 2014



Got 170 stacked on it possibly could get 200 on. Holds 150 just kicked on


----------



## endrow

somedevildawg said:


> Gotta ask endrow, on the last pic....there seems to be a very low yield with the amount of winrowed grass in the pic vs the amount of vacant ground....did some already get harvested in that pic? Just curious as I know nothing about that o/g mix....


Yes we had less than a 3 day weather typical hill field trees around most of the outer edge when I snapped those pictures what we had just done is baled the 1st 3 windrows about 60 feet along the entire outer edge of the field 22 round bales 4.5x4 took them home to wrap them for use on our dairy farm. This is hilly red shale ground not good for row crops . We cut this 4 times per year, annual yield 5.5 tons ( same mix does closer to 8 ton on better ground). This is the second cutting here and I expect about 1.5 to 1.75 tons per acre. We will cut 3rd on the home farm Monday.


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## Hayman1

I was in the same position with second cut og yesterday. Baled some PITA spots and left the main part of 9 ac for today. Felt the center of the windrow was just a little too damp but hay was really nice. Was originally going to be 10mph wind today-now they say showers just to west of us but most of them look like they are coming up your way. Too bad, sure has been a tough haying july here.


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## endrow

dry in 42 hours I never thought it would happen even had a tiny shower early Saturday am .But the humidity and sun were perfect


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## Hayman1

yep, we got ours in yesterday too. Wind was supposed to blow from the south with cloudy all day, but actually blew from the east and sunny all day. Go figure, but we will take it with 350 prime og bales on wagons under cover. Best lookin hay fields are those just baled with hay under cover! Heavy TS

last night and today is a severe weather alert day, bring on the rain.

We're finished early second cutting here except for teff. rest of second will be early sept. I get a break for 2 weeks to let my back spasm heal.


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## Colby

Cutting a section out this morning to put up in squares tomorrow after dinner. Wish the big discbine cut as good as our little one..


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## Bgriffin856

Well so much for the rain yesterday and today looks good too. Could have had most of our first cutting done ...oh well let the misery drag on


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## Teslan

Due to my laziness I'm sitting here waiting for the fog to burn off and the sun to dry a bit my alfalfa so I can bale it. I was able to rake windrows together last night and I could have baled after I was done, but it was 10:30pm and I thought to myself I'll just bale around 9 in the morning after the dew burns off a little. I didn't want to be tired out to start the week. Now here I sit waiting for the sun to come out.


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## deadmoose

endrow said:


> dry in 42 hours I never thought it would happen even had a tiny shower early Saturday am .But the humidity and sun were perfect


That is some steep ground!


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## endrow

Colby said:


> Cutting a section out this morning to put up in squares tomorrow after dinner. Wish the big discbine cut as good as our little one..


That is nice looking grass . What type of grass and what cutting


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## Colby

endrow said:


> That is nice looking grass . What type of grass and what cutting


Coastal and common Bermuda mix, 2nd cut 32 days. A little longer than I like with squares but it'll be ok


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## Colby

Drying @ 6hrs here in Texas, heat index:100 humidity 34%. Could almost rake now and bale after dark.


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## somedevildawg

Colby...the center of that field, was that the army worm damage.....looks great...flails or rollers?


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## Colby

No army worms here. To the right of the picture was a section I cut out last week around the barn. This was cut with flails. Flails make a lot prettier hay I think.. Seems to dry better but also keep it's color and 9 out of 10 people that buy square bales like the pea green color. We've played with the conditioners since all three of our mowers are different. The 1475 haybine with rubber rollers did better than our H7450 but they still don't do as good in coastal as no conditioning or flails. The flails just put out really pretty hay, I was looking today and it seems to fluff the windrow a lot more compared the the compressed windrow of a rubber roller machine. I may not be right but that's just what I've noticed


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## Shetland Sheepdog

Colby,

What you're saying kinda reinforces the theory of "flails for grasses" & "rolls for legumes".

Dave


----------



## endrow

nice to see that grass from Texas. I am glad most of our grass has alfalfa mixed in . We have in our area seen most second cutting grass 30 to 45 days of regrowth 8 or so inches going nowhere ?


----------



## somedevildawg

Colby said:


> No army worms here. To the right of the picture was a section I cut out last week around the barn. This was cut with flails. Flails make a lot prettier hay I think.. Seems to dry better but also keep it's color and 9 out of 10 people that buy square bales like the pea green color. We've played with the conditioners since all three of our mowers are different. The 1475 haybine with rubber rollers did better than our H7450 but they still don't do as good in coastal as no conditioning or flails. The flails just put out really pretty hay, I was looking today and it seems to fluff the windrow a lot more compared the the compressed windrow of a rubber roller machine. I may not be right but that's just what I've noticed


Colby I was talking about the first pic, in the center of the field you're cuttin....glad to hear you haven't had them, been a problem for lots of folk this year.....


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## Colby

somedevildawg said:


> Colby I was talking about the first pic, in the center of the field you're cuttin....glad to hear you haven't had them, been a problem for lots of folk this year.....


After I posted that and went back and looked I figured that what you meant, but no it's common Bermuda seeded out


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## Colby

And here we go


----------



## Teslan

Yesterday I was able to bale my 1st cutting of a new seeding of alfalfa. Got 1.4 tons per acre. Which I didn't think was too shabby for a new seeding.


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## slowzuki

I'm a big dummy, had customer out to field to look at a load of 300 bales on the trailer, opened up tarp that I've been putting on last 2 nights to keep dew off the load and in case it showers and checked it over, they ok'ed for delivery. Didn't have quite enough time so I said I'll bring it next nice day and left to help volunteer.

Got home at midnight, went to main farm and closed windows on tractors as it was sprinkling. Got about an inch of rain overnight.

Drove by at noon today and see tarp laying on ground and load sitting there soaked. #$^&#$^!#$^#$^#$^#$#$. It is wet right down to every layer. Supposed to be sunny, ok I'll leave tarp off and peel the load apart for mulch tonight. Leaving work and its pissing rain, we've gotten another inch already. I won't be able to even lift the bales.

We don't have a single building or bay we can park a load in unfortunately.


----------



## Vol

slowzuki said:


> We don't have a single building or bay we can park a load in unfortunately.


Know that feeling.....i have had to tarp loads because everything was full up with hay and wagons and trailers of hay.

Regards, Mike


----------



## Hayman1

propping shed was an early priority for me because here you never know, never. Used a guys up the road but when he passed, I knew I had to build one.


----------



## Hayman1

We are having some of mlappin's fall weather here today and tomorrow. Stiff breeze all day and low 70s. Love it and don't have to do any hay. Choppin dock in the new timothy field-good exercise and you can see the results of your work and it is not taxed. Low 50s in am with 15-20mph winds, have to get the jacket out.


----------



## slowzuki

I wish that was the reason, they just built all the machine sheds and hay sheds with less than 10 ft to the trusses and even shorter doors. I've redone headers to get a bit more but its not enough. The biggest pole barn only had a man door on it when my sister bought the farm. Everything went in a conveyor hole and out via a manger in the front for the heifers.



Vol said:


> Know that feeling.....i have had to tarp loads because everything was full up with hay and wagons and trailers of hay.
> 
> Regards, Mike


----------



## endrow

Teslan said:


> Yesterday I was able to bale my 1st cutting of a new seeding of alfalfa. Got 1.4 tons per acre. Which I didn't think was too shabby for a new seeding.
> /quote]NICE looking hay. Not that it matters but do you seed any Orchard Grass with it


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## DSLinc1017

slowzuki said:


> We don't have a single building or bay we can park a load in unfortunately.


I know this wont help, but.... I'm in the same boat. I feel your pain! Been in the exact situation, it sucks! (Hope "sucks". Is allowed).

Be well my friend, fortunately when this happens to me I always try to step back and tell myself.... It's only hay.


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## Colby

We put up 470 squares in the barn this afternoon from 2-6 off of about 8 acres. Maybe less. Plus dealing with a broke down truck. Went pretty smooth.


----------



## Josh in WNY

It has been crazy here for the last couple weeks, but I'm finally down to the last 13 acres which is a new seeding of timothy. The hay looks nice and thick, but it is far shorter than expected (only 1 to 1.5 feet). Hope that means that it's growing a good root system. The PTO on the IH784 went out so I'm down to baling with the good'ol Ford 5000. Last bit of hay I did, I pulled the old 336 out and baled with that. Worked good and was nice to have the moisture meter again (haven't moved the applicator to the 348 yet). The other nice thing is that the 336 has now baled every year since it was bought by an old family friend sometimes in the '70s. I plan on keeping it running as long as I'm still around.

The hay has been really nice and I only need about 600 more bales to fill all my orders for this year. Thankfully, the last 13 acres should easily produce that much. It's late enough that I don't think I'll be getting a second cut off all my fields, but I may be lucky enough to get some in the barn.

Looks like this will be the second year in a row I will be finishing first cutting in August. The weather has not cooperated at all!


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## slowzuki

Called local dirt work company, he's coming in 2 weeks to grub out a pad area and haul gravel for 2 cheap single pipe tarp buildings 30x60 or 30x80 depending how much room he can make. No more rained on wagons next year.


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## mlappin

All first cutting finally done over a week ago, have made 25 acres of 2nd while waiting for the ground to dry before finishing 1st. Have another 28 of 2nd ready, no weather window, again. At this rate the 25 acres will be ready to make 3rd on while I'm still making 2nd, which ain't bad except the 25 is farthest away. Have I ever mentioned how much I hate wet years?


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## panhandle9400

Getting ready to lay down 3 rd cutting alfalfa soon as ground dries out behind center pivots and a rain of all things .


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Rain today and tomorrow, should start cutting again Friday. Picture i took this morning of my sudan that was cut two weeks ago, it's definitely thirsty.


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## Leggupfarms

Well I finally have all my first cutting done.100 acres in all. I think I made 250 bales with my 5410 rebel. Did a nice job overall. If it ever quits raining every other day I may even get a second cutting. Im giving serious consideration to buying a single wrapper just to avoid not getting three cuttings because of water.


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## somedevildawg

Lewis Ranch said:


> Rain today and tomorrow, should start cutting again Friday. Picture i took this morning of my sudan that was cut two weeks ago, it's definitely thirsty.


Glad to see someone is getting some rain....been dry in Dixie....24 days of 0 precept all 94* or better


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## Lewis Ranch

Here's how our day went. Good slow rain and just a bit slick on the pool damn.


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## slowzuki

Further to this for short term, tonight I cleared 4 ft of dry pack out of a 24 x 36 pole shed on my sisters farm that had been used as a run in shed for 10 years. Quite a pain via a little door in middle of long side. There is now nearly 14 ft to the trusses and we are gonna knock the end wall out and use the purlins and steel to close off the small door on the side and fix the ends. The posts are all rotted off but it hasn't moved as it has a lean too on cement on one side.

Looks like room to park 4 hay baskets or 2 of our big wagons, or almost 4 small wagons. Lot of fencing work to make that happen though as paddocks are setup around it.



slowzuki said:


> Called local dirt work company, he's coming in 2 weeks to grub out a pad area and haul gravel for 2 cheap single pipe tarp buildings 30x60 or 30x80 depending how much room he can make. No more rained on wagons next year.


----------



## somedevildawg

Lewis Ranch said:


> Here's how our day went. Good slow rain and just a bit slick on the pool damn.


U was in a "tight spot" Lewis....at least it was raining, forget the dam, you could drive thru the middle of the pond here....


----------



## Fowllife

Leggupfarms said:


> Well I finally have all my first cutting done.100 acres in all. I think I made 250 bales with my 5410 rebel. Did a nice job overall. If it ever quits raining every other day I may even get a second cutting. Im giving serious consideration to buying a single wrapper just to avoid not getting three cuttings because of water.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> Bales.jpg


With the way this year has been there are a lot of guys thinking about getting a wrapper. There are still a couple fields of first out yet around me. I started dropping second last night but got rained out. Not the best window to cut, but you gotta roll the dice sometimes. Alfalfa was almost full bloom & clover was starting to set seeds


----------



## mlappin

Fowllife said:


> With the way this year has been there are a lot of guys thinking about getting a wrapper. There are still a couple fields of first out yet around me. I started dropping second last night but got rained out. Not the best window to cut, but you gotta roll the dice sometimes. Alfalfa was almost full bloom & clover was starting to set seeds


Problem I've found with wrapping hay in a wet year is everybody else is also wrapping hay and unless you can feed it yourself there is practically zero market for it.


----------



## Fowllife

mlappin said:


> Problem I've found with wrapping hay in a wet year is everybody else is also wrapping hay and unless you can feed it yourself there is practically zero market for it.


Very good point. I feed all my hay, so not really an issue for me. Most guys that wrap around here are also end users so it all goes to there own herds, very little is sold.


----------



## Leggupfarms

I feed all first cutting to my sim/angus herd. It keeps them off the big pasture and the benefits for the next spring are much better. Its just with all the rain im not sure if ill get 3 cuttings this year. With the wrapper I would be on a dairymans schedule and drop itevery 28 to 30 days. It also may benefit me being able to sell more of my corn since I wouldnt have to supplement with as much grain. The more I think about it the more I likethe idea.


----------



## Colby

Lewis Ranch said:


> Here's how our day went. Good slow rain and just a bit slick on the pool damn.


I've seen it go a lot worse... Twice... As in tractor and batwing up to the cab in water. Took a track hoe to pull one out, took the 9320 to pull the second one out..


----------



## Lewis Ranch

I wish I would of took a picture of that pond this morning. With 5" yesterday and early this am it was flowing over the top, sure glad we got it out yesterday.


----------



## Tim/South

somedevildawg said:


> Glad to see someone is getting some rain....been dry in Dixie....24 days of 0 precept all 94* or better


Our second cutting is yielding less than the first cutting, which was half of normal.

Put 300 lb. per acre on some Bahia after first cutting. No rain and got one roll per acre on second cutting.

Two miles from here they have had several afternoon showers and large windrows.

I am very far behind on yield for the year.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Should have been full by now. Long way to go yet only have 950 small squres and 7 4x5's Good thing we had carry over hay. Getting real disgusted and frustrated with this weather and year. Good to see im not the only one that is


----------



## Colby

Going to start cutting hay in a little while again. Am only going to cut by myself tomorrow but starting Monday we will be running 2 cutters, square baler and by Tuesday 2 round balers


----------



## Teslan

Bgriffin856 said:


> Should have been full by now. Long way to go yet only have 950 small squres and 7 4x5's Good thing we had carry over hay. Getting real disgusted and frustrated with this weather and year. Good to see im not the only one that is


I think this picture needs to be in the haying pictures thread. I really like it for some reason. Not that you have had a hard time haying this year. I just like the lighting and the wood from the barn with the hay below.


----------



## Maryland Ridge Farms

I like the idea of wrapping hay, but I wonder about the cost


----------



## Tim/South

Maryland Ridge Farms said:


> I like the idea of wrapping hay, but I wonder about the cost


Same here.

Also, I can do hay by myself when necessary. Not certain I could if we wrapped.


----------



## Orchard6

Knocked down 6 acres of 2nd cut orchard grass on Friday. Teddered it Friday evening and again on Saturday morning. Baled up 220 of some of the nicest hay I've done by Saturday afternoon. Man I'm glad I bought that tedder this spring! And the new to me 268 baler will eat the 14t for lunch!


----------



## Orchard6

Here is a pic of the ol' girl in action!


----------



## Bags

That's some great look'in hay Orchard6.


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## Leggupfarms

So I finally put down some second cutting. I cut about 15 acres of grass with a little fizzled alfalfa. The grass looks nice and provided the weather people are accurate it should make a couple hundred bales. My question is after I take third cutting off can I just no till in something to add to the grass or do I have to kill it and replant the whole field. If I can no till what would be the best thing to put in so its ready to go net spring? And if it has to be an all kill what is a good combination of grasses to reseed it with and when is the best time to do it. Thanks.


----------



## Orchard6

Bags said:


> That's some great look'in hay Orchard6.


Thanks!


----------



## mlappin

Tim/South said:


> Same here.
> 
> Also, I can do hay by myself when necessary. Not certain I could if we wrapped.


You can, just make smaller lots so you can get wrapped what you baled within 24 hours.


----------



## Colby

3 bales per acre 3rd cut coastal; the big red dog is grunting a little at 8.4 mph


----------



## JD3430

Man if i cut hay up here that green, it would read 30% on the moisture meter. That's some really pretty green hay.


----------



## C & C Cattle and Hay

We haven't had rain in many weeks, we could cut and probably just follow with the baler. That is if there was any!


----------



## Tim/South

C & C Cattle and Hay said:


> We haven't had rain in many weeks, we could cut and probably just follow with the baler. That is if there was any!


Even the Bermuda is brown. It usually has the ability to keep a little color.

Pastures are dry and brown, hay is thin.

I do not think I will be able to grow enough hay to make it through the winter. It is August and I am concerned.


----------



## Tim/South

mlappin said:


> You can, just make smaller lots so you can get wrapped what you baled within 24 hours.


All of my hay fields are leased fields. I have to move and set up every time there is a weather window. Trying to rake, bale then wrap just seems like the extra process would be more trouble than it is worth. I often rake myself the day prior to baling if I am alone.

Then I would have to transport the heavy silage rolls home.


----------



## Fowllife

Tim/South said:


> All of my hay fields are leased fields. I have to move and set up every time there is a weather window. Trying to rake, bale then wrap just seems like the extra process would be more trouble than it is worth. I often rake myself the day prior to baling if I am alone.
> 
> Then I would have to transport the heavy silage rolls home


If you did individual wrapped you could spot them at the edge of the field and get them later. You would need a squeeze to do that though. I don't think that would work very well if you tub line wrapped though since they would have to be cut apart to haul home & feed. I would think that would create quite a bit of spoilage.

I think the prices I have heard are in that $6-12/bale range, depending if they include plastic and how many wraps. Most wrappers are also limited to a max. size. With your 4x5's it wouldn't matter, but I think the tub line's have a 66" max or so. Weight can also be a problem too on larger bales depending on what you move them with.


----------



## mlappin

Personally I don't like leaving bales in the field for any reason. Gives weeds a place to get started for one thing. Then with wrapped bales in a field I could see some idiot shooting at them.


----------



## Dill

The over whelming majority of what I wrap, my father wraps and my brother wraps are brought home to our farms before we wrap them. The more times you handle a wrapped bale the more chance it has of getting ripped. Also if you leave them out in a field or the edge of a field by the time you can get back to move them, you have to worry about snow, mud etc. The one time I'll wrap in a field is if a surprise weather pattern moves in. This summer I've tried to limit how much I mow at a time so I can get everything wrapped in a timely manner.


----------



## Fowllife

mlappin said:


> Personally I don't like leaving bales in the field for any reason. Gives weeds a place to get started for one thing. Then with wrapped bales in a field I could see some idiot shooting at them.


I agree, I don't like leaving anything in the field either. I was just giving Tim some options since he is a one man show.

For me, the only way I would do it is a tube line at home. I wouldn't want to mess with individual wrapped bales. I would rather cut some plastic, spear a bale, and dump it in the bale feeder.


----------



## haybaler101

Had 55 acres of 3rd cut raked up for this evening. Baling 3 miles north of home farm. Got half of it baled before storm hit. 0.9" at home, 0.5" half way between, got soaked strapping bales down on semi in south corner of the field and could have moved to the north side and kept on baling.


----------



## Vol

Finish 2nd grass tomorrow....most likely will get a 3rd cutting grass....which happens about every 25 years here....then get right back on alfalfa next week. It has been a good haying year here so far....have only had one "dry spell" as folks like to say here. Getting dry again here....hopefully get a good rain this weekend.

Regards, Mike


----------



## Leggupfarms

Made 17 4x5 rounds of second cutting off of the 15 acres of 2nd cutting I took off. It is beautiful soft grass hay. Would have been really nice small squares but the weather men changed the forecast and rain moved in faster than expected. Probably not all dry but the cows wont complain. Again makes me wish I had a single wrapper for just the occasion. At least now I will probably get a third cutting although it may be a small one from those fields.


----------



## Tim/South

Cut 30 acres of a 56 acre lease yesterday. This is the first cutting other than clipping the weeds a while back with the brush cutters. Just picked this lease up not long ago. Decided to cut it for hay, weeds and all, for the cows. Our lack of rain has become serious.

A deer antler found the rear tire of the 6100D last night. Spent the morning getting it to the tire repair shop. Did not get it back until this evening. No tube on hand and it cost me the day.

Will roll tomorrow. Not the best hay, Bermuda and weeds. If we get some rain I will fertilize heavily and should get another cutting of much better hay.


----------



## Colby

Cut some rank 2nd cut cow hay this morning. The patch is 90 acres, should wind up with around 400 rolls off it when it's all said and done. 
Started baling around 2 on another patch, 500 squares and 50 round bales. Got the barn full finally. 
More hay to cut and bale tomorrow after we get the cattle stuff done in the morning


----------



## endrow

rain and storms forecast for today gave in and baled it and wrapped it at night


----------



## Vol

What kind of wagon is that in the pic endrow? Nice looking.

