# How’s 2019 Looking So Far?



## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

If the weather trend continues, we are going to have the best hay ever, yield and quality. The timing between rains, fertilizer and spraying have been great! Much warmer this spring than last year in our neck of the woods.

Fingers crossed for good haying weather when it's time to cut and bale - it's getting close!

How's it going in 2019 for you so far?


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

LATE,still a little snow in ditches.Stuff is just starting to green up so we’ll know how bad winter kill is in a couple days.And it’s Muddy.


----------



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

I agree on the timing and night time warmth. Just busted loose in the last 7-10 days. I could not spray for weeds as my overseeding was not successful last fall and I had to repeat. Looks like it worked this spring and if the seedlings can survive the chickweed and henbit I will clean up everything this fall. I would love a 5 day spell with no rain and 80 degrees around May 1. Down it would go and a chance for a mega second cut.


----------



## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

Have to say average, then looked at local MSU alfalfa growth degree days, last 6 average 127.2, this year 128 up until today. Can't get much closer to average than that. BTW, can cut alfalfa at 650 -750 GDD. Also, I believe I read somewhere, GDD do not effect grasses, they are spurred on by hours of daylight.

Larry


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Wet! 14" of rain YTD.

And cold--ground temp is only 41 degrees. OG is growing like mad--now the trick will be to get it cut and dry.

Ralph


----------



## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

Wet very wet another 2 to 3 forecast it just won’t give up.


----------



## OhioHay (Jun 4, 2008)

Very wet here. Was able to finish fertilizing 1st cutting today.


----------



## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

Just got in from a short coyote hunt my fields are that wet we had to walk around the wet spots. If it doesn’t rain for the next month I might be able to get in to some of my fields. I’ve farmed this place most of my life there are wet spots that where never wet that I know of.


----------



## IHCman (Aug 27, 2011)

Just got a little rain, amazing how the cool season grasses started to green up overnight. Still not much growing yet, just to cold yet.


----------



## Hay diddle diddle (Nov 17, 2017)

Well , from an Aussie point of view its shithouse. Less than 2 inches since mid December. Irrigation water has hit $650 a megalitre. No sign of rain here at all. Only a week of the traditional sowing time for winter crops. If it persists like this over winter and into our spring, there will be no dairy industry left, and a hell of a lot of nervous bankers.


----------



## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Wet, wet, oh and still wet. Over a month ago it was the driest since last fall, then it started raining and has never quit. IF I can fertilize I will have to pick and choose which fields and where. The 10 day outlook was upwards of 2.5 inches of rain.


----------



## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Swampy! Went over 17” so far this year with another 1.4” in last 24 hours. Sprayed burn down one day so far. No corn planted for me in April this year and going to need to dry up quick for anything to happen 1st half of May. Forage wise, cereal rye is ready to push heads out, ryegrass is not far behind. Wheat and alfalfa are 10-12” tall.


----------



## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

Very wet, fertilized and sprayed at the right time, very thick and tall Fescue & Rye, maybe too tall.. I would need at least 7-10 dry days to get it cured, don't see that anytime soon on the 10 day outlook... hope it doesn't lay down like it did last year due to rain... other than that it looks good.

And yea, it's pouring right now, close to 2" today...


----------



## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

Horseshit.


----------



## Gearclash (Nov 25, 2010)

My brother told me yesterday his alfalfa stand is too weak to justify keeping it this year. Too much winter kill. First time in a very long time we've had to quit on an alfalfa stand early. Usually we go 3 years.

Hopefully next week I can bale some of the stalks I didn't get baled last fall.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Gearclash said:


> My brother told me yesterday his alfalfa stand is too weak to justify keeping it this year. Too much winter kill. First time in a very long time we've had to quit on an alfalfa stand early. Usually we go 3 years.


I have been going 5 years here on alfalfa since our winters are more temperate than yours Neil, but this would have been the 4th year on one field and it is very weak. Just too wet for too long here.

Regards, Mike


----------



## chevytaHOE5674 (Mar 14, 2015)

Still to early to tell anything. Still a good bit of snow on the ground and night temps were in the teens just 2 nights ago.


