# Rain on hay



## glinka (Jul 5, 2012)

Relatively new to haying, I've heard that if you cut hay and it rains on the hay before you rake it the hay will be ok. Is this true and why? Also, if it rains does after raking what is the procedure to dry and bale? Is that hay worthless? These may seem silly questions but what is the difference between the hay being cut and rained on or raked and rained on?


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

Hay that is spread out prior to raking is easier to get dried out if it gets rained on. Hay in windrows tend to hold moisture and is more difficult to get dry.

It's a judgement call. If it is a light rain, then it may dry out with no further action from you. A heavy rain might require one or more uses of a tedder to fluff the hay.

If hay is in windrows when it gets rained on, I usually just run the tedder over it and spread it back out to dry. Some folks will take their hay rakes and try to "flip" the windrow to expose the bottom part of the hay. I've tried that in the past and never had much luck with it.

Is the hay worthless? No. But what happens is the longer you leave the hay in the field, the sun and elements will bleach the color and the hay becomes more "strawlike". Most folks want to see a green tint to their hay. I've had hay that laid in the field for two weeks before I finally got it dry enough to bale. It was brown in color, but folks still bought it for cow hay.

The key is to always tell the truth about your hay. Most folks have enough sense to tell if the hay was put up in the optimum time or if it stayed in the field too long.


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

This is my first full season making hay, and I have only made hay once so far that did not get rained on atleast once lol. The weather here in the Northeast just hard to get more then 2-3 days w/out rain, right now we are super dry but still chance of tstorms everyday. Last year in my attemp to do a 2nd cutting i had it get rained on just laying out wide. I just used and old sickle mower, left it lay until it was dry enough and then raked it up and had neighbor round bale it. Now this year my first cutting i just couldn't' get it dry, thought it was so i had it raked up started baling and realized it wasn't enough, so i stopped knowin rain was coming in, i left it in the windrow and it got rained on off and on 2 to 3 days over a week, i kept goin over the windrow w/ my tedder/fluffer and i eventually got it dried out, it made dry hay with little color but my horses are eating and i just sold it for $2 a small bale to a guy w/ a few cows, like RockmartGA said just be honest about it. There surely is not much money in hay making for me but i do it just because i enjoy it and our horses eat it up fast. Best thing to do is just ted it out, it waste a little time and fuel but it really speeds things up and makes better hay from my little bit of experience so far. Good luck and have fun


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## glinka (Jul 5, 2012)

_I'm in Michigan, been hot, in the 90's and no rain. Mowed yesterday because hay had so many blossoms, alot more than the 10% they say you should mow at. Sure enough got 3/4" rain in the morning. Now weather say 30% chance thunder storms next three days. Don't have a tedder but I mow with NH 489 haybine that crimbs. Really odd year weatherwise. _


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

RockmartGA said:


> Hay that is spread out prior to raking is easier to get dried out if it gets rained on. Hay in windrows tend to hold moisture and is more difficult to get dry.
> 
> It's a judgement call. If it is a light rain, then it may dry out with no further action from you. A heavy rain might require one or more uses of a tedder to fluff the hay.
> 
> ...


I agree with Mr. Whitmer's comments. One reason I bought a tedder was to recapture rained on hay. If in a WR and ready for baling, what I like to do is to let the ground dry adjacent to the wr and then scatter it over the dried area. Amazing how fast it dries scattered out.

Main thing is mildew for that musty smell and moldy spots. Horse folks don't like that. In moderate amounts cows don't seem to mind. So don't let it sit rowed up too long.

When I sold hay, I'd tell the customer what happened and give a discount if they wanted it.

I have no scientific evidence one way or the other (and have looked for it) as to how much rain, when bla bla bla. So it' just a SWAG for me. What I do know I mentioned.

Mark


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## glinka (Jul 5, 2012)

So, I mowed the 4th July and it rained next morning. I left it the 5th and today the 6th it is going to get near 100 degrees with rain tonight and maybe Saturday. Is it still the best to leave it mowed and not rake it until no rain day?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

glinka said:


> So, I mowed the 4th July and it rained next morning. I left it the 5th and today the 6th it is going to get near 100 degrees with rain tonight and maybe Saturday. Is it still the best to leave it mowed and not rake it until no rain day?


Need to check it, with this heat and getting rained on, it can and will mold right in the row. Ted it or just flip it half over with a rake.


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