# First time trying to dry alfalfa / heavy red clover mix



## YODA (Oct 24, 2013)

Monday I did a second cutting on neighbors 12 acres using my PZ 170 mower. Alfalfa and especially the red clover were very heavy. In fact my neighbor and I have never seen it this heavy for a second cutting. Yesterday (Tuesday) I ran my tedder through the windrows to spread it out. Temps are in the high 80 with an interment wind, I'm in SW Colorado, Current humidity is about 25%. Forecast shows 0% possibility of rain for the next 4 days.

If it was grass I would windrow late this afternoon and be baling tomorrow afternoon, but from reading I will take at least 1 or possibly 2 extra days for this mix to dry.

Question - Should I windrow today and not touch until baling time, or let it lay flat until almost dry then windrow. I am concerned about leaf loss if I wait to windrow. I have a Kubota rotary rake.

I normally do a twist test on my grass (breaks at 4 to 6 revolutions and good to bale), but how do you tell the alfalfa and clover are dry enough?

Thanks for any help

PS: on my grass I bale at 10 to 14% moisture to prevent mold, etc.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

Red clover is a tricky one; two of my fields have very heavy red clover. I've found that I cannot get it to dry (even in a light second cutting at only 20 bales per acre) with orchard grass in less than 3 days (counting mowing day). I ted the same day it's mowed (I mow with a conditioner), and usually start mowing around 1:30 pm, with 40-50% humidity, sunshine, and temps in the 80's.

The red clover stems do not twist to the point where they just break; they feel waxy but if you break it open there's not any moisture in the stem. Doing it this way, my moisture in the bales has still been around 10-14% and I haven't experienced mold. But I'd be interested to hear how others are doing red clover.

The most recent field I did I learned I should have tested again on Day 2. Despite the light cutting, when I checked it the morning of Day 3, there was still a lot of grass on the bottom that was still a little too green, and I cut this field at about 2-3 inches since it was going to be last cut for the year for this field most likely, so not a lot of air beneath the stubble. I immediately ran out and tedded it, gave it an hour, and then raked it. It was dry enough by that point.


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

I have never baled red clover that eventually the square bales didn't dust-up. I don't think tedding helps that much either as the clover stem just seems to hold moisture. I can't speak to Alfalfa.

Like you, there are some neighbors around that are getting a very heavy red clover second cutting. They are rolling for cattle. I'm sure they will have mold/dust.

If you could find an old pull behind New Holland crimper it might help, but if the clover is any dry, leaf loss might be an issue.

Not much help...

Good luck


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

leeave96 said:


> I have never baled red clover that eventually the square bales didn't dust-up. I don't think tedding helps that much either as the clover stem just seems to hold moisture. I can't speak to Alfalfa.
> 
> Like you, there are some neighbors around that are getting a very heavy red clover second cutting. They are rolling for cattle. I'm sure they will have mold/dust.
> 
> ...


The red clover in two of my fields is heavier than it ever has been before. I haven't had dusty bales in the past with this, but I'm going to see what happens this year. I didn't know bales would get dusty with red clover.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Clover to get dry in a word, sucks.

Normally after I ted I leave it, if drying conditions are poor I'll ted it again the next morning to fluff it back up as the nights dew plasters it pretty tight to the ground. Repeat as needed to get dry. This is with a alfalfa/OG mix.


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## YODA (Oct 24, 2013)

I went ahead and did light windrows. It was sitting deep in the uncut grass below. I figured I would get it up and into the air flow. Leaf retention was good. Boy when the clover drys is sure get dark. Looks like tomorrow late I should be good to go. Alfalfa looks good to. Stems are getting brittle with leafs staying on the branches. Worse case will make good cow hay, but I have a horse customer that wants a high concentration of alfalfa/clover, Most of my buyers want straight grass.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

Boys ain't it the truth... clover is a bugga to get dry! Got tons of here as well and boy does it give horses the slobbers! Looks like hell when dry in a bale too.. best conditioner is the flail type for clover they say?


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

skyrydr2 said:


> best conditioner is the flail type for clover they say?


I'd say 'nope', at least in MY area. You need to smash them big old stems on clover to help them dry, IMHO.

Larry


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## YODA (Oct 24, 2013)

In a way I did smash them as in creating the windrows, I drove over the first pass, etc


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

r82230 said:


> I'd say 'nope', at least in MY area. You need to smash them big old stems on clover to help them dry, IMHO.
> 
> Larry


yeah but when I was looking at the clover stems, I noticed how waxy they were. Since the flail type conditioners condition by stripping off the waxy layer, it seemed to me that a flail conditioner would make more sense. My conditioner wasn't very effective at crimping them.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

Is there any substantial feed value or soil nutrition (nitrogen fixation) to red clover, or should I just spray it all out of the field? It would make life a lot easier because I've been avoiding spraying this field because of the clover.


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Hayjosh said:


> My conditioner wasn't very effective at crimping them.


Have you ever re-set your rollers (roll gap adjusting) and tested them? I just re-adjusted mine for my finer stemmed 3rd cutting hay.

Larry


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Hayjosh said:


> Is there any substantial feed value or soil nutrition (nitrogen fixation) to red clover, or should I just spray it all out of the field? It would make life a lot easier because I've been avoiding spraying this field because of the clover.


Red clover isn't a super long lasting legume, but fixes N like a son of a gun. Depends how long you plan on keeping this field, red clover is like maybe a 3 or 4 year crop and then needs reseeding.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

our fields vary from year to as to the amount of clover in the mix a little 20% is no problem but much above 20% and drying becomes an issue. tedding makes a big difference for us takes a day out the drying process.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

stack em up said:


> Red clover isn't a super long lasting legume, but fixes N like a son of a gun. Depends how long you plan on keeping this field, red clover is like maybe a 3 or 4 year crop and then needs reseeding.


It's in two fields actually. One is mine that I own, the other is a rented (for cheap) field down the street. I never planted clover in either of them, it just showed up, and this year came in like crazy.

This field used to be just straight grass.


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## YODA (Oct 24, 2013)

Well baled yesterday afternoon. Looks OK Had only 2 bales read high on moisture (over 18%) out of the 185. I Marked them with flagging to go in my cow hay pile that I store outside under a tarp. Will double check each bale as I store in the barn. Now to get them picked up and out of the field so owner van irrigate.

Is there a way to kill the clover and not hurt the alfalfa now that it has been cut?


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## Farmineer95 (Aug 11, 2014)

Old timers said cut red clover, go fishing for a week, come home look at it and fish another week. Maybe it'll be dry. Heavy on the moisture content. 
Another beef guy I spoke with wraps clover hay for baleage. Says they gain better and no chance of bloat (if I remember correctly? His claim, can't say I know for sure). Good feed value, just not as easy to handle as alfalfa.
Red clover in my opinion is better suited for an ensiled feed.


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