# Rain chance and mowing?



## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

> mnaive posted the following on the chat...This is my first year baling hay. There is a 30% chance of rain tomorrow. Is that too much to chance mowing or should I go for it?


Guess I would say that you are looking at the million dollar question.









30% if a tough call in Indiana...hit and miss..usually if I cut the hay I get hit and the neighbor that did not cut does not see a drop. 30% means that 1/3 of the time this weather pattern has produced rain.

I would ask where are you located and what kind of hay are you cutting and what are you feeding? All of these variables make a difference and could help folks answer the question. That way if it has a chance to get wet folks can suggest the risk you are looking at for your hay type and customer. Of course the long range forecast may be of some help, although they are not known for being the most accurate.

In general last year I cut hay, it rained on it, in fact it rained alot last year. I would ted...get it to help dry and bale. I round baled it and it was fed to cattle this winter. I took it out of the stock for the horse customers...the stable I sell to is picky. But, if hay can get wet, better to not have it in a windrow, harder to get dried and not what you want if you can help it. Sometimes, if you can wait a week until it looks like it may clear, that is what you can do.

Not much help, but you have asked the million dollar hay question for most everyone.


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## mnaive (Apr 28, 2010)

I am in East Central Illinois. I have grass hay with some clover. I don't have any hay customers yet so it will probably go to auction in Arthur, Illinois. I am using a condition/mower.


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

You have about the same weather I have coming. 30% chance tomorrow and 40% Friday. I am going to wait a week on mine. I cannot get it up before Friday and the risk looks like I would get wet. I have some clover OG, with one small field I would like to cut now. The alfalfa/OG is perfect right now for some nice high octane forage. The others I can go a week without any problem. Sounds like some vacation days are needed soon.


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## kyfred (Dec 23, 2009)

I try to watch NOAA weather radar as well as their forcast as well as local weather forcast. A good rule also is watch the neighbors that are veteran haymakers, after a while watching them [if they cut or not] and paying attention to the weather forcast. It will come to you when to cut or not. If you watch the radar you can see how the weather systems are moving and be able to time them yourself. Right now it is still early and the weather has not stabelized enough to make it more predictible. Dad used to tell me "you can't bale hay if you don't have any cut". If I do cut with a pretty good chance of rain don't cut as much down if it is good hay. I hate to ruin good hay by a bad decision on my part. 
Go over to your neighbors get to know them ask them questions find out what they go by. If your neighbors have hay down and you don't and rain coming, go offer to help them rake or something I think you will find most will help you in a bind also.


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## ButchAutomatic (Jun 4, 2008)

Cut your hay


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Started mowing again here today, 40 acres down, 20% chance of rain wed and thurs, 40% Friday night. Probably mow another 30 acres tomorrow. We cheat though, going to make silage bales, let it rain Friday night.


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## nosliw (Feb 8, 2010)

I mowed a little today to get the haybine checked out. Good thing too because I lost a bearing this evening!

They're calling for 30% chance on Friday, 40% chance Friday night.

I need to put down a few more acres tomorrow, but I'm going to see if they change the forecast any first. I have to tend to this bearing first thing tomorrow either way.

This is my first year at putting up all the hay on our farm and the neighboring farm I rent. I'll keep 1/2 of the round bales for feeding my litte cow herd, then try to peddle out the rest.

Mainly fescue, orchardgrass and clover mix. With some weeds.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Depends as well on how much you have to make, if your only making fifty acres or less, wait. If your making a bunch and feel like you might get behind, mow it.

Up here most of the rains have been missing us, 50 60 and even 70 percent rains have missed us. Course nobody has any hay down up here yet. Which is fine by me, Monday they were claiming a 60% chance of t-storms for tonight, now it's changed to a slight chance of light showers tomorrow night. Had a bad day today, only got 130 acres of beans planted, hopefully tomorrow is better and I can get 200 in the ground.

Last year if they said 30% rain up here, it was going to get wet, so far this year it's too early to say if it will continue with the dry or not.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I use weather.com 10 day forecast as my primary guide along with the National Weather Service 7 day forecast and my window. They are usually pretty close for a long term forecast.

I look for a high pressure area moving towards me with up-trending temperatures. I figure that gives me low humidity, lots of sun and breeze. At least that's the theory! Don't always get it though.

I mowed 16 acres Monday even though it is a little early. I wanted to test my new NH 7230 moco and make sure everything was set up OK before I got into heavy production. Worked pretty nice. I also have some weevils starting to work on it, so I thought I would cut it rather than spray and wait.

Ralph


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

I cut 26 acres on Sunday and started baling it yesterday. I'll finish it today. It was mostly rye and other assorted winter grass weeds so I'll roll most of it up for cows. I'm planning on hitting it with fertilizer this weekend so I can use some rain. Can y'all send some down? It's been a pretty dry spring and it's scaring the heck out of me.


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I'd be happy to! I'll send you two weeks worth so I can get my orchardgrass done! Where at in Texas do you want it?

Ralph


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## mnaive (Apr 28, 2010)

Thanks for all the reponses. It's interesting to read about what everyone else is doing. I am very new at this and don't want to make too many mistakes. We actually planted last spring, but because of something called weed pressure, spent the whole time mowing the field off and the rest of the time acquiring good, used equipment. Now the field looks great with no weeds. We went ahead and cut yesterday. Plan on raking today. Cross your fingers.


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## kfarm_EC_IL (Aug 5, 2008)

Here currently the ground is wet. Which I feel is a problem if I lay it on the moist ground. If I cut high I might be able to get circulation under it however I still have the tracking or ruting to deal with. I'm going to wait a while. In just a situation of the 30 % rain that is entirerly up to you and the decision maybe right or wrong. But do what you feel is best at the time and learn from it as best you can. My two bits. Mark K


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

HERE, CenTex, half way between Waco & Austin, on our clay soils we usually need 4 or more days of dry WX before we really should run on the ground. Not saying no one ever pushes their luck, there are plenty of ruts to prove it.

Conventiona Wisdom from the lower Brazos says if the hay is ready to cut, cut it even if it is raining. 
Go up around Vernon & they can bale hay the day after a 4" rain.

Baling hay is effected a lot by the micro climate and the soil.


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## Mike120 (May 4, 2009)

rjmoses said:


> I'd be happy to! I'll send you two weeks worth so I can get my orchardgrass done! Where at in Texas do you want it?


Just NW of Houston. I got everything I cut last weekend raked and baled and I'm going to hit it with fertilizer this weekend. We've got a 20% chance for rain on Saturday & Sunday. With my luck just hooking the buggy to my tractor will guarantee more dry weather until all the nitrogen gasses off. They've started adding a stabilizer (extra cost naturally) that, in theory, delays gas off for some time. I tried it last year but got rain, so I don't know how much it helps.


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## nwfarmer (Jun 16, 2009)

Sometimes we just can't rely on weather reports. Even when irrigating.


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## nwfarmer (Jun 16, 2009)

nwfarmer said:


> Sometimes we just can't rely on weather reports. Even when irrigating.


Guess I better check my camera. That pix date is wrong. Pix was taken Thursday morning May 6, 2010


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