Regards, Mike


----------



## endrow

24x9 all steel flatbedmade at an Amish fabricating shop


----------



## Vol

What kind of gear do they use...or do they build on what you bring? I am curious what a 20x8 would run approximately?

Regards, Mike


----------



## Josh in WNY

Something must be very wrong... I finally have a five day stretch of nice haying weather!!! The first one all summer long.

I spent last night on the 5000 mowing the last 13 acres of my first cutting and already have a hay crew lined up for the weekend. Finished mowing at about 10pm with the lights on the tractor, but luckily it was cool enough that the bugs didn't come out and eat me alive.  The field was amazingly dry for all the rain we've had. The only wet spot was right where I expected and we can only mow through that on the dry years. The hay was over-mature, but will still make some good hay for my customers.

Now I'm just hoping the forecast doesn't change and I can get everything put up by Sunday night (have a business trip that I leave for on Monday morning).


----------



## Colby

44 acres of decent Bahia cut down this morning in just under 4 hours, you can't beat that with a stick..


----------



## Orchard6

Knocked down the last of 2nd cutting Tuesday.


----------



## Orchard6

Got it baled up today!
Now I might actually get a 3rd!


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

You aren't running that haybine with the "C" are you?

I've told this story before: My uncle had a Farmall "H" and McCormick 45T PTO drive baler, and of course the H had a transmission drive PTO. When I started doing the haying, I hitched to the 45T to my Ford 3000 S-O-S with Independent PTO. My uncle asked if I thought the 3000 was big enough to run the baler!  I told him that it had the same HP as a Farmall "M"!  I didn't even try to explain the advantage of shift on the go or independent PTO! :lol:


----------



## Orchard6

Shetland Sheepdog said:


> You aren't running that haybine with the "C" are you?
> I've told this story before: My uncle had a Farmall "H" and McCormick 45T PTO drive baler, and of course the H had a transmission drive PTO. When I started doing the haying, I hitched to the 45T to my Ford 3000 S-O-S with Independent PTO. My uncle asked if I thought the 3000 was big enough to run the baler!  I told him that it had the same HP as a Farmall "M"!  I didn't even try to explain the advantage of shift on the go or independent PTO! :lol:


Na, I'm using my 5105m Deere to mow. If the C had remotes I might try it though! 
For whatever reason I really enjoy doing hay on antique tractors.
In the orchards though I prefer new, with a cab!


----------



## endrow

midway through 3rd cutting. Got 40 acres down for this weekend weather looks good.I am glad we're finally getting caught up to where we should beabout 3 weeks ago the weather had us so much behind


----------



## Fowllife

Finished hauling second cutting home yesterday. Ended up with just shy of 6 bales/acre (4x4.5's) which I was pretty happy with. Got a few tenth of rain on it, alfalfa mix turned out pretty good & the clover mix OK.

Have I ever mentioned I hate clover? It takes so much longer to dry, the leaves turn black if it gets just a little bit wet, and it's itchy.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Well got about a third of the first we have left mowed. Coulda had everything south of the farm mowed but blew the drive hose on haybine, the one that goes from the pump that connects to the tube that goes up to the hitch. I had just turned at the end of the field and headed back and turned to look back at just the right time and turned my head into a big cloud of hydraulic oil....the entire back half of the tractor got covered exhaust pipe included as well as the entire operators station. Good thing I wear glasses and didn't get much in my eyes





I tell you if it hasnt been one thing it has been another this year. 2014 has been a year from hell


----------



## Lostin55

Still dealing with the aftermath of 1st cutting, but second cutting is on the ground. No breakdowns or delays. The only stops were for food, fuel and sleep. Now, if the weather will just hold.
View attachment 2594


----------



## Bgriffin856

And our regular hose maker doesn't have the coupler that goes onto the tube and New Holland dealr has to order it so its off to a place 60 miles one way to see what they can do.....this farming is just wonderful


----------



## hillside hay

started the plowdown on a piece I've been rejuvenating the last two years. When I started it was like concrete root systems if one could call em that no deeper than an inch. Nearing the end of the second year after 4 annual crop plowdowns the soil is showing some life! Going to put on some winter rye this fall and then do corn or beans on it next year, Lord willing. Then it'll be one more pass with the deep ripper and on to the no till acres category.


----------



## Colby

75 5x6's rolled up and delivered off of 20 acres last night, 
114 4x5.5 and 38 5x6 rolled up on 50 acres today went smooth till I quit and noticed there were some bearings out on the vermeer rake so that whole rig was knocked out for the next patch we started on, made 24 5x6's and it was already 7pm so I called it a day, kicked out bale 25 and the bale flew out and the wrap didn't even stick to the bale so I have no idea what the deal is with the 567 now. Always something. 
Put in a long enough week in the hay patches so I still decided to call it a day. I'll mess with it tomorrow. All caught up now, have 30 acres to do next week vs the 300 we did this week


----------



## Vol

Bgriffin856 said:


> Well got about a third of the first we have left mowed. Coulda had everything south of the farm mowed but blew the drive hose on haybine, the one that goes from the pump that connects to the tube that goes up to the hitch. I had just turned at the end of the field and headed back and turned to look back at just the right time and turned my head into a big cloud of hydraulic oil....the entire back half of the tractor got covered exhaust pipe included as well as the entire operators station. Good thing I wear glasses and didn't get much in my eyes
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> I tell you if it hasnt been one thing it has been another this year. 2014 has been a year from hell


Keep fighting and the worm will turn.

Regards, Mike


----------



## DSLinc1017

Finally a break in the weather!!! Second cut ( what's ready) will be in the barn by Sunday. Sure is nice to get back out in the fields after 6 weeks of on and off rain.


----------



## 8350HiTech

Bgriffin856 said:


> And our regular hose maker doesn't have the coupler that goes onto the tube and New Holland dealr has to order it so its off to a place 60 miles one way to see what they can do.....this farming is just wonderful


That's where a creative hydraulic guy is supposed to go to the welder and attach your old coupler to some crimp end that he does have and get you back in business.


----------



## IAhaymakr

Started fourth cutting today. I can't believe how fast the season has gone.


----------



## Josh in WNY

Finally finished!!!

Put up the last of the 1st cutting Saturday and Sunday and the barn is so full that I'm not even going to worry about 2nd cutting. (I doubt there would be much of a 2nd cutting anyway and the fields are so wet that I would probably just make ruts.) The pictures below are from Sunday after baling and before I started picking up. I did the outside laps and the middle section of the field on Saturday and got just over 700 bales, Sunday was another ~850 bales for a 2-day total of 1,560 bales (I think that's a record for me). The "new" 348 broke a billhook 2/3s of the way through Sunday's baling, so the good old 336 came in to save the day.

I tried to do a panoramic view with the camera pictures, but haven't gotten them edited together yet.

Now I just have to wait until my customers in Florida are ready for a load.


----------



## Chessiedog

Second cutting in ,ready to start on third

.


----------



## Vol

Nice looking hay, stacking, and building.

Regards, Mike


----------



## sethd11

Bggriffin, all that hydraulic fluid on that tractor reminds me of a bad day for my then girlfriend. Had her discing some new hay ground with an open station IH 966. She gets to the end and picks it up and... Boom, totally soaks her, the tractor, and her HAIR!! with hydraulic fluid. It was hilarious for about 20 seconds till I got the look..


----------



## DSLinc1017

750 smalls of 2nd cut, two more wagons to get in the barn tomorrow.


----------



## Teslan

sethd11 said:


> Bggriffin, all that hydraulic fluid on that tractor reminds me of a bad day for my then girlfriend. Had her discing some new hay ground with an open station IH 966. She gets to the end and picks it up and... Boom, totally soaks her, the tractor, and her HAIR!! with hydraulic fluid. It was hilarious for about 20 seconds till I got the look..


As long as it wasn't really hot fluid. That makes me chuckle.


----------



## Bgriffin856

8350HiTech said:


> That's where a creative hydraulic guy is supposed to go to the welder and attach your old coupler to some crimp end that he does have and get you back in business.


Took it to our deere dealer and they cut off the blow out stuck a female end on one end and male on the other and so far so good. One of those "I never thought of that" moments


----------



## Bgriffin856

sethd11 said:


> Bggriffin, all that hydraulic fluid on that tractor reminds me of a bad day for my then girlfriend. Had her discing some new hay ground with an open station IH 966. She gets to the end and picks it up and... Boom, totally soaks her, the tractor, and her HAIR!! with hydraulic fluid. It was hilarious for about 20 seconds till I got the look..


Haha keyword THEN girlfriend.....

Hey you shoulda helped her wash it


----------



## 8350HiTech

Bgriffin856 said:


> Took it to our deere dealer and they cut off the blow out stuck a female end on one end and male on the other and so far so good. One of those "I never thought of that" moments


That'll work too! (Assuming your hose isn't brittle along the entire length)


----------



## Bgriffin856

Finished baling up what we had down. Total of 156 4x5's and 350 small squares. 16-18 acres of first cutting left then on to second. I must say the hay doesn't look all that bad except for one field of reed canary grass. Yeilds have been very surprising as well. Especially on our "free rent" ground. Finally seeing the results of getting the soil built back up after years of neglect. Very satisfying

Someone was in a big hurry and turned too sharp....



Wasnt me either. I honestly dont know how you can not know you are turning to sharp. Guess it is like second nature to me


----------



## 8350HiTech

Bgriffin856 said:


> Finished baling up what we had down. Total of 156 4x5's and 350 small squares. 16-18 acres of first cutting left then on to second. I must say the hay doesn't look all that bad except for one field of reed canary grass. Yeilds have been very surprising as well. Especially on our "free rent" ground. Finally seeing the results of getting the soil built back up after years of neglect. Very satisfying
> 
> Someone was in a big hurry and turned too sharp....
> 
> 
> 
> Wasnt me either. I honestly dont know how you can not know you are turning to sharp. Guess it is like second nature to me


Looks like maybe it wasn't too sharp but instead the 3-pt arms weren't lowered? Nothing a little heat and leverage won't fix.


----------



## Bgriffin856

8350HiTech said:


> That'll work too! (Assuming your hose isn't brittle along the entire length)


Well im not sure how permanent it is going to be. The guy said it may not hold. The hose doesn't look too bad it was mainly just pinched and worn where it always bent when turning. It made the hose stiffer and it is putting a little stress on the one crimp. But nothing serious....yet


----------



## Bgriffin856

8350HiTech said:


> Looks like maybe it wasn't too sharp but instead the 3-pt arms weren't lowered? Nothing a little heat and leverage won't fix.


They were lowered he claims he turned too fast and sharp and picked it up with the tire and almost flipped it over and had to stop and back up.... I think he caught the three point arm on it where the hitch bolts on and turned back straight with it hooked in the latch/slide on the arm. I never rake with arms lowered and have had no problems


----------



## 8350HiTech

Bgriffin856 said:


> They were lowered he claims he turned too fast and sharp and picked it up with the tire and almost flipped it over and had to stop and back up.... I think he caught the three point arm on it where the hitch bolts on and turned back straight with it hooked in the latch/slide on the arm. I never rake with arms lowered and have had no problems


Having experience with both catching a bar rake with a tire and binding a lift arm against one, it looks like arm damage to me. Whatever, what's done is done.


----------



## Dill

Put a dolly wheel on and you won't have those issues.


----------



## Leggupfarms

Halfway done with second cutting about 25 acres and got 17 4*5 and 200 small squares. Had to adjust hydraulics on inline baler because it was packing 80 pound bricks to start. Nice grass hay. I'm not sure if I'm gonna sell squares or just keep them . Auctions are too unpredictable for price and I don't want to give away. Maybe I will sell out of barn if anyone wants and if not just feed the cows. Still have about 60 acres left.


----------



## DSLinc1017

Now that its raining out, I have time to post this video of last weekends successful baling of second cut.

As well been using First response preservative, so far so good! have a about 12 smalls that measured about 28% I've set those aside to break a few open in a week to see how they are doing. Amazing though they are cold as bales at 10%!


----------



## haybaler101

Last 28 acres of third cut and first 50 of fourth cutting on the ground. 4th cutting is almost as heavy as first cutting!


----------



## mlappin

DSLinc1017 said:


> Now that its raining out, I have time to post this video of last weekends successful baling of second cut.
> 
> As well been using First response preservative, so far so good! have a about 12 smalls that measured about 28% I've set those aside to break a few open in a week to see how they are doing. Amazing though they are cold as bales at 10%!


ka chunk ka chunk ka chunk.....don't miss it a bit


----------



## slowzuki

Delivered just shy of 500 bales this morning baled yesterday. Finally getting close to done with first cut, only 1500 bales left. Maybe a couple hundred rounds too.


----------



## Colby

Got to adding it up and I've personally cut a hair over 1000 acres so far this year.


----------



## haybaler101

Colby said:


> Got to adding it up and I've personally cut a hair over 1000 acres so far this year.


Only cut about 600 myself, but big square baler has been over right at a 1000 acres so far.


----------



## SwingOak

Fowllife said:


> Finished hauling second cutting home yesterday. Ended up with just shy of 6 bales/acre (4x4.5's) which I was pretty happy with. Got a few tenth of rain on it, alfalfa mix turned out pretty good & the clover mix OK.
> 
> Have I ever mentioned I hate clover? It takes so much longer to dry, the leaves turn black if it gets just a little bit wet, and it's itchy.


I just sprayed 2,4-d on my field and killed it all. That red clover may be a fine alternative for fields too wet for alfalfa and used for grazing, but it's too much trouble when it comes to dry bales. Folks around here just don't want it in their hay anyway because of the risk of mold, so it had to go.


----------



## SwingOak

Bgriffin856 said:


> Well got about a third of the first we have left mowed. Coulda had everything south of the farm mowed but blew the drive hose on haybine, the one that goes from the pump that connects to the tube that goes up to the hitch. I had just turned at the end of the field and headed back and turned to look back at just the right time and turned my head into a big cloud of hydraulic oil....the entire back half of the tractor got covered exhaust pipe included as well as the entire operators station. Good thing I wear glasses and didn't get much in my eyes


I had a hose burst on the lift cylinder on my Haybine, and I was certainly happy to have a cab on the tractor. Luckily I could just run down to Fleet Farm and buy a couple of new hoses. I bought new fittings too because there were 150 lb malleable pipe street elbows screwed into the cylinder, so I swapped them out for swivel 90's. I've since replaced all the hydraulic lines on my equipment that were showing any abrasion, damage, or cracking.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Dill said:


> Put a dolly wheel on and you won't have those issues.


Been looking for a set for awhile or a good rake with one


----------



## Bgriffin856

Did alittle crop scouting today. ...second cutting shoulda been cut three weeks ago... some isnt lookijg real good getting to mature. Really surpised how fast second cutting is growing from stuff cut last week. The corn looks good all things considered the last week with no rain helped the wet yellow spots green up. Starting to pollinate



I wish it all looked this nice. Sod ground on the right and left is third year of corn


----------



## 8350HiTech

Bgriffin856 said:


> Been looking for a set for awhile or a good rake with one


http://m.ebay.com/itm/171411940989?nav=SEARCH


----------



## Bgriffin856

8350HiTech said:


> http://m.ebay.com/itm/171411940989?nav=SEARCH


Kinda out of the price range....not sure it would be worth putting on a 25+year old rake


----------



## Lewis Ranch

185 4x6 rolls off an 80 acre patch today, things are slow around here.


----------



## 8350HiTech

Bgriffin856 said:


> Kinda out of the price range....not sure it would be worth putting on a 25+year old rake


In that case, build one! It'd be fun.


----------



## FarmHand78

Just finished 3rd cutting of alfalfa, waiting to cut second cutting of grass hay next week. That will finish our having season. Then will look at getting fall tillage and fertilizer done to be ready for spring seeding.


----------



## Dill

8350HiTech said:


> In that case, build one! It'd be fun.


I paid 500 for the dolly setup I put on my old 56 rake. And it was well worth it, no more raking climbing up the rear tires and it keeps the rake more level in undulating fields, since its not tied to the drawbar. I sold that setup this spring and guy who bought it loves the hi tech dolly wheel.

Anyway mine came from PA, I guess the Amish pulled the dolly setups off because it creates too many pivot points when your towing with a forecart, you might find one cheap down there.

I've got 1 field of 1st crop left that I was hoping to drop today, but the forecast is looking iffy for the weekend. Then I've got 2 2nd crop fields to square, one for my barn and one for custom. Then some awesome looking 2nd crop clover for silage. That field is purple right now.


----------



## mlappin

Usually with the dolly wheels on a rake the forecart may not have enough weight and wants to slide around corners. Least thats what a few amish told me.


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## mlappin

Made about 65 acres of second so far, have 25 acres of third ready. Mowed 19 acres of second yesterday, hopefully with temps only in the 70's I can get it dry before the next rain. Rest of the month of August is supposed to be wet, if it wasn't for that I'd keep mowing even though what I have left is barely starting to bud let alone bloom, but if I could get it made now still a chance for third on those fields.


----------



## Lostin55

I am in no mans land on 2nd. Some down and dry, some baled, and some in the stack.


----------



## Nitram

DONE!!! Now to start moving bales.


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## deadmoose

Nitram said:


> DONE!!! Now to start moving bales.


Sounds like you are not quite done.


----------



## FarmerCline

When I raked with a 256 rolabar I had a homemade 2 point swivel type hitch.....not as good as dolly wheels but helped set the rake back farther so you would be less likely the get it in the tire. I will try to get a picture of it tomorrow.


----------



## Nitram

deadmoose said:


> Sounds like you are not quite done.


True....but the worrisome part is... Can't get nothin past you guys... Lol


----------



## Leggupfarms

Cut the next 20 acres of grass and clover/grass mix. It was like Murphy's Law out there. First the pin on the pto broke and the shaft kept coming off. So I go get a new pin to lock it onto the pto. Go to start it up and the darn weld on the u-joints breaks. So back to the shop and re weld the u joints. After wasting 2 hours running around I finally got it all down. I am just hoping the rain holds off till Sunday so the latter has a chance to dry. That leaves about 40 acres of 2nd cutting that may or may not make 3rd depending on how September weather is.


----------



## Colby

Hate baling thin hay!! Crop builds up where it isn't suppose to and then you get fires


----------



## somedevildawg

Colby said:


> Hate baling thin hay!! Crop builds up where it isn't suppose to and then you get fires


Quit jynxin yourself Colby......next thing ya know.........


----------



## Bgriffin856

Got the rake hitch fixed. Took it off straightent it in the press put it back on still bent cause the frame was bent/twisted so I suggested to straighten it by hooking the right side to a tractor with a chain looped through where the jack goes then put a hitch pin in it and hook a come along to it and to another tractor. Take a few crankes on the handle then hit the side of the hitch where it was bent with a big hammer then a few more cranks and repeat basically the opposite of what caused it to bend and the only way to strighten it properly. ...and it worked almost like new


----------



## deadmoose

Bgriffin856 said:


> Got the rake hitch fixed. Took it off straightent it in the press put it back on still bent cause the frame was bent/twisted so I suggested to straighten it by hooking the right side to a tractor with a chain looped through where the jack goes then put a hitch pin in it and hook a come along to it and to another tractor. Take a few crankes on the handle then hit the side of the hitch where it was bent with a big hammer then a few more cranks and repeat basically the opposite of what caused it to bend and the only way to strighten it properly. ...and it worked almost like new


The "Armstrong method" as I learned as a youngster.


----------



## FarmerCline

Here is the homemade two point swivel type hitch for a rolabar rake I was talking about. Don't ask what all materials it took to make it as I didn't make it myself.


----------



## Tim/South

Our yeilds have been off all year. The hard winter we had hurt the first cutting, got less than half of normal.

Then we had a dry spell. Put out fertilizer and no rain. Have $72 per roll on one field in fertilizer costs alone.

Cut 30 acres of mixed grass this week. Normally get 135 rolls on this cut, got 48.

It looks like I may get enough to make it through the winter if the next cuttings yield much.

Just a tough year yield wise around here.


----------



## deadmoose

Tim best of luck to you. I like to say better lucky than good. I missed a fatal crash by 30 seconds or so yesterday. I had no reason to take long route but took it on the way to work. So instead of being close to it by a car or so I was late. Lucky!


----------



## somedevildawg

Same scenario here Tim, weather weather weather....I guess that's what intrigues me about haying, it's a very dynamic playing field. We can do this and we can do that, have the best contingency plans in place, equipment purchases spot on, labor lined up, but at the end of the day/week/season, it's Mother Nature that has the final say.....guessing if it was static, I would be doing something else by now.....keeps me motivated....and pissed off...


----------



## Tim/South

somedevildawg said:


> &#8230;... at the end of the day/week/season, it's Mother Nature that has the final say.....guessing if it was static, I would be doing something else by now.....keeps me motivated....and pissed off...


I believe the motivation you mentioned is a common trait all members of this forum share. In a strange sort of bond, we all find a way to keep going, to make ends meet, to refuse defeat.

Between Mother Nature having a mind of her own and Uncle Sam having no mind at all, a hay grower has to keep a sharp mind and a streak of stubborn independence.


