# Urge to get started



## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Dry weather forecast through Saturday night. I got the itch to hitch and cut. However, the inner voice of wisdom says "you know it's too cool to cure".


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Me, too. Dry through Friday--but cloudy, high 70, lows 40's. Take 5-6 days to dry with a reasonable probability that crop would mold in the windrow.

Ralph


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

I mowed 12 acres tonight and probably will mow some more tomorrow, but all for baleage. Hope yours looks better than mine does do far. I know it’s a little early yet but a lot of the OG is headed and only knee high, and I started mowing May 10th last year too. If stuff doesn’t turn it up soon I could easily see total first cutting yield only about 50% of normal. Just been too cool and dry the last month. Hoping to get all these early acres off, hit with nitrogen, and catch some good May rain.


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## mstuck21 (Oct 4, 2019)

I'm ready to start too but the weatherman isn't. Makes me want to own a wrapper... but then I need a round baler.. and then I need cows to feed it to.. crap this is adding up fast.. maybe next year.

Someone around me will try it this week I'm sure. I'll just sit back and watch for now.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Trotwood2955 said:


> I mowed 12 acres tonight and probably will mow some more tomorrow, but all for baleage. Hope yours looks better than mine does do far. I know it's a little early yet but a lot of the OG is headed and only knee high, and I started mowing May 10th last year too. If stuff doesn't turn it up soon I could easily see total first cutting yield only about 50% of normal. Just been too cool and dry the last month. Hoping to get all these early acres off, hit with nitrogen, and catch some good May rain.


That just about totally sums the year up so far, don't think we will get 175 bales per ac from go this year like we did in 2020.


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## TJ Hendren (May 12, 2017)

Your not in this alone. It's so cold here only fescue and clover is growing. Bermuda and crabgrass only about an inch high in the mid 40's last night and thru Thursday 7" of water last 10 days, can't even get anything fertilized.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

usually start June 1 give or take but low in the thirty's with frost next two days and highs only 50 to 55 finally got 2.25" of rain over the weekend it will need to warm up some before we start. The grass grows enough to cut the yard but the hay is way behind might be a late start


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

We are still 3 weeks out before any dry. I'm thinking were going to be a little short on yield as well. Probably a week or so and will do some baleage. Cousin mowed for haylage yesterday.


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## PaMike (Dec 7, 2013)

I'm am actually the opposite. With my current workload and stress levels I don't look forward to hay at all. Maybe some tractor seat time is what I really do need...


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

Not ready to cut here. Grass still needs some more growth. Very dry IMHO.


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## SCtrailrider (May 1, 2016)

We are to have a 7-8 day period but temps are going to be high 40's to low 50's, I was going to cut Thursday but decided to wait for some warmer days, mine is ready for me, seed heads full but not dry, still full and green, maybe a couple weeks I will get some warm dry days,

I would rather have mature hay over moldy hay, as thick as mine is I doubt a week of cool temps would dry it out...


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Well, I couldn't stand it, beautiful cool sunny windy weather so I cut a test area (the PITA hay spot due to corners, etc) about 2 ac. Dried a lot today and as Trotwood said, really thin. Hay is maxed out at 29" height in the pic. Tedded right after cutting as I have to run over it a lot due to the tight corners. 39 forecast for tonight, maybe I will freeze dry some.


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## FCF (Apr 23, 2010)

Some of the prettiest hay I ever made was one fall when the temperature never got out of the sixties. Was dry and sunny, hay laid about 4 days and looked just as green as the day it was mowed.


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

Looks good. At least you can get the kinks worked this way on a couple acres! What I mowed yesterday dried down a lot more than I expected. Probably should have baled and wrapped tonight but wanted to mow some more instead.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

FCF said:


> Some of the prettiest hay I ever made was one fall when the temperature never got out of the sixties. Was dry and sunny, hay laid about 4 days and looked just as green as the day it was mowed.


I agree, I've done it before but usually don't risk too much acreage. I've also had the forecast change and dumped it in the woods. Hard to make money with woods dumped bales


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

One of the other things I've learned is that hay delayed by cold and dry conditions never catches up. If you can cut and get it made early then shock the N to it and then get rain and warmer temps, you do better for the year. The fastest growing is off the cut, not later~just watch you lawn


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## IH 1586 (Oct 16, 2014)

Years ago doing custom baleage I had twice the yield on 2nd than 1st due to the weather. This could very well be one of those years. I walked one of our fields yesterday and orchard grass is barely knee high and I found seed heads deep in the stems. Not much growth left.