----------



## woodland (May 23, 2016)

Wow some of you guys are itching to go cutting and I loaded out a couple of loads of rounds today and the bales are all still froze down here⛄. The grass is just turning green which is a week or two ahead of normal for us. My buddy started some cultivating yesterday and we'll probably spread manure next week if the custom guy is available and no rain shows up. There is no extra hay around in our area and I'm selling two year old rained on first cut for $160 /ton which is great considering it was unsalable last year. Just hope with the early start the moisture can keep up or it'll be another interesting year.

Good luck y'all ????


----------



## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

woodland said:


> Wow some of you guys are itching to go cutting and I loaded out a couple of loads of rounds today and the bales are all still froze down here⛄. The grass is just turning green which is a week or two ahead of normal for us. My buddy started some cultivating yesterday and we'll probably spread manure next week if the custom guy is available and no rain shows up. There is no extra hay around in our area and I'm selling two year old rained on first cut for $160 /ton which is great considering it was unsalable last year. Just hope with the early start the moisture can keep up or it'll be another interesting year.
> Good luck y'all





woodland said:


> Wow some of you guys are itching to go cutting and I loaded out a couple of loads of rounds today and the bales are all still froze down here⛄. The grass is just turning green which is a week or two ahead of normal for us. My buddy started some cultivating yesterday and we'll probably spread manure next week if the custom guy is available and no rain shows up. There is no extra hay around in our area and I'm selling two year old rained on first cut for $160 /ton which is great considering it was unsalable last year. Just hope with the early start the moisture can keep up or it'll be another interesting year.
> Good luck y'all





woodland said:


> Wow some of you guys are itching to go cutting and I loaded out a couple of loads of rounds today and the bales are all still froze down here⛄. The grass is just turning green which is a week or two ahead of normal for us. My buddy started some cultivating yesterday and we'll probably spread manure next week if the custom guy is available and no rain shows up. There is no extra hay around in our area and I'm selling two year old rained on first cut for $160 /ton which is great considering it was unsalable last year. Just hope with the early start the moisture can keep up or it'll be another interesting year.
> Good luck y'all





woodland said:


> Wow some of you guys are itching to go cutting and I loaded out a couple of loads of rounds today and the bales are all still froze down here⛄. The grass is just turning green which is a week or two ahead of normal for us. My buddy started some cultivating yesterday and we'll probably spread manure next week if the custom guy is available and no rain shows up. There is no extra hay around in our area and I'm selling two year old rained on first cut for $160 /ton which is great considering it was unsalable last year. Just hope with the early start the moisture can keep up or it'll be another interesting year.
> Good luck y'all


Sell it fast


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Took a ride around the fields today--seep springs popping up in places I didn't even know I had places.

Ralph


----------



## Monsenhay (Jan 13, 2018)

Southern Wisconsin. In 9 acres getting ready to seed, fall chiseled. Ran the disc and drag with a 986 got it all leveled and ready. Get the JD 2840 drill and mulcher hooked up, go the 2 miles down the road plant 3/4s clutch went out. Walk home and get rained on walking. So not so good so far


----------



## woodland (May 23, 2016)

Monsenhay said:


> Southern Wisconsin. In 9 acres getting ready to seed, fall chiseled. Ran the disc and drag with a 986 got it all leveled and ready. Get the JD 2840 drill and mulcher hooked up, go the 2 miles down the road plant 3/4s clutch went out. Walk home and get rained on walking. So not so good so far


Some days you just can't win it seems.


----------



## hillside hay (Feb 4, 2013)

Thankfully avg moisture. Been wet for so long a g seemed dry till I looked at the numbers. Ground that really needs lime still too wet to get on. Need to repair waterways and finish manure spreading. Hay is coming on fast.


----------



## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

I have fescue hip deep and heading out. I'm still about 3 weeks away from when I traditionally start ????

