# Hay question...darn weathermen!



## DeerMeadowFarm (Jun 8, 2010)

So, we've had a very wet spring and I've been anxious to get my first cut done. Yesterday morning, the weather was 10% to 20% chance of a shower. So, I cut my back field. As soon as I was done, we got a light sprinkle of rain. No big deal...I teddered it and called it a day. Then last night it poured. Heavy. For over an hour or two...

Today I woke up and checked the weather. Tuesday now shows 80% of rain, Thursday and Friday 50%, Saturday 40% and Sunday 60%. Basically, I'm screwed. My question is what to do?

Should I just run my flail mower over it and chop it up as fine as I can? I don't see any chance in the forecast to possibly bale it and even if I did I don't have a customer for mulch hay.

Suggestions?


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

The percentage chances of rain don't paint a very clear picture. Depends on how much rain might be coming. Depends on if it's going to be cloudy all day if it doesn't rain or whether it will be sunny until a storm rolls in.

If it all got smashed into the ground during your downpour, it's probably best to ted or rake to get it back up on the stubble until you get through Tuesday and then go from there.


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

When trying to get hay done through rain you really need to rely on your nose. You can, after a while, tell from the smell when hay is starting to go sour and will only end up as mulch.

I have a field right now that got 1/10" on it 3 times, and an inch on Friday, I tedded it out late Sat and if the weather holds I will ted it tonight, rake and bale it tomorrow. It still smells like hay. It will be brown and ugly and have low feed value, but it is better than straw (by about 2% CP I bet).


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Where are you located?

In Florida, an 80% chance of rain means that 80% of you will get rain.

In New Mexico, an 80% chance of rain means that 20% of you will get 80 inches in 20 minutes.

In Illinois, an 80% chance means that if you don't need rain, you WILL get rain. Whereas if you need rain the 80% means that there is a 20% chance that you will get rain.

If you've got hay down, a 20% chance means that you WILL get rain even if you're in Illinois.

Hope this helps.

Ralph


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## DeerMeadowFarm (Jun 8, 2010)

I'm in Central Massachusetts where "20% chance of a stray shower" can evidently mean a 4 hour deluge as what happened last night. If I didn't have hay down, I'd question the 80% but since I do I'm thinking we will get rain.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

A 20% of stray showers got mine wet today. Was supposed to be yesterday was the only chance of rain. Needs to get done in the next two days period, after Wednesday night have 70% and higher the rest of the week. Best part is neither Accuweather or the NWS can agree on a forecast, they both agreed however when I mowed it.


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

mlappin said:


> A 20% of stray showers got mine wet today. Was supposed to be yesterday was the only chance of rain. Needs to get done in the next two days period, after Wednesday night have 70% and higher the rest of the week. Best part is neither Accuweather or the NWS can agree on a forecast, they both agreed however when I mowed it.


Same problem here. I look at 3 different forecasts and they haven't agreed all year. Been miserable hay making all year. Still lots of first cutting to make in this area.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

OhioHay said:


> Same problem here. I look at 3 different forecasts and they haven't agreed all year. Been miserable hay making all year. Still lots of first cutting to make in this area.


I just put my last 50 acres of first cut on the ground today.....our problem was drought up until about 3-4 weeks ago, now it's a monsoon....


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## MFSuper90 (Jun 26, 2015)

It's funny how this topic got on to different weather apps. I have always had a dream to make a "hay weather app" that took a cluster of 10 weather reports and piled it into one "average" forcast. I also would like to have it have the humidity readings. Now if it could just say when to cut, that would be nice. That might take the fun out of it though.


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## Smoothy (Apr 26, 2015)

I've tried to run a batwing mower before over hay same scenario. It didn't work so hot got a bunch of clumps. Best is to chop back on if you can find a green chopper it's well I've also raked it and borrowed a normal chopper and blew it back out. It's time consuming and a major pain but it's what worked for me.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

Deermeadowfarm, join the club...
I too am in Central Mass. And have hay down... got poored on yesterday at my home but the hay field did not see a drop... go figure.. going to re-tedd and rake and go like hell to bale. I just hope that ole baler can take it..


