# Curing hay



## Hereford6215 (Jan 8, 2015)

Curious about curing hay right now in May. We have always cut later on but we have fields now that could and need to be cut. So anybody with experience or thoughts on this I am in SE TN.


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## Hereford6215 (Jan 8, 2015)

Forgot to mention this is just mixed grass hay


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

The only cure that I am aware of it time. I am not in your area and our humidity runs lower, but then again so do our temps.
I seem to always end up losing the gamble on the timing when we cut. It always works out in the end though.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

A friend is thinking about cutting some rye grass. I intend to help him and he is concerned about getting it dry. We have a 6 day weather window with temps 2 days in the mid 80's. The plan is to cut it and run the tedder right behind the mowers and tedder again as needed until dry.

In the past I have begun cutting fescue the second week in May if the weather window was there. Have to have 5 days and a good tedder. The chilly nights heavy dews are not a friend this time of year.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Around here it's probably a 5 day deal and that's running the tedder a good bit, temps/ball of fire/wind/dew/Rword.....so many factors, have a moisture meter?


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## Hereford6215 (Jan 8, 2015)

So you don't think 4 days is enough to get it dried enough.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Hereford6215 said:


> So you don't think 4 days is enough to get it dried enough.


Depends on the temps, both day and night time. Are you having much dew?

I do not mind dew as much once the hay has cured. That will burn off once the sun comes out. I do not like dew when I am trying to get hay first cured.

Do you have a tedder or some device to get the hay off the ground so it can air dry?


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## Hereford6215 (Jan 8, 2015)

Yes I do have a Tedder I will be using. We are supposed to get some dry weather if everything goes like the weather is saying starting Thursday.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Ted and hope for wind in conjunction with the other variables and it may be achievable, first day is an important one, I would cut as early as possible....


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## Hereford6215 (Jan 8, 2015)

Thought about cutting Wednesday evening or night if possible. Tedding first thing Thursday morning


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Hereford6215 said:


> Thought about cutting Wednesday evening or night if possible. Tedding first thing Thursday morning


I wouldn't do that......I would rather cut early and Ted right behind mower, get just as much dry down as possible the first day.......


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## jescoag (May 17, 2010)

We usually get an early cut on at least one small field (fescue/clover) around the 10th of May. But that is when the temp. is normal. Unless it warms up that will not happen this year, even with low humidity. North Alabama


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

There is no *one* best or correct way.

From West Virginia I have a close to truth for the Humid East.

It is regarding the humidity, not the humidity on TV or from the local WX Station but the humidity down next to the hay.

*With a Relative Humidity of 90% the hay will have no lower than 40% moisture.*

*With a Relative Humidity of 70% the hay will have no lower than 18% moisture
With a Relative Humidity of 65% the hay will have no lower than 16% moisture.*

This will usually work some where East of Fort Worth, TX.

From many sources:

The more sunlight on the standing hay the higher the sugar content.

With dark the breathing holes in the leaves close and do not open again.

Usually if the hay is dried with all of the hay exposed to daylight that hay will be dried down to 47% to 42% moisture where the hay is dead and will not burn carbs over night. Actually the leaves will be close to 20% moisture while the stems are still 60 something percent moisture.

Some of the mechanics that work HERE.

I like to start mowing about 11 am or noon.

I like to be done mowing about 3 PM maybe 3:30 so the leaves will not be alive to burn carbohydrates over night.

I cut my hay so most of the ground is covered with downed hay.

I like to rake the hay at first light the first or second morning after mowing. Depending on the yield.

I start raking at first light.

I expect to bale the day after the hay is raked. If at sunset the stems will snap, If not I bale the day after that. I start baling when the Humidity is at 70% for small bales, 65% for larger more dense bales.

I want a direct sunlight till that first sunset.

The theory is direct sunlight will heat the sap in the hay. This will raise the vapor pressure and the seam will exit the plant through the nearest openings.

Now west of Fort Worth it is a pleasure to have enough humidity to bale hay during the daytime. Usually we have to wait for the night dew to have the leaves stick. HERE we usually have enough humidity to bale for 2 maybe 3 hours during the day. Even here if we had hay to bale during July & August we may not have enough humidity to bale, even at night.

I am a one man operation so if baling at night I could be up working 24 hours a day. Makes for some exciting days.There is no one best or correct way.

From West Virginia I have a close to truth for the Humid East.

It is regarding the humidity, not the humidity on TV or from the local WX Station but the humidity down next to the hay.

With a Relative Humidity of 90% the hay will have no lower than 40% moisture.

With a Relative Humidity of 70% the hay will have no lower than 18% moisture
With a Relative Humidity of 65% the hay will have no lower than 16% moisture.

This will usually work some where East of Fort Worth, TX.

The more sunlight on the standing hay the higher the sugar content.

With dark the breathing holes in the leaves close and do not open again.

Usually if the hay is dried with all of the hay exposed to daylight that hay will be dried down to 47% to 42% moisture where the hay hay is dead and will not burn carbs over night. Actually the leaves will be close to 20% moisture while the stems are still 60 something percent moisture.

Some of the mechanics that work HERE.

I like to start mowing about 11 am or noon.

I like to be done mowing about 3 PM maybe 3:30 so the leaves will not be alive to burn carbohydrates over night.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

hay wilson in Tx

Are you referring to mixed grass or legume hay?


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

Hereford6215 said:


> Thought about cutting Wednesday evening or night if possible. Tedding first thing Thursday morning


Looks like you may have a decent chance with the weather.

Personally, I've never had much luck baling in late April / early May. Weather just too unpredictable and with the cooler temperatures, it usually takes a couple extra days to cure out.


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## Hereford6215 (Jan 8, 2015)

Thanks for all the replys I think I will just hold off for now and wait.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I cut 12 acres of alfalfa/grass mix Monday with plans on baling it Friday/Saturday. Temps in the high 60's. Field is a hillside facing south.

This is an early cut because I am putting this field into corn, but there was enough that I could get about 40 round bales.

Ralph.


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## Hereford6215 (Jan 8, 2015)

Here is what the weather says here


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## MScowman (May 18, 2011)

Here in MS, I put some Ryegrass and Oats on the ground Tues. and yesterday. It was thick the ground was pretty damp in some spots, I'm betting I won't be able to bale it until Wed. at the earliest. I'm with others in this thread, I hate trying to get hay up this time of year. Just to cool and weather to unpredictable. Half of the ground cut is for me and my cows, other half for a friend and his horses. His call and when he wanted to cut. Not my ground.


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

The West Virginia idea works the same for alfalfa &/ or grass.

The trick is not allow the hay to be in a windrow until the day before you bale.

As has been mentioned you need to evaporate off as much moisture as possible that first day.

Total accumulated pan evaporation is a big key. The next is how much of the ground is covered by the hay.

If the hay is cut in the dark or is dropped into a windrow behind the mower, you can add at least 2 days to your drying time.


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## Tx Jim (Jun 30, 2014)

All I can think of is somewhere east of Ft Worth to W Virginia covers a lot of territory for comparing hay moisture content vs relative humidity. I always leave my hay swaths spread out and run the rake just in front of the tractor pulling the baler. Since humidity has gotten so high that's the best way for me to bale hay 15% or below.


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## yarnammurt (Jan 1, 2014)

I cut 20acers of mix hay put it on the ground between11-3 let it lay all that day raked the next morning, baled that afternoon. Now that is small square it ran 15% moisture. Now the temp was 88 with a high blue sky the first day 87 the next humidity was 60% or so.


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