Weather watch !!

[BryanM]

I live in northwest Ohio and its been wet I guess like every where else. I have a clover, alfalfa grass mix and the clover is starting too flower. Field is still soft though. And the wether is suppose too be dry for the next 10 days. Here is my question: 1. Do I cut before the alfalfa is flowering too take advantage of this dry slot?

2. Wait till alfalfa is flowering and hope the window comes around again?

I will still have too wait a day or 2 till the dround drys where I am not tearing it up! O ya I am getting phone calls for hay people are running out!

 

[jagyzf]

I live in northwest Ohio and its been wet I guess like every where else. I have a clover, alfalfa grass mix and the clover is starting too flower. Field is still soft though. And the wether is suppose too be dry for the next 10 days. Here is my question: 1. Do I cut before the alfalfa is flowering too take advantage of this dry slot?

2. Wait till alfalfa is flowering and hope the window comes around again?

I will still have too wait a day or 2 till the dround drys where I am not tearing it up! O ya I am getting phone calls for hay people are running out!

Most people around here want alfalfa before it flowers. It has a higher value, once it flowers it is past it's "prime". This also depends to some degree on who is buying, but most of the time you want it before the flowers.

 

[Willl]

Heads or tails, you call. :confused2:

 

[jagyzf]

I found these, maybe they will help.

When Should I Harvest Alfalfa


Use Alfalfa's Height To Set First Cutting

Basically we have tried to harvest right when it starts to bud, from there on it's down hill.

Here is one on horse hay, which said as soon as you see any flowers in the field.

Making Horse Hay Part Two: Hay Growing Challenges by Cherry Hill

 

[Willl]

which said as soon as you see any flowers in the field.

But your first 2 links base it on height alone ?,,,,,,so which way ?

 

[Willl]

Bluntly,,,,your not going to bale at all if you don't get the weather right.

Edit; I'm basing this on my grass bailing experience, once cut, best be drying it right now or,,,,,

I don't know if alfalfa can be left in the field cut till good weather comes along to dry it.

Edit; I guess I need to pay a little more attention to post date and times.

http://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/showthread.php?p=1980169#post1980169

 

[jagyzf]

But your first 2 links base it on height alone ?,,,,,,so which way ?

The 1st 2 links are for dairy feed to get the best quality. It is also using height to determine to some degree when they will bloom. They also go over different situations, wet years, dry years, etc to try and average things out, yield, vs quality. The one has a table that drops quailty when it goes from a bud to bloom no matter what the height.

The 3rd link is about horse hay. We sell a lot of hay, dairy farmers want different hay than people who have horses. The other thing is the whole field is not going to bloom at once. The 3rd link does explain this, that as soon as you see any blooms then most of the field will still be in "prime".

All 3 links do agree the longer you wait, the lower the nutritive value.