----------



## Vol

deadmoose said:


> Tim best of luck to you. I like to say better lucky than good. I missed a fatal crash by 30 seconds or so yesterday. I had no reason to take long route but took it on the way to work. So instead of being close to it by a car or so I was late. Lucky!


Maybe someone cares alot for you.....divine intervention.

Regards, Mike


----------



## Lostin55

Speaking of divine intervention, I was almost run over by my own 4440 JD day before yesterday. A friend was over baling while I was picking. I stopped him to make an adjustment to the baler, walked around the drive tire when I was done and made eye contact with him. As I stepped up on the step he dumped the clutch thinking he had it in park or nuetral. He had idled down but not all the way. If not for the Good Lord and what my son calls sasquatch strength, I would have been a pancake. Unfortunate circumstances in any case and both of us are experienced around , and in, equipment.

I have been thinking about starting a thread about this and a few other safety related topics. At my day job we teach, coach, and train safety on a daily basis. It bleeds over to farm life eventually.

In other news, second cutting is in the stack.


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

Ayup, absolutely no doubt at all in my mind that He is watching over us, and gives us a wake up call every now and again!


----------



## Bgriffin856

Another 37 4x5's baled dried good for conditions. Rake hitch held up....didn't have the 3pt arms down and didn't have a problem.

Speaking of fields surrounded by trees. Narrow short field of about 2.5 acres or so. Amazing how it grows very impressed for being heavy clay. Driest field of this piece of ground we farm slopes downhill facing south


----------



## Colby

Just cut 10 acres right at dark, thin. Will bale tomorrow by 11am. Should make some pretty squares. Things are just starting to dry out and quit growing. 
But it's August. It's suppose to do that


----------



## Fowllife

Leggupfarms said:


> I am just hoping the rain holds off till Sunday so the latter has a chance to dry. That leaves about 40 acres of 2nd cutting that may or may not make 3rd depending on how September weather is.


Well, did you get it put up? We ended up getting about an inch of rain around 4 or 5 Sunday morning. The 10 day is not looking good for anything other then making the ducks happy.


----------



## slowzuki

Hoping to lay down the last of first cut today, about 1500 bales worth or so. Have hardly done any hay in August for all the rain. My second cut stuff is all fully headed out already too.


----------



## Teslan

Started in on 3rd cutting alfalfa and grass hay. I'm hoping the weather forecast of 10%-30% this week really means 0% for me.


----------



## Colby

130 acres planned to cut and hay season 2014 will close it's doors here.


----------



## Dill

Would have baled the last 400 bales of 1st crop yesterday but I broke the rake at 300 bales. The rest are getting rinse in 0% chance of rain. The only good thing about breaking the rake is I didn't go hog wild mowing more 2nd like I had been planning on doing.


----------



## Colby

Got to take a break from hay season for a few weeks, got around 1000 acres of pasture land to be shredded and 300 acres of bottom land that needs to be plowed and planted in oats.


----------



## Teslan

Dill said:


> Would have baled the last 400 bales of 1st crop yesterday but I broke the rake at 300 bales. The rest are getting rinse in 0% chance of rain. The only good thing about breaking the rake is I didn't go hog wild mowing more 2nd like I had been planning on doing.


I have 26 acres of 3rd cutting grass hay getting prewashed for the 3rd time. It should be very clean by the time I bale it. While waiting to be able to cut alfalfa and more grass hay.


----------



## slowzuki

Baled half of what I laid down today finally after 1 sunny day then 3 cloudy days watching it just slightly too wet to bale. Going to bale the rest tomorrow and cut a bit more. People keep calling me asking to cut more fields for the hay so who knows when I'll be done.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Mowed about 20 or so acres of second cutting today. Looked pretty good considering it is three weeks late. 40% chance of showers to mostly sunny did have a few showers go around just missing us just as they have for the past week. Finally getting some what dry now. The right cutterbar on the 499 broke so that ended todays mowing then it rained. So hopefully mow the rest tomorrow that is ready


----------



## Bgriffin856

Mowed last of first cutting. Didnt mow any more second today cant get a straight weather forcast for later this week


----------



## Bgriffin856

First cutting done and baled not sure on bales. Fill three wagons and round baled the rest of the second cutting except for the field of timothy fescue mix still quite green even though it was light. Not sure if the reed canary second was completely ready. Stacked some on edge in the mow and spread the rest out in a single layer of bales so they can sweat and left the kicker rack to sweat out. Doesn't look as though we are gonna get the 60% chance of rain tomorrow. .....should have left it lay another day or two..


----------



## Bgriffin856

Figured out how to take video with my phone. Like DSL said hay making and video making dont mix well






My first time filling the kicker rack


----------



## Leggupfarms

Had 15 acres of alfalfa and clover to bale. Got all of the alfalfa and half of the clover baled. The clover was still a little damp and the one knotter on the inline baler is very tempermental when it comes to tying so between that and the kicker it kept busting bales. Decided to shut it down and round bale the last field since there was a 40% chance of rain today. Got the round baler into the field and turned it on and heard an awful clanking noise. Everything was turning so I wasnt sure what was making the noise. Turned the pto down so I could locate the noise and when I opened the side of the baler found that there were two sprockets that didnt have a chain on them. Apparently my long chain came off either when I came out of the field last time or when I was traveling to this field. Not sure but its just another thing that needs fixed. Maybe it wont rain and I can still bale today.


----------



## deadmoose

Griffin your vid is private. I can't watch it.


----------



## Colby

First week since the middle of May that we haven't been in a hay patch. Kinda nice


----------



## Tim/South

Every thing is brown and dry here. I have let the second cutting on some fields go and will wait until some rain and Fall before trying to grow enough grass to make cutting worth while.

Will probably be short on getting enough rounds to make it through the winter. I will buy what extra I need early, plant as much ryegrass as I can and begin stockpiling Brewers Grain.

This coming winter is supposed to be a buggar.


----------



## DSLinc1017

Almost done with 2nd cut, and again my yields are much lower than last year. The late cold spring didn't help. I'm a bit scared about a long winter. Now it's a waiting game to see if I can even get any 3rd. Going to search around for another field to acquire. 
first response preservative seems to be doing the job, cracked open a few smalls that have been sitting for 3 weeks that are in the high 20% range close to to 30's. They are fine.


----------



## Bgriffin856

deadmoose said:


> Griffin your vid is private. I can't watch it.


Thanks moose. Try this






Dont mind the broken bale....the one knotter is touchy when pushing bale weight


----------



## Orchard6

Planning on knocking down third next week. It's a little early but I have to get it done before apple harvest starts. We'll see how it goes.


----------



## slowzuki

Squared some second cut yesterday and rounded up the last pain in the butt tiny fields today. Besides another little 2 acre patch of second cut I'm about ready to call haying season over for me.

Somewhere around 3000$ of diesel in the tractors. About 750$ of fuel in the truck delivering loads. 450$ of twine I think roughly.

Time to start equipment maintenance and repairs.

-Both the 348 and 336 need plunger work. The 336 is already apart.

-The round baler needs cam bearings in the pickup.

-Rake needs a bearing on the gearbox and some teeth.

-MF5455 needs a pto bearing and seal and seals in the loader valve and is going back in for warrantee work on the springs axle reseal.

-3 wagon bodies need work.

-Tedder needs a 1/2 dozen teeth.

-All need oil changes.

-Mower needs a hydraulic cyl resealed.

Most important, my day job is way behind and needs overtime to catch up.


----------



## DSLinc1017

slowzuki said:


> Squared some second cut yesterday and rounded up the last pain in the butt tiny fields today. Besides another little 2 acre patch of second cut I'm about ready to call haying season over for me.
> 
> Somewhere around 3000$ of diesel in the tractors. About 750$ of fuel in the truck delivering loads. 450$ of twine I think roughly.
> 
> Time to start equipment maintenance and repairs.
> -Both the 348 and 336 need plunger work. The 336 is already apart.
> -The round baler needs cam bearings in the pickup.
> -Rake needs a bearing on the gearbox and some teeth.
> -MF5455 needs a pto bearing and seal and seals in the loader valve and is going back in for warrantee work on the springs axle reseal.
> -3 wagon bodies need work.
> -Tedder needs a 1/2 dozen teeth.
> -All need oil changes.
> -Mower needs a hydraulic cyl resealed.
> 
> Most important, my day job is way behind and needs overtime to catch up.


When your done with your list make your way south of the border and help with mine!!  I'll wait.....


----------



## DSLinc1017

Not sure if this counts as to where I am in my hay season or not, Perhaps in the hall of shame though...

Delivered 50 smalls to a sheep customer this early evening... How embarrassing to loose half the load in an intersection! Even worse it was only a mile away! Fortunately the 20 bales didn't land on the car behind me, nor did any brake open. Fastest re-stack this side of.....


----------



## SwingOak

Here's where I'm at:










I was re-baling some soft, loose, and light bales I had in the barn, and I'm still not sure how it happened but the tine bar crashed. Nothing was straight to start with and it's clear the old baler has crashed many times in its history. I had to cut all the screws off holding the cover together, and the hay guard support was bent and twisted. It would have been faster in the forge but without any soft coal readily available out here in Wisconsin I had to use a torch to get it hot enough to hammer it back into shape and then re-weld it. Same thing with the hay guard shield bar - it was twisted like a corkscrew, but it got it hammered back out smooth, round, and straight as a gun barrel. I had to replace one of the feeder tines and the tine clamp strap too. It runs true, smooth, and proper so I figured now was a good time as any to replace the adjustment screws and clean up the slide guides...

The square holes in the slide guides are worn in several of the holes, so really I should probably have ordered new slide guides and 5/16 plow bolts form NH but I thought why not bump them up to a slightly more standard 3/8" plow bolt? Easier to replace if I lose one that way. So that's what I'm doing - and hand filing the square hole a tiny bit bigger and drilling the countersink just a little deeper. So far so good. I haven't opened up the holes in the baler frame to 3/8 yet though. Still time to change my mind and order new parts from NH!


----------



## Dill

I'm on my second piece of nice 2nd crop for small squares. I baled 250 squares and 6 rounds tuesday. The funny thing is the cows complained about the round bale I put in the feeder, evidently only silage is good enough for them.

The big issue I see coming up is I spent 3k each on 2 different tractors this month, and I'm replacing a rake that I wasn't planning on. Which pretty much eliminates my fertilizer/lime/cow crap fund.


----------



## Teslan

It looks like we have a week of good weather coming up. (I need to wash my truck, but I won't to keep rain away). So last night I started in on my 3rd cutting. Will finish today.


----------



## Teslan

Almost done with hay for 2014. Baled some 2nd cutting new seeding alfalfa last night. Perfect conditions. Some folks in Texas where this alfalfa is going should like it.


----------



## deadmoose

My last salad didn't look that good.


----------



## mlappin

Was supposed to clear up for a few weeks according the long term starting Saturday, now according to the long term have a three day window then back to the same crap that's kept me from cutting any hay for almost a month. Everything I have to make is past ready now with a lot of it getting flatter than a pancake.


----------



## Chessiedog

Yea the weather has been crap for hay since June .


----------



## Bgriffin856

Been crap all year here... pretty much said the heck with it and grazing the rest of the second. About 25 or so acres close to the barn and I mowed seven acres of light orchard native mix at the other property down the road. Rain tomorrow and Saturday morning then three days of sun. At the worse it'll get round baled into heifer/dry cow hay


----------



## Bgriffin856

Only get three days at a time and need four to five or more this time of year with short days and heavy dews that last till noon


----------



## Colby

Should be finished with everything by Monday afternoon.


----------



## haybaler101

Starting 5th cutting Saturday. Only good till Monday night so going to wrap it up in silage bales. Time is running out on hay. I like to be done cutting by September 15th and combine needs to roll by the 20th.


----------



## SwingOak

Bgriffin856 said:


> Only get three days at a time and need four to five or more this time of year with short days and heavy dews that last till noon


Same here. I started my second cutting tonight, forecast is showing four days of mid-upper 70's and sunny skies, then back to rain and highs in the low 60's later next week. This is probably my last chance to make hay this season. My baler is almost done and will be put back together in the next day or so. I'm taking a chance on mowing without a working baler ready but it had to be cut either way. Worst case is I'll have mulch hay to make a snow fence with & I might have to buy some for the horses.

Terrible weather this summer for making dry hay here in Wisconsin. And I still don't have a tedder.


----------



## calmwi

Its the same in SE Wi. rain and high dew points make for bad baling weather. This has been the worst year for getting hay in dry. The crop is good just cannot get it made even with a tedder and crimper after the discbine.

First time ever thinking about adding chemicals to the baler. Question is what is the most cost effective and best to use? Any suggestions short of getting out of the hay business?


----------



## endrow

Chopping corn


----------



## SwingOak

calmwi said:


> First time ever thinking about adding chemicals to the baler. Question is what is the most cost effective and best to use?


I've been thinking the same thing, and I've been liking what I've been reading about First Response. Might have to give it a try next season.


----------



## 8350HiTech

I got completely caught up with hay so I, gasp, decided to plow some ground. Haven't done any tillage for at least 15 years but some ruts and some old field boundaries finally convinced me to find a plow. And it finally gave me a reason to hit the mfwd button in my big tractor  Hopefully I can get it worked smooth and get some new grass planted in about a week. The time is now.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Took a chance and mowed 6 acres of reed canary grass today....shoulda been mowed a month ago at the latest. ...


----------



## Bgriffin856

8350HiTech said:


> I got completely caught up with hay so I, gasp, decided to plow some ground. Haven't done any tillage for at least 15 years but some ruts and some old field boundaries finally convinced me to find a plow. And it finally gave me a reason to hit the mfwd button in my big tractor  Hopefully I can get it worked smooth and get some new grass planted in about a week. The time is now.


Was gonna seed back some with winter wheat and grass seed since we didn't get any seeded this spring. ..too wet and getting late now....hopefully some year it'll get done


----------



## Josh in WNY

Finally got to the part of the hay season that I love Saturday morning... shipping hay out and finally getting paid for all the work this summer! Loaded 610 bales on a van trailer headed to Florida. I figure I have about seven loads left in the barn.


----------



## Orchard6

Got 3rd cutting done! That's it for 2014! It was pretty short but kinda thick so yields where down which I kind of expected considering the last 3 weeks where pretty warm for orchard grass.


----------



## hillside hay

Waiting for a 5 day stretch to finish second. In the meantime, I've been putting in winter rye, picking sweet corn and catching up on my bush hogging. There is a little section in one bramble patch that a skunk is doing an excellent job of defending. Hit a hornet nest this evening. They weren't real pleased with me. That's ten more acres to plant in the spring.


----------



## DSLinc1017

SwingOak said:


> I've been thinking the same thing, and I've been liking what I've been reading about First Response. Might have to give it a try next season.


I've been using first response for the first time this season. I have to say it's been like having insurance. I'm using it on small squares and rounds. Both balers are set up with harvest tech applicators. So the translation for application rates and tips has been a little convoluted. But I think I've got it worked out. I've baled hay in the mid 20% range with no heating and no mold. I've baled some hay in the 30% range and mold has set in, However no over heating. Over all I'm impressed. One application rate and go, simple. You do have to flush the system after use which adds another step at the end of the day, however if you can't get to it its hasn't been the end of the world. Most of my hay goes off the field right into the barn. Most of the time the same day, so making sure it's dry in paramount. I'll always check the mow for a few weeks after for hot spots the best I can. This year has been a blessing.


----------



## mlappin

Made 25 acres of third today, mowed Saturday, tedded Sunday and again this morning, raked about 2, had the baler home by six. With everything else that went wrong/broke/fubared today though might have been better to just stay in bed.


----------



## haybaler101

Best two drying days we have had in 6 weeks and I decide to make balage. Started mowing 1:30 on Saturday with drizzle and heavy clouds. Started raking yesterday at 3:30 and baling this morning at 9:30 and was almost too dry by 1 pm.


----------



## SwingOak

Baling second cutting tonight. I 'm about 50/50 whether it's going to be dry enough. I didn't get the chance to put the meter on it last night before the dew set in. The part I cut in early July was good. The part of the field in the video was mowed the last week in July, so only about 5 weeks of growth on it. My lawn grew faster. I had to mow it anyway, might as well see if I can get anything off.


----------



## slowzuki

I'm a little disappointed in my yields this year, tallied up to 6555 small squares and 139 4x5 round bales. I've got maybe a few hundred 2nd cut that could come in but it would be hard to get dry.

That works out to about 8500 square bales, down a lot. It should be closer to 11-13,000.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Baled 7 acres of second orchard/native grass got 72 small squares. ....not sure if it were worth it good thing milk prices are up  guess its 72 more than I had.....


----------



## SwingOak

I raked and checked moisture in a few of the windrows, everything came up around 15-16% so I started baling. 50 bales later I stopped because the bales were way too tight and heavy and were testing in the mid 20's. Maybe they will be OK, the Agritronix tester I have says it will read higher than actual in grass hay and tighter bales. I hooked up the rake again and spread out what was left out there. We're supposed to get as much as 3" of rain tonight and the the temps are going to drop like a rock. High of 58 on Friday. Maybe I'll get lucky and be able to bale what's left on Sunday. I sure wish the hay fairy would leave a tedder, rotary rake, and a preservative applicator system in my barn tonight...


----------



## Bgriffin856

SwingOak said:


> Baling second cutting tonight. I 'm about 50/50 whether it's going to be dry enough. I didn't get the chance to put the meter on it last night before the dew set in. The part I cut in early July was good. The part of the field in the video was mowed the last week in July, so only about 5 weeks of growth on it. My lawn grew faster. I had to mow it anyway, might as well see if I can get anything off.


Mowed quite a bit that looked as heavy as that. Better than nothing imo. Im really surprised how quick the second has grew back from some that was cut the first full week of august another week or two and it could be cut again.

Nice rig you have SwingOak


----------



## SVFHAY

Total fiasco, that's were i'm at today. First off I am blessed to have the help and love of my father and father in law on days that I bale, but at today 84 and 76 some days are trying. Today we learned that it is not wise to use 5 gallon buckets that had some water in them to carry fuel to a tractor that really didn't need it in the first place. This caused a whole chain of miscommunication, broken fuel fittings and general stubbornness scattered across 3 farms, actually pretty amusing when reflected upon. I almost forgot that the sun didn't appear until after 11 and rain is closing in now. I got all of 24 bundles of 2nd cut to show for it. Sure will miss those guys though.


----------



## somedevildawg

Very good perspective svf....


----------



## JD3430

Finally getting 2nd cutting done. Weather is not cooperating, leaves beginning to fall. Barn full of first.
Not a great situation.


----------



## mlappin

Got another not needed at all 1 1/2" of rain today, I have 20 acres on the high ground I could make at the next window, the last 60 is all on the clay, repeat of first cutting, gonna take a long dry spell before I even dare drive on the clay to mow.


----------



## SwingOak

Bgriffin856 said:


> Mowed quite a bit that looked as heavy as that. Better than nothing imo. Im really surprised how quick the second has grew back from some that was cut the first full week of august another week or two and it could be cut again.
> Nice rig you have SwingOak


Thanks!

My grass is growing like crazy now, it's come up at least 4" since I mowed last Friday. If I'm lucky I'll be able to bale what I have left out there on Sunday. Probably end up lining the ditch with it though because I'll pull off a lot of green stuff with the hay that's down, and with temps in the 50's it's just not going to cure before the next round of rain. A shame really, after all the money & effort to get rid of the weeds and clover. People are complaining now about the price of hay being low, but winter is going to be rough and prices will go way up. Nobody has made very much dry hay around here this year.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Got another 250 small squares made. Started baling at 3 got half a rack full then ran out of fuel.....glad that wasn't my fault by then the humidity went up so bales started breaking loosened up the tension make a few rounds start breaking loosen some more. By the time we got the doubled up outside window baled you could feel that the hay was wet just from the humidity. I was thinking to myself how much I dislike baling this time of year... weather changes to rapidly. Started sprinkling just as we got the one load in the barn....then rained on and off till 8 this morning. Guess we made up from being dry...


----------



## Bgriffin856

Started grazing some light second cutting which means crossing cows


----------



## deadmoose

Oops. Softened up quick. Waiting for a tow.


----------



## JD3430

deadmoose said:


> 20140913_114218.jpg
> Oops. Softened up quick. Waiting for a tow.


My 1499 SP haybine got stuck easy, too.


----------



## SwingOak

Bgriffin856 said:


> Started grazing some light second cutting which means crossing cows


Do you use horses to move your herd?


----------



## deadmoose

Its been raining a lot lately. I decided window I have now is as late as I wanna cut this field. Found 2 more low spots that I avoided. Finished my field 2nd and 3rd cut and roaded to my brothers. I started cutting first cut on new seedinf orchard alfalfa. Yield for his so far is looking better than expected. It looked awful thin earlier.

More cutting and tedding tomorrow. Then hopefully get it dry befoee it starts raining again today.

I love the jd windrower cab and view. Man is it slow though. I need a cupholder and to replace the sickles. Better yet a disk mower up front...


----------



## deadmoose

JD3430 said:


> My 1499 SP haybine got stuck easy, too.


Brothers brand new Silverado pulled it right out.


----------



## Bgriffin856

SwingOak said:


> Do you use horses to move your herd?


