# Need advice drying hay? I am about ready to quit!!!



## BryanM (Sep 20, 2009)

I am somewhat new too making hay, I will first give some info then my problem. Well with making hay lets start their. Been trying to make good hay for 4 years on less that 10 acres. small squares in nw ohio, equipment is: Jd 2155 tractor, 14t baler, 1209 haybine,#32 crimper, JD 350 rake.

Problem; I cant seem to get hay completely dry, allways seems to have wet spotts in bale. When I take reading with farmex probe I gettvarious readings. seems that the hay is not drying evenly. I have a couple thoughts on the subject. 1- the 1209 is not crimping the hay well enough although I also crimp with a seperate Jd #32 crimper so I would think double crimping getts it done? 2- I dont tedd that may be a problem although I did have an old fahr centipede 4 star tedder but it just seem too tie the hay up in knot componding my problem, so I sold it. next would be raking with the JD 350 rake, which may also be a problem since it ropes the hay maybe leaving spots where air cannot dry the hay? I am so frustrated its not even funny!!
My usual hay making practice; cut hay first day,do an extra crimp with #32, next day leave alone to dry, third day rake trying too flip hay so bottom will dry fourth day- may rake once more and bale. I have also tried leaving in windrow for an extra day then rake and dry. both with minimum success.
I think i should be tedding but since my first attempt with a tedder was a complete disaster I am skeptical. whats a better tedder a star/rotary style or a fluffer style like a peaque 710?
Anyway any advice/thoughts i would appreciate ask questions will try to keep up. Just need help!


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## covenanthay (Oct 2, 2009)

I only ted 1st cutting unless 2nd or 3rd gets rain. I work full time so most of my haying is in the evening, but I will cut one evening, rake the next evening with a rotary rake for fluffy windows and with really good drying, bale the next day, 48 hours after cutting. If average drying I will bale the next day, 72 hours after cutting.


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## Will 400m (Aug 1, 2011)

I would give a tedder a try. A good Deutz far tedder is what i use. It does a good job and if the hay dosnt dry you can hit it a few times each day. If I have to rush to get hay dry befor it rains some times I hit it 3 times a day to get it realy dry. How does the ground look? Is there maby a spring that keeps the ground wet all the time? Is this a shady spot suronded by tree's where there is little breaze and less sun?


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## BryanM (Sep 20, 2009)

I got rid of my fahr tedder. the ground was damp when I cut its rained pretty good 2 days before i cut, but seems dry now.

what kind of tedder would you recommend? a basket type or a fluffer type? does anybody have any info on a ranch rite tedder?

I am leaning toward the rake being the problem traping the wet hay inside the rope of hay if you will!

it might be a combination of things, but I need to change something to make it better thats forsure.


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## j316deere (May 24, 2009)

I would also recommend using a tedder, we use a basket type with very good results. Not only does a tedder turn the hay over but it also scatters it out and leaves it some what up off of the ground so that air can better circulate around it. Here in 
Southeastern OH I have cut heavy hay on day 1 around noon, tedded in the later afternoon, tedded again on day 2, raked and baled on day 3 and had very good, dry hay.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

A good basket type tedder will do you the most good. I use a New Holland 169 which covers around 24'. Another good investment would be a better rake, while some people swear by em, from 30 years of making hay I found bar rakes tend to rope the hay up and make it difficult to dry all the way thru. A good wheel rake is economical while a rotary rake is much better but also much more expensive.


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## Will 400m (Aug 1, 2011)

If the hay isnt dry dont rake it. That being said if all you have is a rake you can try it with out tedding it but you need to keep rolling it over to get it fluffy and try to get it dry all the way through. I have a kh400 and dont rember what the bigger one is but its 17 foot wide and its a duetz farr as well. Both are baskit types and work realy well. Why did you get rid of the tedder in the first place? I know out west where its hot and low humidity they can cut it in windrows and then rake it and bale it with out tedding but around here no one makes hay without a tedder.


