# Took a chance and lost



## southwind (Mar 25, 2012)

I cut 20 acres of orchard grass/clover [for horses]on thursday with my newly purchased NH H7230 with the hope of completing bales by this afternoon.
The weather has not turned out as forecasted and I can't get the moisture below 40%. Even Cropsaver won't help.I think even if the sun comes out a little bit today I am running out of time with rain forecasted for tonight. What a sickening feeling. There goes 1/2 of my best crop.


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## cwright (Oct 19, 2011)

Sorry to hear that. Here in East Tennessee it is near impossible to get hay in till the first week of June and even then its a crap shoot.

Temps have been cool and lots of rain. Even without the rain the humidity has been very high.

It helps to add your location to your profile. There may be someone in your area that has been there and done that and can offer good advise as to salvage what you have down.

Where are you located?

CW


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

That's unfortunate. Where are you located? (Helps to put it in your profile.)

Ralph


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## southwind (Mar 25, 2012)

I will update my profile. I am in south central Virginia . 90 miles below Richmond. I cut a little early to keep the seed heads from popping. Last year I had all that fluffy stuff flying around . Did'nt look good and horse people were not happy either.Fertilized fields grew fast this spring.


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## southwind (Mar 25, 2012)

I talked to my neighbor farmer that does tons of round bales for cattle. He said if it rains for 2/3 days he will roll it for his use. It has to get out of the fields no matter what. 9:30 AM and no sign of sun.Enough to pull your hair out. This hits home when you hear about farmers losing their crops to weather damage, like hail or drought.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

It seems a little early to cutting OG. Hereabouts, I don't even have seed heads started. I usually plan of cutting between May15th and June 1st to get the best quality. Seed heads usually don't mature until June15-30th time frame.

But, this weather is getting me worried. I have 80 acres to get down and we have seen the sun twice in I-don't-know-how-long. Hope the pattern breaks.

Ralph


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Sorry to hear about the rough start to the haying season. It is almost like seeing a wreck unfold in front of you and nothing you can do to avoid it.

I need to cut hay also. We need at least 4 days in the Spring to cure hay. That is still pushing it with the heavy dews this time of year.

Hopefully the rain will hold off and you can save the hay.


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## cwright (Oct 19, 2011)

Sorry to say it just does not look to good for you. Its raining here and temp is 55 degrees. Expecting rain all day and into Monday late. Low pressure is south west of Knoxville and moving North East bringing rain to you this afternoon or late tonight. I can see the cloud cover you have and it looks like it will get worse.

It has been a very cool and wet spring here.

CW


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

That's all part of making hay, period. It will be until weather forecasts are a 100% accurate for at least 4 days, a week would be better.

Changing forecasts is just one of many reasons some people just can't take the "stress" of making hay.


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

This has the makings of a very difficult year in hay production.....all over it seems. I have a field of alfalfa that needs to be cut as it is in the bud stage and the weevils are gaining momentum. The long range forcast looks discouraging at this point....but that is part of haymaking. Hope everyone's weather fairs up very soon.

Regards, Mike


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

A good wrapper reduces stress by a bunch! Just need 48 hours or less.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

If you are pulling your hair out now maybe you shouldn't grow hay.There will ALWAYS be times of stress growing hay.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

swmnhay said:


> If you are pulling your hair out now maybe you shouldn't grow hay.There will ALWAYS be times of stress growing hay.


A few years ago we had the majority of beans and corn planted by the end of the first week of May, then it started raining, took till the 3rd week of June to finish the last couple hundred acres of row crops. Nobody could even think about cutting hay till the End of June and even then it was a crap shoot.


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## hayward (Jan 26, 2012)

Sorry to hear that, Just like cow business, you can do all that you can, but your gona lose one here an there. Good luck, hope rain misses your feild


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## southwind (Mar 25, 2012)

I hear what you are saying but I know all about stress. Running an excavating company 38 years trying to keep 140+ pieces of equipment running and meeting schedules.
And to think I am doing this for fun.Just about to bale one field at 26-30% moisture when a 5 minute spritz came thru. Done. About a 3 grand loss. Not what I thought would be my first
tryout with the NH H7230.Now its getting it off the field for round 2 . I would guess anyone doing Hay has been a victim of weather at one time or another.


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Southwind I really hate to hear this has happened but I have to ask where did you get your weather forecast from? We're not that far from you and in the last week and a half we've had maybe a total of 6 hours sun and that's pushing it. The relative humidity has been sky high for over a week and 15-20 degrees below normal. I can feel the sense of urgency and stress radiating from my wife as she is down to maybe a week and half of hay for their 48 head of cattle. It's so cool and cloudy the pastures can't even recover here in the Piedmont of NC. Her Oats and one pasture of Fescue is ready for baling but it's so wet here I don't one could make one round without getting stuck.