Nope we use temporary fence to build lanes one person stands where I took the picture and one on the other side on the road to stop traffic. They are pretty much trained so just open the gate and they know where to go

Never rode a horse in my life. ....


----------



## Bgriffin856

Often though a selfpropelled would be nice but that would be a big drawback


----------



## deadmoose

Cab spoils you grif. I had a sweatshirt on and mid afternoon it was a tad warm. Little ac was nice. After dark I had the heat on.


----------



## Bgriffin856

I bet they do moose lol I like the idea of freeing up a tractor and having a hydro transmission would make it handy to select the right speed to match the conditions. Plus better manuverablity


----------



## PaMike

Just get a new self prop discbine. They are only like 150K....


----------



## DSLinc1017

slowzuki said:


> I'm a little disappointed in my yields this year, tallied up to 6555 small squares and 139 4x5 round bales. I've got maybe a few hundred 2nd cut that could come in but it would be hard to get dry.
> 
> That works out to about 8500 square bales, down a lot. It should be closer to 11-13,000.


Same here. I still have some second cut and third cut that will come down this week. Been waiting as long as I can to try to make up the difference. We never really had spring, a really long cold winter, then right into summer. Just did some soil samples and waiting for the results. It's time to spend more money on a few fields that I know need some lime and fertilizer.


----------



## Teslan

JD3430 said:


> My 1499 SP haybine got stuck easy, too.


I think they all get stuck easy. Though somehow I've managed to not have gotten our MF stuck. I think mostly because the cutting width is pretty wide so I don't get that close to the places I had gotten stuck in the past (mostly pivot tracks). That and the tires are larger compared to the older SP swathers.


----------



## mlappin

I'm not done yet, gonna mow 20 more Tuesday morning, then if we get a dry spell I have another 55 that could be done, ground has to dry first. Another fifty I could mow again after a killing frost. At this point in time I have approximately 400 round bales less than I did last year at this time. At a minimum of $70/bale thats gonna hurt.


----------



## deadmoose

PaMike said:


> Just get a new self prop discbine. They are only like 150K....


I'll take 2 then.


----------



## IHCman

Not quite done, but nearing the finish. Cut the last of three fields of some real crappy hay (what wasn't still under water) and got about half done with ditches around Dads place. Most of those ditches have had water sitting in em all summer so lots of moss underneath the grass makes for lots of fun with a sickle mower.

Dad has some CRP coming out that he bought a few years ago. Hayed half of it in August under the managed haying and now have to wait till Oct 1st to clean off the rest. Might have a little more straw to bale and also might scratch around in a few pastures and clean out some low bottom if it isn't to wet.

Probably be 800 bales short of what we normally put up. Not a problem though as we've got a fair amount of carryover hay on hand, a few more acres of silage then we normally do, and dads talking about chopping 80 acres of his grain corn that doesn't look like it will yield to well if we were to combine it. So will have plenty of feed on hand for the winter.


----------



## deadmoose

If the weather holds out I am done with mower and tedder. Need to rake and bale what is on the ground. 2014 went (is going) by way too fast.


----------



## IHCman

this year certainly did fly by. First the winter from hell that wouldn't end, then calving in snow banks and below zero weather, farming a month and half late and still fighting wet conditions, terrible haying weather and more wet conditions, now fighting to finish combining barley, hauling hay, and hauling manure. Prolly get an early blizzard in Oct to deal with too. And I haven't even went fishing yet this summer. Maybe isn't getting gone soon enough. haha Hopefully 2015 will be much much better.


----------



## haybaler101

Last 20 acres of 3rd cut grass down today. I think that is going to be it for the year. All my alfalfa was cut a week ago and is not getting a lot of regrowth yet so I don't think a frost cutting is going to happen.


----------



## Dill

Didn't make any hay for 2 weeks. I think I was starting to go through withdrawals. Made 29 silage bales for 2nd crop today, got 48 bales of first crop off the same 7 acres in june. I took 800 1st crop squares last year. Pretty good little field considering the previous hay guy got 150 squares a year. Nothing like actually fixing ph.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Looks like the weather window that was forcasted for this week was shortened too short. If we cant get the rest of second off the cows are gonna chew it off


----------



## Bgriffin856

PaMike said:


> Just get a new self prop discbine. They are only like 150K....


You could buy our entire line of equipment, tractors, skidloaders and pickups for that and have a couple grand to spare........


----------



## Lostin55

I just got done cutting 3rd. Getting ready to put the swather away for a long winters nap.


----------



## SwingOak

Bgriffin856 said:


> Nope we use temporary fence to build lanes one person stands where I took the picture and one on the other side on the road to stop traffic. They are pretty much trained so just open the gate and they know where to go
> 
> Never rode a horse in my life. ....


Doesn't seem like as much fun. My paint is in training right now, one of the things he's learning is penning/sorting. He seems to like moving cows around.


----------



## carcajou

As of last night DONE!


----------



## DSLinc1017

Took down 10 acres of 3rd this late AM, I have a 3 day window with temps in the 60's with heavy dew at night.. ... Already tedded it out this late afternoon, will ted again tomorrow. Would normally not take 3rd from this field but this years yields are so low I'm scared that I won't make it through the winter.


----------



## Bgriffin856

SwingOak said:


> Doesn't seem like as much fun. My paint is in training right now, one of the things he's learning is penning/sorting. He seems to like moving cows around.


I like opening the gate and watching the cows walk/run. Less amount of work the better
Work alot of cattle?


----------



## JD3430

DSLinc1017 said:


> Took down 10 acres of 3rd this late AM, I have a 3 day window with temps in the 60's with heavy dew at night.. ... Already tedded it out this late afternoon, will ted again tomorrow. Would normally not take 3rd from this field but this years yields are so low I'm scared that I won't make it through the winter.


You just gave me hope. I have 3-4 more days, too. Cut 40 acres monday got to get teddered, raked & baled. Dew is so heavy, its like rain every night. 
No stress there!!! Lol


----------



## deadmoose

Sun started burning dew off at 13:00 today. Looks like my last hay is gonna get a little wash. Supposed to be .2 to .4 then a few nicer days. Fingers crossed. As stated making hay in September is not easy.


----------



## JD3430

I'm gonna need extra crop saver to get this load of biscuits dry enough for storage.


----------



## Teslan

I am done with all my own hay for 2014 and mostly sold out of it also. I might do a little custom baling if someone needs it though and maybe cutting hay so I won't clean everything up just yet.


----------



## SwingOak

Bgriffin856 said:


> I like opening the gate and watching the cows walk/run. Less amount of work the better
> Work alot of cattle?


haha yeah that's always the way we did it too when I was a kid. Open the gate and get out of the way. The cows know where to go. Most of the time anyway. It's been a long time since I had anything to do with cattle. We raised steers but no dairy cows on our farm.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Very thin 3rd cut, didn't help that the neighbors cows were in on it for a week. Grass around here turned off brown about 2 weeks ago and last week we had 6"+ of rain, started planting oats yesterday.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Lewis Ranch said:


> Very thin 3rd cut, didn't help that the neighbors cows were in on it for a week. Grass around here turned off brown about 2 weeks ago and last week we had 6"+ of rain, started planting oats yesterday.


Thats a good sized house on that hill


----------



## hillside hay

With this weather I think that I'm going to have to buy some 4 legged harvestersfor third cutting.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Actually that house is pretty small, you can't see it for the trees but there is a house on the right side 10x bigger. Absolutely massive house, no way you could ever use it all.


----------



## R Ball

Going to lay down approx 55 acres Monday. Calling for at least 5 dry days. Hope to square bale as much as possible. Have some 4 th cutting alfalfa in the mix also. It's well done. Can't wait to be done.
Been a difficult year trying to hit the weather. It's been wet in July August which is usually the driest time of year.


----------



## Colby

Lewis Ranch said:


> Very thin 3rd cut, didn't help that the neighbors cows were in on it for a week. Grass around here turned off brown about 2 weeks ago and last week we had 6"+ of rain, started planting oats yesterday.


We got ground plowed up but gosh we are behind on oats. Even more behind now that it rained 6" this week and the bottoms are too wet to drive across much less run a grain drill across


----------



## Dill

I can see the end in sight, I've got 400 bales of 2nd crop ready to go right now, but it never cleared today like it was supposed to and the dew didn't burn off. I made 40 bales and they were 70lb barn burners. Just needed an hour of sunlight.Now tomorrow is looking like rain. I've got one more big field of 2nd, than a 10 acres split into 2 fields. There is a chance I could be done by october, but I think I'll be scrambling to pick up a couple more fields instead of parking everything early


----------



## FarmerCline

Mowed some sorghum/sudan this morning and tedded this afternoon. It needed to be cut 2 weeks ago but we didn't have the weather and it just about got away from me. It wasn't heading out yet so it was still very leafy and thanks to the thick planting rate the stem is small so it will still make some nice hay if I can just get the huge volume of hay cured. I cranked the pressure down on the conditioning rolls and it split the stalk from top to bottom.


----------



## ARD Farm

..Just remember to relax the tension.

On hay...

I'm biding my time (as much as I don't want to, I'll need a chainsaw soon)...... I thought last week but the wife said no. I cut by her joint discomfort. If it's gonna rain, she knows in advance and she said no last week.... and it rained. She's so good at predicting, all my friends use her too.

Probably Monday, supposef to rain tomorrow (Sunday) and it's raining now.

I saw a lot of hay down around here, people getting anxious and now people getting pismuckle brown hay.... or raking it in the ditch....

One field is pre sold already. They pick it up, no touch.


----------



## shortrow

I am done. Washed and dried the haybine and balers and parked them in a neat row in the shop. Now for the good part..........selling what is stockpiled in the barn. I'm going to sit on it for awhile I think.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Another 110 small squares and 4 acres of winter wheat seeded and underseeded with reed canary timothy red and white clover mix. Never fall seeded so we gave it a shot since we didn't get any seeded this spring. Woulda had it done last week but had hay to do. Supposed to get rain tonight and tomorrow then nice for a week or so. So hopefully it'll sprout and grow before it gets too cool or wet and rots the seed.

If all goes well and the weather holds we'll be done next week with dry hay. Then graze till it snows or grass runs out


----------



## Bgriffin856

FarmerCline said:


> Mowed some sorghum/sudan this morning and tedded this afternoon. It needed to be cut 2 weeks ago but we didn't have the weather and it just about got away from me. It wasn't heading out yet so it was still very leafy and thanks to the thick planting rate the stem is small so it will still make some nice hay if I can just get the huge volume of hay cured. I cranked the pressure down on the conditioning rolls and it split the stalk from top to bottom.


Always wanted to bale sorguhm sudan but silage is all we can do with it here


----------



## FarmerCline

Bgriffin856 said:


> Always wanted to bale sorguhm sudan but silage is all we can do with it here


 Last year it got just as large before I could cut and it cured in 4 days but that was the end of august when it was around 90 degrees. My last cutting last year the end of October took 8 days to cure but about half of that was cloudy and temps in the 60s and the days were very short. I'm hoping to be able to bale this Wednesday if I keep my fingers crossed we have good drying weather. If the stalk didnt get split almost the entire lenght I'm not sure it would ever cure with all juice it has inside. The bales will be almost laying on top of one another as thick as it is.


----------



## hillside hay

yesterday the sun that was supposed to be out at 10 peeked out at 5. So, with 86% humidity overcast and little wind the hay actually picked up moisture. I treated the hay stacked loose in the wagons and dropped it off to a guy with a lot of heifers to feed. It was late late "all season" hay so I didn't want to take a chance on burning down the barn.


----------



## JD3430

I feel very fortunate. I was able to make 60 dense 4x5's yesterday that I all but gave up on. The cut hay sat in the field for 5 days under mostly cloudy conditions, not cured enough to bale. Yesterday at about 12, the sun finally got out to about 90%. It warmed up and got breezy. I was able to bale at 19% with applicator. Made some really pretty soft green bales. 
Looks like I might be able to make 20 more this afternoon. 
And my football team won 38-0 on Friday night. 
Not a bad weekend.


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## haybaler101

Done. Unhooked big square baler and hooked up grain cart. Start shelling corn tomorrow.


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## SVFHAY

I baled 3 days in a row, Thursday to Saturday. I can't remember doing that more than once all season. Finished my 2nd the first 2 days and helped a friend on Saturday. 2 bandits did something like 2300 bale 2nd & 3rd, late start waiting for dry hay but the sun stuck with us and we baled till about 6:30. Not much daylight to get things gathered up this time of the year but got 3 semi loads hauled7 miles to get under roof.here before quitting time.

I didn't fertilize after 1st cut on my last acres and yield was very poor but it sure was easier to dry than his . His was heavy and highly fertilized and made a beautiful mixed grass crop but it was touch and go on if it would get fit with fickle late season weather . He made the right call but if the sun had 60 minutes behind the clouds mid afternoon it would have been a mess. Funny thing this hay makin gig.......why do people engage in a enterprise that takes so much capital, labor and land that can be ruined by something as simple as a few barren clouds?


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## Fowllife

I took a chanced and dropped some third last Tuesday & it didn't pan out. Tedded it out on Weds but we didn't have any good drying days until Friday. Dew didn't burn off Sat until around noon but they were calling for breezy & sunny so I raked it up. Tried baling at 5 but it was a no go.We got 6/10's on Saturday night & another 2/10's yesterday. Hopefully the field is dry enough to run the tedder over it again today and maybe bale on Weds?

Still have another field of third to cut yet too, I might wait and frost cut that one & try to wrap it.


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## Shetland Sheepdog

I had some rowen (second cutting of grass) about an inch from ready last week, and then came the rain! I had raked it before the rain hoping for less damage! So now, I'm trying to get it dry again! I thought we had a window through the end of the week, so I knocked down some more, but now the local station is saying possible rain Thursday! I'm hoping I can get the washed dry enough to bale tomorrow! Now NOAA is on board with the locals! NOAA says 30% chance of showers Thursday mainly between 3 PM & Midnight, then sunny and upper70s Friday through Sunday. Maybe I can save it!


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## FarmerCline

Figured I would be able to bale my sorghum/sudan this afternoon......had 3 days of good drying conditions and just needed 1 more but today turned out to be heavily overcast with rain showers uncomfortably close. There is a system out on the coast that was throwing showers farther west than expected but it is supposed to be cleared out by tomorrow with clear weather into the weekend so I should have plenty of time to get it up. It was unusually cold today as well, didn't get out of the upper 50s......that is thanksgiving weather.


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## slowzuki

Got a little excited with the discbine drove over to another farm I hayed in July, intended to drop 2 acres of mostly reed canary 2nd cut to make a few small squares for a horse client. Looked over the other fields and was shocked to see the regrowth of second cut. Dropped 20+ acres instead. I'm hoping it will make it with 6 dry days predicted. Getting dark early now.

The 2nd I did a couple of weeks ago I stacked around a small box fan to dry and left it running a week. Came out perfect. May try that again.


----------



## Vol

slowzuki said:


> The 2nd I did a couple of weeks ago I stacked around a small box fan to dry and left it running a week. Came out perfect. May try that again.


You have alot of faith in that box fan.....electrical wise to leave it unattended in a barn for a length of time....I hope for your sake it's not made in China.

Regards, Mike


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## R Ball

We have ~55 acres down. Hope to square bale Thursday and Friday. Weather looks good , just have to have sun to burn the dew off. Looks like there is quit a bit of grass for 3 cutting and alfalfa


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## slowzuki

Even more faith than that, it was in my shop next to where I sleep but not stacked in the pile, just next to it. Checked on it 4-5 times a day. We have 3 of these fans all 20+ years old, one has run for 4-5 months a year for its whole life. They fail from dust in the bearings, they will fail to start after that unless you disassemble and clean the bearings. They don't seem to burn up when they fail, maybe just a shaded pole motor as it has no brushes or centrifugal switches.



Vol said:


> You have alot of faith in that box fan.....electrical wise to leave it unattended in a barn for a length of time....I hope for your sake it's not made in China.
> 
> Regards, Mike


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## Chessiedog

Just a fine day .. TO Break a needle . Have about 80 acres mowed for the next few days . Borrowed friends rake so we could get a bunch raked faster and start baling earlier . Since dew is on till almost noon leaves small window for baling . Got all of 4 acres baled and busted a needle ! Of course it was 5 already another friend had a spare ,but if I was to go get it grab tools and put it on it would have been to late any ways .. Tomorrow ,Tomorrow , Tomorrow


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## Grateful11

slowzuki said:


> Even more faith than that, it was in my shop next to where I sleep but not stacked in the pile, just next to it. Checked on it 4-5 times a day. We have 3 of these fans all 20+ years old, one has run for 4-5 months a year for its whole life. They fail from dust in the bearings, they will fail to start after that unless you disassemble and clean the bearings. They don't seem to burn up when they fail, maybe just a shaded pole motor as it has no brushes or centrifugal switches.


The last couple of box fans we bought a few years ago to do some painting in the house were Lasko's that were made in the US. I just checked on Amazon and some of the Lasko Box fans are made here and some are now made in China. The new ones are about half the thickness of the old ones and weigh near nothing and come with little braces that go on the back bottom edge to keep it from falling over backwards.


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## DSLinc1017

Last week took a chance, baled 5 rounds with moisture in the 40's, Because rain was on its way in the AM. Left most of the field to get rained on with little hope of getting anything out of it. Planed on feeding out the wet ones to the sheep and alpacas... Next day. The weather forecast drastically changed from 80% rain to dry and sunny. Unrolled 3 of the 5 wet bales down the freshly mowed hill and tedded the hell out of it. Baled the rest of the 10 acres that day along with the tedded out rounds and ended up with some very nice 3rd cut. 
This week it's forcast 5 to 6 days of sun, So took down some really nice looking third cut. The yields look almost twice what the second was. Hoping this unexpected third will put me back in the black.


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## Bgriffin856

Getting silo ready for corn


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## ARD Farm

Well, I'm 2 rakes and a bale away from being done with the last 33. I've already serviced the discbine and tucked it into bed for the winter. This is dang nice looking hay (for a change). This year has been a bugger. for haying weather.


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## Grateful11

Bgriffin856 said:


> Getting silo ready for corn


Bgriffin856 is she a hand crank or electric winch? The 16x60' here is a hand crank. Spent quite a bit time back in the day taking turns cranking that Badger pack-drive up to the top. Hasn't been any silage in it since 2003.


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## haybaler101

Grateful11 said:


> Bgriffin856 is she a hand crank or electric winch? The 16x60' here is a hand crank. Spent quite a bit time back in the day taking turns cranking that Badger pack-drive up to the top. Hasn't been any silage in it since 2003.


most people used a half inch drill to pull up the hand winches. We adapted a hydraulic motor to ours and could pull up our 20 x 70's in 15 minutes. Grif, if u close those doors as you lower the unloaded, you don't have to climb it later to shut them.


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## sethd11

Chessiedog, if it makes you feel any better we had 30 acres to bale and the 565 slipped timing, plus the needle safety catch failed, and then I had 4 pieces of 2 needles. And rain in the forecast for the next day. That's what i call a series of unfortunate events. And only had one spare needle because I thought I could never break both at once.....


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## mlappin

Have 70 acres down, thinking about mowing another twenty today, supposed to have another week of sunshine, it will take all of it to get the next twenty dry with as saturated as the ground is. Will have ten left after that, but it has water running out of the woods across several places in the field.


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## slowzuki

Things are dry here, a 5 acre patch I plowed in 2012 I couldn't get the last acre or so disced because it was so wet the last 2 years, even during driest times of year there was water running out of the furrows. Excavator tried to get in to tile but couldn't even get near.

Yesterday I drove through the middle of it and only one tractor sized wet spot left. Going to lay some tile this weekend after baling.


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## DSLinc1017

sethd11 said:


> Chessiedog, if it makes you feel any better we had 30 acres to bale and the 565 slipped timing, plus the needle safety catch failed, and then I had 4 pieces of 2 needles. And rain in the forecast for the next day. That's what i call a series of unfortunate events. And only had one spare needle because I thought I could never break both at once.....


I liked your post only in fellow support, Not that I "liked" what happened!

How did the timing slip? Chain to loose? I lost a nut off of the needle release this season, but that just made the safety engage. and sheared a shear bolt.


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## sethd11

Chain was a little loose. Ended up taking a link out, should a known better but I was in a hurry this spring when I looked it all over. Then the spring was broke for the safety catch, which was nor broke this spring. Goes to show you can't catch it all.


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## FarmerCline

The rain shower we were not supposed to get yesterday evening turned into an all night slow rain and the sun that was supposed to have came out this morning just now showed itself for the first time since Monday evening. The hay has already molded since it stayed wet so long and has a soured smell. I don't know what I'm going to do with all this bad hay I have this year.....I have now put up more bad hay than I have good this year. It is too much work putting up square bales of hay just to give them away. It has been a really trying year this year......makes a person think twice about being in the hay business.


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## Bgriffin856

Right there with you FarmerCline coulda had alot of nice quality hay and other forages this year if the weather cooperated. I dont I guess I shouldnt piss and moan so much and be thankful for what I got.

Talked to our silo king dealer yesterday and he said alot of people are gonna be short on feed this year and some are just finishing first crop...


