# Baling into the night



## Canderson012 (Jan 17, 2012)

I got a late start today and baled almost two hours after dark. The hay was really dry prior to nightfall, light crop for my last cut. I was wondering if you guys think that there was too much moisture in the air to be baling at night?


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## Bob M (Feb 11, 2012)

As long as hay is very dry during the day time, baling at night with dew moisture can work great. Moisture meters on baler usually read higher with dew moisture, so a little hard to know when to stop. But hay has to be really dry during the day, prob less than 10%.


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## Canderson012 (Jan 17, 2012)

Thanks, like I said it was a short light cut so I only tedded it once the day after I cut. Probably could have got by without tedding due to all the sunshine we've had. But I think I should be good


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I cant seem to bale before 12 pm or past about 5pm or moisture is a problem. Hay goes limp and soggy. By nightfall, it's soaked. Come to fields at 7 AM and fields look like they were rained on. Takes till lunch time till they get dry again.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

JD3430 said:


> I cant seem to bale before 12 pm or past about 5pm or moisture is a problem. Hay goes limp and soggy. By nightfall, it's soaked. Come to fields at 7 AM and fields look like they were rained on. Takes till lunch time till they get dry again.


Same here. 
I have tried to bale some here after dark. I always have to stop. When I get out and feel the hay it is usually damp.
I do agree that cured hay would not be as bad as hay trying to dry. We seem to do better raking in the morning with a little dew and baling sooner compared to going into the night. I am talking grass hay, not legumes.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

It is hard baling here because of our humidity and early evening dew unless it is windy or cloudy. I would keep a close eye on that hay. Mike


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

Stem moisture and the Humidity are the Keys.

As was alluded to, 10% Stem moisture is a good place to start.

Next is what was the humidity while baling late afternoon into the evening. 
If the air down next to the hay was less than 50% humidity the hay was probably too dry to bale at that time. 
If the air down next to the hay was at or above 50% humidity, yes an evening humidity rise will result in hay that is damp. The key is to be using an on the go moisture tester that is sampling the hay on the side opposite the cut edge. Measuring the moisture on the cut side is mostly measuring stem moisture. What you want is to measure the moisture on the other side of the bale chamber where you are measuring surface moisture. IN the case ( IF the STEMS are 10% moisture ) you can read 24% moisture on the go and have an *average* of 16% to 18% Average Moisture. You are in the green. In the Arid West they can bale when the tires are turning black with the moisture with no problem. 
The key is to listen to the slip clutch. When the Slip Clutch is working and the bales are a reasonable weight, it is time to shut it down.

I do all the baling and I also pickup the hay with a NH Stack Wagon. The hay that is a little too dry goes deeper in the barn, while the marginally damp hay goes on the top tier of on the outside of the stack.

Our motto is - The Devil is in the DETAILS - !

HERE I usually have 1 to 3 hours of baling during the day, but 3 to 6 hours of baling at night.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

"Normal" Indiana weather (high humidity and heavy dues) does not permit baling past 30 minutes before dusk. However, this year in our extreme desert climate with high temps and 20% daytime humidity levels, I didn't start baling until well after dark. I would wait for the RH to get above 50% to start and could bale until it got into the low 70's. Started a couple of nites at 10 pm and baled until early AM.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I have a really stupid question(s). Please don't laugh TOO much.
Q: How do you measure your RH?
Do you have some kind of hand held meter that measures RH at ground level?
Does it change as you walk around a field?


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

Here's a cheap one:

http://www.professionalequipment.com/amprobe-relative-humidity-temperature-probe-style-meter-th-1/humidity-meter-measure/

I've also seen them with an anemometer (wind speed) included but they are more expensive.


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

No problem
In the Gempler's catalog in the weather section their are all types and prices. www.gemplers.com 1-800-382-8473

Twenty five years ago I used a classic put some water on the sock and swing the thing to find the difference in temperatures, then look at the chart for the humidity.

Then I bought a* Kestrel 3000 item # 125140 *that measures more than I needed but it was interesting. $ 160 now. That lasted a good 15 years, until it went in the washing machine.

Next from FarmTek www.farmtek.com 1-800-327-6835 I got a listed $37 plus shipping humidity and temperature * # CA1049*
It is slower to reaqct than the Kestrel but much easier to read sitting on the ground next to a windrow.
Now they have another one $30 # 102447F

They also have a meter simular to the Kestril for $150 #103868

The gimpler's meters are listed from pp 494 to pp 509 in my current catalog

The FarmTek has all their offerings on one page pp126 in the catalog I have.

Over 30 years ago I had a round dial humidity tool that hung on the wall and was of little use. 
When I learned that it was safe to bale, fully cured hay, with the thmidity going down through 70% I got waht was available which worked but had major drawbacks. Here the free air humidity can be 50% with dew still on the ground.
Then I learned the magic humidities, from the East Coast. Then I bought the Kestril. It was (is) fast and accurate but you have to look closely to read the numbers. 
When I ruined that one I did not want to spring for the then $130 and but in a magizine saw the FarmTek ad for the CA1049.