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## ClinchValley86 (May 9, 2021)

I am so very torn. East TN has a window til Monday, possibly Tuesday. We really need quality instead of quantity this year. Thinking about cutting 5 to 10 acres and roll the dice. Cut after lunch today and keep tossing it. Am I asking for trouble? 

Like others stated, heads up about knee high. This cool weather has got to end.


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## VA Haymaker (Jul 1, 2014)

Too cold here, even with sunny skies and a breeze. Heavy dews too. I just don't think we could get the hay dry.

No cutting for now...

Bill


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## paoutdoorsman (Apr 23, 2016)

Looks like really nice stuff Rick. Hope it dries down well for you!


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Just tedded a second time. Dry on top thanks to 20mph wind all night. 39 this morning, had to don the sweatshirt, carhartt vest, gloves and hat to head out. At least I did not have snow or showers like some did just west of me. Trotwood, looked like you got one or both this morning, hope not too much.


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## ClinchValley86 (May 9, 2021)

Hayman1 said:


> Just tedded a second time. Dry on top thanks to 20mph wind all night. 39 this morning, had to don the sweatshirt, carhartt vest, gloves and hat to head out. At least I did not have snow or showers like some did just west of me. Trotwood, looked like you got one or both this morning, hope not too much.


When do you hope to have it baled? Mixed grass hay?


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

ClinchValley86 said:


> When do you hope to have it baled? Mixed grass hay?


I could probably bale it tomorrow, the wind has stopped mostly but it is still below 40% humidity which is why I took the gamble. I am supposed to have sunny days with low humidity both tomorrow and friday as well as the rest of today. Most of it is pretty dry now but I know when it is this cool, that can be really deceiving. The scraps I pulled off the tedder just now are crunchy. Mostly orchard grass with a little fescue. Just headed but thin like most second cuttings. If I get 50 bales an acre I will be surprised. Hard to pay off 65-90-100 that way.


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

The radar showed some showers overhead and my phone buzzed several times with rain alerts but it never hit the ground. Just cloudy this morning but turned into a nice afternoon. Baled and wrapped the first 40 for the year. Mowed a little more. Should have a few more bales each of the next few days. Sure isn’t as much fun mowing stunted hay. But, keep telling myself quantity over quality, and in all fairness it’s been a really long time since first cut yields were this light so was due for it.


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## FCF (Apr 23, 2010)

Hayman1 said:


> Just tedded a second time. Dry on top thanks to 20mph wind all night. 39 this morning, had to don the sweatshirt, carhartt vest, gloves and hat to head out. At least I did not have snow or showers like some did just west of me. Trotwood, looked like you got one or both this morning, hope not too much.


Sounds like here, except low 40s for temps. Tedded a second time, with sweatshirt, light hay in places was hard to see what was tedded.


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## Lurayfarmer (Jul 5, 2018)

From Page County near Luray ... my overseed project from last year went wild with the spring rains. Now I have 20+ acres of excellent orchard grass, clover, and timothy (no Johnson!) at about three feet high, but the weather is damp and cool. Based on experience the haybine will clog and the hay will never dry. I tend to watch what the big time farmers do but I learned that's not a good idea either. They wet bale for wrapping and I don't want to get into that, too costly and complicated. I want to bale dry and sell. So I just look at the tall fields and imagine the bale tester reading 30% after three teddings, and then it rains.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Lurayfarmer said:


> From Page County near Luray ... my overseed project from last year went wild with the spring rains. Now I have 20+ acres of excellent orchard grass, clover, and timothy (no Johnson!) at about three feet high, but the weather is damp and cool. Based on experience the haybine will clog and the hay will never dry. I tend to watch what the big time farmers do but I learned that's not a good idea either. They wet bale for wrapping and I don't want to get into that, too costly and complicated. I want to bale dry and sell. So I just look at the tall fields and imagine the bale tester reading 30% after three teddings, and then it rains.