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## Bgriffin856

haybaler101 said:


> most people used a half inch drill to pull up the hand winches. We adapted a hydraulic motor to ours and could pull up our 20 x 70's in 15 minutes. Grif, if u close those doors as you lower the unloaded, you don't have to climb it later to shut them.





Grateful11 said:


> Bgriffin856 is she a hand crank or electric winch? The 16x60' here is a hand crank. Spent quite a bit time back in the day taking turns cranking that Badger pack-drive up to the top. Hasn't been any silage in it since 2003.


We use our Milwaukee to lower them when we fold them up or set them up to feed and use a bigger half inch drill to pull them up.

This is the 14x45 that we usually put oatlage and second crop in and I didnt feel like dealing with a dusty mess around the doors if I have to climb it when filling or when we go to feed out. Usually thats what I do though is close them as I feed.


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## deadmoose

FarmerCline said:


> The rain shower we were not supposed to get yesterday evening turned into an all night slow rain and the sun that was supposed to have came out this morning just now showed itself for the first time since Monday evening. The hay has already molded since it stayed wet so long and has a soured smell. I don't know what I'm going to do with all this bad hay I have this year.....I have now put up more bad hay than I have good this year. It is too much work putting up square bales of hay just to give them away. It has been a really trying year this year......makes a person think twice about being in the hay business.


Sounds like you need a few head of beef cattle. Feed your lowest quality to them and watch them turn it into beef and fertilizer.


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## FarmerCline

deadmoose said:


> Sounds like you need a few head of beef cattle. Feed your lowest quality to them and watch them turn it into beef and fertilizer.


 I agree....I have come to realize that if I'm going to be in the hay business it would minimize my losses if I could feed the hay that doesn't make the cut to sell as quality hay. Trouble is I don't have anywhere to keep cattle and can't locate any pasture to rent. I have also been told now is not a good time to get into cattle on account of the high prices.....but surely it would be better than having to almost give the hay away and lose money on it.


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## covenanthay

Last 20 acres down but can't get dry-fog and dew every morning. going to ted today so maybe go Sat or Sun.


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## FarmerCline

Another day that was supposed to be clear turned out overcast and it's even misting some. The hay isn't going to be any good for sure now.....wish I had a market for mushroom hay. I'm just glad I didn't cut any more than I did.


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## carcajou

FarmerCline said:


> The rain shower we were not supposed to get yesterday evening turned into an all night slow rain and the sun that was supposed to have came out this morning just now showed itself for the first time since Monday evening. The hay has already molded since it stayed wet so long and has a soured smell. I don't know what I'm going to do with all this bad hay I have this year.....I have now put up more bad hay than I have good this year. It is too much work putting up square bales of hay just to give them away. It has been a really trying year this year......makes a person think twice about being in the hay business.


I felt the same after last year. It just wore me down in the middle of the season. I ended up with over a 1000 below average to poor quality 5x6 rounds But last winter i sold 300, another 100 this week so at least i'm getting some of my costs back. Do you have a round baler? Someone always seems to buy them eventually if only for bedding or road construction.


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## deadmoose

Cline- what about composting them yourself? Then sell black dirt or use as fert. Giving away doesn't sound like the right thing...


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## FarmerCline

deadmoose said:


> Cline- what about composting them yourself? Then sell black dirt or use as fert. Giving away doesn't sound like the right thing...


 Would be more trouble than it would be worth for me. I have a few hundred round bales from 2 years ago that are composting themselves.....going to take a long time. Technically I wouldn't be giving it away but darn near close to it.

I no longer have a round baler due to the fact that I could not sell them for what it cost to make them......it would be nice to have one in a case like this but can't justify a round baler just for molded hay.


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## R Ball

Finishing up tomorrow. Currently at 5500 squares and approx 250-275 rd's. Will have maybe 200 sq's tomorrow. We could not have done it with the kuhn accumulator, good piece of equipment.

Oh , forgot to say I glad we are finishing up. Big thanks to my help.


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## slowzuki

Put up just shy of 700 bales of very nice 2nd cut yesterday and today. Thats the only hay that gets anywhere close to good money here. 5$ a bale hopefully.

Now hay season is done! I could wring another 1000 bales out of my other fields but my wife is about to wring me for haying after I said I was done.

Tomorrow is greasing and parking, replace tines, etc.


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## ARD Farm

I bailed a mere 110 on the big field and re-raked everything else. I'll be into it big time tomorrow, t he crew is online, a 5 guys. I ran 110 so they can get started whille I go bale the other field thats pre sold and the cistomer is picking it up.

By the time I get back (the other field is 2 miles from the big one), they will have the 110 picked up and in the barn and then I'll kick some butt and tak no prisoners. Everything is dry and double windrowed, just what my 575 likes.

As an aside, I put the weight on the actuator arm, instead of a wrist weight, I took a 5 pound chunk of die plate and milled a slot 1" deep and cross drilled and tapped it for a 3/8-16 setscrew that affixes it to the arm and viola, every bale is the same length. There are some good ideas on this site for sure.

I still have a smidgeon left in alfalfa that will need handled. I'd like to wait for a couple below freezing nights so the alfalfa becomes dormant before I cut it. Rule of thumb around here is you need 4-6 weeks of growth after cutting before frost so the alfalfa don't winter kill and I'm not going to have that so I'll wait, hopefully for some October Infian Summer after a couple below freezing nights.

Been a bear here with heavy dew and am fog. every day.

I think I'm going to retire my rotary rake this year and get a new one. The old girl is at least 50 years old and has thousands of acres under her wheels. I'll keep her for a spare and maybe doll her up with a new 5 gallon finish and some new U joints.


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## Bgriffin856

slowzuki said:


> Put up just shy of 700 bales of very nice 2nd cut yesterday and today. Thats the only hay that gets anywhere close to good money here. 5$ a bale hopefully.
> 
> Now hay season is done! I could wring another 1000 bales out of my other fields but my wife is about to wring me for haying after I said I was done.
> 
> Tomorrow is greasing and parking, replace tines, etc.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> IMG_2429.JPG


Looks nice Slow. I'd be making as much as I could if it were me.....gotta listen to the boss i guess


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## Bgriffin856

Baled 125 before the 337 acted up. Even with short days and heavy dew and cool temps this is the best haying weather all summer....zero clouds and low humidity that really dries hay quick. Not to mention dry ground. All the rain has missed us or disipated before it got here have only had an inch to inch and a half since mid august. ..reduced second crop on ground that had first off in early august. Didn't even mess with any from the late first cutting wasnt enough there to justify fuel costs. Might chop it in October



As far as we made it for the day


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## FarmerCline

slowzuki said:


> Put up just shy of 700 bales of very nice 2nd cut yesterday and today. Thats the only hay that gets anywhere close to good money here. 5$ a bale hopefully.
> 
> Now hay season is done! I could wring another 1000 bales out of my other fields but my wife is about to wring me for haying after I said I was done.
> 
> Tomorrow is greasing and parking, replace tines, etc.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> IMG_2429.JPG


 I would jump at the opportunity to put another 1000 bales in the barn......especially nice, soft 2nd cut grass. No point in leaving profit on the table.


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## slowzuki

I've got no help right now. My sister and I loaded the 700 on the wagons yesterday after she got home from work, great fun in the dark and mosquitos. Short on wagons too, some out at clients waiting to be unloaded, broke one in half loading firewood on it (oops) and some parked with hay waiting for clients barns to have room.

Edit not quite fair, my dad helped rake today but his back can't take turning around to watch baler.



FarmerCline said:


> I would jump at the opportunity to put another 1000 bales in the barn......especially nice, soft 2nd cut grass. No point in leaving profit on the table.


----------



## Dill

Ive got some really thin 2nd to bale today. I mowed it friday at noon, could have baled it yesterday at noon. We never get in the 80s for mutiple days this time of year. Especially during the fair here in town. Its always cold and rainy. Nothing like the heaviest traffic weekend for the year combined with everyone of us who hays moving at the same time. I don't think the cops need the usual out of towners speed traps.


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## slowzuki

Some of the loads from yesterday.


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## ARD Farm

I see you too have an affinity for repurposed forage wagon running gear.....

They make great hayracks and scrapping the boxes almost pays for the building materials.


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## slowzuki

I suppose they could be used for that, just an 8 ton and 12 ton running gear with racks. I really like those type gears with 21 to 24 ft racks. Good sized tires help in our wet ground. We have 7 or 8 of them now. Want 3 more.


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## JD3430

Nice day yesterday and some shots from last weekend


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## mlappin

covenanthay said:


> Last 20 acres down but can't get dry-fog and dew every morning. going to ted today so maybe go Sat or Sun.


 Same here, taking till noon or one to get the dew off, then it's getting dark by 7:30. Only have 5 or 6 hours of actual drying a day and once you rake it forget the drying just seems to stop. Ted, ted again and ted some more.


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## mlappin

I hate doing anything under high power lines, humidity gets high enough and every time you touch something metal, zap.


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## DSLinc1017

Baled up some very nice 3rd cut this afternoon, 3 very small fields, around 4 acres worth, 90 smalls and 6 rounds total. Not much but it's something! Didn't include the few rounds of wet wood line bales that will be fed out tomorrow. 
If the weather holds might have to tackle more.


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## ARD Farm

I'm done as of an hour ago. Never let forage lay an entire week but had to with the every morning heavy dew and persistent fog.

It's all in the barn, crew did their usual good job. Time to put equipment to bed for the winter (maintenance, grease, minor repairs and change the fluids and filters on the tractors and plug in the battery tenders for the winter. Glad it's done and hope next year is better than this one was.

I'll start offing it after the snow flies, at least the part I don't need.


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## ARD Farm

FarmerCline said:


> I would jump at the opportunity to put another 1000 bales in the barn......especially nice, soft 2nd cut grass. No point in leaving profit on the table.


Yes there is, it's hunting time (at least for me). I have the itch to be in the woods.


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## dubltrubl

We finally had a chance to make some hay last week. Got 1000 squares and 65 rounds put up. Was more mature than we like, but no one complained since hay is gettin scarce in these parts with the wet weather. weekend before last I heard the local weatherman say we've had rain 49 of the last 100 days. Hard to get a 3-4 day haying window with that kind of weather. They also said we've had 3 times the normal rainfall amount for the month of August, which is historically our driest month. Going into 3rd cut now (should be finished with it by now in a normal year) and hoping to get a 100 more rounds and another 1000 or so squares. Customers are starting to get ansy now with winter approaching. Finally been able to move some rounds too. Made a deal to sell 150 to a local cattle guy that hasn't been able to make his own hay due to the weather. Supposed to pick it up this coming week. Sure hope he comes through cuz I'm round bale rich right now.

Best of luck to everyone!!!

Regards,

Steve


----------



## somedevildawg

dubltrubl said:


> We finally had a chance to make some hay last week. Got 1000 squares and 65 rounds put up. Was more mature than we like, but no one complained since hay is gettin scarce in these parts with the wet weather. weekend before last I heard the local weatherman say we've had rain 49 of the last 100 days. Hard to get a 3-4 day haying window with that kind of weather. They also said we've had 3 times the normal rainfall amount for the month of August, which is historically our driest month. Going into 3rd cut now (should be finished with it by now in a normal year) and hoping to get a 100 more rounds and another 1000 or so squares. Customers are starting to get ansy now with winter approaching. Finally been able to move some rounds too. Made a deal to sell 150 to a local cattle guy that hasn't been able to make his own hay due to the weather. Supposed to pick it up this coming week. Sure hope he comes through cuz I'm round bale rich right now.
> Best of luck to everyone!!!
> Regards,
> Steve


Good for you steve, been a struggle here as well......


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## 8350HiTech

FarmerCline said:


> Would be more trouble than it would be worth for me. I have a few hundred round bales from 2 years ago that are composting themselves.....going to take a long time. Technically I wouldn't be giving it away but darn near close to it.
> 
> I no longer have a round baler due to the fact that I could not sell them for what it cost to make them......it would be nice to have one in a case like this but can't justify a round baler just for molded hay.


Pay someone to do it.

I try to explain this to some guys at the hay auction semi-regularly, but it usually falls on deaf ears. Obviously every local hay market will be different, but here anyway... If you bale poor quality small squares, you can barely give them away. You had to do the work - time, wear and tear, fuel, frustration - and still, can barely give it away. Nobody wants crappy hay in a small bale because its best use is beef cows or mulch. They want ease. Big bales, round or square. So it is often the case that someone would be further ahead to pay $20-30 per ton to get it baled. You'll actually get more for your hay and you don't even have to leave your couch on baling day. But, as is often the case, these guys response to me is something along the lines "I own that square baler and I'm gonna use it, hell or high water!" I counter with "Good for you, but if you actually do the math, you might want to rethink that." And I leave it to them to keep losing money if they'd like.


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## FarmerCline

8350HiTech said:


> Pay someone to do it.
> I try to explain this to some guys at the hay auction semi-regularly, but it usually falls on deaf ears. Obviously every local hay market will be different, but here anyway... If you bale poor quality small squares, you can barely give them away. You had to do the work - time, wear and tear, fuel, frustration - and still, can barely give it away. Nobody wants crappy hay in a small bale because its best use is beef cows or mulch. They want ease. Big bales, round or square. So it is often the case that someone would be further ahead to pay $20-30 per ton to get it baled. You'll actually get more for your hay and you don't even have to leave your couch on baling day. But, as is often the case, these guys response to me is something along the lines "I own that square baler and I'm gonna use it, hell or high water!" I counter with "Good for you, but if you actually do the math, you might want to rethink that." And I leave it to them to keep losing money if they'd like.


 No one does custom work around here.....heck I doubt I could get someone to round bale it if I was giving them the hay. I baled the stuff yesterday just to get it off the field before it got wet again today. It was black and molded and was still a bit too damp to bale yet but I was sick and tired of tedding it and I wanted to be through with it. Believe me, if I could have hired someone to round bale it I would have done so before I had to pick up all those bales myself. I disagree with the fact that the hay would have been worth more in a round bale......either way it would be rotting in a pile in the woods.


----------



## deadmoose

ARD Farm said:


> I'm done as of an hour ago. Never let forage lay an entire week but had to with the every morning heavy dew and persistent fog.
> 
> It's all in the barn, crew did their usual good job. Time to put equipment to bed for the winter (maintenance, grease, minor repairs and change the fluids and filters on the tractors and plug in the battery tenders for the winter. Glad it's done and hope next year is better than this one was.
> 
> I'll start offing it after the snow flies, at least the part I don't need.


Does your hay help work in your machine shop? If not what do they do? Be very thankful. Good help like you keep speaking of is VERY hard to find. You did something right to find and keep them around.


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## Bgriffin856

Baled up 150 small squares and 8 4x4 rounds yesterday. I was very surprised at yeild. That'll be it for dry hay this year. Might bale up some soybean straw from the neighbor if its nice when they are combining.

Left alot for grazing and some to chop if there is room in the silo after corn or to greenchop


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## Bgriffin856

haybaler101 said:


> most people used a half inch drill to pull up the hand winches. We adapted a hydraulic motor to ours and could pull up our 20 x 70's in 15 minutes. Grif, if u close those doors as you lower the unloaded, you don't have to climb it later to shut them.





Bgriffin856 said:


> We use our Milwaukee to lower them when we fold them up or set them up to feed and use a bigger half inch drill to pull them up.
> This is the 14x45 that we usually put oatlage and second crop in and I didnt feel like dealing with a dusty mess around the doors if I have to climb it when filling or when we go to feed out. Usually thats what I do though is close them as I feed.


Take that back we use a 3/4 inch drill to lift them. The 12x35 and 16x50 have patz winches (starline and vandale unloaders) and the 14x45 has a Hanson winch. The patz are nice because they are geared lower so raising them up is easier but takes a bit longer


----------



## mlappin

Well what was supposed to be a sunny and warm day was instead overcast and cool, I had a insulated flannel shirt on and light gloves to ted hay this morning. Highly doubt it will be dry tomorrow, rain either Thursday morning or Thursday after 2 depending on what genius's you listen to. Have 18 acres to bale and 20 gallons of hay guard left. May end up wrapping it instead even though technically it's too dry to wrap but just a little too wet for the Hayguard. Seems the last 70 acres or so just can't get the last point or two out no matter how many times it's tedded. Have baled a lot at the 19-20% mark.

Something else a lot of people are running into the last week or so, once it's raked the drying stops, period. The surface might dry a little more, but what's not exposed to the sun and wind stays wet.


----------



## Tim/South

It has been dry here all summer, has not rained in six weeks. Hay has dried up. I am going to cut some bottom land that is rank, just trying to get the numbers up to feed the cows. Yields have been half of normal all year. I am cutting 107 more acres than last summer. I am 63 rolls short of where I was last year. One Bahia field crunches when you walk over it.

I talked to a friend tonight and he is paying $10 per roll for standing grass to cut and bale.

I have 40 acres of smaller fields to cut and I will be through. Began feeding hay today on one pasture. It is supposed to rain here Thursday and Friday.

Last summer it rained at least twice a week.


----------



## FarmerCline

Bgriffin856 said:


> Baled up 150 small squares and 8 4x4 rounds yesterday. I was very surprised at yeild. That'll be it for dry hay this year. Might bale up some soybean straw from the neighbor if its nice when they are combining.
> Left alot for grazing and some to chop if there is room in the silo after corn or to greenchop


 I have never heard of baling soybean straw. What is it used for?


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## ARD Farm

mlappin said:


> Well what was supposed to be a sunny and warm day was instead overcast and cool, I had a insulated flannel shirt on and light gloves to ted hay this morning. Highly doubt it will be dry tomorrow, rain either Thursday morning or Thursday after 2 depending on what genius's you listen to. Have 18 acres to bale and 20 gallons of hay guard left. May end up wrapping it instead even though technically it's too dry to wrap but just a little too wet for the Hayguard. Seems the last 70 acres or so just can't get the last point or two out no matter how many times it's tedded. Have baled a lot at the 19-20% mark.
> 
> Something else a lot of people are running into the last week or so, once it's raked the drying stops, period. The surface might dry a little more, but what's not exposed to the sun and wind stays wet.


Your weather and my weather is the same, I just get it about 6 hours after you do. Cold and miserable here but nothing compared th what it will be like in 60 days


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## ARD Farm

deadmoose said:


> Does your hay help work in your machine shop? If not what do they do? Be very thankful. Good help like you keep speaking of is VERY hard to find. You did something right to find and keep them around.


No, they don't I have one regular employee and he's a tool and die maker, not a hay puter awayer..... Most of what gets produced shopwise, the two of us do. Some stuff I sub contract out like all the laser cutting. I can't justify a $750,000.00 machine when open time is available elsewhere. We do 3 axis CNC Plasma in shop, the price of admission I can handle and all the the machining and fabrication, TIG Mig and pulsed MIG and some SMAW, all the shearing bending and the usual machining ops.

None of the 'crew' works for me directly. It's a group of 4 sometimes 5 men in their mid 30's and they all know each other but most don't work together except for me. I pay them per bale on an agreed price ahead of time, usually buy them dinner and I know their families too. Been doing this, with them for a while now. All regular 'Joe's' but they all work at manual labor jobs so they are all in good shape and have chucked hay long enough to know how without killing themselves.

Not a religious personn but I thank The Lord they work for me with no issue. Good help is non existent around here today (If you want kids instead of mature adullts).

Amy (my wife) and I were talking about that, this morning. My machine counter and their bale count differed. They said there were 15 more bales than the counter said there were. I'm not gonna argue, I just paid the extra 15 and called it good. If they have said there was 50 extra, I'd srill not argue and pay up. I know I can't do better than what I have now....and a whole lot worse... a lot.

I think if I lost them, I'd quit the hay business entirely. They make it easy because I never look in the barn at all except the next day. All laid in, neatly interlocked, just like always.

I was home and sitting and typing on here on Sunday while they were still putting it away. Nice to have good knowledgable help. I had a couple damp bales (even though I basically cut on Monday morning and didn't bale until the following Sunday, the RH was wicked all week and heavy dew every night. The 3 damp bales got set aside and put on top later on, nit at my discretion, but at theirs. I didnn't even know any were damp until I came in from baling, I just thought they missed picking them up,

I'm real lucky in respect of help.


----------



## ARD Farm

So, yep, I'm done for the most part other than a little 3.5 acre chunk of alfalfa that needs to be processed but that will have to wait for a kill frost before I even think about doing anything to it.


----------



## ARD Farm

FarmerCline said:


> I have never heard of baling soybean straw. What is it used for?


3 years ago during the drought here, we bailed soybeans with the pods on the stalk........


----------



## mlappin

FarmerCline said:


> I have never heard of baling soybean straw. What is it used for?


I've bought it at the auctions before, set it in the woods with the ideal the cows would use it for bedding, they ate over 3/4's of it, when they stopped eating most of it I switched to corn stover bales, when they quite eating that I switched back to bean stover. They also had hay free choice. This was before I had the vertical TMR wagon.


----------



## Fowllife

FarmerCline said:


> I have never heard of baling soybean straw. What is it used for?


I would think most of it gets used for bedding. Some dairys will use it for roughage in their feed ration also though.