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## CockrellHillFarms (Aug 30, 2011)

Just one guy's opinion. Sounds like your doing WAY TOO much work. It sounds like to me your raking before the hay is ready. In the time it takes you to do 10 acres, I prob could have 80 done. Make sure the hay is dry on top before you turn it. If its still wet on top, it wont ever dry. If you can, flip one row up, let it dry, flip the other row up, let it dry. By this time of year, the grass is already mostly dead, so moisture should be at its lowest point possible. If your mowing/crimping, and then crimping again, I would guess your loosing alot of leafage and good hay to handling it so many times. Just a thought.


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## BryanM (Sep 20, 2009)

To be honest with you, I think you are all correct. And it sure feels like I am working way too hard at such a little field.

I got rid of that tedder for a couple reasons, main reason I could not get it too work properly, meaning it either winrowed the hay or in some cases tangled the hay almost in knots. That being said I tried everything I could think of too get it too run right. Including pto speeds, tractor speeds, tilt angles, tine adjustments, getting a manual talking with other hay folks, homework on the web and watching youtube even made my own youtube to see if someone out their could help. And remember I bought at an huge auction, not knowing why it was their!
Has anyone heard of a ranch rite tedder, they are alittle cheaper than a kuhn.


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## Toyes Hill Angus (Dec 21, 2010)

Brian, I don't know where you are from but I assure you things should not be as hard as you are having them. Start right at the begining... If the ground is wet, I cut into a narrow windrow, and leave 4 or 5" of stubble to keep windrow off of the ground, rake it over with a rotary Kunk rake into a dry part of the ground the next day. At this piont the groung is dry, so if the hay is not fit by the third day I will ted while the morning dew is on to prevent leaf loss. That is the most handling I'll do with hay because the ground is wet. 
If the ground is dry, I cut into a full swath, tedd the next day, rake the following day and then bale. Best case scenario, ideal conditions make life nice, also if the 1209 is bunching hay a tedder will not undue these bunches 100%, the trick is to never make these "beaver huts" Best of luck


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

If your getting clumps while mowing I would suggest moving the reel back closer to the rollers, second thing is to see how close it runs to the sickle, third thing would be to adjust the speed on it. Too slow and it piles up before the rollers can grab it, too fast it might try to carry it over then the rollers grab it and make a slug. I've never run a JD moco before but have completely wore out two NH 495's to the point they were worth more as scrap than trade in and had a NH499 about five years before trading it for a discbine, if fore/aft, height and reel speed are properly adjusted it should look like a constant consistant stream of hay entering the conditioning rolls from the tractor seat.


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## Iowa hay guy (Jul 29, 2010)

I never ted and I've mowed one morning and baled the next afternoon at 13%


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## Iowa hay guy (Jul 29, 2010)

I agree with mlappin it sounds like your 1209 needs adjusting


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## NEHerdsman (Sep 23, 2009)

Not exactly sure of your weather and climate there, but if you were here in New England I'd say make sure your moco is adjusted right, then sell the crimper, and buy a good tedder. I don't think you can expect to make dry hay around here without a good tedder. We use a rotary rake and it does a fantastic job, but we made good hay for years using a tedder and a bar rake. You can rake hay with the rotary to help get it that last bit dry, but you can't really touch it with the bar rake *until* it is dry.


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## bluefarmer (Oct 10, 2010)

when you said your tedder clumped the hay, you must not have been running the rpms fast enough.i'm saying this respectfully i gotta stay after my grandpa if he is running the tedder (krone) or it will get clumpy


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## Montana Red (Jul 24, 2011)

