# Help with managing cut hay with rain



## ZekeTheDog (Apr 26, 2010)

It's only me second year bailing and the first time I'm dealing with rain. It's orchard grass and we use it to feed our horses and other animals - and we need it, we're down to our last bale!!

I had it cut and rowed ready to bail and got a 10 minute heavy shower yesterday that came out of nowhere. Had emergencies all day and didn't get to rake until tonight- by headlight for the most part. It looked OK though. I flipped and fluffed the rows, and just as I got done, it poured rain again for 1/2 hour. I'm disgusted.

So now the overpaid weatherguesser is saying that it's going to shower until through Friday night.

QUESTION:
Any hope of saving this crop through the next 30 hours of wet weather??? 
or should I just take the time to sharpen my brushhog blades for when the sun comes out on saturday??

( and no, I don't have a tedder... was on my to-do list but health issues put an end to that.)

Thanks.

N Chester County PA.
NH 488 haybine
Pequea 9 ft rotary rake
Hayliner 68 baler


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## Vol (Jul 5, 2009)

Zeke, Sorry to hear of your dilemma but that will happen to you again eventually as that is just part of this occupation. A couple of rains on windrowed hay will render it to very poor status(very low protein and a very poor color). Tedders do help a bunch but will not save a crop that has had several different showers. Just keep in mind that it could always be much worse....like a poor health situation.

Regards, Mike


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Welcome to the world of hay production. It's either raining or drought, sometimes both at the same time!

I don't want to be the bearer of bad news, but your chances of saving it are getting slimmer by the day. Whatever you do, you WILL have to get it off the field to prevent smothering your stand and getting trash in your next cutting.


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## ZekeTheDog (Apr 26, 2010)

Thanks guys, and yea, I was one lucky you-know-what so far. Luck was bound to catch up with me. So, is there some rule of thumb to keep it from molding? (ie, wet for so many hours? or raked within so many hours?)

As it turns out, it rained good last night and it's sunny and dry this morning (so far). I figure as soon as the adjacent grass is dry(er), then it's time to rake... or should I be judging when to rake by the wetness of the windrow? (the rotary rake is not exactly gentle on the crop so I know it can't be too wet...)


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## sedurbin (May 30, 2009)

With your rotary rake, can't you take the curtain off and let it scatter the hay? If you can get it to dry it will make something, at least better than eating snowballs next winter.

If your horses are like mine, they come through the winter too fat anyway. A little "diet hay" may not be a bad thing. 

I ruined a field a couple years ago by brush hogging it after it got wet for two weeks. I would sure bale it even if you have to dump it in a ditch. I was trying to save the fertilizer by chopping it up but all I did was took a good clean field and gave a bunch of weeds an opportunity to get going and still had to deal with all the trash in the next cutting.

These events come under the categories of "Live and Learn" and "Sh*t Happens" (hay making also qualifies you to be a philosophizer)


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## ZekeTheDog (Apr 26, 2010)

was debating whether it's better to scatter like you recommend since the ground is damp, or fluff the row and let the wind get better access to it. Sun has already faded and and it looks like more rain this PM. I'm heading out to do something, even if it's wrong!! I just hate losing 10+ acres like this.


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## kyfred (Dec 23, 2009)

I think I tedded one field 5 times in a 4 day period due to what you had happen and when it finally dried it wasn't the best but the cows eat it.But try to feed it first. You have to either ted the hay and get it up on top of the stubble so the air can go through it or it will mold then its no good. If the sun comes out and no rain the rest of the day then ted it. If the rain is going to continue the rest of the day leave it lay but try to ted it if the sun is going to be shining so it won't mold or won't mold very much. If nothing else the livestock can use it to lay in in the winter. 
Just remember if you put up hay you will get some wet. If you don't put up your own hay you won't get any wet. Then you might end up buying some that someone else got wet. LOL
Good Luck


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## ZekeTheDog (Apr 26, 2010)

Update: my field 1 I raked without the curtain and at high speed to spread it and the sun and wind was drying it quick. Made a second pass at 2" +/- to hit the clumps and spread them. did the same with field 2. Came back to field 1 and made windrows about 2:30. When done, went over to field 2 and made just 3 windrows as it seemed wetter just looking at it...

Then started bailing field 1 as the sky said RAIN, and I was measuring 12-20% depending on where you stuck the bail. Most were about 14%, so we went ahead and bailed them while we could see it was raining and thundering around us as we sit on the hilltop. IT NEVER RAINED ON US!! I checked the radar and storms were completely surrounding us! I don't know how we got missed. So I went over to field 2 and bailed just 8 bales, but the MC was 18-30% so they'll mold for sure, so that field will have to sit until tomorrow and I'll give it a go then. That hay is goat quality this year as its too weedy, so I'm not worried about that so much. It's more a favor for a neighbor.

Thanks again for your replies.


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

A rotory rake is a handy tool. The only thing better is a two headed rotory rake. I had one for a long time and eventually used it without the curtin. Just used 300 PTO rpm's to rake and 450 rpm's as a poor man tedder. 
If I had them money I would have a Hesston Rake Tedder. It will rake to one side, rake to the middle or spread the hay out as a tedder.

Truth is I would be a nervious wreck raising hay in your country.

Where is Chester County PA?


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## ZekeTheDog (Apr 26, 2010)

Chester county is 2 counties west of Philadelphia and lies next to Lancaster County, known as the heart of the Amish country. It's more or less between Harrisburg and Philly.

And yea, at times like this pattern the weather is crazy. They had a 70% chance today and we're missed, they had a 20% the other day when it rained. I just wished my Dad told me I could become a weather man and be that wrong all the time, still get paid and no one would expect more from you! LOL

I just talked to a friend of mine tonight who told me another farmer friend has raked his downed hay every day this week so far, so I don't feel so bad. He's been farming for 70 years!


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## hay king (Feb 6, 2011)

Rain sucks and kicks a** at the same time. when I think its going to rain or get rained on I round bale it while its still wet and then wrapp it in plastic to let it ferment. Not the best feed but seems not to mold. Horses might not like it though. But you rain and my rain might be diffrent it rains hard here and it rains alot 10ft a year and no Im not kidding. but if the hay is a bit wet try spraying it with a good inoculant might help.


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