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## Leggupfarms

Well this should be it for hay this season unless I get really overzealous and try and do a little balage to end the year. Got 673 square bales and 11 5x4 rounds off a 2nd/3rd cutting alfalfa field. Had a nice stretch of dry breezy days and it dried it out pretty good. Had the inline baler and old New Holland 276 working overtime. Brought in the JD 435 to finish it up. Only problem was the one kicker wagon blew a tire when it hit a ground hog hole with 160 bales on it. I'll take care of the ground hog later this week. Got wagon fixed and the hay under roof before it poured the next day. That was good timing.


----------



## slowzuki

I forgot to mention we had a wagon come loose when we were finishing up, it was the hay basket. The safety pin got knocked out apparently then the pin was pushed out and as I was going up a hill to turn around I see the hay basket half full heading backwards down the hill into the woods.

Got it pulled out, no damage. Pin had fallen back into the tongue so was quite confused at first but found mark in ground where the ride started.


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## Colby

Planting oats in the morning till 2 or so then baling till 5 then going hunting has been the schedule here.


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## ARD Farm

Something about hunting winds down the season for me and I'll come down anytine and eliminate wood hogs for anyone. I have a wicked Savage in 17HMR that loves wood hogs,

We have a big songdog issue here. Soon as the corn and beans are off and we have some snow cover, yours truely will be under a sheet with the electronic caller and my 308 with some 165 Sierra Gamekings over 335 Hodgdon. Pelts are bringing a good penny here and my wife has been loosing barn cats. So bad they are getting in the garbage lately.


----------



## discbinedr

Songdog??


----------



## Vol

discbinedr said:


> Songdog??


Coyote.

Regards, Mike


----------



## JD3430

We didnt have any evidence of coyotes here as recently as 10 yrs ago. 
One of my customers neighbors trapped 3 of them this summer. 
They're all over the place now.


----------



## DSLinc1017

slowzuki said:


> I forgot to mention we had a wagon come loose when we were finishing up, it was the hay basket. The safety pin got knocked out apparently then the pin was pushed out and as I was going up a hill to turn around I see the hay basket half full heading backwards down the hill into the woods.
> 
> Got it pulled out, no damage. Pin had fallen back into the tongue so was quite confused at first but found mark in ground where the ride started.


I've started to use these pins that have a safety that makes them look like a diaper pin. I have to many hills here to worry about. A friend lost two hay wagons filled this summer over an embankment. Hay is still scattered down one of the hill sides along with the wagon, total loss.


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## JD3430

I put a safety chain on my EZ trail bale basket. Good thing I did, too. Pulled a load from field to barn with my truck only to discover I had lost pin on thea way and chain saved my ass.


----------



## deadmoose

JD3430 said:


> I put a safety chain on my EZ trail bale basket. Good thing I did, too. Pulled a load from field to barn with my truck only to discover I had lost pin on thea way and chain saved my ass.


Towing home a couple of new to him implements my brother had a pin go loose. Ruh roh! It went past truck into the ditch. No harm no foul. Came out like nothing. BUT what if? Biker hiker runner etc? Since then we use locking pins.

Cheapest insurance ever bought. They are not coming unlocked.


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## deadmoose

http://www.doublehh.com/products.cfm?catID=6


----------



## mlappin

We use something similar to the Lockeaze, especially on our fertilizer spreader. For the absolute can't loose pin, on the bigger ones for the disc, grain cart, coulter cart the hitch pins for those are big enough we can use a grade eight 1/4" bolt with either a locknut or double nutted.


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## mlappin

Baled another twenty yesterday, last of it played around in the 16% to 24% range, used more HayGuard in the last 70 acres than I have in two years.

I'm just disgusted enough with making hay now the last ten may not even get mowed a second time this year. If I do I might hold off and just plan on making it green while we have a wrapper here for wrapping corn stover bales.

Still about a hundred bales short for the year though, even though the last building got pretty close to full. Now have to rearrange a bunch o stuff to make room to park.


----------



## Vol

deadmoose said:


> http://www.doublehh.com/products.cfm?catID=6


They look very reliable moose.....I use these alot....so far so good.http://www.ruralking.com/speeco-7-8-x-6-double-lok-locking-hitch-pin-70044200.html?utm_medium=cpc&utm_source=google&utm_content=066990329&CAWELAID=1624254947&CAGPSPN=pla&gclid=COjO-bK5kMECFeJF7AodzHEAlQ

Regards, Mike


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## ARD Farm

mlappin said:


> Baled another twenty yesterday, last of it played around in the 16% to 24% range, used more HayGuard in the last 70 acres than I have in two years.
> 
> I'm just disgusted enough with making hay now the last ten may not even get mowed a second time this year. If I do I might hold off and just plan on making it green while we have a wrapper here for wrapping corn stover bales.
> 
> Still about a hundred bales short for the year though, even though the last building got pretty close to full. Now have to rearrange a bunch o stuff to make room to park.


Not sure 'I like' your post, however, your weather is my weather and it's cold and damp this morning. More to come I suspect and soon. My joints feel like they need some alemite fittings and a good greasing.... Bet you are having a hard time after getting slammed around in that rear ender.


----------



## ARD Farm

JD3430 said:


> We didnt have any evidence of coyotes here as recently as 10 yrs ago.
> One of my customers neighbors trapped 3 of them this summer.
> They're all over the place now.


Sometimes, it's hard to tell, especially if you are near a metropolitan area. People turn unwanted dogs loose 'in the country' all the time, instead of doing the right thing and taking them to the humane society/animal shelter, they 'assume' wrongly that the animals will be 'adopted' by some good farmer, when in fact, they get shot or pack up. Here, songdogs can be generational or domestic packs, both dangerous to live stock and humans and around here we eliminate on sight.

It's a big problem here, just north of Toldeo, Ohio. People, seem to be irresponsible when it comes to pets. We have had numerous dogs 'dropped off' in front of the farm. We even had Rhodesian Ridgeback tied to our mailbox post, we found one morning. Also found a good rural home for a very expensive dog that some heartless person discarded. Domestic pets can't control what srupid owners do. The Ridgeback would have lasted a short time normally and got shot but my wife knew what it was right away. Huge dogs, like a Dane but dimensionally larger. Vety friendly though.

Every dog (and cat) we have were cast off strays. We can't take in every one (we'd like to but it's overwhelming).

Domesticated pets suffer at the hands of stupid owners. They can't talk, wish they could.


----------



## mlappin

ARD Farm said:


> Not sure 'I like' your post, however, your weather is my weather and it's cold and damp this morning. More to come I suspect and soon. My joints feel like they need some alemite fittings and a good greasing.... Bet you are having a hard time after getting slammed around in that rear ender.


Did you get that three inches of rain too? Actually more like 3 1/2" when it was all done.

Not to bad on the getting around as long as I'm on my feet and can stand straight up. Worked on the corn head the other day with Dad and leaning over it for any amount of time quickly became a big no-no. Sitting ain't working either, lower back starts to scream then it spreads to my hips and legs. Back to the doctor Monday for x-rays to see whats going on. Might have slipped a disc or something resulting in spinal stenosis.

I can't see harvest being a fun experience this year with sitting being a problem.

Would take the steroids and muscle relaxers in the AM after breakfast then by noon or two filch some of the wife's vicadin. Before the whole cup holder debate fires up, they were only 325's, last time I had 325's I told the pharmacist to just skip the bottle and put em in a pez dispenser. 500's work a little better, only need to double the dose on those. Get it from Dad, after a hip or knee surgery they had him on oxycotin and another pain killer at the same time, one or the other don't work.



ARD Farm said:


> Every dog (and cat) we have were cast off strays. We can't take in every one (we'd like to but it's overwhelming).
> 
> Domesticated pets suffer at the hands of stupid owners. They can't talk, wish they could.


The wife is a soft touch. Have that damn feline leukemia around the farm now from somebody's pet know, it wasn't a stray as it still had a flea collar on. Head to TSC and buy the stuff to vaccinate any kittens we can find before they turn into mean little buggers.


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## ARD Farm

Our vet bills are stupid. My pup (7years old) has sugar and gets 30 units of Humilin N twice a day. She went blind in one eye (cataracts) from the sugar and is on a special diet plus she has to go in 2 times a month for a glucose scan and accupuncture because she's prone to siezures... She's my kid so it's a about a grand a month, I don't care. She can't take care of herself and she'd die from kidney/liver failure without insulin. At least you don't need a prescription for insulin for a canine but the cost is high, over a hundred bucks for a bottle.

I understand why people who have diabetic dogs usually put them down.

We never knew. I knew something was up last summer and fall when I was training for a New Mexico hunt. She walked 5 miles everyday with me though fields and down roads and kept gaining weight. She's supposed to weigh about 80 pounds and she was at 130 when I took her in to the vet. They ran some tests and her sugar was at almost 1000. The vet was amazed she was actually able to function so, we started in with the insulin and diet. Problem is, unlike a human, a dog can't talk and tell you somthing's wrong and she always acted ok even though she wasn't ok. She's a mutt, I don't care. Whatever it takes. She's below 200 now. Weighs 81 pounds and is her firsky self. She won't live to be very old, maybe 10 but it will be a good 10. She has one good eye but an excellent nose. Far as she is concerned, nothing is wrong. I'm not gonna tell her either.

I have a big soft spot for animals, especially dogs. Cats, not so much. My wife likes cats (I think we have about 30 in the barns and a couple less than complete ones in the house), including an orange one that some bastard shot and left for dead under our pine trees. He has 3 legs and some lead next to his heart. Too close to remove. He likes 2 people, my wife and I. Thats it.

The Vet really likes us, every month. Between the steeers and my wife's Percherons, the dogs and the cats, I think we support the local vet.

In a lighter note (sort of) we got a lot of rain, it rained last night and today it's cool, maybe 50. I've moved the back 4 acres back and forth a couple times now, it's all grass anyway. If it ever dries, I'll roll it up and feed it to our stock..... Least it's not alfalfa. There is a guy on the other side of town that had/has alfalfa down and it's black....... been moving ot back and forth too, I've been onserving. I have a 9 acre field of alfalfa I did not cut. I'm going to wait until we get a couple below freezing periods to remder it dormant and the cut it, even if it's in December. I'll need it for the stock, I'm afraid.

I just buy over the counter Motrin 100's for my arthritic joints (I have it in my hands pretty bad). I take 4 at a time usually. Rumatoid Arthrits runs in the family and I have it too.. Never really had an issue until I passed 60 and then it was all decidedly downhill.

Never been rearended by another vehicle, but I've seen simulations with dummies and they really get thrown around, even with lap and shoulder belts on. I can understand why you are hurting.


----------



## mlappin

ARD Farm said:


> Never been rear ended by another vehicle, but I've seen simulations with dummies and they really get thrown around, even with lap and shoulder belts on. I can understand why you are hurting.


Yep, was a pretty good hit as we both had our seat belts on but the dashboard still exploded.


----------



## JD3430

ARD Farm said:


> Sometimes, it's hard to tell, especially if you are near a metropolitan area. People turn unwanted dogs loose 'in the country' all the time, instead of doing the right thing and taking them to the humane society/animal shelter, they 'assume' wrongly that the animals will be 'adopted' by some good farmer, when in fact, they get shot or pack up. Here, songdogs can be generational or domestic packs, both dangerous to live stock and humans and around here we eliminate on sight.
> 
> It's a big problem here, just north of Toldeo, Ohio. People, seem to be irresponsible when it comes to pets. We have had numerous dogs 'dropped off' in front of the farm. We even had Rhodesian Ridgeback tied to our mailbox post, we found one morning. Also found a good rural home for a very expensive dog that some heartless person discarded. Domestic pets can't control what srupid owners do. The Ridgeback would have lasted a short time normally and got shot but my wife knew what it was right away. Huge dogs, like a Dane but dimensionally larger. Vety friendly though.
> 
> Every dog (and cat) we have were cast off strays. We can't take in every one (we'd like to but it's overwhelming).
> 
> Domesticated pets suffer at the hands of stupid owners. They can't talk, wish they could.


No sir, these were coyotes. 
He had livestock attacked by them. 
Coyotes have a specific way of killing prey.
They run along side them and crush their windpipes, while dogs run prey down from behind. 
His sheep exhibited coyote side bites to the throat.


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## Grateful11

Last cut is on the ground.


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## SwingOak

I'm done. We had a perfect week for making hay at the end of September. It was dry, temps in the 80's, good wind - and I was in Maine fly fishing. Didn't matter anyway, I'd already cut everything earlier in the month and lost about half of it. I sold too much hay also, and now we have to buy another 100 bales to get through to next summer. But that's mostly because we now have four horses instead of two which (obviously) doubled our usage.


----------



## Grateful11

Sounds like us SwingOak but we didn't sell any just weren't able to make enough to carry us until Spring. Last year we carried over 70 4x4 rounds but not this year. Wife and I went and looked at some hay the other day and the guy said it was first cutting so we figured no Johnsongrass at least not headed out, some of the bales looked like they were all JG. We asked him when he made his first cutting and he said the first week of August, Geez. Probably going to need 40-60 bales.


----------



## ARD Farm

JD3430 said:


> No sir, these were coyotes.
> He had livestock attacked by them.
> Coyotes have a specific way of killing prey.
> They run along side them and crush their windpipes, while dogs run prey down from behind.
> His sheep exhibited coyote side bites to the throat.


Soon as the crops are off... whenever that is..... We will be out there with the electronic calls and capable rifles. Hard to call in and kill with row crops and song dogs are smart. They learn real quick.


----------



## 8350HiTech

Grateful11 said:


> Sounds like us SwingOak but we didn't sell any just weren't able to make enough to carry us until Spring. Last year we carried over 70 4x4 rounds but not this year. Wife and I went and looked at some hay the other day and the guy said it was first cutting so we figured no Johnsongrass at least not headed out, some of the bales looked like they were all JG. We asked him when he made his first cutting and he said the first week of August, Geez. Probably going to need 40-60 bales.


That'll teach you to ask more questions next time! So many people have different definitions of everything, I ask plenty of questions and tell most people no before I ever go look at stuff.


----------



## Grateful11

8350HiTech said:


> That'll teach you to ask more questions next time! So many people have different definitions of everything, I ask plenty of questions and tell most people no before I ever go look at stuff.


My wife dealt with him. She asked plenty of questions except the actual first cutting "date". It was a Craigslist deal, guy didn't know it but I was packing while we were there. I don't trust some of these whackos, especially when they won't give you the actual address but have you meet them at one place and follow them to another place.

Believe me if he would have said his first cutting was the first week of Aug. we would never have went. There's no JG here because my late FIL took care of it right away and we're glad he did.

Anyway there's a woman at church that has an ad in the NC Ag. Review for hay for sale. We tried to call her but couldn't get her, found out she's in NY until this afternoon. She's a tough old bird, been farming all her whole life now in her 70's. Her bull knocked her off her 4 wheeler about month ago, didn't even phase her. She has Fescue for $35 and $40 a bale, gonna check it out.


----------



## JD3430

ARD Farm said:


> Soon as the crops are off... whenever that is..... We will be out there with the electronic calls and capable rifles. Hard to call in and kill with row crops and song dogs are smart. They learn real quick.


I think you have to trap them.


----------



## deadmoose

JD3430 said:


> I think you have to trap them.


????

40 grains traps em real nice around here. I have never hunted yotes but know a few.that do. A high powered 22 cal like a 22-250 222 or 223 seem to do real well.


----------



## IHCman

Tomorrow I plan to cut 40 acres of CRP that came out oct 1st. I planned to cut it the 1st but rain and cold weather have delayed me. Didn't look to bad before the frost. Still nice and green then, but was just by it today and can definitely tell it froze hard the other night. Also have some cattails to bale up on some farmground that a neighbor asked me to clean up for him. Then I should be done haying for the year finally.


----------



## JD3430

JD3430 said:


> I think you have to trap them.


Sorry, I meant to say in MY area you usually trap them. Too many homes around to be popping off .300 Winchester mags. 
Buckshot might work good.thats what I'd use if you catch them in the trash cans.


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## Bgriffin856

Been chopping corn


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## Lewis Ranch

Not been the best week around here, had my 14 wheel high-cap rake stolen out of the field sometime between Monday at lunch and yesterday around 3:30 On top of having to replace the bearings in the bottom roller on the sp which is a complete pita!


----------



## somedevildawg

Damn it Lewis.....I hate to hear that, I hope they catch the sorry piece of crap(s), I hate a thief.....problem is, if they do catch em, and I doubt they will, it's probably in Utah by now, there won't be much of a penalty and something tells me this won't be the first time said individual has been caught doing a similar crime....throw their ass in jail and throw away the key......the hopeless feeling that your ass may never get out may do em some good, if they've had a good stint in the institution, I see no reason why they can't get out after say 25-30 yrs, IF........

Sorry to hear about your loss, hopefully it was insured.....


----------



## ARD Farm

On a lighter note......

I think I've moved my 'high mileage hay' the last time. One more day of sun and I'll roll it up.....

Glad it's just grass., cut it 2 weeks ago. Been rained on at least 4 times....................


----------



## somedevildawg

If it was, I'll offer my suggestion as a replacement......


----------



## ARD Farm

JD3430 said:


> I think you have to trap them.


Maybe out your way (trap them). Here we give them a lead breakfast. 55 grain spire point or V-Max polymer tip.and it's open season anytime, but the best time is first snow with no crops, layout blind and white sheet........


----------



## Lewis Ranch

somedevildawg said:


> If it was, I'll offer my suggestion as a replacement......


I don't think we have smooth enough ground here for one of those!


----------



## sethd11

Dang Lewis, hope it was insured! Guess its time for a new one....wether you wanted to or not.


----------



## swmnhay

DONE FINALY


----------



## Lewis Ranch

sethd11 said:


> Dang Lewis, hope it was insured! Guess its time for a new one....wether you wanted to or not.


It's insured but it takes them two weeks to pay I told them this hay can't wait but luckily the neighbor had one I could borrow. It was a 2010' model so it was still in decent shape, I've been eying a rake baler combination on craigslist but they sure are high!


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

I ain't done, but I don't think I'm gonna do any more!


----------



## Colby

Lewis Ranch said:


> It's insured but it takes them two weeks to pay I told them this hay can't wait but luckily the neighbor had one I could borrow. It was a 2010' model so it was still in decent shape, I've been eying a rake baler combination on craigslist but they sure are high!


Won't regret it I promise!


----------



## Colby

Shetland Sheepdog said:


> I ain't done, but I don't think I'm gonna do any more!


Same position here. Could make another 300 bales but we already have 500 more rolls than what we need.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

On a better note I sent out 4 loads today. Things are starting to slow down around here though, equipment should be in the barn within the next two weeks weather permitting.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Colby said:


> Won't regret it I promise!


http://www.fastline.com/v100/HS-14-WHEEL-RAKE-Coufal-Prater-Equipment,-LTD-BRYAN-TX-equipment-detail-f9bdc3b3-0912-4b4a-8378-f5a53b601fc2.aspx 
Don't know what kind of shape it's in but sure enough cheaper than a rake tractor and operator.


----------



## DSLinc1017

So... What constitutes being done with hay season? I've been done bailing for a few weeks. I guess I'm done! Well..... Spent a good part of yesterday blowing out and eventually carefully preasure washing my small square baler. Today i spent another few hours inspecting, and cataloging what I will need to do to her for next year. greesed and oiled it up but good, towed it down the road to one of my barns for a nice winters nap. 
That part of hay season. DONE! Next week. The round baler... 
But wait... I still need to soil test a few fields, get fert and lime down..... Perhaps get some no till OG in.

Then I'm done... 
Oh wait, Then theres trying to figure out how to convince the wife that the haybine is on its last leg and a discbine is the only answer....

Is hay season ever really over?


----------



## ARD Farm

...and trips to dealerships perusing equipment...... Boys and their toys....


----------



## Bgriffin856

The drier weather is a bit too late....corn yeild suffered greatly. Some is half of what it normally is and a few scattered spots that shoulda been normal. Not gonna have enough for 12 months. ...

Sure makes a big difference using a bigger tractor on the blower. Alot easier on the ears listening to a six cylinders compared to four






You dont realize how much it takes to fill a silo till you have poor yeilds


----------



## Bgriffin856

DSLinc1017 said:


> So... What constitutes being done with hay season? I've been done bailing for a few weeks. I guess I'm done! Well..... Spent a good part of yesterday blowing out and eventually carefully preasure washing my small square baler. Today i spent another few hours inspecting, and cataloging what I will need to do to her for next year. greesed and oiled it up but good, towed it down the road to one of my barns for a nice winters nap.
> That part of hay season. DONE! Next week. The round baler...
> But wait... I still need to soil test a few fields, get fert and lime down..... Perhaps get some no till OG in.
> Then I'm done...
> Oh wait, Then theres trying to figure out how to convince the wife that the haybine is on its last leg and a discbine is the only answer....
> Is hay season ever really over?


Nope its never over especially if you have livestock. Your either making it, feeding it or spreading it


----------



## Colby

Lewis Ranch said:


> http://www.fastline.com/v100/HS-14-WHEEL-RAKE-Coufal-Prater-Equipment,-LTD-BRYAN-TX-equipment-detail-f9bdc3b3-0912-4b4a-8378-f5a53b601fc2.aspx
> Don't know what kind of shape it's in but sure enough cheaper than a rake tractor and operator.