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## southwind (Mar 25, 2012)

It was not that bad here. Ground is tight. I am plugged into Myweather, Weatherbug and WRIC8 Richmond weather . Even Raleigh 11 weather. They all gave us partly sunny skies, low to mid 60's with 5-10 mph winds. Basically a 4 day window before rain. I thought I could pull it off with the use of this NH mower conditioner. However ,we saw no Sun today , very little yesterday. If the weather was right I could have pulled this off.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

Not sure how thick it was, I've had some luck with small showers near baling then drying it down again and selling the hay for goats/sheep plug horses. It often looks as good so I have to make sure they understand what the history on it was and that it would test low.


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## Bonfire (Oct 21, 2012)

haybaler101 said:


> A good wrapper reduces stress by a bunch! Just need 48 hours or less.


No doubt.


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## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

Southwind, I am 30 miles west of Richmond. I cut some of my cover crop (rye, oats,etc) last Tuesday and started baling Saturday afternoon. It was cloudy here all morning Saturday and Sunday with sun in the afternoon each day. I raked mine up on Friday since we had good wind here. Was lucky enough to start baling and got it all done. It made just a shade over 6 bales to the acre. I think we dodged the bullet here. Sorry you couldn't get yours baled but it is a crapshoot this time of year. I still got some to go. Best, Mike


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## southwind (Mar 25, 2012)

Well here's an update.Cut these same 2 fields Sat. 23rd. tedded ,raked and baled 1 field on Monday 26th and the second on Tuesday. 1100 bales at 13 percent moisture. Stacked in the barn by 7pm. Happy camper. The NH H7230 worked perfect.
I was about to give up on these fields this season because of the weather and the tall grass[about 36"] Also the weatherman got it right this time.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

Glad to know you got a chance to experience the up side of making hay. It is a great feeling to have things go as planned, weather and machinery both cooperating, and the hay in the barn.

Some cuttings are diamonds, some cuttings are coal.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Tim/South said:


> Glad to know you got a chance to experience the up side of making hay. It is a great feeling to have things go as planned, weather and machinery both cooperating, and the hay in the barn.
> Some cuttings are diamonds, some cuttings are coal.


That's a good one Tim....plenty of coal this year....


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## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

Tim/South said:


> Glad to know you got a chance to experience the up side of making hay. It is a great feeling to have things go as planned, weather and machinery both cooperating, and the hay in the barn.
> 
> Some cuttings are diamonds, some cuttings are coal.


You said it right.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

somedevildawg said:


> That's a good one Tim....plenty of coal this year....


A very frustrating year to attempt to make hay here. Weather forecast changes over night, 4 days to make hay and wake up to 3" of rain on day two.

I rolled some fall decoration hay yesterday that has been on the ground over three weeks. Never could get it dry enough to roll in between rains. Had to set up at other places when the window opened and just now got the junk off the field.

I made 36 inch net rolls. A man buys them to resell at his home and garden shop. They make wagon wheels out of them, lay some boards across and put pumpkins and cork stalks like a buckboard.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Tim/South said:


> A very frustrating year to attempt to make hay here. Weather forecast changes over night, 4 days to make hay and wake up to 3" of rain on day two.
> 
> I rolled some fall decoration hay yesterday that has been on the ground over three weeks. Never could get it dry enough to roll in between rains. Had to set up at other places when the window opened and just now got the junk off the field.
> 
> I made 36 inch net rolls. A man buys them to resell at his home and garden shop. They make wagon wheels out of them, lay some boards across and put pumpkins and cork stalks like a buckboard.


This has been like my year here. 4 days from cutting to baling and 3 days between showers. Sometimes very little rain just enough to make it take a few more days to dry and sometimes 1-3 inches, and than this doesn't dry before the next shower hits.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Ditto for us.....fall decorations....I have alot of that too....


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## FarmerCline (Oct 12, 2011)

Tim/South said:


> A very frustrating year to attempt to make hay here. Weather forecast changes over night, 4 days to make hay and wake up to 3" of rain on day two.
> 
> I rolled some fall decoration hay yesterday that has been on the ground over three weeks. Never could get it dry enough to roll in between rains. Had to set up at other places when the window opened and just now got the junk off the field.
> I made 36 inch net rolls. A man buys them to resell at his home and garden shop. They make wagon wheels out of them, lay some boards across and put pumpkins and cork stalks like a buckboard.


 At least you were able to get a little money back for your efforts....I know it has been disgusting to see all that hay go to the ruin but we all have to look at the bright side in a year like this.


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