Baling green hay

[Kfbeal]

We cut about 20 acres of Alicia Bermuda grass yesterday only to find out they have upped the rain chanced for Friday to 80%. Reckon it would hurt to bale it late this evening? We've had cool temps but some wind to help dry it out. I checked this morning and about 50% of it's green.

Any suggestions? Wait to see if it rains tomorrow? Or bale it late this evening?

[zzvyb6]

If moisture level is above 20% it will spoil no matter what you try to do with it. I'd wait it out. Let it rain on it. As soon as it gets a few days to dry, you will be surprized at how good the hay is. You need to tedder (fluff) it out every day though when the sun finally comes out. If you don't have a tedder, you can change a bar rake height and yaw angle to tip it over. I've done it both ways. Even when it's rained for 2-3 days, the hay has come out good and fresh. A bit of color and weight loss, but better than a rotten load.

[Robert_in_NY]

Originally Posted by Kfbeal

We cut about 20 acres of Alicia Bermuda grass yesterday only to find out they have upped the rain chanced for Friday to 80%. Reckon it would hurt to bale it late this evening? We've had cool temps but some wind to help dry it out. I checked this morning and about 50% of it's green.

Any suggestions? Wait to see if it rains tomorrow? Or bale it late this evening?

Wait as long as possible and check it. I wouldn't bale it green or even if there are still clumps of green as its not worth the risk of fire. The only way I would even start to consider it is if you have a preservative applicator on your baler (and the moisture is close) or are doing rounds and are storing the hay outside.

[Kfbeal]

We plan to round bale it and store it outside. My brother may bale 150 square bales or so but that's it. Those would be stored inside.

Do you really think fire would be possible this time of year? I wouldn't think so due to the temperatures, but I don't want to risk it.

And thanks for the reply.

[Robert_in_NY]

Originally Posted by Kfbeal

We plan to round bale it and store it outside. My brother may bale 150 square bales or so but that's it. Those would be stored inside.

Do you really think fire would be possible this time of year? I wouldn't think so due to the temperatures, but I don't want to risk it.

And thanks for the reply.

I think fire is possible just about any time of the year if you bale wet hay and store it in a closed barn. Its going to generate heat and the hay will insulate it from most of the cooler outside air. Enough heat and a fire will start. Even if a fire doesn't start you will have a lot of moldy hay. I have been through this and have chose to not risk it and just pray the rain holds off. If it does rain I try to salvage it, if it keeps raining I just forget about it as that is how this game works

[CumminsLuke]

Let it be. I learned early on that hay baled green will rot, period. I have seen hay baled too green and put in the shed in the summer, set there all fall and catch fire and burn in January and February. All it takes is the smallest little clump of green hay to heat and catch fire, even though it may take months. A wise old farmer told me when I first started out, it will rot in the bale or it will rot in the field, but at least in the field you still have a chance to get it to dry, once it's in the bale, your done and the hay will be worthless. I have had hay get 2" of rain on it, then tedded it the next day and baled it that afternoon and it still was pretty good hay.

[Kfbeal]

We have always baled a little on the green side, before completely dry. My father did this for 40+ years and so did his father and never had any issues. We would store 1000+ square bales in a shed with no problems, but all round bales were outside. We'll see what it looks like this evening. Not sure what his reasoning was, maybe fermenting process or something?

[Bird]

You've gotten very good advice from the other guys. It's not good for it to get rained on, but it's sure better than baling it green. And if you have it catch fire, you'll probably find it's the hard fire to extinguish that you ever fought.

[Robert_in_NY]

Originally Posted by Kfbeal

We have always baled a little on the green side, before completely dry. My father did this for 40+ years and so did his father and never had any issues. We would store 1000+ square bales in a shed with no problems, but all round bales were outside. We'll see what it looks like this evening. Not sure what his reasoning was, maybe fermenting process or something?

Well if you have always done this and your dad has always done this then why are you asking for advice?

[DonWorrell]

Originally Posted by Kfbeal

We have always baled a little on the green side, before completely dry. My father did this for 40+ years and so did his father and never had any issues. We would store 1000+ square bales in a shed with no problems, but all round bales were outside. We'll see what it looks like this evening. Not sure what his reasoning was, maybe fermenting process or something?

My father did the samething until one year; as I was feed the cows from hay stored in the barn. As I was removing the bales I found a space about the size of 1/2 of a bale of hay which was just ashes from were a fire started. Thank God it burned itself out before it caught the barn on fire.

From that day on my father wanted the hay dry before he baled it. He used to take some hay and twist it if he could twist juice out of the hay he left it to dry some more.

Just my thoughts.

Don