Man for as much as they want for that thing I'd go with the Vermeer. It looks brand new and these guys have always ran top notch equipment. I just think you'd be able to get a lot more done with this rake. A lot stouter than that h&s 
http://www.fastline.com/v100/2008-Vermeer-Mfg-Co-R2300-Rakehand-Shaun-Baker-Hempstead-TX-equipment-detail-a75c7d7b-8887-4dc3-9010-7c9c0c1dfb03.aspx


----------



## Lewis Ranch

I actually found another one quite a bit cheaper I'm going to look at Thursday and will buy if it looks good. My cousin has a vermeer rake and I'm just not that big of a fan of those rakes.


----------



## Colby

Lewis Ranch said:


> I actually found another one quite a bit cheaper I'm going to look at Thursday and will buy if it looks good. My cousin has a vermeer rake and I'm just not that big of a fan of those rakes.


Just curious why not? 
I agree the older ones are a pain to set up but they rake like a rotary


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Colby said:


> Just curious why not?
> I agree the older ones are a pain to set up but they rake like a rotary


For one you can't raise them up when trying to turn, which won't be a problem at all with the baler right behind it but when you are raking ahead of the baler you can't cross already raked rows. They also don't follow the ground like the wheel rakes do and I have quite a bit of ground that is not very flat. Now that I'm running the SP it probably wouldn't hurt to give it another try as the way we rake has changed a little. My cousins is only 3 or so years old so it's all hydraulic fold, I notice with the new ones they solved the problem of lifting up and crossing rows by adding lift cylinders to the front and back wheels. The benefit is in my Johnson grass they do a sure enough better job cleaning a field.


----------



## Bgriffin856

16x50 full





Unloader is about two and a half feet to three feet above the staves

Also seeded 10 acres of corn stubble with winter wheat last Tuesday for spring grazing


----------



## SwingOak

I'll be winterizing all the equipment this week. Thinking about maybe getting a few beef cows, and practicing herding/sorting/penning just in case I do.


----------



## Bonfire

Grateful11 said:


> Sounds like us SwingOak but we didn't sell any just weren't able to make enough to carry us until Spring. Last year we carried over 70 4x4 rounds but not this year. Wife and I went and looked at some hay the other day and the guy said it was first cutting so we figured no Johnsongrass at least not headed out, some of the bales looked like they were all JG. We asked him when he made his first cutting and he said the first week of August, Geez. Probably going to need 40-60 bales.


I might have that many here you can have. It was baled up dry vs wrapped with the wrapper. Net wrapped. First hay baled with the new Krone baler. Just show up with a trailer and I'll load it for you.


----------



## FarmerCline

Cut some sorghum/sudan today that was double cropped after corn silage.....it was about chest high and real thick.....I'm guessing 80-90 bales an acre. The ground was just barley dry enough to get on it.....had some mud sticking to the tires in a couple places. Looks like I have a whole week of dry weather.....I sure hope it stays that way so I can get this hay cured.


----------



## Bonfire

That looks good. What was the planting date? What does the forecast look like Monday pm - Tuesday am? That crop would look real good going into a wrapper. Good job.


----------



## FarmerCline

Bonfire said:


> That looks good. What was the planting date? What does the forecast look like Monday pm - Tuesday am? That crop would look real good going into a wrapper. Good job.


 I rented this piece of ground from the farmer that raised the corn silage......told him what I wanted to do and he said I was crazy, that there was not enough growing season left to grow anything except for planting small grains in early October. If I was intent on trying it though he would rent it to me for almost nothing as it wouldn't affect him in any way except might delay him a week or so in getting wheat in the ground.....but that would be fine as long as I got it off by the end of October.

August 15th was the planting date. I worked the ground before planting and drilled at 50lbs acre. I worked in 30 units of N before planting.....really would have liked more N than that but I didn't want to spend much more money since it was sort of an experiment planting that late and I hoped that there may be some N left from the corn crop it could use. Didn't rain for over two weeks after planting but there was enough moisture in the ground to bring it up except for a couple places. Then I had to spray it for army worms in early September. We had a cooler September than normal but you can see it turned out pretty good. I will say that I think I planted it about as late as possible for it to amount to much as the couple places that didn't germinate until the early September when we finally got some rain only grew to about 12 inches tall.

Seems to be a great way to make use of the rest of the growing season after corn silage harvest. The only bad part is now after farmer I rented the ground from saw how my sorghum/sudan turned out is going to grow it for himself next year and chop it for silage so I won't get to do it again.

Monday-Tuesday is supposed to be clear with 10% chance of rain.....was a bit nervous cutting with that nor'easter that is supposed to form off the coast but it isn't supposed to come this far west. I don't have the option of putting it up wet and wrapping it so I sure hope it doesn't rain and I can bale it dry.


----------



## somedevildawg

Me too^^


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## FarmerCline

Got my alfalfa cut today.....looked pretty good considering the amount of damage the army worms did.....the defoliated stems put back on a few leaves and it regrew new shoots from the ground as well. Now if I can just get it dry without losing all the color.


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## ARD Farm

All I've saw is rain..... Marty gets it, then we get it Starting to feel musty.....

Nice recovery from the army worms btw.


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## Vol

Second pic is a nice one Hayden.....mowing alfalfa hay with trees changing into their autumn colors in the back ground....only in the South!

Regards, Mike


----------



## Bonfire

FarmerCline said:


> Cut some sorghum/sudan today that was double cropped after corn silage.....it was about chest high and real thick.....I'm guessing 80-90 bales an acre. The ground was just barley dry enough to get on it.....had some mud sticking to the tires in a couple places. Looks like I have a whole week of dry weather.....I sure hope it stays that way so I can get this hay cured.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> image.jpg
> 
> 
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> 
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> 
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> image.jpg





FarmerCline said:


> Got my alfalfa cut today.....looked pretty good considering the amount of damage the army worms did.....the defoliated stems put back on a few leaves and it regrew new shoots from the ground as well. Now if I can just get it dry without losing all the color.
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> image.jpg
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> 
> image.jpg


Getting any rain on this? Shouldn't be much if you are.


----------



## FarmerCline

Bonfire said:


> Getting any rain on this? Shouldn't be much if you are.


 About 8 this evening we had a light shower that lasted about 20 minutes.....just enough to wet the pavement. The hay was still green enough I don't imagine it will hurt anything, but I still hate to have hay get wet. We weren't supposed to get any rain......it was supposed to break up coming over the mountains.


----------



## Grateful11

FarmerCline said:


> About 8 this evening we had a light shower that lasted about 20 minutes.....just enough to wet the pavement. The hay was still green enough I don't imagine it will hurt anything, but I still hate to have hay get wet. We weren't supposed to get any rain......it was supposed to break up coming over the mountains.


We coming into the Turnersburg cow sale when we saw that cloud moving in. I told my wife it looked like a rain cloud was moving in. They weren't calling for anything so naturally it's going to do something, been that way all year it seems like. They call for rain, we don't get any, forecast was for 0% and it rains.

BTW: They ran over 1200 head through there today. The highest our son saw was $2.99/lbs. We got up there at 7pm and they were just starting on the big cows, most looked like culled out dairy cows.


----------



## Teslan

Baled and stacked the last hay for 2014 today. Washed and put away the equipment for the winter. Although I might do some work with the Deere in a bit to get a field ready for next year.


----------



## FarmerCline

Teslan said:


> Baled and stacked the last hay for 2014 today. Washed and put away the equipment for the winter. Although I might do some work with the Deere in a bit to get a field ready for next year.


 Looks good......what kind of hay? I would have though that the growing season out there would have ended a while back.


----------



## FarmerCline

The little sprinkle of rain yesterday evening didn't hurt a thing.......couldn't tell it ever happened.....just like heavy dew I suppose. Tedded out the sorghum/sudan today. It doesn't look like I'm going to need to Ted the alfalfa.....hopefully that will help preserve more green color.


----------



## mlappin

Went and looked at the last ten acres I had, looks like the alfalfa got frosted and the grass is turning yellow, so after I cleaned the feed lots today a bad attitude took over and I parked all the hay equipment for the year. Heres hoping next year is much better.


----------



## Teslan

FarmerCline said:


> Looks good......what kind of hay? I would have though that the growing season out there would have ended a while back.


It is 3rd cutting new seeding alfalfa. Mostly leaves. It took a long time to dry.


----------



## deadmoose

Teslan said:


> Baled and stacked the last hay for 2014 today. Washed and put away the equipment for the winter. Although I might do some work with the Deere in a bit to get a field ready for next year.


I am guessing you do a bit of research before buying any big piece of equipment? It appears to do well for you.


----------



## Teslan

deadmoose said:


> I am guessing you do a bit of research before buying any big piece of equipment? It appears to do well for you.


I'm not sure what in the pictures made you think I did a lot of research. Only the mil stak attachment did I do really any kind of research on. The baler a little bit, but not much.


----------



## deadmoose

Because you have so many colors and didnt just buy the green or blue or red or orange one.


----------



## Teslan

deadmoose said:


> Because you have so many colors and didnt just buy the green or blue or red or orange one.


We have two MF red tractors not pictured. Probably should have bought a MF instead of the NH, but I believe the NH was cheaper at the time. The Green was what seemed to us was the best used tractor of its size for the price at the time locally. When we first bought a rotary we didn't like the auger on the NH so the other choice was Heston swather. Then we traded up to this one. The stacker. Well only one company makes a small bale stacker. Now used as a large bale stacker. Of all of them we've had the most trouble with the nh tractor. But just minor annoying things. Like right now the high low gearshift cable has stretched so it won't go into low. I rarely use low. But still gotta fix it someday.


----------



## Troy Farmer

Finished up the 2014 season this evening. Equipment cleanup and delivers are that's left. As usual, glad to be done but looking forward to next year. This year was a strange one. A very late spring warm up, dry summer, and don't forget the army worms. I really appreciate this board and its members. Glad to know that I'm not the only one with this illness.


----------



## Bgriffin856

Unloaded the last load today after letting it sit for a month and feeding some of it







I think I can say it's full. Can't fit another bale gonna be interesting when I start feeding. Didn't leave much room around the holes to start


----------



## sethd11

At least I'm not the only moron still handstacking 30k idiot cubes a year. Packing dairy barns full of straw and hay. Thank God for the neighbor with a big baler this year.


----------



## FarmerCline

sethd11 said:


> At least I'm not the only moron still handstacking 30k idiot cubes a year. Packing dairy barns full of straw and hay. Thank God for the neighbor with a big baler this year.


 That is a lot of hay to be hand stacking......here I thought I was doing a lot putting up 10k bales a year by picking up by hand.


----------



## Grateful11

I thought we were done now she's thinking about baling the cornstalks. Finished the corn yesterday. Son is going to slash the stalks Monday and we'll know then if it's worth messing with.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Got the new to me rake out today it does pretty good but gonna need to add some wind guards and a set of custom lights for running at night.


----------



## FarmerCline

I got the sorghum/sudan baled yesterday.....was on the ground for 7 days but probably could have been baled a day sooner since it was extra dry.....better than being too wet though. It made around 70 bales an acre. Baled most of the alfalfa this evening.....also was on the ground a week but I didn't Ted it in an effort to preserve more color. The top of the swath got bleached out real bad but when I raked it the underneath was still nice and green......worked well since we had a long stretch of dry weather but it definatly took an extra day or two to dry without tedding it. The dew started to set in this evening so I wasn't able to finish baling the alfalfa......going to finish tomorrow. I sure did miss dawg's bale bandit the past couple days.


----------



## Bgriffin856

sethd11 said:


> At least I'm not the only moron still handstacking 30k idiot cubes a year. Packing dairy barns full of straw and hay. Thank God for the neighbor with a big baler this year.


Only put in about 3K small squares and there is about 130 rounds under them. I took the space of about 20 rounds to put sqaures in. Yeah call me a wacko too


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## ARD Farm

Bgriffin856 said:


> Only put in about 3K small squares and there is about 130 rounds under them. I took the space of about 20 rounds to put sqaures in. Yeah call me a wacko too


Sort of like being.....'under the covers'......


----------



## ARD Farm

I still have 5 acres that neeeds cut. Will probably stand until next season unless we get a dry cold spell and I might chance it..... It's on heavy ground so it has to be cut high to dry.


----------



## sethd11

ARD, I probably do more than that. Between straw and hay I approach 300 acres of small squares. The kuhns accumulator has my name written all over it. That and about 500-600 large squares. Thank God for a good wife and family and excellent help. Although the help told me I need an accumulator.... Lewis ranch has me convinced to buy one.


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## ARD Farm

I have a JR Long Grappelator for sale in the classified section, bought it as a backup just in case but my labor issue on idiot bricks is nonexistent so I'm gonna sell it. Would go good with a Kuhns accumulator. They have a grapple but mine is 1/3rd their price, maybe less. I've used it 2 times. The paint isn't even worn of the lower runners.

Mine converts from an accumulator to a grapple in about 45 seconds, handles 8 or 10 idiot bricks at a pick and tine/claw spacing is adjustable, or just leave it in the grapple position....

You still need a grapple with the Kuhn's pull behind the bailer accumulator.....It puts the bricks in an orderly fashion...but you still have to pick them up with something.

The Long works real well for barn stacking, thats what I used it for the second time. You can stack as high as your loader will reach with the unit in a level position and offload from a flat rack.

If I was even the slightest bit concrned about labor, I'd keep it, but I'm not.

...and you aren't that far from me either.....


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## mlappin

sethd11 said:


> At least I'm not the only moron still handstacking 30k idiot cubes a year. Packing dairy barns full of straw and hay. Thank God for the neighbor with a big baler this year.


The year of the buyout when we got out of the dairy business, or could have bean the year after, can't recall but we ended up square baling almost 400 acres of idiot bricks per cutting, never realized just how much of it went in the silo's or bags till that summer. The next year we found out just how well no-till corn works in a hayfield.


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## ARD Farm

.........and that alfalfa produces those little N fixing nodes too.


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## Vol

sethd11 said:


> ARD, I probably do more than that. Between straw and hay I approach 300 acres of small squares. The kuhns accumulator has my name written all over it. That and about 500-600 large squares. Thank God for a good wife and family and excellent help. Although the help told me I need an accumulator.... Lewis ranch has me convinced to buy one.


If you get a Kuhns that puts the bales on edge, I would go ahead and spring for the Tie Grabber....very costly, but will make a huge difference in a smooth trouble free operation. Sounds like you need the 15 or 18 bale on edge doing that many squares....or a bale bandit or a NH balewagon.

Regards, Mike


----------



## sethd11

Im pretty much forced to buy the 18 bale accumulator. My wagons are 8x16. My math shows 2 grabs side by side with the 18 bale works the best. I'm going to modify the wagons to 9 feet wide. Should help stabilize the loads. I'm torn on the tie grabber because most of hay is still going to be unloaded by hand. Might be worth the extra money just to have. I'm getting a line on the neighbors barn to rent (pole barn). The reason I haven't bought one yet is because the bale wagon still seems doable. A 1033 bale wagon seems like such a good idea but I just don't have a barn big enough to stack a sizable amount of hay in with it.


----------



## Vol

sethd11 said:


> A 1033 bale wagon seems like such a good idea but I just don't have a barn big enough to stack a sizable amount of hay in with it.


Yes, that is the problem that most folks have with existing barns and sheds.

Regards, Mike


----------



## Grateful11

Now the baling is done here. 22 round bales of cornstalks off 8 acres. Man everything was filthy from just 8 acres.


----------



## Lewis Ranch

Finished up 500 acres of milo stalks this evening, here's a short video I took this afternoon.


----------



## Bgriffin856

I dream of nice big open level fields like that Lewis Ranch

Dang 300-400 acres with a small square baler? Musta had alot of nice weather


----------



## Bgriffin856

ARD Farm said:


> Sort of like being.....'under the covers'......


Something like that haha. Most efficient for time and space. Usually put two layers of rounds in the quanoset section and stack small squares on top. Rounds are quicker putting up and storing and small squares are easier feed out and fill the rest of the mow up better. Since we got a new to use baler I wanted to use it and put in an extra 500 small squares of first. The bank barn gets stacked with rounds and the rest outside under plastic and a tarp


----------



## Bgriffin856

Got bored and washed the skidloader and greased and serviced it for the winter. Hadn't been washed since '10.....my least favorite thing to wash. Of course im a perfectionist when it comes to pressure washing...took me two and a half hours.... sure is pretty now. We'll see how long it stays this way


----------



## mlappin

Bgriffin856 said:


> I dream of nice big open level fields like that Lewis Ranch
> 
> Dang 300-400 acres with a small square baler? Musta had alot of nice weather


Well, not to date myself here, but it really was a lot dryer when I was growing up. I don't ever recall Dad paying much attention to the forecast. Soon as I was out of school in the spring I could expect to mow 20 acres everyday. When I was done mowing I got to rake, when I was done raking hit the hay mow for the rest of the day, used to pray for rain to just get a nice easy 8 hour day in instead. Now the damn stuff just doesn't ever seem to end, rain that is. Have already picked some corn and a lot of beans, that half as much rain this year would have led to a lot better yields.


----------



## ARD Farm

mlappin said:


> Well, not to date myself here, but it really was a lot dryer when I was growing up. I don't ever recall Dad paying much attention to the forecast. Soon as I was out of school in the spring I could expect to mow 20 acres everyday. When I was done mowing I got to rake, when I was done raking hit the hay mow for the rest of the day, used to pray for rain to just get a nice easy 8 hour day in instead. Now the damn stuff just doesn't ever seem to end, rain that is. Have already picked some corn and a lot of beans, that half as much rain this year would have led to a lot better yields.


You get then we get it a day later. My last couple acres are gonna be 'freeze dried' hay this year I suspect (if we don't get a pile of snow that is)..... If not, I'll call it a 'cover crop' and let it stand....



Grateful11 said:


> Now the baling is done here. 22 round bales of cornstalks off 8 acres. Man everything was filthy from just 8 acres.


One time about 4 years ago was one time enough for me. I not so fondly remember gritty eyeballs in a cab tractor and blowing out the air and cabin filters loaded with dirt too.



Bgriffin856 said:


> Got bored and washed the skidloader and greased and serviced it for the winter. Hadn't been washed since '10.....my least favorite thing to wash. Of course im a perfectionist when it comes to pressure washing...took me two and a half hours.... sure is pretty now. We'll see how long it stays this way


I'm that way too, on reason I never use the pressure washer on hay tools and I always grease after the fact. Even a cold water unit is hell on gre\aseable joints. Had a nice hot water gasoline driven diesel fired unit I traded for a gooseneck trailer. Worst thing I ever bought, glad it's gone. I managed to destroy a number of bearings and seals in my meticulous efforts at cleaning my stuff,,,,,,


----------



## Bgriffin856

I try as much as possible not to spray directly into bearings or seals. I must admit at the right angles you can clean up most anything. ...including paint :O thats my downfall...

I know people who wash equipment and tractors after every use. They have hard time tearing stuff apart cause its rusted up. Usually only wash everything just once. Some tractors twice or if anything needs fixed it'll get washed then too


----------



## Bgriffin856

mlappin said:


> Well, not to date myself here, but it really was a lot dryer when I was growing up. I don't ever recall Dad paying much attention to the forecast. Soon as I was out of school in the spring I could expect to mow 20 acres everyday. When I was done mowing I got to rake, when I was done raking hit the hay mow for the rest of the day, used to pray for rain to just get a nice easy 8 hour day in instead. Now the damn stuff just doesn't ever seem to end, rain that is. Have already picked some corn and a lot of beans, that half as much rain this year would have led to a lot better yields.


I hear you on yeilds. Corn yielded below normal this year.

Do your crops do better with no till vs conventional full tillage when its wet?

Everyone who does it here said the fields seem drier when its wet and will hold equipment up better


----------



## ARD Farm

I find my long reach blowgun does a good job and don't eat up seals and bearings. I wash all my stuff alot but with a regular hose and sponge/brush. I live on a dirt - mud road so the pressure washer is a must for the vehicles.

I've had too much grief with seals and bearings versus pressure washers. The PW always wins and your wallet looses. :angry:

I damn near roasted a round bailer (locked bearing) using a PW. That taught me not to PW my hay tools.


----------



## barnrope

Did livestock chores, combined 15 acres of corn, shredded 12 acres of corn stalks, then two of us raked and and baled 600 more 5x6 round corn stalk bales today. Time for bed so we can do it again tomorrow....or is tomorrow actually today????


----------



## JD3430

I'm shipping hay 2x per week and onto bush hogging fields for customers


----------



## treymo

1000 bales of stalks yet to bale, half circle of Sudan to bale in this area. May head west to bale more stalks.

Trey


----------



## Bgriffin856

barnrope said:


> Did livestock chores, combined 15 acres of corn, shredded 12 acres of corn stalks, then two of us raked and and baled 600 more 5x6 round corn stalk bales today. Time for bed so we can do it again tomorrow....or is tomorrow actually today????


