# 18 acres of cut hay, going on 2 weeks of rain. UGH.



## mick e (Apr 14, 2011)

So last Monday I went out and cut 18 acres of hay with my sickle bar. The 10-day forecast said that there was ONE day with a 30% chance of rain, and otherwise clear.

I decided to roll the dice and cut it. The moment I shut off the tractor, the forcast had changed to ALL RAIN. It has rained consistently at least every other day since then. The crop is laying there flat.

The forecast says that it will rain tonight, heavy tomorrow and there is not a clear day showing in the 10-day forecast.

What is a gentleman farmer with modest old-school hay equipment supposed to do in this scenario? Thank you for your thoughts.


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## mick e (Apr 14, 2011)

50 views and no comments at all?

I guess this means I'm pretty much screwed.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

Well... let me try... Is the crop still wet? and is it BLACK ? and is it raining now? If you have answered yes to any of the previous questions then yes you probably are... but seriously what type of hay?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Need more info, you have no tedder at all? When you say old school equipment, wouldn't happen to have a New Ideal rake that can be reversed to fluff it?


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## mick e (Apr 14, 2011)

Okay the hay is NOT black.

It IS wet.

Orchard grass & Alfalfa primarily. About 50/50

We have a lot of moisture in the air (A few miles from Lake Michigan near Door County WI) and NO sun. Heavy rain is expected for tomorrow. No sun in the forecast to speak of.

I have a New Idea 402 side rake, along with the Ford 501 sickle and a NH 276 baler.


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## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Find a neighbor with a new-school round baler that will bale wet hay, bale it, find a large ravine or gully and deposit it, and then go to the liquor store and get some medicinal alcohol and try to remember the good points of growing hay.


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## covenanthay (Oct 2, 2009)

I feel your pain. This is why I keep an old silage chopper around-to blow that stuff, it's certainly not hay, back on the field.


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## mick e (Apr 14, 2011)

I just went over and took a look at it - The grass is growing through the swath now. Knitting in there really nicely. I'm not looking forward to the raking this wet stuff. The crop is a total loss - beat to stems.

Alcohol is starting to look like my best solution.


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## crhay (Jun 19, 2010)

> Find a neighbor with a new-school round baler that will bale wet hay, bale it, find a large ravine or gully and deposit it, and then go to the liquor store and get some medicinal alcohol and try to remember the good points of growing hay


I'm with him, some times ya got to do what ya have to. now its time to focus on next cutting and get that old stuf off there..


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## mick e (Apr 14, 2011)

Its going to have to wait for a few days. Heavy rains until Friday. 3-4 inches expected.

When it rains, it pours.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

That sux! sorry to hear that.


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## mick e (Apr 14, 2011)

I've never seen a weather outlook change so drastically. It's bizarre.


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## Nitram (Apr 2, 2011)

In Kansas we have to watch the live stock to get accurate, the poor weatherman really has a tough time getting it right around here. ps the cows don't do long range forcast that I can tell!


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

It sucks, but it has happened to all at one time or another


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## Negligence (May 18, 2010)

Like another said, get it baled off the field and dump it somewhere to rot.


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## mick e (Apr 14, 2011)

Okay, so I talked to a friend who's been around the block with hay in this area, and he is of the opinion that I am NOT screwed. He looked at it and says that it can still be viable "heifer hay" once this current system passes.

I don't feel quite so morose now. I am still going to drink, though.


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

Heifer hay is code for bedding around here. Hope its not as bad as it sounds. Last year I had some hay rained on so much that I told the neighbors I was filtering the water before it went into the ground. It was bad, it made poor bedding, but I made use of it.


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## charlesmontgomery (Jun 4, 2011)

heifer hay to me would mean top quality as the young females need good nutrition. Call it bedding hay, landscaping hay or junk, cause that's what it is. I have had it turn black from mold before, just baled it with rounds and dumped it in a ditch

Sorry for your bad luck. send us the rain, us OKIES need it


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## Chucktown (Jan 20, 2009)

I went thru the same scenario about two weeks ago. I rolled mine up as soon as it dried. Tried to GIVE it to my neighbor to use in his tub grinder and feed his feeder calves but he didn't want it. I hauled it all (43 5X6 bales) off and dumped in a big ravine. 
Just have to focus on getting it off the field so that you can get another cutting or two of good hay.
Chucktown


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## Waldershrek (Sep 13, 2010)

I'd still try to bale and use it for bedding or sell it construction companies for mulch. No matter what you have to get it off that field. If you don't wanna bale it just chop it and blow it back onto the field like the other guy said.


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## Waldershrek (Sep 13, 2010)

I'd still try to bale and use it for bedding or sell it construction companies for mulch. No matter what you have to get it off that field. If you don't wanna bale it just chop it and blow it back onto the field like the other guy said.


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