Bryan, we put alot of hay up on our operation and I will explain how we do it. Depending on what your climate is like things could be much different. I live in the Northern Great Plain, our climate in july is usually hot and dry, but this year it was much cooler and wetter then normal. We cut a majority of our hay with a hesston 9365 self propelled disc mower which has a conditioner. I have learned if you having a hard time getting you hay to dry evenly the key is to widen the windrow out, some of our heaviest hay we put up in 4-5 ft wide windrows. If you go really wide though make sure your rake will reach. We had some hay early in the season that were in narrower windrows and it took forever to dry and then it was uneven. Second make sure your hay in dry before you rake it, its an easy mistake to rake when the top is 2 inches are dry and the rest is to green. We rarely leave a raked windrow overnight, there is nothing worse the thick raked hay that gets rained on. In grass hay I dont rake it until it is completely cured an then bale right behind the rake, in thick alfalfa I wait until just the very bottom center is still or green then I rake it on the dew to prevent leaf shatter. Alfalfa may take the day to finish drying and then it gets baled in the evening. Unless you live in an area with extreme rainfall or extreme humidity you are doing way more then you need to. Just my opinions anyway.


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## BryanM (Sep 20, 2009)

I cant tell you how much I appreciate your time and knowledge!

I think we might be on too something, I am probably messing myself, raking while hay is still a little wet. My reason for doing this was too turn the hay to dry bottom, doing this with a bar rake is bad move, I believe it is trapping wet hay in the rope.

I think we better get a tedder! I did have a more difficult time cutting this time, I made a few beaver huts which I spread out by hand, even had a hay jamb where the hay got trapped between the lower roller and the frame. Hope that makes sense. It also in some spots didnt cut the hay just kind of stripped the hay, first time for that I thought that was a result of hay jambing or not getting pulled in by the reel? But not sure!

Since I am doing only 10 acres, my budget only permits me to by used equipment, I also work a regular job so we try too do this for a hobby and sell a little and feed a little to a few cows.
We are know shopping for a two basket tedder and a rotary rake, used of course. The rotary rakes get expensive at least for our budget but have found a few Kuhn 300s that might work they look like seals might be leaking but look usable. Are parts accessible for these older rakes? Is their something I should look for or stay away from? I have time too look, I probably wont hay again till next year!
by the way, It gives me a little insperation when you say I am making it harder than it is. and it shouldnt be that hard! I think I am messing myself up with the raking!


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## NEHerdsman (Sep 23, 2009)

I think you're on the right track Bryan.

I find it interesting to read posts from those in other parts making hay by just cutting, raking and baling - that's very different from my (limited) experience here in the northeast. The only folks around here who don't use a tedder are those making baleage or chopping. If you''re putting up dry hay the challenge is definitely to get it dry in a reasonable time. My neighbor up the road does a lot of horse hay and never seems to lose a bale to rain, he runs a Kuhn moco with the flail conditioners, followed immediately with a macerator, then tedds repeatedly for 1-2 days, then a rotary rake, then bales with preservative (preservative as needed).

It sounds like your conditions are more like ours then the cut-rake-bale folks, so I'll reiterate and say that I love the rotary rake, but I consider that borderline a luxury, while the tedder is a necessity.

One further note about tedding (apologies if this is obvious) - you can be fairly aggressive when the hay is green, really sling it around to spread it out and break up any clumps. But you should tedd more and more gentle as the hay gets drier. The last tedding is just touching the hay to lift it off the ground and fluff it up. Good luck!


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

I find this thread interesting. I dry hay much like Montana Red does. Using the exact same swather. Except I don't rake right before baling grass hay, but 2-3 hours prior. Alfalfa I never rake for small bales unless it got rain on it or something. For large bales we rake two windrows together with plenty of dew on it. I didn't even really know what a tedder was until during 2nd cutting this year we had very humid weather. 45% (yes I know to some of you that isn't much) So I asked a friend who bales alfalfa in Indiana how they do it there. I still wonder about the posters that have stated on here that live in the midwest with humidity when they say it only takes a day or so for grass hay to dry. That never happens here. Always at least 2 days. Rake or no rake. I'm not even sure if any of the farm dealers around sell tedders even if I wanted one.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

BryanM said:


> I think we might be on too something, I am probably messing myself, raking while hay is still a little wet. My reason for doing this was too turn the hay to dry bottom, doing this with a bar rake is bad move, I believe it is trapping wet hay in the rope.