Thats how I like to farm


----------



## Bgriffin856

Been cleaning up and spreading the neighbors manure pile and spreading it on another neighbors field that we use. A good mix of dead baby pigs, cats, chickens, feed bag, chunks of boards and twine. Oh and some hog manure... I really dont understand some people. But its free much needed nutrients. Wish it woulda stayed dry still have half of it left to clean up


----------



## ARD Farm

Twine, especially poly, is death in a discbine or a rotary brush hog or lawnmoewr.


----------



## treymo

Broke front caster wheel clean off rake just a little bit ago. Calling for rain Monday, Guess we will get baled what I have raked and get things put back together..

Trey


----------



## Vol

Bgriffin856 said:


> Been cleaning up and spreading the neighbors manure pile and spreading it on another neighbors field that we use. A good mix of dead baby pigs, cats, chickens, feed bag, chunks of boards and twine. Oh and some hog manure... I really dont understand some people. But its free much needed nutrients. Wish it woulda stayed dry still have half of it left to clean up


Are cats a pretty good source of N,P, or K?

Regards, Mike


----------



## rjmoses

Hay, beans, corn done. Equipment cleaned up, put away. A little cleanup of fields to be done. A little ditch wheat to plant.

See you next spring.

Ralph


----------



## barnrope

treymo said:


> Broke front caster wheel clean off rake just a little bit ago. Calling for rain Monday, Guess we will get baled what I have raked and get things put back together..
> 
> Trey


How did you break the front castor wheel off your rake Trey???


----------



## endrow

ARD Farm said:


> Twine, especially poly, is death in a discbine or a rotary brush hog or lawnmoewr.


Only thing worse is netwrap


----------



## treymo

Tom- Pivot tracks. All of our corn is irrigated and there is some bad ruts where sprinkler has gone around. Poor rake must have bounced around on them long enough and said enough is enough.. ha It looked as if the caster pin had already been cracked, not surprising, we go over a lot of really rough ground. 3 weeks ago I bounced across one and broke the spindle shaft on the 4850. They kind of suck if you don't have time to fill in the holes...

Trey


----------



## Bgriffin856

Vol said:


> Are cats a pretty good source of N,P, or K?
> 
> Regards, Mike


Dunno, maybe I should send a sample in?


----------



## Bgriffin856

ARD Farm said:


> Twine, especially poly, is death in a discbine or a rotary brush hog or lawnmoewr.


Im gonna have to go pick the garbage out next spring before the grass starts growing. There are a million of those little strings that are used to sew feed bags shut too in it hopefully they will rot down. I dont know why people think that manure piles are garbage piles too.


----------



## haybaler101

I guess I could go for the frost cutting. Got down to 24 last night. 6th cutting only has 8-10" of growth and ground is heavy and equipment is all unhooked so I guess I am done.


----------



## umpire52

Finsihed bailing Saturday and got all of the equipment back to farm and hay that had not been hauled taken to farm. Did 600 4X5.5 pretty much by myself and working full time. Cut back from what I normally do. Got a late start cause of rain and getting married memorial day weekend.


----------



## slowzuki

We are now officially done haying as everything is buried in snow and ice pellets 6+" deep. I was clipping pasture and field edges until the snow got too heavy. Didn't get all hay equipment under cover yet, was planning to powerwash mower before parking it.

Time to put the blower back on the tractor for the next 6 months.


----------



## Vol

slowzuki said:


> Time to put the blower back on the tractor for the next 6 months.


The thought of dealing with snow for six months is depressing....


----------



## deadmoose

Vol said:


> The thought of dealing with snow for six months is depressing....


Almost as depressing as how early it got dark today.


----------



## Vol

Yep, that time change is a witch in the evenings in the fall....

Regards, Mike


----------



## Bgriffin856

Exactly why I hate fall cause you know whats coming. The shorter days do mess with your head too


----------



## Bgriffin856

Moved out the elevator and stacked ten of the good second cutting round bales


----------



## Bgriffin856

Getting close to being done grazing this 50 acres there are about ten acres at the far end you can see from here. Been feeding some hay to stretch it out.

Split it right down the middle and grazed the milking herd on this side first now letting the dry cows pick at it



Milking herd


----------



## slowzuki

I don't know how the folks who like to stay inside all winter make it. I'd go crazy.



Vol said:


> The thought of dealing with snow for six months is depressing....


----------



## Bob M

Getting closer to being done this last cutting of hay. Chopped about 100ac last week, and have been big baling and wrapping the rest. We are getting really nice yields for this time of year. Chopped some 6 ton/ac ( silage) orchard last week. And baled some 1.7 ton/ac Timothy. Probably have 300 big bales to bale and wrap today . And another 100 or so tomorrow. That will have us almost done. Depending on weather.


----------



## Tim/South

Finished today. Already have the mowers ready for winter.

Made the last 45 rolls today and began cleaning up the baler for hibernation.

Still have 122 rolls to bring home.


----------



## Shetland Sheepdog

Gotta swing the tongue on the discbine (always fun when it ain't hitched up)so I can put the rake in ahead of it! Gotta pull a wagon load of mulch out and put the tedder behind it! Gotta spot the empty awgons and the elevator in a field where a tree can't fall on them! Then I can call it done!


----------



## Bgriffin856

Washed up the haybine yesterday. Guess we are done.

Washed very thoroughly in hopes of trading it for a discbine


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## Bob M

This is what we have been seeing the last few days.


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## Bgriffin856

How many head do you have Bob M?


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## JD3430

Couple Pics I took of this week's activities.

The 4th pic is of an old stone barn with a flour mill. The mill race still works and I get to look at it while I farm. Its actually in a famous painting.


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## FarmerCline

Cut the last hay of 2014 today. Orchard and MaxQ mix 3rd cutting......going to make some very pretty hay.


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## NDVA HAYMAN

Hayden, that's the same thing I'm doing. Got 60 acres of Bounty O/G on the ground now with 20 to go in the morning. Wrapped hay Wednesday before the rain that never came and started back cutting Thursday afternoon. Hope to make this dry if possible but got the McHale ready if needed. Breaking in my JD 459 baler. Boy the bales are heavy and dense.


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## Vol

It may be frozen when you bale if with that artic express coming South the middle of next week. Wont hurt it...just slow curing somewhat....probably be good thing to ted it about Sunday and Tuesday. Get your Tim in the ground yet?

Regards, Mike


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## JD3430

Here's the real painting of 
"Flour Mill" by Andrew Wyeth


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## FarmerCline

Vol said:


> It may be frozen when you bale if with that artic express coming South the middle of next week. Wont hurt it...just slow curing somewhat....probably be good thing to ted it about Sunday and Tuesday. Get your Tim in the ground yet?
> 
> Regards, Mike


 I haven't got the timothy in the ground yet......I have 20 acres disced down ready to go just have to pack and roll the rocks in the ground......bearing on the cultimulcher locked up today so I'm going to have to get that fixed before I can plant. The other 30 acres I hoped to have ready this week to plant, the beans haven't been harvested yet.....on Tuesday the clutch went out on the combine and I have a cracked flywheel and it will be next week before parts get here. I hope it doesn't get too late before I get the timothy out with all the delays I have had.


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## Vol

Was this the TImothy planting that you were going to treat as a annual? If so you could easily plant towards the end of February when it starts the Spring warm up....if you are planting this otherwise you can take a gamble on a Spring planting.....sometimes it will survive August....not often but as cheap as Timothy is it might be worth the gamble....but it would absolutely need to be planted the last of February to have a chance.

Regards, Mike


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## barnrope

JD3430 said:


> Couple Pics I took of this week's activities.
> 
> The 4th pic is of an old stone barn with a flour mill. The mill race still works and I get to look at it while I farm. Its actually in a famous painting.


Interesting. I googled it. Here you can buy a print of the painting for 2 grand......

http://www.artbrokerage.com/Andrew-Wyeth/Flour-Mill-58157


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## Bob M

We have 210 milk cows and around 175 young stock, we rent another dairy this year and will start milking there soon. ( been all summer trying to fix up after last guy, which is a story in it self) We will probably add another 30 or milking this winter.


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## FarmerCline

Vol said:


> Was this the TImothy planting that you were going to treat as a annual? If so you could easily plant towards the end of February when it starts the Spring warm up....if you are planting this otherwise you can take a gamble on a Spring planting.....sometimes it will survive August....not often but as cheap as Timothy is it might be worth the gamble....but it would absolutely need to be planted the last of February to have a chance.
> 
> Regards, Mike


 Yes, this is the timothy I was planting as an annual. The 20 acres I will be able to plant tomorrow if I can find a bearing for the cultimulcher today. The other 30 acres might not get planted this fall. Do you think if I planted the end of February it would give me a good first cutting or would the yield be greatly reduced?


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## Vol

FarmerCline said:


> Do you think if I planted the end of February it would give me a good first cutting or would the yield be greatly reduced?


If you are spared of a extended drought period during growth and have normal temperatures and rainfall you will get a good yield. Might need to give it a little extra Nitrogen.

Regards, Mike


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## stack em up

Done baling for 2014. Bittersweet to say the least. Last hay my dad will probably ever bale. This year has taken its toll on him, and it shows.


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## JD3430

stack em up said:


> Done baling for 2014. Bittersweet to say the least. Last hay my dad will probably ever bale. This year has taken its toll on him, and it shows.


Enjoy him. 
My mom only has ~6 months to live. She'll probably never see me farm again.


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## 8350HiTech

Hay season here has become fence row trimming season.


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## Bgriffin856

FarmerCline said:


> I haven't got the timothy in the ground yet......I have 20 acres disced down ready to go just have to pack and roll the rocks in the ground......bearing on the cultimulcher locked up today so I'm going to have to get that fixed before I can plant. The other 30 acres I hoped to have ready this week to plant, the beans haven't been harvested yet.....on Tuesday the clutch went out on the combine and I have a cracked flywheel and it will be next week before parts get here. I hope it doesn't get too late before I get the timothy out with all the delays I have had.


Sounds like our entire year....if it isnt one thing it was another. Try to do some small simple job and something is broke down. Wears on you. Very frustrating

Im looking forward to 2015


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## Bgriffin856

Bob M said:


> We have 210 milk cows and around 175 young stock, we rent another dairy this year and will start milking there soon. ( been all summer trying to fix up after last guy, which is a story in it self) We will probably add another 30 or milking this winter.


That's a pretty good amount. I wouldn't mind renting another farm our size to expand some. But most are in bad shape and guys want top dollar for rent. Best thing of renting or even buying current facilities is if the market drops you can scale back and not have the capital tied up in construction of new facilities


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## FarmerCline

Bgriffin856 said:


> Sounds like our entire year....if it isnt one thing it was another. Try to do some small simple job and something is broke down. Wears on you. Very frustrating
> Im looking forward to 2015


 Ain't that the truth. Today after I finished rolling the ground when I got out of the tractor I noticed something sticking out the side of the front tire and my stomach sank.....a rake tooth had punctured between the lugs and was sticking out the side wall. This is on a borrowed tractor on which I had just replaced this tire 3 months ago at $800. The tire is not leaking air but Im sure it will when I pull the tooth out tomorrow.....I just hope it hasn't ruined the sidewall. The rake tooth is not off of my rake either.

I have been borrowing this tractor from the landowner of one of the farms I rent because my 4020 is out getting an engine rebuild and my 986 is getting a clutch and most likely a TA. 2014 was the year of repairs, tires, batteries, and wet hay.


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## Vol

Things do happen like the repair situations you fellas are going thru.....and it seems to come in bunches.....and it is very frustrating and can be very expensive. But....one must always remember that it could be so much worse, it could be your health that is breaking down...instead of this or that piece of machinery that can be repaired. It is easy to get frustrated with repairs these days because associated costs can be so overwhelming...but we need to hang tough and be grateful for our families and our days under the sun.

Regards, Mike


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## endrow

All I have left in the fields are 65 acres of soybeans planted after wheat was harvested July 10th . the first four days of this week are supposed to be nice weather I hope they get ready


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## Bob M

Some of our last cut alfalfa , and tedding our 5th cut orchard mix.


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## Grateful11

Seems like a lot people having battery problems this year. We replaced batteries in the CIH 5140 and the Kubota L3940 and now the IH 686 needs a set. The 686 is probably going to have wait until spring, it only gets used occasionally during the Winter to grind feed just to use it some in the off season. Had to put a new engine on the hay elevator, the one someone stole. Went out on a limb and bought a 6.5hp from Harbor Freight, $96, darn thing cranks on the first pull every time so far. We hated to go with a Chinese engine but it was either that or a Mexican B&S at 3 times the price or a Honda from Thailand at 5 times the price.


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## Bonfire

barnrope said:


> Interesting. I googled it. Here you can buy a print of the painting for 2 grand......
> 
> http://www.artbrokerage.com/Andrew-Wyeth/Flour-Mill-58157


That's a couple nice radial tires.


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## FarmerCline

Tedded the orchard/MaxQ today that I cut Friday.......drying down pretty good. I'm thinking it's going to bale either Tuesday or Wednesday. So far it is curing down to a really nice almost blue color.....really pretty hay.


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## treymo

Done with cornstalks locally for 2014, if not done with baling for the year.

Trey





  








done




__
treymo


__
Nov 10, 2014


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## endrow

Stalk baling never ends here the guys that shell only at Thanksgiving try all winter to bale and if we have snow cover they bale next spring before planting . We try to leave as much residue on fields as possible it is so tough to replace when you take it away without putting it back


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## hillside hay

About as far as we go with stalks is shredding them. Fertilizer way too expensive to have to replace all those nutrients every year. In fact we don't even bale all the straw every year. Rarely do we take third cutting grass hay. Bush hog gets a lot of work in the late fall.


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## deadmoose

FarmerCline said:


> Ain't that the truth. Today after I finished rolling the ground when I got out of the tractor I noticed something sticking out the side of the front tire and my stomach sank.....a rake tooth had punctured between the lugs and was sticking out the side wall. This is on a borrowed tractor on which I had just replaced this tire 3 months ago at $800. The tire is not leaking air but Im sure it will when I pull the tooth out tomorrow.....I just hope it hasn't ruined the sidewall. The rake tooth is not off of my rake either.
> I have been borrowing this tractor from the landowner of one of the farms I rent because my 4020 is out getting an engine rebuild and my 986 is getting a clutch and most likely a TA. 2014 was the year of repairs, tires, batteries, and wet hay.


Call around. Sidewalls can be "welded". My brother stuck a chunk of steel through his when new. Should be a lot closer to $80 than $800. His was maybe $60 about 3 years ago.


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## FarmerCline

deadmoose said:


> Call around. Sidewalls can be "welded". My brother stuck a chunk of steel through his when new. Should be a lot closer to $80 than $800. His was maybe $60 about 3 years ago.


 Well the good new is when I pulled the rake tooth out it didn't leak any air.....it seems the tooth went in at such an angle it didn't puncture the tire but just went through the rubber.....not sure if anything needs to be done about the hole it left or leave it be.


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## FarmerCline

Planted 20 acres of timothy today with my new Brillion 10 foot seeder. I'm real pleased with the seeder so far.....much heavier and doesn't bounce much like the little 5 foot seeder I was using and it seems like I'm actually getting something done as it took forever to plant a field with the 5 footer. The only trouble is the electronic acre meter isn't reading anywhere close to correct....not sure if it needs to be programmed or what.


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## sethd11

Well pressure washed the discbine today. For 2 hours. Still not clean enough. Cannot believe how much crap gets in every nook and cranny


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## Bgriffin856

sethd11 said:


> Well pressure washed the discbine today. For 2 hours. Still not clean enough. Cannot believe how much crap gets in every nook and cranny


Skidloader and haybine is the worse. Im sure a discbine is worse than a haybine


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## dubltrubl

Well, it looks like we're finally done for the year. We won't complete 3rd cutting this year though, which is disappointing. Mother nature really threw us some curves this year weather wise. Late wet cold spring. 6 weeks late getting started. Very wet summer and early fall. 100 days from middle of June through September, we got 49 days of rain. Kind of hard to find a 4 day haying window in there! We're 20 acres short of completing 3rd cutting but a freeze is on the way so that's it for what's left. Kind of stopped growing anyway. Time to do some maintenance, get some lime spread, and put the hay equipment to bed for the winter. We're actually more lucky than most around here. Lots of folks only got 1 cutting this year in this area. I suspect we'll be completely sold out by the end of the year since people are so short of hay, and this looks to be a fairly cold wet winter. Anyway, I'm glad it's about done and I'm ready for some down-time and looking forward to enjoying the holidays. My best to all of y'all on here!

Regards,

Steve


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## Vol

FarmerCline said:


> Planted 20 acres of timothy today with my new Brillion 10 foot seeder. I'm real pleased with the seeder so far.....much heavier and doesn't bounce much like the little 5 foot seeder I was using and it seems like I'm actually getting something done as it took forever to plant a field with the 5 footer. The only trouble is the electronic acre meter isn't reading anywhere close to correct....not sure if it needs to be programmed or what.


Probably needs calibrating.

Regards, Mike


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## Bgriffin856

Grazing is dwindling so opened up the bag of first cutting today. Sure was a beautiful day sunny and 60's for highs



Only a wheelbarrow of spoilage around where we cut a vent. Smells and looks great, cows like it


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## haybaler101

Waiting----patiently----for May 1, 2015!!!!


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## JD3430

Bgriffin856 said:


> Grazing is dwindling so opened up the bag of first cutting today. Sure was a beautiful day sunny and 60's for highs
> Only a wheelbarrow of spoilage around where we cut a vent. Smells and looks great, cows like it


Yeah and you cans kiss that 60's shit goodbye. COLD on the way.


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## Bgriffin856

Got about 4 inches of snow. Got our heifers home from our big rented pasture. All animals are inside. So its down to feeding and spreading manure now and starting winter projects

There's a road there I swear


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## JD3430

You know what Bgriffin,
You're a real good photographer and a damn good story teller, too. 
I like the way you take a photograph, then add the caption. I can really get a feel for what you describe.


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## SVFHAY

The only fault I find with Griff's photos are the ladies always have 4 legs.


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## Shetland Sheepdog

SVFHAY said:


> The only fault I find with Griff's photos are the ladies always have 4 legs.


I'd noticed that, but decided not to say anything as I was taken with their beautiful eyes! :wub:


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## ARD Farm

All of our 'ladies' have 4 legs too. No big deal.

I'm done, all the tools are tucked away, the tractors are sleeping and the barns are loaded with square bales for sale later in the winter when all those ill prepared horsey gals are running out.... amazing what lack of feed does to the wallet or purse....... 

As a rule, I never sell any hay until after Thanksgiving except regular customers....

Been an opportunist for many years now.


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## Bgriffin856

Haha thanks guys. I like to share with those who might want to reminisce and educate the unfamiliar

Atleast these ladies make money not cost money....need a suitable two legged one that understands that


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## Grateful11

Next years hay in the making, Oats are looking real good despite all this unusual cold weather.


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## Bgriffin856

Grateful11 said:


> Next years hay in the making, Oats are looking real good despite all this unusual cold weather.


Bet that'll make some good deer hunting


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## Bgriffin856

Gathered up all temporary fencing today

Have noticed there is going to be alot of bedding from first cutting this year


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## Bgriffin856

Well indirectly harvested some of our crops today. Opening day didnt last long. Got out after chores around ten and had this one down by 1. One perfect shot to the lungs. Eight point with a inside spread of 14 inches about as big as they get here.


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## deadmoose

Bgriffin856 said:


> Well indirectly harvested some of our crops today. Opening day didnt last long. Got out after chores around ten and had this one down by 1. One perfect shot to the lungs. Eight point with a inside spread of 14 inches about as big as they get here.


Nice buck. What did he dress @?


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## Bgriffin856

Not sure. My guess would be 120-130 maybe more


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## sethd11

Nice looking buck. Nothing better than deer sausage and venison steaks. Going to shoulder mount him?


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## NDVA HAYMAN

Got 2 more tractors , 1 grain cart and the combine to get cleaned up. Changing oils and filters in everything. There goes some of my green$$$$ and then I'm done for the year. Be starting all over again in April.


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## SVFHAY

congrats Griff, nice buck and you didn't waste much time doin it. 2 wasted days with nothing to show for it here. My cousin, 57 years old, milks 25 head old school. As in carrying buckets to the bulk tank. He got up about 2:30 to milk, drive 40 minutes and be on stand way in the mountains by 7.


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## Bgriffin856

Already cut the horns off and hung them to dry. Im not big into getting mounts made. I like to eat them though if I got a huge one I might think about it. Venison is best ground usually only save the back and tenderloin for steak.

I guess I got lucky. Just sitting in my ladder stand and heard something to my right and this one and a doe run right next to almost undet the tree my stand is on. By the time I got my gun up he was right in front of me and just as I had him in my scope he just stepped out from behind a tree and stops. Split second I squeezed the trigger. Watched him run about a hundred feet and ran into a tree and got stopped. All happened so fast and everything just came natural I didn't even get excited or any adrenalin rush. Im amazed at that more than anything


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## halfmoonfarm01

That was a nice buck.

Just downloaded the photos off of the camera. Grass hay,












normally only 2 cuttings, spring and fall.


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