# When do you Rake?



## HL649 (Jul 23, 2009)

When do most people rake? After a good day of drying do you rake in the evening before the dew sets in or do you leave it until morning and rake after the sun has burnt off the dew?

Lately I have been waiting until the next day and then flip it after the dew burns off.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Grass or alfalfa?

Regards, Mike


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

On grass hay I rake just in front of baler. I've never baled any alfalfa as not much of it is grown where I live.


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## Cmm (Jun 5, 2016)

I do grass hay
When you see me hooking the rake up its show time!!! We fixing to bale


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## luke strawwalker (Jul 31, 2014)

Rake at 50% moisture (wilted flat) in my area... that's about 24 hours after cutting, and then bale about 24 hours later (most of the time). This is grass hay, BTW. Alfalfa is a different animal-- you have to rake when it's either still green enough you don't lose the leaves, or when the dew is still on and the hay is damp enough that the leaves don't shatter.

Most of the guys in my area leave it flat for a week until it's burned as golden as wheat straw, then run the rake right ahead of the baler... I wouldn't give you a plug nickel for that hay, either-- sunbleached all to heck and gone IMHO.

If you want it done right ya gotta do it yourself.

later! OL J R


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

luke strawwalker said:


> Rake at 50% moisture (wilted flat) in my area... that's about 24 hours after cutting, and then bale about 24 hours later (most of the time). This is grass hay, BTW. Alfalfa is a different animal-- you have to rake when it's either still green enough you don't lose the leaves, or when the dew is still on and the hay is damp enough that the leaves don't shatter.
> 
> Most of the guys in my area leave it flat for a week until it's burned as golden as wheat straw, then run the rake right ahead of the baler... I wouldn't give you a plug nickel for that hay, either-- sunbleached all to heck and gone IMHO.
> 
> ...


We don't rake at 50 0/0 here or it would never dry. I do agree, if you want it right, grab the freaked steering wheel and hold on.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Same here, raked at 50% it would have to lay out a week, in some imaginary climate where we didn't have rain for a week!


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## gearhartfarms82 (May 10, 2015)

Better be almost dry here before u rake if not it will never dry. On alfalfa we let it over dry then rake in morn with a little dew. Very fine line of how much because humidity will screw you if you do it wrong.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

Alfalfa is anybodies guess what is right but grass we rake after the dew is off and start baling an hour or two later in normal conditions. Alfalfa for us is cut afternoon day one ted early next morning with dew on rake on day three as soon as dew is off and bale same day under good drying conditions


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## Bishop (Apr 6, 2015)

I'm in a humid area. I usually rake the morning I'm going to bale just as the dew is coming off.


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## reede (May 17, 2010)

I usually rake early in the morning a day ahead of baling. There is still a little drying to do, so I leave my windrows as wide as possible to still expose the hay to sun. But, need a little moisture in/on the hay to keep leaves on, whether Bermuda or lespedeza.

Sometimes bale in the evening if the humidity climbs near sundown, more likely early in the morning the following day.


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## chevytaHOE5674 (Mar 14, 2015)

Rake as soon as the dew is off the morning I plan to bale. Hay is mostly dry just have to rake it to get the stuff on the bottom to dry out.


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