One thing I did like about a bar rake, if you have the rake positioned in just the right spot over the row and at just the right speed you can get 90% of the wet hay on top of the row, but you are also correct, a bar rake will create a rope if used to early. My cousin is bad about this, I've baled hay he raked and when I stopped to wrap the round bale, the baler would pull all the hay out from under the tractor and then some.



BryanM said:


> I think we better get a tedder! I did have a more difficult time cutting this time, I made a few beaver huts which I spread out by hand, even had a hay jamb where the hay got trapped between the lower roller and the frame. Hope that makes sense. It also in some spots didnt cut the hay just kind of stripped the hay, first time for that I thought that was a result of hay jambing or not getting pulled in by the reel? But not sure!


Could be several things, if it looked like it "stripped" the hay the full width of the cutterbar then I'd say your sickle belt was slipping so the sickle wasn't running at full strokes per minute. If it looked like a pie shaped piece where it stripped it then you found a birds nest or some hay left on the ground from a previous cutting and it hung up on the tip of the guard then hung more up on the guard tips as you drove.



BryanM said:


> Since I am doing only 10 acres, my budget only permits me to by used equipment, I also work a regular job so we try too do this for a hobby and sell a little and feed a little to a few cows.


One suggestion here would be to start over with a straight grass crop without the alfalfa. Would highly suggest getting a disc mower or discbine though if doing a straight grass crop.



BryanM said:


> It gives me a little insperation when you say I am making it harder than it is. and it shouldnt be that hard! I think I am messing myself up with the raking!


That's highly probable, like I pointed out my cousin is bad for this. Last time I baled for him it was some very heavy first cut, he raked too soon and couldn't get it to dry, rain was coming in about 36 hours so I took my six basket tedder down, tedded the whole field twice to get rid of the ropes and clumps, then raked it with my v wheel rake.

A neighbor lady is bad for that as well, she mowed the same day as I did one time, 3 days later she called and said it was ready, I went and checked it, was still tough, took another 2 days before I baled it and still found tough spots, she also mowed in a circle and all the corners were wet still. It was roped tight enough I almost could have stopped right after starting a short row and just let the baler suck the whole row in. Corners were wet enough I left em till dead last and baled em seperate.

I can routinely mow lets say a Monday morning and be baling by Tuesday afternoon. It's tempting to push it to get done to lessen the chances of the weather changing but sometimes getting in a hurry will cost a lot more time than it could ever save.

You don't say what hours you work, but I would suggest if you have what looks to be a clear weekend to mow Thursday night, leave it Friday then ted first thing Saturday morning. Depending on your weather conditions where you live might have to be tedded again Sunday morning, I'm guessing then if things go well then you could at the very least rake it Sunday afternoon if not bale it as well.

Here with _our_ heavy dews _here_ at night, I've found tedding immediately after mowing doesn't help a lot as by the next morning it's matted flat to the ground again anyways and will have to be retedded. I'm referring to a dew that the grass in the yard might still be wet at noon.

My standard practice is to mow after the dew starts to burn off in the morning usually around ten, ted the next morning while the hay is still quite tough from the dew but not sopping wet. This tends to leave the hay a little fluffier after tedding which allows more air movement under it, I rake anywhere from 3-4 o'clock and start baling very shortly after raking. I also use a preservative though and have no worries about starting baling if the hay is still around 19%, depends a lot on the gut feeling as well. If it feels like night dew will hold off a while, then I'll wait a little longer so it gets a little dryer.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Iowa hay guy said:


> I never ted and I've mowed one morning and baled the next afternoon at 13%


depends on your local conditions and humidity levels, since gong to the Circle C rollers after first cutting I hardly ted at all unless the forecast changes and I absolutely want to make sure I can bale at the end of the second day.


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## Dill (Nov 5, 2010)

NEHerdsman said:


> Not exactly sure of your weather and climate there, but if you were here in New England I'd say make sure your moco is adjusted right, then sell the crimper, and buy a good tedder. I don't think you can expect to make dry hay around here without a good tedder. We use a rotary rake and it does a fantastic job, but we made good hay for years using a tedder and a bar rake. You can rake hay with the rotary to help get it that last bit dry, but you can't really touch it with the bar rake *until* it is dry.


