# How to make red clover hay



## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I mowed a field of pure red clover with the haybine at 5 oclock this evening. I plan to ted in the morning while the dew is still on. I'm not really sure what is the best way to rake and bale it. Will be using a NH 256 rolabar rake and a NH 5070 small square baler. I have never made anything but grass hay so I do not know how to keep the leaves from crumbling during the baling process. How do I tell when it is dry enough to rake? How many day should I figure it will take to dry? The weather looks like it will be in the low 80s and sunny for the next 5 days. The clover was between 18 and 24 inches tall and about half bloom. Thank You.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

FarmerCline said:


> I mowed a field of pure red clover with the haybine at 5 oclock this evening. I plan to ted in the morning while the dew is still on. I'm not really sure what is the best way to rake and bale it. Will be using a NH 256 rolabar rake and a NH 5070 small square baler. I have never made anything but grass hay so I do not know how to keep the leaves from crumbling during the baling process. How do I tell when it is dry enough to rake? How many day should I figure it will take to dry? The weather looks like it will be in the low 80s and sunny for the next 5 days. The clover was between 18 and 24 inches tall and about half bloom. Thank You.


Since you mowed yesterday I doubt you have to worry with tedding with the dew on....I would wait until the dew dried and then the clover will spread much more evenly instead of clumping like it will with dew on it.
It will take 3-4 full days to dry with normal temps and humidities. The evening before baling check to see if it has some leaf shatter when you squeeze it....if so it is probably ready to bale the next day. On baling day, rake after the dew is off and it appears it is dry....if you do not have a moisture tester, check the relative humidity for your area and when it gets in the mid-seventies start baling until you notice alot of clover leaves flying....this may not even happen....just according to how low the humidity gets. Its kind of science and art and if you do not have a way to test for humidities and moisture....its alot more art.

Regards, Mike


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

In normal times we run scores of rounds in red clover over wheatstraw. Not this year because of precip levels.

We NEVER TED CLOVER, NEVER.....

In a nutshell...

Clover is unique in that wnen dry, the leaves will detach from the stems very easily leaving you with stems and no leaves (leaves on the ground), consequently, like soybean baiuling. tedding is not recommended.

We cut with a discbine or sickle bine (preferred sickle because it's less agressive to the clover leaves and causes less detachment). When we cut, the swath board is down, providing the widest possible windrow or in the case of the discbine (NH), the wide-thin kit is on the swathboard. It's imperative to lay a wide windrow, as wide as possible, to promote drydown without disturbing the cut crop. You must agressively crimp. Set your crimp rolls for an agressive crimp, more so than normal hay.

Around here, it's usually a 3 day drydown. The clover will turn from green to a dark green to brown as it aspirates it's moisture. When the leaves are crumbly to the touch, it's ready to bale. Unlike soybeans, the stems are relatively thin so as the leaves dry the stem also dries. With beans, the stem, because it's thicker, retains moisture after the leaves and pods dry off, necessitating a good crimp and a longer wait time to bale.

Rake gently to avoid leaf loss. We use a rotary running at reduced PTO speed and only one time to windrow because multiple raking or tedding (I dislike tedders anyway, an excuse for incompetence in the process IMO) will cause the leaves to detach leaving you stems and little else.....

We only bale in rounds and we always get a bit of wheat stubble which isn't any problem. What is a problem is starting the bale. We either bale in the evening when the ambient moisture is elevated or apply a start of hay preservative to get the bale going. As soon as the bale reaches wrap size, reduce PTO speed and net, reason being is the leaves are doing their best to come off as the bale rotates in the bailer and why net is preferred over twine. Twining any clover bale is an exercise in futility

Hope that helps.


