# Rain comin',what do I do?



## rlockmiller (Oct 19, 2009)

Hay is in windrows, Rain is comin in tomorrow







,Baler is broke down for now. Do I leave it in rows or spread it out?


----------



## jpritchett (Sep 22, 2009)

leave it in the windrow it will keep its color underneath and flip the windrows on dry ground in a couple days.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Yep,leave it in the windrow.This time of yr with cool weather it doesn't hurt near as much,think refrigerator or freezer.Hopefully get some decent weather to dry it later.

Just baled 110 ac few days ago that layed for 18 days in windrow.It had 3.5" of rain shortly after cutting than it snowed 2" that melted snowed another 2" that melted than another 1/2" of rain.Had a couple decent drying days and V raked it and got it baled.The hay isn't bad at all for what it went thru.Was down to 24 deg a few nights also.


----------



## rlockmiller (Oct 19, 2009)

Thanks, I was really worried, maybe it won't turn out as bad as I thought it was goning to.


----------



## nwfarmer (Jun 16, 2009)

Several posts back I mentioned last year we had 6 inches of snow that laid on my windrows for 2 weeks. When it melted and dried a bit I raked it and baled. I had customers tell me how great that hay was. Never told them that it laid under snow for 2 weeks.


----------



## Heyhay..eh (Aug 7, 2009)

Just did a field yesterday that was down for 20 days. Had rain (~2") froze every night from light to -7C Got snow, ice pellets. Never raked it just went at it when the weather broke and the windrow was reasonably dry. It looks as good as 2nd cut baled on time.

You should be OK to go at it when it sets up. If you can get some wind and a little sun you will be good to go even if it is cool out.

Take care


----------



## Rider61 (Oct 19, 2009)

Wow! You guys really are a great source of info! I wound up with some really wet bales in the first round of second cutting b/c the current wisdom is bale it before it gets rained on even if it hasn't had time to dry. Next season I'll be armed with better info and won't wind up with bales heating and molding in my loft.


----------