 I totally agree. Ditch the crimper its more effort than its worth. Here's what we do in southern NH. Mow it in the morning or evening depending on work.(Now we use discbines but we did it for years with a haybine) Shake it out right away to get it out of windrows. Let it sit for a day at least, shake it out again if its thick grass. Once its dry and ready to bale, sometimes 2 days usually 3-4 depending on sun, humidity etc. Roll it up with a bar rake and bale.


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## Iowa hay guy (Jul 29, 2010)

I don't have circle c rolls but my macron has those n bar steel on steel rolls and we dump it out in a 10 ft swath unless the ground is wet or you can't find it after you mow


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

I'm about ready to stop spreading it as wide as I can when mowing, anytime I have wet spots in the rows it's because I ran a tractor tire down the windrow and it's still as green as can be while the rest of the row is almost too dry.


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## Fowllife (Sep 10, 2010)

Living in the same are as you, I know it can be a pain sometimes to get it to dry out. I would say the first thing to look into is your mower. Make sure that it is adjusted properly, has enough pressure and the rolls are in good condition. You may think that you are crimping it twice, but you may just be sending it through two machines with very little crimp. The second issue being your rake and when you rake. Most everyone in my area uses wheel rakes, and a few rotary rakes. I very rarely see anyone ted unless it gets rained on.

For your small acrage you may want to look into a rake tedder combo. The small 3 pt wheel rake that I have is "supposed" to be able to tedd also. That would be a low cost item to start with, after checking out your mower.


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## Iowa hay guy (Jul 29, 2010)

i found a few green wads that way too but an hour in the sun and they dissappear


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

These aren't wads, this runs the entire length of the row and keeps me from baling it the end of the second day.


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## Iowa hay guy (Jul 29, 2010)

thats odd mines like spots about the size of a 5 gallon bucket
there are very few of them in the row so i dont usually worry about it


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## 4Gen (May 1, 2011)

BrianM,
I live in NW Ohio (SE of Toledo) and so I know your weather conditions. In my own opinion ditch the crimper all together. I don't see how smashing the hay together again is going to help get rid of tough spots. Hay Wilson posted on here on time you only need one or two crimps on the stem to get the condition effect (thank you Wilson and I agree from my own experience).

Next get a fluffer or a tedder/good rake combo. Due to my own budget, I had to get the fluffer (couldn't afford the nice rake/tedder combo). Still the fluffer does a great job of flipping the wet stuff up and breaking up clumps.

Here is my routine approximately but I won't cut if the ground is too wet.

With jd moco, cut and drop in 6'-7' windrow.... Large as possible without driving on it and under 7' because the fluffer is 7'. next day, fluff it. Depending on weather, relative humidity, and heavy cut, rake the following day or two day max. After raking, start baling a few hours later or the next day depending on the same stuff above.

Again that is just my own personal routine.... Whether it's right or wrong, it just seems to work for me (obviously weather permitting).


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## BryanM (Sep 20, 2009)

Deciding on a hay tedder? what in your opinion works best?

Basket style- Fluffer style- or rake/tedder combo? I am getting a bit confused on the tedder styles or which one to get.?

The basket type spreads it out but does it flip it over too?

the fluffer style picks it up and sets it down but puts it on the same windrow but will it pic it up enough too get the bottom dry?

I think its pretty much everyones opinion I should ditch the extra hay crimper! I think we are going to start with a tedder if I can come too a decision on which style too get. then I think maybe an up grade on my mower!
4Gen I take it you would pic the fluffer over the basket style?


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## NEHerdsman (Sep 23, 2009)

Around here, the only place I've seen a "fluffer" is in the antique displays at the state fairs. (I'm assuming the "fluffer" referred to here is the type that has a bail-like thing rotating on a horizontal axis?) The basket tedders are pretty much ubiquitous here, Kuhn being the predominant brand.