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

We've had a brutal spring. I'm a full 3 weeks behind. I still see about 20-30% of our fields aren't even cut yet. I still have 2 fields uncut. Phone ringing off the hook, 50+ emails from customers wanting pastures mowed. Get up in the dark, go home in the dark. Don't even get me started on equipment breakdowns.... 
Some say it's a "good problem". Better than no work.....I guess. 
I say it's a stressful PITA. 
I've only been a full time haying contractor for 4-5 years, but this is hands down the absolute worst year by far. Rained just enough last night to make baling dry hay today a difficult task. 
In MY area, it's not the amount of rainfall, it's the frequency of it. It rains every 3-4 days. Usually we get stretches of 7-10 days all summer with no rain.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

JD3430 said:


> We've had a brutal spring. I'm a full 3 weeks behind. I still see about 20-30% of our fields aren't even cut yet. I still have 2 fields uncut. Phone ringing off the hook, 50+ emails from customers wanting pastures mowed. Get up in the dark, go home in the dark. Don't even get me started on equipment breakdowns....
> Some say it's a "good problem". Better than no work.....I guess.
> I say it's a stressful PITA.
> I've only been a full time haying contractor for 4-5 years, but this is hands down the absolute worst year by far. Rained just enough last night to make baling dry hay today a difficult task.
> In MY area, it's not the amount of rainfall, it's the frequency of it. It rains every 3-4 days. Usually we get stretches of 7-10 days all summer with no rain.


Yup, and the stretches that we didnt have rain there was just enough chance of showers that guys didnt drop hay..


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## DeerMeadowFarm (Jun 8, 2010)

Well, I teddered it yesterday afternoon when I got home from my real job. It didn't look great, but we'll see. Today's forecast is calling for thunderstorms. If that happens I think it'll be lost...?

The only good thing about this wet spring is it's affect is now killing off the gypsy moth caterpillars. I walked down through my sugarbush Sunday afternoon when our forester stopped by. They hadn't gotten into my maples yet but just up the hill from them there were hundreds on the trees. Fortunately they were dead or dying and were all gooey. In some areas though I fear it's too little too late. My white oaks are stripped completely and my apple trees were hit hard as well.


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## DeerMeadowFarm (Jun 8, 2010)

So the weatherman was right about yesterday. We had rain on and off all day. Even some hail to make things interesting. Today is supposed to be nice then rain on and off the next 4 days. My hay will not be any good and at this point in the forecast I don't see it getting dry enough to bale. What can I do now?


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

Looks like I'm gonna be finishing up first cut in July this year. Oh well. At least the soybeans and new hay seeding look good. Hopefully it dries up so I can get things sprayed.


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

Bishop said:


> When trying to get hay done through rain you really need to rely on your nose. You can, after a while, tell from the smell when hay is starting to go sour and will only end up as mulch.
> 
> I have a field right now that got 1/10" on it 3 times, and an inch on Friday, I tedded it out late Sat and if the weather holds I will ted it tonight, rake and bale it tomorrow. It still smells like hay. It will be brown and ugly and have low feed value, but it is better than straw (by about 2% CP I bet).


This hay is now mulch.  Hopefully get it off the field in a day or two so second cut can come. 3 more rains in 2 days finished it off.


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## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

Bishop said:


> Looks like I'm gonna be finishing up first cut in July this year. Oh well. At least the soybeans and new hay seeding look good. Hopefully it dries up so I can get things sprayed.


The way things are going, July might be wishful thinking here. Scared it might be August if the weather doesn't straighten up.


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## DeerMeadowFarm (Jun 8, 2010)

I think I'm going to tedder it tonight, take tomorrow off and roll it up, wait a couple of hours, flip it, then start baling. I don't have much luck selling mulch hay but I guess I'll have to try.


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## 8350HiTech (Jul 26, 2013)

DeerMeadowFarm said:


> I think I'm going to tedder it tonight, take tomorrow off and roll it up, wait a couple of hours, flip it, then start baling. I don't have much luck selling mulch hay but I guess I'll have to try.


Anyone that nearby who would buy it in the windrow to bale into rounds or big squares?


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## haygrl59 (May 19, 2014)

rjmoses said:


> In Illinois, an 80% chance means that if you don't need rain, you WILL get rain. Whereas if you need rain the 80% means that there is a 20% chance that you will get rain.
> 
> If you've got hay down, a 20% chance means that you WILL get rain even if you're in Illinois.
> 
> Ralph


So true, Ralph. We have 50 acres of alfalfa that has been down since last Friday (6/23). We attempted to bale it 2 days ago but it was still too high in moisture. Yesterday, the weatherman said we had a 30% chance of rain. It poured 1.3" of rain on the field. It was a gorgeous 2nd cutting and now nada. I think I need to find who does the forecasting for the weather and shanghai him to Vegas and then always bet against him!! Those percentages are meaningless anymore. It IS like gambling in Vegas!


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

To hell with the weather man... who makes a good accurate cropsaver applicator kit? I kinda like the Newholland unit but dont have a dealer around any more ..


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