Good for you. You got some rains we didn't get to the north, they skirted us to the west and went to PA. Certainly no 36" hay here


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Tedded 4th time to fluff this am, first morning with dew since I cut. pretty much crunchy dry at 11:30, will rake this pm about 3-4 and bale it tomorrow. Prettiest first cutting I have ever seen, just wish there was more of it.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

160 bales of equine salad from 2 ac on the wagon and in the shed waiting to be delivered. one 20% reading for a stroke, several 18s but mostly 11-14.6 % on the BHT-2 and good correlation with the handheld. Better than I expected but less than the 120 bales an acre I got last year 10 days later in the season. Used Hayguard most of the time. I was going to wait til tomorrow but it raked so nice at 1 I figured go for it at 4


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## ClinchValley86 (May 9, 2021)

I am headed to ted a second time. Hope to get her baled tomorrow afternoon. We had 30 percent humidity and sun yesterday. High around 66 today again. 45 % humidity.

I have the urge to drop slightly thinner 5 acres this morning. They are giving dry til Tuesday. But cloudy Sunday and Monday. 70 degrees. 55 percent humidity. Reckon it would cure under cloud cover?

We have small equipment. 2 basket tedder and bar rake. Afraid to bite off much at a time without better weather.

I did mow my lawn yesterday. It too was heads up. About 10 or 12 inches deep. Mowed twice to chop it up. 1 hour after the first pass the grass seemed all but dry. Was a good thing to see.


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

Usually clouds and getting hay definitely don’t mix. This week we’ve had lots of sun but also lots of clouds at times and the hay has been drying crazy fast considering the clouds plus cool temps. Guess the low humidity, breeze, and bone dry ground makes up for it. If you have a couple days at the end of your window with lots of clouds I’d be a little hesitant though. Hard to get it just perfect the afternoon of baling (dry hay anyway) with thick clouds overhead.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

For us, it was the 25 mph wind on Tuesday with 35% humidity plus the thinner stand this spring


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Mid 80s this week and precipitation probability less than 20 % for 8-10 days. Time to make hay


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

Yep, before it all dries up standing in the field.


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## endrow (Dec 15, 2011)

Go time here


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## ClinchValley86 (May 9, 2021)

So far so good. Baled some pretty hay yesterday. The clouds sure kept the color in. I let it lay for 5 days total. Tedded 2 times. Baled yesterday with some humidity. Hopefully everything is good. Dropped the rest of that farm on Saturday. Hope to bale it tomorrow. Going to get it raked up today.

Many of you rake the day before baling? I am a solo operation with small equipment.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

ClinchValley86 said:


> So far so good. Baled some pretty hay yesterday. The clouds sure kept the color in. I let it lay for 5 days total. Tedded 2 times. Baled yesterday with some humidity. Hopefully everything is good. Dropped the rest of that farm on Saturday. Hope to bale it tomorrow. Going to get it raked up today.
> 
> Many of you rake the day before baling? I am a solo operation with small equipment.


sometimes. Usually if I do, it is because I need it in a windrow to get it totally dry. When I do, I almost always tedded it out as soon as the dew burns off, then rake it again about 1, bale two hours later. When the ground is wet, I find it rehydrates a lot and you have a hard time getting that out by just flipping it over. THAT, is not a problem this year, never seen the ground so dry for so long in May here. Unless something changes, there won't be any justification to topdress with N for a second cutting end of June-early July.


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## Beav (Feb 14, 2016)

little rain and warmer today forecast 80 to 90 rest of week probably start cutting tomorrow.


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## SVFHAY (Dec 5, 2008)

4 days in a row if frost last week have taken a toll but I found a little worth cutting. Plenty dry here though.


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## Onthayman (Jun 13, 2019)

Got out and mowed some rye for a customer. Tried out the new mowers.
Very dry here!


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Onthayman said:


> Got out and mowed some rye for a customer. Tried out the new mowers.
> Very dry here!


Just curious--what's the width (and cost if you want) if that rig. I want one!

Ralph


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## Onthayman (Jun 13, 2019)

rjmoses said:


> Just curious--what's the width (and cost if you want) if that rig. I want one!
> 
> Just under 30 feet and you don't wanna know, lol . Let's just say I tell the wife it's an investment into our retirement because equipment does seem to hold its value ( tractor does way better then mowers)as long as you take care of it.
> Ralph


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Onthayman said:


> Got out and mowed some rye for a customer. Tried out the new mowers.
> Very dry here!


Tough to watch all three cutters for fawns at once


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## Onthayman (Jun 13, 2019)

Hayman1 said:


> Tough to watch all three cutters for fawns at once


We don't see very many deer in our parts. We have a coyote problem around here. They work on the dear population plus sheep and other types of animals.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Onthayman said:


> We don't see very many deer in our parts. We have a coyote problem around here. They work on the dear population plus sheep and other types of animals.