Try going to YouTube, there are plenty of videos there including some of the "fluffer" type, you can gauge the effectiveness of each type pretty easily. Luckily, tedders are one of the least expensive pieces of hay equipment to purchase.


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## RockmartGA (Jun 29, 2011)

You've already received a lot a good advice here, not much I can add. If your problems persist after you incorporated the steps outlined by the previous posters, I would suggest talking to your county extension agent or someone at the coop/farm supply where you purchase your supplies and fertilizer, or perhaps another hay farmer in your area. One thing I have found over the years is that those in the farming business are usually more than happy to help out a fellow farmer. Misery loves company, I guess. LOL At least they are in your area and will be more aware of the local conditions than we on this forum are.

Regarding the Ranch Rite tedder, I looked it up online and it appears to be exactly like the Agris tedder I have used for years. No problems.


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## D.C.Cattle Company (Jul 19, 2010)

I cut hay in the am and then let my hay lay that day and another whole day before raking on the 3rd day as the dew comes off then baling. Drying has not been a problem unless I get rain or very humid days. If some of your hay is drying and you have clumps in the bale that are not i would suggest you look over your hay when you cut it. 1209s are notorious for clumping hay if they are not set/working correctly.


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## slowzuki (Mar 8, 2011)

The fluffer style are nearly useless in the east, don't bother. Get a basket type. On 10 acres a 2 basket works great on 10 ft windrows and you won't drive on hay the first pass.

The only times my basket tedder clumps is in wet bedstraw, a common weed here that crawls along the ground or when the hay is getting too dry, or if the pto speed is too low.

This assumes the tine angles are set right (they are adjustable on the deutz) and if its a centipede with the 2 input shafts you are on the direct tedding one and not the gear reduction "night rowing" one which makes a sort of poor rake.

If the ground is wet I'll mow narrow and let the ground dry a couple of hours before tedding. If the ground is dry I lay it wide and let it dry for half a day before tedding.

It is not raked until all the wet clumps are gone because they won't dry in the windrow in our humid climate. If I could mount the rake on my baler I would.


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## hayray (Feb 23, 2009)

It for sure is your raking messing you up. I am just a little North of you and I don't have to tedd at all to do hay. If we have good weather I bale in two days, 3 if a little cooler. Rake once the hay is 75% dry and make sure you are flipping the row, not rolling completely back over on itself. The raking should be done late morning after the temp has risen above the dew point on the same day you are going to bale. Also, cut your hay in the first half of the day. Make sure when mowing to lay the row out as flat as the mower conditioner will leave it, forget using the crimper.


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## 4Gen (May 1, 2011)

If I had my choice, I would go with the basket tedder and nice rake.... Depending on the market this winter, that might be an option. Still I went with the fluffer because of money reasons and it is a thousand times better then nothing at all.


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## showard8908 (Sep 2, 2011)

I am from centeral Ohio and i have one feild that is heavy in red clover and it can be hard to dry at times but thats just the nature of clover. I work full time so I mow after i get off at 5 30 and then dont event think about hay the next day and the following day i check it if it looks and feals dry alomost threw and threw i rake it and come back the next day and some times flip it and other times just run it and run it as fast as i can threw my 14t. I have a 5 wheel rake but i had a bar rake my first year didnt have trouble out of it but the speed of a wheel rake was apealing. the up side to a bar rake is if things go south and you already have hay in a row and it gets rained on or for whatever other reason it gets wet you can take that bar rake and crank it up to where it just bairly hits the top of ur row and run over ur row just on the inside of the left wheel at a fast pace and that knocks the top off and spreads it out a little bit. If I was you i would ditch the crimper, crank my conditioner down on my bine and open up my swath and do anything i could to get that bine to throw hay out the back as far light and wide as i could. If you have crimped hay laying ontop of the stubble in as close to one layer as you can you will get air under they hay, it wont be laying on top of its self holding moisure and almost everything is getting dried at the same time. That should knock ur dry time down to average. If not i would invest in a good tedder and remember as little contact as possible with the hay when you the you dont want to do anything but stir it up and you dont want to beat all the leaves off everything if it can be helped. Hope i could help


