# Illinois Hay



## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

My family has been making hay for generations. But this spring we made a tough decision of buying a new round baler. Our hay before was just for our cattle before. I have been out of college for three years now and all i have wanted to do is farm, and the way the big farmers run up the price of the flat black around here there is no hope for me to get into the grain side until dad retires. So i was able to find close to 100 acres of marginal ground that i could rent for cheap for commercial hay and i established 30 of alfalfa this summer and is.looking good. I know the last two year making hay in the midwest has been easier than normal due to the drier climate we have been having. But when we get back to out 80% humidity all summer long will i have too much problems dealing with 150 + acres of hay. With what equiptment i have, just a roller mo-co, kuhn gt3200 rotary rake, 10 wheel v rake, NH BR 7090. I am by no means new to making hay but have been used to 40 acres my whole life. Will i need to consider a preservitive system? We will be round baling first cuttings and small squares the rest. Just looking for some insite from some midwesterners that have expierenced the summers where there are no hay making weeks all summer long.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I'd look at getting a tedder before dropping money on a preservative system. I have both and would still get the tedder first, during less than ideal drying times the tedder will allow you to get the hay made without having to have the added expense of acid. I have the automatic Harvest Tec unit on my BR740 and love it.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

Thanks. Bad thing they cost about the same. Lol


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## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

About 5 years ago we put Harvest Tec's top of the line preservative applicator on a 2x3 big square, and it has paid for itself several times since. The cost of preservative itself at higher rates will be around 8-10 dollars a ton.
I've never tried a real tedder in alfalfa, but I have my doubts that they help much, if the alfalfa is in a relatively wide swath already. I would think that with alfalfa the key is better condtioning. In grass, a tedder would be useful.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

80% humidity is pretty normal for us and it seems like it stayed even higher most of this year. I certainly tedded more hay than in the last 5 years but got it all put up with few problems. A couple of times I wished I had a preservative system, but that was more from my impatience in the spring and not wanting to drag the tedder around. If I had a MoCo it probably would have been better, I only do grass. I agree with Marty, I'd go for the tedder before I started spending money on acid.


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## Bob M (Feb 11, 2012)

I would agree on the tedder but would also try and put some tpye of preservative system on baler. As long as you can do math in your head on the go, you can put a fairly inexpensive system together.


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## fredro (May 12, 2012)

we ave the same problem here bahia grass cut one day bale next bermuda a differat story cut with 3200 cv krone ted twice a day till gets dry below 14% moisture ucing 6 rotor krone does 20 acres hour in smooth ground tried hay perserv one time didnt like the calibration squit using if u in the hay business u gonna get hay wet sometimes


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

brandenburgcattle42 said:


> My family has been making hay for generations. But this spring we made a tough decision of buying a new round baler. Our hay before was just for our cattle before. I have been out of college for three years now and all i have wanted to do is farm, and the way the big farmers run up the price of the flat black around here there is no hope for me to get into the grain side until dad retires. So i was able to find close to 100 acres of marginal ground that i could rent for cheap for commercial hay and i established 30 of alfalfa this summer and is.looking good. I know the last two year making hay in the midwest has been easier than normal due to the drier climate we have been having. But when we get back to out 80% humidity all summer long will i have too much problems dealing with 150 + acres of hay. With what equiptment i have, just a roller mo-co, kuhn gt3200 rotary rake, 10 wheel v rake, NH BR 7090. I am by no means new to making hay but have been used to 40 acres my whole life. Will i need to consider a preservitive system? We will be round baling first cuttings and small squares the rest. Just looking for some insite from some midwesterners that have expierenced the summers where there are no hay making weeks all summer long.


Sounds like you have a good handle on the situation, but I did not catch anything about your small square aspect, that is , do you have some sort of accumulator as 150 acres of second cutting small squares is still alot to handle.

Regards, Mike


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## Don Pine (Feb 2, 2012)

Yes, the past few droughty summers have spoiled us as far as getting the hay dried down. But I would say that your equipment decision will depend on how much alfalfa you plan to produce. I wouldn't be without a tedder, but there is a very limited window for tedding alfalfa where it won't do more harm than good. If we ever get back to "normal" weather, it's next to impossible for us to put up high quality alfalfa. (The guys out west really have the advantage over us, even with having it trucked in.) I would think a preservative might be required for lots of alfalfa acres in our neck of the woods.

Grass; get a tedder. And with 150 acres, I hope you have a lot of neighborhood high school boys who can/will buck bales.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

We have a holsher accumulator and grapple on my kubota m125x with ac.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

Well and my mower has a wide thin kit on it so its pretty much already tedded when its mowed or is that not good enough, cause if it is it would save me lots of money/time. And 100 of the 150 is alfalfa and the rest grass.


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## Bob M (Feb 11, 2012)

brandenburgcattle42 said:


> Well and my mower has a wide thin kit on it so its pretty much already tedded when its mowed or is that not good enough, cause if it is it would save me lots of money/time. And 100 of the 150 is alfalfa and the rest grass.


 I have been thinking about putting the wide fin kit on my mowers, are you happy with it


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

I dont know yet the mower is coming in this week just traded. I hope it works good. The video looks like it works


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## Don Pine (Feb 2, 2012)

brandenburgcattle42 said:


> Well and my mower has a wide thin kit on it so its pretty much already tedded when its mowed or is that not good enough, cause if it is it would save me lots of money/time. And 100 of the 150 is alfalfa and the rest grass.


Whoa! 100 acres of alfalfa / small squares / one man operation / Central Illinois / and normal weather. I would say a preservative is going to be required.


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## brandenburgcattle42 (Sep 6, 2012)

Kinda what i was thinkn even though we are gonna round bale all of first cutting. I remember as a kid dad having to get the batwing out destroy a crop a few times


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I run both a tedder and preservative in Central Illinois. Tedder is an absolute must on first cutting. Preservative is usually needed on 1st and 2nd cuttings. I apply typically 4 lbs/ton to every cutting just to avoid any heating problems. I know it adds $2/BR bale, but it keeps me from having to get them off the field, put them out in the open for a couple of weeks to sweat, then restack them--I can go directly to stacking.

But, keep in mind, I'm between the Illinois and Mississippi rivers and about 5 miles from the Missouri river. Low humidity here is 60%.

Ralph


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