We have a bunch of coyotes here as well but the deer and turkey thrive. Must be inferior coyotes


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Hayman1 said:


> Dry weather forecast through Saturday night. I got the itch to hitch and cut. However, the inner voice of wisdom says "you know it's too cool to cure".


Ditto, looks to be dry 3-4 days but very cool.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

End of May and finally got measurable rain. I think the first in May and April and March were both below average rainfall as well. I judge how good the ground moisture is after a warm season rain event by whether or not I can pull mullein up roots and all. Today while I was putzing around I pulled up a mullein that had over a 12" tap root. Now that's the way I want to go into June.


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

How much did you all end up getting? Sounds like more than we got down this way. Though the 1/2” we did I’m extremely grateful for.


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## BWfarms (Aug 3, 2015)

This was the first year I didn't start on or before Mother's Day, I can't sit on my heels long at this point. Two weeks into May I had a small iffy window with cool cloudy days with reasonable chance of rain to end the window so I went after it. Laid wide swath, tedding second and third day still wasn't ready. Still had stem moisture but it was close then the next day it was overcast and despite low humidity it never made the twist test but rain was imminent so I rolled it loose and netwrapped, staging it outside to sweat. It bothered me enough so I bought a moisture tester and hit 35 through 45 but temps stay to ambient outside temp. I read that grass hay will be read higher because the probe is calibrated for alfalfa.

Stuff I baled last week reads 11-17.

Currently on par for yield despite the tap turning of in a fairly cool April. 4 percent short from last year in my best field and improvements in others. I can only imagine my yields had it rained a couple of times more. Back to the weather the tap virtually remained off and we quickly went into a drought 5 inches behind normal rainfall, grass in spots were getting crispy. I gambled spreading fertilizer on pastures in advance of the forecast and I'm very grateful for the moisture we've had, 1/8 that evening after I spread, I'm unsure of last night's total since I haven't been over to check yet today.

Looks like it will be well into June before I get rolling again. Really feeling the pinch of inflation this year so there's a lot of uncertainty around here.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Trotwood2955 said:


> How much did you all end up getting? Sounds like more than we got down this way. Though the 1/2" we did I'm extremely grateful for.


Not sure exactly, have 4 rain gages in the house to install one day, just hasn't been the day. However the ground is good an damp and through the plow layer as it were. Went to get a wagon at a customers house 10 mi up the road and they did not get near as much as we did but then, they have been getting more regular precip over the last month than here. Seems like it either goes across you and into Fauquier county to the south or skirts the east slope of the Alleghenies catching Winchester but then heading to Gettysburg. I am guessing we had 1.5-2. Ground was hard and dry before it started. Urea went on Friday am.


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

I’d say your nitrogen timing was perfect. I was scared to put any on and jinx it until we at least got one rain. Going to try and get some on in the next week hopefully. Everything went so dormant after cutting that I’m hoping it will still respond to it and be worth putting down (assuming we get more rain).


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Trotwood2955 said:


> I'd say your nitrogen timing was perfect. I was scared to put any on and jinx it until we at least got one rain. Going to try and get some on in the next week hopefully. Everything went so dormant after cutting that I'm hoping it will still respond to it and be worth putting down (assuming we get more rain).


I had spread some calcium nitrate on the two warmup acs I cut first. It has greened up a fair amount just on the dew falling. It was supposed to be CAN instead of CN but we'll see how it works next to urea. I study the forecast pretty close and was pretty certain we were getting measurable rain. We did better than I thought we would.


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Just finished my last piece of first cutting. First lodging I have experienced this year. It's low and had more moisture than anything else. For some reason, there was an explosion in ryegrass but no seeding was done so no contamination. A lot of the ryegrass was fired off or substantially so. I did cut this piece really late in June last year so maybe some went to seed then. Definitely going to help the bales per ac average this year.


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

Always nice feeling to be done. I just got done mowing the last significant acres for first cutting. Only a little 5 acre patch left at another place. One 12 acre field I mowed tonight was the first all year that I’d actually consider decent yield. It’s also an old stand that now is mixture of every grass known to the Shenandoah Valley. But after mowing thin hay the last month I’ll take it!


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## Trotwood2955 (Sep 4, 2012)

Should have had more down earlier in the week also. The few days of cloudy skies predicted ended up being partly sunny, stiff breeze, and great drying weather.


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