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## rockbridgearabs (Feb 6, 2012)

BryanM

We use a Pequea 710 fluffer/tedder on alfalfa and alfalfa/orchard mix that we purchase a couple of years ago. Our area is very humid and drying can be a challenge in between rainstorms during July and Aug. I wasn't sure if I was going to like the Pequea or not, but it has proven to be invaluable here and we would have lost several cuttings without it. My main concern is leaf loss with the alfalfa with the basket tedders. As long as the hay isn't too dry, leaf loss has not been a problem with the fluffer/tedder. The Pequea does a great fluff job. How rough or gentle the Pequea handles the hay can be adjusted via gear and tractor rpm. It can be used to spread the hay from here to yonder or gently fluff in the windrow. It's great if a rainstorm pops up and drives the hay into the ground as it is quite good at lifting the hay and has made the difference between a mess in the field versus acceptable cow hay or "occupational" horse hay for the easy keepers.

We generally cut 1st day, fluff day 2, fluff day 3, rake and bale day 4. Sometimes we get lucky and can bale day 3. Other times the humidity is so high that it takes 5 to 6 days in the field. Conditions were phenominal one cutting and we were able to cut 1 day and bale the next which is just about unheard of around here. Another guy that does hay locally and I attribute that to the Pequea under ideal conditions.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

I see a lot of the pequea 7' wide horizontal tedders around here and thought about getting one. They usually run ~ $1,000 lightly used.

Great thread. I'm making mental notes. I did get to ted/rake bale hay this year, but haven't had my virgin cut yet









I feel excited, but a little intimidated, too.


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## downtownjr (Apr 8, 2008)

Looking forward to the upcoming hay season here in Indiana...My tedder normally gets used a bunch on that first cut for sure around here...I have a 4 basket John Deere 752. It works well. My first tedder was a Pequea 710 and it worked as well, but I got a deal on the John Deere and changed type. I think I like the basket type better. Preservatives I think are a must if you have alot of acres as a hedge against a wet season. Of course there is a added cost for an applicator and preservative product, but at the end of the day it helps eliminate some frustration and provides some peace of mind.

To a great season for everyone and be safe


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

downtownjr said:


> Preservatives I think are a must if you have alot of acres as a hedge against a wet season. Of course there is a added cost for an applicator and preservative product, but at the end of the day it helps eliminate some frustration and provides some peace of mind.
> 
> To a great season for everyone and be safe


When you figure in your time getting the hay down and close to being dry enough to bale plus the value of the hay, an applicator and preservative is cheap insurance.


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## cmsc (Feb 14, 2010)

sure acid is great but i bale alot of hay and i took my applicator off my small baler and havn't used that in 6 years on small bales. I used less then 50 gallons of acid on my big square last year. I baled 4000 big squares and over 30000 small squares. preserveant is great but i hate to use it if i dont have too. I lay my hay 7 to 8 foot wide beind our new holland h8090 and 750hd head. I sometiems will ted with a kuhn 8 basket tedder with in the first 6 hours of mowing 1st cutting alfalfa depending on weather outlook. I have mowed alot of grass hay at noon on one day tedded the next morning at 8 in the morning and was raking and baling grass hay by 1pm. get rid of the bar rake and dont rake hay till the top is dry and free of dew. if hay gets wet in a windrow the only way to get it dried back out is to spread it out with a tedder you can rake and rake and rake but the moisture will be all over the place. run a tedder over it and the mostiure will be very consistant.


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

mlappin said:


> When you figure in your time getting the hay down and close to being dry enough to bale plus the value of the hay, an applicator and preservative is cheap insurance.


Sorry for the dumb newbie question, but what does the preservative do? Prevent the hay from getting dusted? 
Or does it help dry the hay faster?


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

JD3430 said:


> Sorry for the dumb newbie question, but what does the preservative do? Prevent the hay from getting dusted?
> Or does it help dry the hay faster?