Going from the house at 50% RH to the field at maybe 75% RH it took a long time to climb up to the 70% range. So I breath into the little hole and the humidity shoots up to the 75% range and works reasonably well. I start small square baling at 70% RH and the hay test kn the 18% to 20% range, By the time I have the bale length and weight correct the bale mositrue is 18% moisture.
Two hours later my bales are still baling in the 14% to 12% moisture range.

Here is the Universal Truth for baling hay.

With the air, down next to the hay, is 90% RH the hay will be no drier than 40% moisture. Rake this hay if you want.
With the air, down next to the hay, is 70% RH the hay will be no drier than 18%- 20% moisture. ok for small square baling.
With the air, down next to the hay, is 65% RH the hay will be no drier than16% to 18% moisture. Ok for baling hay.
With the air, down next to the hay, is 55% or 50% RH leaf shatter will be a factor.

For night baling the humidity should be above 55% but many do not start until 65% humidity, and they bale till the hay becomes too tough to bale. Some of those lucky soals never have too much humidity to bale and quit as the leaf shattering becomes excessive. 
I have heard of hay in the Mountains of the East where the humidity never goes below 70%! 
That must be a real joy. *****


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

So if I understand you correctly, best to bale when the humidity at ground level is less than 70%?
Wouldn't humidity levels vary from place to place in a field? Or are they usually consistent?
Thanks for the great information!


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

hay wilson in TX said:


> I have heard of hay in the Mountains of the East where the humidity never goes below 70%!
> That must be a real joy. *****


Yup


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

JD3430 said:


> So if I understand you correctly, best to bale when the humidity at ground level is less than 70%?
> 
> Wouldn't humidity levels vary from place to place in a field?


That is true, and here by the time I go the length of the field tha humidity will have gone down some.

Yes the humidity changes with the lay of the land. and tree shading. That is what we get those high wages for to play the humidity to our advantage. 
I can usually plan on being able to bale 600 bales, between too damp to bale and too dry too bale. If I think three will be more than 600 bales I will come in at first light and rake a percentage of the field to fold surface dew into the windrow. That can give me an extra hour of baling, Maybe. I have seen the moisture go from 12% to 16% when I get to that morning's raked hay.

When out custom baling I have had to start the first bales out in the middle of the field, out away from a tree line shadow.

I have one two acre bermudagrass field that besides being nothing but turns has a tree line on the East side. If my relaxation had been golf I would have put in a par three on the little patch.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Sounds like you're looking to add moisture, where I'm looking for ways to get away from moisture!!


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## DKFarms (Aug 11, 2008)

I have been successful with a less scientific method. As I bale into the evening, I watch for when the dust doesn't seem to be flying around as much. That tells me the RH is coming up. I start checking one bale out of 50 after that with the moisture tester. When it gets to 18%, I shut it down. Depending on conditions, sometimes that's 8 pm or as late as 11 pm. That seems to work in my neck of the woods, don't know if that would be an acceptable method in other parts of the country.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Sounds like a good plan to me dk, glad to see you back on the site, did your boys "bale" you out this year? Hope you're back in the operators seat!


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## Canderson012 (Jan 17, 2012)

I tell you guys what, I baled 65 bales until 9:45 at night, moisture never went over %14 on the monitor. It was bone dry coastal and last night didn't seem to be too humid. I've learned in the hay business you're gonna get tons of different opinions on how to do things, throw out some advice and mix the rest together and you can come out pretty good.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

_


Canderson012 said:



I tell you guys what, I baled 65 bales until 9:45 at night, moisture never went over %14 on the monitor. It was bone dry coastal and last night didn't seem to be too humid. I've learned in the hay business you're gonna get tons of different opinions on how to do things, throw out some advice and mix the rest together and you can come out pretty good.

Click to expand...

__Dew moisture will read alot higher on monitor then it actualy is._


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

The Big Boys in the Arid West tell us that they bale with moisture up into the low 20% range, *IF* it is all dew moisture and not stem moisture.

I agree with SWMNhay on that. When I was still night baling the slip clutch would tell me when the hay was tooooo tough to bale. That and the bales became extra heavy. No enclosed Cab Here.

Depends on how the bale moisture is measured. With a probe it is close to average. With an on the go moisture tester and the sensor on the cut side, the reading will be tilted tword stem moisture. With the sensor on the off side the reading is tilted to the dew moisture.

Again the Western Arid State alfafla growers tell us they can bale safely with some surface dew.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

DKFarms said:


> I have been successful with a less scientific method. As I bale into the evening, *I watch for when the dust doesn't seem to be flying around as much.* That tells me the RH is coming up. I start checking one bale out of 50 after that with the moisture tester. When it gets to 18%, I shut it down. Depending on conditions, sometimes that's 8 pm or as late as 11 pm. That seems to work in my neck of the woods, don't know if that would be an acceptable method in other parts of the country.


That's what I do and I look for moisture on baler/tractor tires.


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