# Rain Coming on Downed Hay, Ted or not??



## ZekeTheDog (Apr 26, 2010)

I bet a lot of Haymaker's nightmares started with this: When I started cutting yesterday, there was no rain in the forecast.









Well, me too now. Been haying for a few years, but just bought a spinner tedder. Now, what i don't know, and I'm sure there might be various opinions on this, with 1/4" of rain forcast all of a sudden tonight, do I ted ahead of it? or just let it lay?

It's sunny today, it's sunny tomorrow. Just an overnight of rain (or so they say!). I have 6 fields cut of about 20 acres total of orchard grass of varying heights/density and quality and terrain, from very light to very heavy, and from weedless to some weeds. I sure don't want to spend the fuel, time and wear and tear if I'm hurting myself.

I'm thinking that if I Ted today and it dries in the sun, tonight's rain will be more absorbed decreasing quality on second drying. OTOH, if it's fluffed, it might hold up better and rain can run off better leaving less to dry tomorrow and less likelihood of mold starting, which I'm always concerned about in the denser areas.

I'm leaning to ted.


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## country boy (May 27, 2010)

I would say let it lay and see if by chance you do get rain , because if you do ted it and it does that will be yet another trip around the field you will have to make to ted it again


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## Farmall706 (Sep 4, 2011)

Here in my area we will let it sit as is until the top layer is dry. then rake. Of course I don't have a tedder. I do think that if you fluff it, it will absorb more moisture.


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## terraceridge (Jul 21, 2011)

I wouldn't ted it. In my mind, if the hay is packed down, the rain may not infiltrate to the bottom as well. However, I would definitely ted it as soon as possible tomorrow.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

If you're expecting rain again tonight, I'd let it lay. And when the weather clears up, you're probably going to need to ted it at least twice to get it good and dry.


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## ZekeTheDog (Apr 26, 2010)

yea, that's my dilemma. A 1/4" or rain can't dry fast if it can't get to the bottom! So, my other side says that if I ted it, it will put some air under it and when the rain comes, it will channel the water to the ground quicker, and expose more to the air and sun in the morning, when that's allegedly supposed to shine again, to allow for quicker drying before I can get to it with the tedder again. I'm thinking I might do some tedding on part of it and see if I can reach a conclusion afterwards... then I'll report my findings here.

I'm surprised no one has said to ted.


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

I would let it lay tonight, then ted first thing in the morning. If it does rain, it will shed more water and do less damage untedded. Then you can ted it and knock the water off in the morning to aid in drying.


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## MikeRF (Dec 21, 2009)

OhioHay said:


> I would let it lay tonight, then ted first thing in the morning. If it does rain, it will shed more water and do less damage untedded. Then you can ted it and knock the water off in the morning to aid in drying.


I agree with the other posts that would not touch it if rain is in the forecast. Ted as soon as the top has dried off after the rains have moved through.


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## Hayguy (Jun 4, 2008)

OhioHay said:


> I would let it lay tonight, then ted first thing in the morning. If it does rain, it will shed more water and do less damage untedded. Then you can ted it and knock the water off in the morning to aid in drying.


I'm not not sure about the hay in a windrow shedding more water, but I agree about having less damage. I think there is less bleaching from the sun (turning brown) for hay left in a windrow before a rain. I like to have the ground between the windrows dry a little before tedding after a rain, but the sooner you can get it spred out, the faster it will dry.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I just learned a lot from this thread. I fully expect this to be my situation at some point, too!


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## Will 400m (Aug 1, 2011)

Been there done that what I do is rake it into windrows so there's less are exposed to the elliments and the water rolls off the top of the windrow like a tent. Then ted it morning after the sun dryes the ground so your spreading the hay on nice dry ground. Works for me and good thing cuse the weatherman never seems to know what the weather's going to do.


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## Texasmark (Dec 20, 2011)

Looks like it's unanimous: Leave it be. I ted mine when warranted so I do know about the process.

Mark


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## orthco (Sep 26, 2011)

country boy said:


> I would say let it lay and see if by chance you do get rain , because if you do ted it and it does that will be yet another trip around the field you will have to make to ted it again


I agree. I think it would hurt so much if you let it rain. We also often experience that.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Let it be, if you spread it out before the rain, it will be much harder to get it all retedded with out running your tedder teeth practically in the dirt. If it does get wet, ted first thing in the AM to help knock some of the water off.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

This would be my strategy...for what it's worth....and I'm baling coastal Bermuda in ga so quite a bit diff from your locale...I would let it sit overnite, no tending, and if it rained overnite I wouldn't sweat it, but I would let the ground dry well, here lunch or better, and turn the hay into the spot next to the existing windrow, dry ground, I would use one side of the rake and just get the windrow flipped, let that ground dry which will be wet for a couple of hours, depending on big ball of fire, at that point with no more rain in forecast I would Ted the hay and hope to bale late the next day. I would also run the Tedder at a lower rpm as I would be tedding during the hottest part of the day, just to prevent as much leaf shatter on dried hay as possible. Good luck, i just think like others that if I'm going to get rain, a windrow is better to be rained on that tedded hay, hope it helps


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

Will 400m said:


> Been there done that what I do is rake it into windrows so there's less are exposed to the elliments and the water rolls off the top of the windrow like a tent. Then ted it morning after the sun dryes the ground so your spreading the hay on nice dry ground. Works for me and good thing cuse the weatherman never seems to know what the weather's going to do.


I'm with Will on this! Must be a "New England" thing!








Dave


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Probably why I don't own a tedder.... no major grass content here.

It's grass so leaf loss isn't an issue. Ted in the morning after your coffee and constitutional.

We invert here. Inversion here depends entirely on ground ambient moisture content. Wet ground plus sun evaporation equals wet forage on the bottom side.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

ARD Farm said:


> It's grass so leaf loss isn't an issue.


That depends entirely on the "type" of grass that you are tedding. Coastal Bermuda grass, that Somedevildawg referenced, along with many other Bermuda Grass varieties can have a high degree of leaf shatter it not tedded or raked in a proper fashion.

Regards, Mike


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

You know that is a nice thing about hay farming, usually have a chance to get those important elements of ones daily routine taken care of without worry.......

Ted in the morning after your coffee and constitutional.


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