Yeah, it prevents the less than cured hay from going into heat......caramelizing and/or molding.

Regards, Mike


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

cmsc said:


> sure acid is great but i bale alot of hay and i took my applicator off my small baler and havn't used that in 6 years on small bales. I used less then 50 gallons of acid on my big square last year. I baled 4000 big squares and over 30000 small squares.


Depends on where your at, rarely does hay ever get too dry here with out tedding and all the things you mentioned, if it does get to dry on it's own it's usually because we are in the middle of a excessive dry spell and their is very little to make anyways. I never used to see the use of preservative either, back in the days of milking cows if it looked like it might rain before it was dry enough to bhale, we'd chop it and blow it in the silo before it got too dry for silage. In _our_ area at least, we can have five different sources all saying we have nothing but 3 days of sunshine coming up, mow hay and the forecast changes after lunch time with rain rolling in the next afternoon, without the preservative instead of getting _*no*_ hay rained on this year before baling, I would have had at least 30% of it end up getting washed.


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## NEHerdsman (Sep 23, 2009)

I'm thinking of going to preservative myself. I find that as I take on more hay I'm having to bale sooner, saving a day would be a big help, and of course saving a field is even better. I've not lost a lot of hay to rain, but the thought of having to work a field that's been reduced to mulch hay while there's good hat waiting to be cut bugs the heck out of me. And I know I've lost some quality in 1st cut hay waiting for a three day window, watching the 2 day windows go by...

Great thread though, very interesting. One suggestion I would have for contributors to threads like this is to to please put your location in your signature. We've heard lots of ways people make hay, and there's a large regional component to each, it seems. Would be real handy to know your location while reading your posts!

Thanks All...


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## sedurbin (May 30, 2009)

> Great thread though, very interesting. One suggestion I would have for contributors to threads like this is to to please put your location in your signature. We've heard lots of ways people make hay, and there's a large regional component to each, it seems. Would be real handy to know your location while reading your posts!


+1 on this, it would be a great help to know where folks are located.


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## NEHerdsman (Sep 23, 2009)

NEHerdsman said:


> Great thread though, very interesting. One suggestion I would have for contributors to threads like this is to to please put your location in your signature. We've heard lots of ways people make hay, and there's a large regional component to each, it seems. Would be real handy to know your location while reading your posts!


Ok, dope slap coming to me. I posted this, then realized this was one forum where I had never entered my own location! Fixed it!


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## JD3430 (Jan 1, 2012)

If you add preservative to hay, is it any safer to store indoors in a barn? Does it keep some of the dampness from early baling from starting fires?

What is the impact on feeding it to animals?


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## NEHerdsman (Sep 23, 2009)

JD3430 said:


> If you add preservative to hay, is it any safer to store indoors in a barn? Does it keep some of the dampness from early baling from starting fires?
> 
> What is the impact on feeding it to animals?


Way too complex a topic to address fully here, but in short, preservatives are intended to prevent the growth of mold/fungi in hay above a certain moisture level. This can prevent *some* of the heating that occurs in baled hay, and reduce one source of "dust" in hay.

This seems to be widely accepted as ok for cattle, but there's less consensus from horse owners.


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## mpr128 (Dec 19, 2012)

BryanM said:


> ..
> We are know shopping for a two basket tedder and a rotary rake, used of course. The rotary rakes get expensive at least for our budget but have found a few Kuhn 300s that might work they look like seals might be leaking but look usable. Are parts accessible for these older rakes? Is their something I should look for or stay away from? ..


I've just bought a Kuhn 300-GM. The -GM model has a pivoting headstock, so it goes around corners better than the cheaper model. Paid $NZ1500 for it. Last owner had it for 10 years, paid $NZ2800 for it. A dealer told me the only maintenance is to grease it. He warned never to open the gearbox as you will need 7 pairs of arms to reassemble it. Check to see if it is grease leaking (solved by pumping more grease in) or leaking oil from the gearbox (probably really bad).


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