A guy nearby cut Monday afternoon and baled this afternoon (Wednesday). It won't be wrapped and no way that stuff is dry. We were barely in the 70s, 50s for lows and today barely above 80 with damp ground. Humidity has been surprisingly low but still at least have somebody wrap it, it would make better forage.... smh

Since we've had a few dry days I've been rebuilding the corrals. That got interrupted because I got a load of crusher run to put in the lean to I built last year. No more mud in there.


----------



## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

Got to finish corn burn down Tuesday and sprayed 40 acres of beans between rains yesterday. Another 0.7” yesterday evening and accuweather mentions showers or thunderstorm everyday for next two weeks.


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Accuweather has 1-3” of snow for here Saturday


----------



## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

In PA, we would call that the onion snow.


----------



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

a few orchard grass heads beginning to show


----------



## Northeast PA hay and beef (Jan 29, 2017)

Just wet


----------



## Ndhayguy (Apr 17, 2019)

Getting ready to plant some wheatgrass brome mix on 40 acres, got 100 more acres of prairie grass and 10 acres of pure alfalfa. Getting the small square Baler ready and looking for some accumulators. Just got 2 inches of snow so that’s go to good


----------



## Amelia Farms (May 16, 2012)

Orchard grass looks the best we've ever had. Getting ready to bale tomorrow.


----------



## Hayman7502 (Feb 26, 2019)

Very wet! Barely able to mow the yard between rains. Have mud it out. Glad I don’t have to worry about rutting up the yard -_-


----------



## Mf5612 (Apr 29, 2018)

It’s so wet up here in Ontario. We r usually done planting spring grains and hayseeds and plant corn on May 1. Man it just keeps raining and no sun.a lot of the wheat will b ripped up next wk if it dries out.lol


----------



## Farmerbrown2 (Sep 25, 2018)

Wet still rains almost every day or night. Neighbor just tore up some mud today can you say soil compaction I can. I have some dirt work to do been waiting 2 years to do it still no opertunity to do it.


----------



## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

I don't know about some of these guys around here anymore. It's like it's a race to be the first one to make a bale. Kind of like which store can get their Christmas stuff out first.

Some of these guys mowed Saturday the day after we had 1/4 to 1/2 inch of rain. Some mowed along with me on Sunday. None of them fluff, use preservatives or wrap. I checked my hay twice this afternoon to see if I can get rolling tomorrow (Wednesday) and I have my doubts. There is absolutely no way their stuff was dry. Ground moisture is pretty high, lows are low 60s now but fair amount of humidity.

They can wait a day or two, it's not like we have a foreboding forecast.


----------



## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Got mine baled and put on wagons in the building today. Mowed Saturday but still had to juice it a bit. Moisture monitor was all over the place.... from a low of 12% to a high of 25%.....just depending on where I was at in the field. Glad to have a good start and everything was working as it should. I will try to make a few deliveries tomorrow.

Regards, Mike


----------



## notmydaytoday (Sep 16, 2016)

WET here wait to plant 6 ac. of teff got another 30 of clover and fescue mix that is growing good.


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Another 2.5" rain last night, forecast calls for another 2" this week. NO crops planted, a little anhydrous put on, Mississippi will jump to 4th highest record level this weekend. OTOH, OG is prettiest I seen in years, hope I can get it cut before September.

Cy: turn off the rain machine up by you!

Ralph

I'm looking for timber to start building my ark.


----------



## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

rjmoses said:


> Another 2.5" rain last night, forecast calls for another 2" this week. NO crops planted, a little anhydrous put on, Mississippi will jump to 4th highest record level this weekend. OTOH, OG is prettiest I seen in years, hope I can get it cut before September.
> 
> Cy: turn off the rain machine up by you!
> 
> ...


Yep, your rain yesterday is knocking on my backdoor this morning.


----------



## chevytaHOE5674 (Mar 14, 2015)

Snow this morning. Heavy frost/freeze the last few morning. Be a while before things start to green up.


----------



## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Still wet. Put fertilizer on yesterday. Should have covered 150+ acres but only did 40. Ordered 3 tons of bags and used the 3pt spreader. Only window we really had before it was to late. Still had hay really would not like to drive on and of course the rain shifted and headed north.

