# How much should I Ted?



## Nate926 (Apr 6, 2014)

I have been around hay farming all my adult life, but I have never seen orchard grass as thick as my new stand. Plan on cutting as soon as we get the weather. I'm guessing it's gonna produce 100-120 bales to the acre maybe more if I don't get to cut it soon. I'm tickled to death, but my question is how many times should I Ted it where I can get it to dry but not bleach the crap out of it? I've just never dealt with this thick of hay before.


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Depends on the yield and climate.

Just remember in the best of conditions you will knock off 5% of the leavess.

http://www.wvu.edu/~agexten/pubnwsltr/TRIM/5811.pdf


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Nate926 said:


> I have been around hay farming all my adult life, but I have never seen orchard grass as thick as my new stand. Plan on cutting as soon as we get the weather. I'm guessing it's gonna produce 100-120 bales to the acre maybe more if I don't get to cut it soon. I'm tickled to death, but my question is how many times should I Ted it where I can get it to dry but not bleach the crap out of it? I've just never dealt with this thick of hay before.


I've always prescribed to the theory of "the least is better" I so no difference in thick grass by kicking a second time unless it's rained on or very heavy dews, then I would try and Ted in am right when dew is evaporating.....I have Tedded Tift 85 a second time but didn't think it cured any faster......one thing I did notice tho, in heavy grass there seems to be a tendency to miss hay that's on the ground.....I suppose because of the heavy crop, a lot of crop turned the second time seemed to have been missed the first time, but that could be just the diff in tedders, we try to Ted right after cutting and the Krone excels in wetter material and really speaks the crop, sometimes in adjacent windrows.......so in answer to your question Nate, I would say Ted if you think you must but try to do it at the right time to save leave shatter and leaf loss.....you may see spots that were missed the first time as well. Good luck and congrats on a good yield!


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

2 passes is normal here, if poor drying conditions 3 passes, if excellent 1 pass. This is for 100-120 bale an acre grass hay.


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## Nate926 (Apr 6, 2014)

Thank you guys for all the advice!! Hopefully I can get it cut ASAP. Just waiting on the weather


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

In a good year I regularly have orchard, timothy, and oat hay yield 100-130 bales an acre. Typically I only Ted once.....mid morning the day after cutting. Only if the weather window is very tight will I Ted a second time to insure that it dries in time. If I think I'm going to have to Ted twice I will do it the first time after I finish mowing and a second time the next day in hopes it will still be ready to bale on day 3.


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## Nate926 (Apr 6, 2014)

Thanks Farmercline! What county are you in? Know your pretty close to me. Did you get that much needed moisture?


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Nate926 said:


> Thanks Farmercline! What county are you in? Know your pretty close to me. Did you get that much needed moisture?


 I'm in Burke county. Yes, I got 1.7 inches of much needed rain.


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## Nate926 (Apr 6, 2014)

That's great!!


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Nate- in the for what it is worth category, we typically ted twice here-all grass hay. I have had both orchard and straight timothy that was so think I could not rake it, just baled the tedder windrows then did mop up with the rake. One thing this year if you are like us (our ground is now really wet, came from bone dry 9 days ago, one great soaking rain last weekend then a week of rain, drizzle, fog, showers, drizzle and no wind. Another 5 days of cloudy and drizzle and showers forecasted. With the hay ready to cut any day now, it looks like if we get a drying window it will be with wet ground. Therefore I would not be surprised if we had to ted 3 times this year with thick hay. I don't get bleaching with tedding, just more uniform drying and curing with nice color retainage. from what I have experienced here, bleaching is a temp and time issue, very hot or on the ground too long=bleaching. So anything I can do to hasten the curing process I try to do. Have not noticed a problem with shatter, just cut your pto speed down and don't beat it to death after the first tedding.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I usually ted OG first cutting only once--about 24 hrs after mowing. I lay a wide swath with about an 18" gap between swaths. And I mow tall!

My thinking goes: I want as much air and as little sun as possible. Spreading it over tall stubble allows the air to flow through the grass which in turn gets the moisture away from it. Putting it in a wide swath prevents sun bleaching while still allowing sun heat to warm the swath.

Overall, it's a balance.

BTW: I usually treat with propionic acid at 4 lbs/ton under normal circumstances. This allows me to bale at a slightly higher moisture which in turn means I get to bale sooner which in turn means better color.

Ralph


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

Keep it in the air! In other words as soon as the top starts to cure flip it again! the sooner it dries, the less chance it has to bleach!

JMHO, Dave


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## Shetland Sheepdog (Mar 31, 2011)

As others have said, keep your rotor speed down to avoid shatter/leaf loss!

I often ted at 2/3 PTO speed, unless I'm tedding within an hour or two of mowing.

I may ted at 1/2 PTO speed if the grass is getting close to dry, as this allows the tedder to make semi-windrows for better air flow and less exposure to bleaching.

When raking with my rotary rake, I almost always rake at 1/2 PTO speed, and travel at 5 - 6 MPH. Again, to handle the dried crop gently!


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Shetland Sheepdog said:


> As others have said, keep your rotor speed down to avoid shatter/leaf loss!
> 
> I often ted at 2/3 PTO speed, unless I'm tedding within an hour or two of mowing.
> 
> ...


right on sheepdog


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## hay wilson in TX (Jan 28, 2009)

Figure an engine speed to provide 300 up to 350 PTO, RPMs...

With those yields I would drop the hay to cover 100% of the ground with down hay.


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## Tater Salad (Jan 31, 2016)

Nate926 said:


> I have been around hay farming all my adult life, but I have never seen orchard grass as thick as my new stand. Plan on cutting as soon as we get the weather. I'm guessing it's gonna produce 100-120 bales to the acre maybe more if I don't get to cut it soon. I'm tickled to death, but my question is how many times should I Ted it where I can get it to dry but not bleach the crap out of it? I've just never dealt with this thick of hay before.


WOW !!!! "Tickled" is the understatement of the century !!!! Good For You !!! Nice problem to have !!! That's the hay dreams are made of !! haha!! By the way....Got no answer for ya !! haha!!!


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## Nate926 (Apr 6, 2014)

Guys thanks for all the advice and I am tickled, but it's starting to turn into torture! As of right now looks like no chance of getting any hay done for the next two weeks says the weather man! It's gonna be a jungle out there of pure over ripe hay. Walked out in my alfalfa fields today and it's starting to just barely flower. Average measurement was 26" and the orchard grass is growing growing and did I say growing?? It's unreal how everything has grown in the past two weeks. It's getting to the point that I'm starting to get worried about barn space. talked to a guy today that used to lease the 25 acres I planted in orchard grass he said he has gotten 4000+ bales off that place before, and it is a whole lot thicker now than he ever seen it so my estamation maybe a little shy. He said his bales averaged 55-60lbs a bale.


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## Nate926 (Apr 6, 2014)

Pic of how tall my alfalfa is. Used my dog Jack as a reference to height lol.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Nate926 said:


> Pic of how tall my alfalfa is. Used my dog Jack as a reference to height lol.


beautiful pic, and the alfalfa ain't bad either...Looks like your friend might be a cab full but with that R, probably has a dog seat in it.


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## rajela (Feb 15, 2014)

That is a fine looking dog and the alfafa looks good took...tell ole jack hello..


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## Nate926 (Apr 6, 2014)

Lol he loves the new R in my kubota it was alittle tight with us both!!


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