# Can you cut grass hay the day after a rain?



## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

I know this is a general question but i would like to do a 3rd cut on my orchard grass field that is about 3 ac. and possibly start cutting some timothy and foxtail at a neighbors. We are getting some rain this evening maybe .5 to .75 of inch. Tomorrow is suppose to be breezy 15-20 mph wind highs only mid 70s. The rest of the week as of now looks to me in mid 70s and then later in the week low 80s. Does not appear to be rain in the forcast after today for the next 5days but you all knwo how that goes. So my question is... Am i better to wait till monday to give the fields a day to dry tomorrow w/ the breeze or take advantage of the breeze and cut tomorrow after due it off? I only have a fluffler for a tedder so i can not spread it out on dry ground will pretty much stay in swath where i put it so should i stay wide or narrow? Thanks guys


----------



## urednecku (Oct 18, 2010)

That would largely depend on the land. I have about 25 acre total in hay, some I could cut right behind a full inch of rain, it's a high sandy area that water does not stand on. The rest I'd have to give it time to dry with a half inch, depending again on how much rain we have had in the weeks before. Some I have heard say cut after dew dries, put in a windrow to let the ground dry between them, then spread it out, or move it over to the 'dryer' ground.


----------



## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

These 3 ac are more less on a point all on a slight slop so no where for water to lay. I guess i will wait and see how much rain we get and what the conditions are like in the a.m. I think i'm going to keep it in a fairly tight swath so i don't loose so much while raking being that it's a thin orchard grass.


----------



## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I would wait a day or so for the ground to dry. If the ground is dry then the hay will dry faster. At least in my part of the world it does.


----------



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

All depends on fields. i have one that will never dry and one on a hill next to it that I can cut, ted, rake & bale in 3 days sometimes.
I'm gonna start cutting my 50 acre field of 2nd cutting hay monday. Needs time to dry out because it's low and near a river.


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I have mowed the day after a rain many times, some good, some not-so-good. It depends on how soft the ground is. Nowadays, I mow in 4WD if the ground is soft so that I don't tear it up as much.

Ralph


----------



## cwright (Oct 19, 2011)

saw some folks cutting in the rain today. Wondering how it will turn out.


----------



## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

I think i'm going to cut it today sometime this afternoon, i got some Salsa to make this morning and then headed to deliver a load of hay for some race horses of a lady i know, for 3.50 a bale sure aint making no money on this one lol.


----------



## NDVA HAYMAN (Nov 24, 2009)

My weather is the same as yours in Pa. and I am gonna cut 30 ac of timothy and foxtail this afternoon. Mike


----------



## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Just because you can cut hay in the rain doesn't mean you should.


----------



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

whitmerlegacyfarm said:


> I think i'm going to cut it today sometime this afternoon, i got some Salsa to make this morning and then headed to deliver a load of hay for some race horses of a lady i know, for 3.50 a bale sure aint making no money on this one lol.


$3.50 delivered to someone who owns "race horses"?
What a cheap b*tch she must be.....
I wouldn't sell erosion hay for $3.50!


----------



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Teslan said:


> Just because you can cut hay in the rain doesn't mean you should.


Ya, seems like it'd be rough on the equipment. When I see the rollers or tires are wet, I shut down for the day.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

JD3430 said:


> $3.50 delivered to someone who owns "race horses"?
> What a cheap b*tch she must be.....
> I wouldn't sell erosion hay for $3.50!


It takes two parties in agreement to consumate a sale.

Regards, Mike


----------



## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

I guess I'm to easy going and should of been more straight forward. It wasn't even my hay other it wouldn't of been to bad. Was my neighbors hay that i helped with, so he got 3.00 a bale i got .50 cents. I loaded and unloaded w/ the help of my wife, and one helper at the barn of delivery. But to handle them bales twice in a day and drive 40 mi. one way i learned it aint worth .50 cents a bale plus i didn't make money off the hay either so. I might as well just have had all those hours to work on stuff around home lol.

NDVA Hayman, i to and going to cut a few acres of timothy/foxtail at my neighbors today, first time for any foxtail. I'm not sure though about feeding it to more horses i believe it has headed out but the seed heads are not hard so i think from what you guys said on here it should be ok for my horses? They seem to have pretty tough stomachs i fields good and bad hay and never had any problems lol. I guess we will find out, i may sell some if I end up with extra to some cow people.


----------



## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

Oh and she pointed out she paid 6 bucks a bale for hay there that looked like meadow grass and was like can you believe that. Lol welp i think next time they call the price is giong to jump up to 4.50 a bale delivered plus it will be second cut hay so i have a good explanation for that then. Next year if i can't get 3.50 at the barn it's stayin in the barn for my horses. I work around the clock and aint worth my time and effort i could be in the woods scoutin or doing something else i love. I admit i love making money but, i can't justify it. I think over time i will build a clientel, i just don't have the hay volume right away in the spring to get those clients early to stick with me. Working on it though need some more acreage lol and time and money. But i sure do love making HAY!


----------



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

$3.50 for a 55 lb bale of hay will not pay the value of the fertilizers in the bale of hay.

We have people here who sell hay for about the cost of baling but that is for groud that will soon be "developed" and remaining fertility is not a question.

On the positive side, you got some good exercise and some quality time with your significant other. More rewarding than playing golf, that is for sure.


----------



## jdhayboy (Aug 20, 2010)

whitmerlegacyfarm said:


> Oh and she pointed out she paid 6 bucks a bale for hay there that looked like meadow grass and was like can you believe that. Lol welp i think next time they call the price is giong to jump up to 4.50 a bale delivered plus it will be second cut hay so i have a good explanation for that then. Next year if i can't get 3.50 at the barn it's stayin in the barn for my horses. I work around the clock and aint worth my time and effort i could be in the woods scoutin or doing something else i love. I admit i love making money but, i can't justify it. I think over time i will build a clientel, i just don't have the hay volume right away in the spring to get those clients early to stick with me. Working on it though need some more acreage lol and time and money. But i sure do love making HAY!


I like it! There's a fine line between work and quality of life. I know for me after last years drought, I have worked harder this year than ever before.
At one point, my wife asked me in July, whens the last day you've taken off, I was like ummmm... mothers day?? Finally slowing down here at our last cut and it feels good. Dodged two rain showers today that allowed us to get up 70 of the 90 acres ready to bale. Very thankful for that. Need one more day of dry weather. You seem to have a vision of where you want to be in the hay business and im sure you'll get there. We started with one barn, now have 3 after 12 years and just finished our second lien to. Hope we are done, lol.
And to answer your, yes u can cut hay day after it rains sometimes. Too many variables to list why or why not. Lol
Now, Time for some woods scouting! AKA Deer Hunting!!


----------



## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

Well the 3ac of 3rd cut O grass i cut sunday dried well. I small squared it yesterday so was on the ground 4 days, i did fluff it 3 times though lol. Now only 12 more ac of tim/foxtail to go.


----------



## whitmerlegacyfarm (Aug 26, 2011)

Only got bot 200 small quares of tim/foxtail off neigbohrs 5 ac got another 6ac or so to go but its much thicker. Hopin to bale saturday evening or sunday.


----------



## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

Rain comin friday night bro. (if there's even a 10% chance, it WILL rain)
I have 35 acres of hay ready to bale tomorrow. IF everything could somehow go right, I'll have it all up & baled by 5 PM.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Just got done cutting 50 acress the day after it rained.Do it all the time as long as it isn't mudddy.


----------