Have a custom job of putting oats in since March, have yet to do it.


----------



## Uphayman (Oct 31, 2014)

The final snow bank in my yard melted last night. Has been very cold this "spring". From the snow melt, water levels and water tables are off the chart. Farm pond is 6' above normal, and out into the hay field. Actually saw bluegil swimming in the tall fescue ! The good news is, we should have a huge first crop. Minimal winterkill in spite of ice, severe lo temps. Planting will be a month behind. Have been through enough weather battles that it doesn't bother me ,pressure wise, as it did in my youthful years. It does make for a condensed and challenging planting period.
Current moisture YTD for 2019 (rain/snow) is at 12.97". Normal is 6.03". At 37° currently, we're within 3-4° to having a blizzard ,winds NE at 21, and heavy rain.

Happy May everyone.......stay safe this season.


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Pretty much says it all around here:

https://www.gocomics.com/nonsequitur/2019/05/01?ct=v&cti=981785

Ralph


----------



## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

rjmoses said:


> Another 2.5" rain last night, forecast calls for another 2" this week. NO crops planted, a little anhydrous put on, Mississippi will jump to 4th highest record level this weekend. OTOH, OG is prettiest I seen in years, hope I can get it cut before September.
> 
> Cy: turn off the rain machine up by you!
> 
> ...


Drove by the Mn River that dumps into the Mississippi last week and it is pretty full.Have seen it higher,forget what yr that was.

I wish I could shut it off and the forecast doesn't look good next 10 days cold and wet.Couple guys giving up on small grains.No alfalfa seeded yet either.I have 3000 lbs of alfalfa and grass seed in shed waiting to get drilled in


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

swmnhay said:


> Drove by the Mn River that dumps into the Mississippi last week and it is pretty full.Have seen it higher,forget what yr that was.
> 
> I wish I could shut it off and the forecast doesn't look good next 10 days cold and wet.Couple guys giving up on small grains.No alfalfa seeded yet either.I have 3000 lbs of alfalfa and grass seed in shed waiting to get drilled in


Yee-ouch, Cy!

River forecast here is that the Miss. will be right at its second highest record in history. We expect the levees of both the Miss. and Illinois to be over-topped by Sunday. And the problem with that is that levees work both ways--they get water from getting to the other side. So, once they're over-topped, it takes a l-o-n-g time for the other side to dry out.

Ralph

Ralph


----------



## Jay in WA (Mar 21, 2015)

I just shut the first pivot off to start drying down for 1st cutting alfalfa. Crop looks really good. Just below crotch high. Should have nice tonnage by the time I cut in 10 days. Hopefully the weather will cooperate then. Market is the strongest it has been in years.


----------



## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

I'm thinking I won't need irrigation---EVER!


----------



## Hay diddle diddle (Nov 17, 2017)

Had 2 inches of rain Thursday evening.....absolutely beautiful. Autumn irrigation is now finished. Pastures looking good, oats will all get away now.....With out that rain it would have cost me $100 000 in temporary water for the last week of the irrigation season. Certainly not out of the woods rainfall wise....but at least it's a great start.


----------



## haybaler101 (Nov 30, 2008)

This about sums up 2019 so far!


----------



## CowboyRam (Dec 13, 2015)

It seems that we just start to dry up, and then we get another storm. I have been trying to get 10 acres planted, sure would be nice to get it land leveled. I worried that by the time we get the seed in the ground we won't get anymore rain.


----------



## Mf5612 (Apr 29, 2018)

So far it’s just wet wet wet.we should have hayseeds corn and beans finished and all we’ve done is harrow pastures a put ammonium sulphate on alfalfa fields.we r gonna do some fencing this week. My son just put a Montana post driver on his mini ex and used it yesterday.theres very little planting done here in Ontario.


----------



## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

Grass has had plenty of moisture that's for sure! 21 out 30 days of rain in April and may is not fairing much better...12 days in and had 8 of them rain..


----------