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## mulberrygrovefamilyfarm (Feb 11, 2009)

In our area, red clover (most often big red clover) is a pain in the neck to make into good hay. Some of the local issues we've seen: If you don't crimp it, around here, it can take forever to dry and sometimes longer if the humidity is way up. As noted above, the leaves shatter easily when finally dry and it often looks poor in the bale because of it's dark brown/black color when it dries. The varieties around here grow really tall, so once it's in a windrow, it should stay in it's original windrow and not be "turned". Trying to "roll it over" etc if it got rained on or isn't drying underneath only makes a wickedly tight roped windrow or if tedding it out after a rain can cause it to lose its leaves. I've heard some folks around here say, "big red clover, big red mistake" because it's so tough to harvest, aggressively spreads and is tough to kill off. Okay, so I'm not a fan of big red... but let us know how it turns out.


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## Don Pine (Feb 2, 2012)

I agree with ARD; never ted clover.

I cut mine with a 9' moco into a windrow just narrow enough for the baler pickup. Lay windrow onto a 4" stubble to get air underneath. Then go away until I come back with the baler (small square). I find it usually takes one day longer to dry than alfalfa normally does around here. I've never needed more than your 5 day window.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Only ever made one field of it one time, that fall sprayed with 2-4d and roundup, no tilled to corn the next spring, beans the next year then planted alfalfa.

The guys on this forum have a ton of experience so follow what they say and you'll most likely be alright unless the forecast changes.


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

I want to thank everyone for their advice it is greatly appreciated. I went ahead and tedded the clover as soon as the dew came off. It spread out nice and even and did not seem to lose hardly any leaves. I was afraid if I did not ted it would never get dry where tractor tires ran over the cut hay. I mowed with a NH 1465 haybine which is a sickle machine and spread wide as possible. Will let it dry down and hope the weather does not change. Vol, would you suggest to invest in a moisture tester. Thank You.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Cline, I just recently purchased a Agra-Tronix (JD version) BHT-2 moisture monitor....it is very accurate and a wonderful tool to have at your disposal. It is a must have when baling various legumes. They are under $400 and worth every penny.

Regards, Mike


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## Fossil02818 (May 31, 2010)

I would agree with all the above. I have one smaller field that was 75% tall red clover and I would never again plant another with that much clover. It takes at least one more day to dry than the alfalfa/grass fields even with the moco rollers set tight. You can only ted it early in the drying process and I found the side delivery rake would rope it if I tried to make a second pass.( I now only use a rotary rake.) However, when all the stars are in alignment and the conditions allow, it does make some nutritious hay. I'd say that it was a good learning experience since it takes lots of skill and a little bit of luck to get it right.


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

I don't have much experience with clover, but the little bit i have tried to bale this year that i had in a pasture, i got it to dry but is very stemmy and jagged, did i do somethign wrong or is this just how clover is. We actually got splinters loading the bales up. My concern is that it will scratch/cut the horses mouths and possibly lead to infection. I'm talking a small quanity like 150 bales top between 2 cuttings this whole summer. I have always used a tedder/fluffer the day after to spread it out a little better to aid in drying because if i would not ted it seems to never dry on the underneath side if it is a thick stand.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

You tedded it or agressively raked it..... You blew the leaves off. Simple as that. Again, we run clover all the time and I never even think about tedding, rake one time with a rotary rake at reduced RPM....... cut and lay out to dry at the widest possible width your swathboard will achieve or run a wide-thin spread kit that NH offers for their discbines.

Not that difficulr if you follow my directions.

I don't own a tedder and don't want one. No roper either.

The stuff is like candy if it's done right.


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

I bale alot of clover and trefoil and yes it drys a little harder then alfalfa but I just make sure we are going to have good drying conditions before I cut. Two to 3 days to dry and only rake once.


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## ARD Farm (Jul 12, 2012)

Again, over wheat stubble to allow drydown from the top and bottom, 2-3 days until dark brown (like a brownie) The only way we run it, wide cut, rake only once, preferrable rotary and reduced input (rotor) speed.

It's certainly not difficult.

Same applies to clover.

......never tried to peddle it. We use it here. I don't believe the ill informed hay buying public would like the color. Fine with me. Makes great feed.


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## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

So are you saying if i dont' ted it out the stems will stay softer and not so jagged? Or is that do not crimping enough?


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