Did a little hay last week ...

[pacerron]

Thinking about those 22-24" bales ... I've not heard of anyone marketing them .... I may be able to get 16 bales in the grapple unit. I think I'll try some ... what are those size bringing per bale?

Don't know,different grasses up here, but it will be like gold this fall up here as there will be no second cutting unless we get a bunch of rain soon. We have been in a drought since the first of May. The first cutting was about 1/2 normal and pastures are turning brown. In the last 60 days we have had less than 3/4 inch of rain here. Other places have had more but not near normal.
Most hay up here is orchard grass, timothy, clover, and alfalfa. The more alfalfa the higher the price. Most hobby horse folks think they want lots of alfalfa until they get some experience and find that too much alfalfa is too rich for most pleasure horses. They have to cut the amount back per feeding and then the horses don't get enough bulk.
The pure alfalfa is for dairy cows and beef production. It is usually raised as a rotational crop with corn, wheat, and soy beans.

Barns are very expensive, but the loss from outside storage is too. Some folks up here use bale wrap for outside stored rolls, others use the big plastic tube machines which is more expensive. An unwrapped roll outside up here with winter to contend with is usually figured at 1/3 loss. Even if the animals eat part of the 1/3 it is not doing them much good for growth.
So I look at it as, if your going to spend the time, fuel, and machinery wear to cut, ted, rake, bale, and haul to a storage place it needs to be inside. Otherwise you spent 33% of your time, sweat and money to produce nothing of value. I'd rather sit on the porch.

 

[Gordo 56]

Don't know,different grasses up here, but it will be like gold this fall up here as there will be no second cutting unless we get a bunch of rain soon. We have been in a drought since the first of May. The first cutting was about 1/2 normal and pastures are turning brown. In the last 60 days we have had less than 3/4 inch of rain here. Other places have had more but not near normal.
Most hay up here is orchard grass, timothy, clover, and alfalfa. The more alfalfa the higher the price. Most hobby horse folks think they want lots of alfalfa until they get some experience and find that too much alfalfa is too rich for most pleasure horses. They have to cut the amount back per feeding and then the horses don't get enough bulk.
The pure alfalfa is for dairy cows and beef production. It is usually raised as a rotational crop with corn, wheat, and soy beans.

Barns are very expensive, but the loss from outside storage is too. Some folks up here use bale wrap for outside stored rolls, others use the big plastic tube machines which is more expensive. An unwrapped roll outside up here with winter to contend with is usually figured at 1/3 loss. Even if the animals eat part of the 1/3 it is not doing them much good for growth.
So I look at it as, if your going to spend the time, fuel, and machinery wear to cut, ted, rake, bale, and haul to a storage place it needs to be inside. Otherwise you spent 33% of your time, sweat and money to produce nothing of value. I'd rather sit on the porch.

I have read that with the big round bales, even though it is stored inside it still has a tendeancy to have mold that usely grows in the middle. They say that the square bales the hay stems are baled in all kinds of directions and act like little straws that can get more air into the middle of the bale and helps it dry out better. Where the round bales the stems are rolled into a bale the same direction where not much air gets to the middle. Do you guys see this as well with the two types of bales?
Down in Oklahoma or Texas might not have the problem with mold as much as Iowa where the humidity levels are higher.

 

[foreman Etexas]

Well I been chasing the new BULL since I got him(neighbors 2oo wooded acres),he's been winning:laughing: but I got an idea dropped 6 older girlfriends off(they are not going to mess with any fence) and now time to set and wait for him to come back threw the fence and run a dang HOT wirer for his

 

[pacerron]

I have read that with the big round bales, even though it is stored inside it still has a tendeancy to have mold that usely grows in the middle. They say that the square bales the hay stems are baled in all kinds of directions and act like little straws that can get more air into the middle of the bale and helps it dry out better. Where the round bales the stems are rolled into a bale the same direction where not much air gets to the middle. Do you guys see this as well with the two types of bales?
Down in Oklahoma or Texas might not have the problem with mold as much as Iowa where the humidity levels are higher.

We have high humidity, normally, in Ohio. I have never seen a roll of hay stored in my barns with mold in the middle. But that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. Making hay is not an exact science and there are many factors involved in the proper curing and storage of hay.
Our ancestors had it right when they built barns that were 2-3 stories of ruff cut wood that shrunk when it dried leaving some nice vertical cracks for circulation as well as cupolas and other natural air flow venting systems. There are still thousands of these old barns built in the 1800's still in use today. Sadly, more thousands have been left to deteriorate and fall into ruin from not repairing the slate roofs. The hay is normally stored on the 2nd and 3rd floors which are wood.
Our modern metal pole barns even though they are 12-16 feet high at the bottom of the trusses normally have a dirt floor. The roof unless it is insulated under the metal drips moisture due to the differential temperature and humidity inside and out. Most metal pole barns don't have windows because of the cost and the effect on property tax. The doors are often kept closed because of the swallows building nests in the rafters and crapping all over everything.
Rolls or square bales in that environment need to be up off the dirt floor to not grab moisture from the ground. Most folks use shipping pallets as a minimum to get the bales or rolls off the ground but due to loose hay pieces from moving and stacking the hay getting down to the dirt mold will still develop and grow up onto the pallets and the layer of bales in contact with them.
"The square bales with the stem straws in every direction" really like to suck up moisture and mold on the bottom. Stacking them on the string bottom or on a side has preference by some but really doesn't make much difference. So the bottom layer of square bales or the bottom inch or so of a round roll will get some mold in time where they touch the pallets. Above that there should be no mold if the hay is dried right before baling or rolling. A roll of hay in a barn will brown a little on the outside in time, due mainly to dust, but when the first layer of grass is unrolled it should look just as green as it was when it was baled. Hay under covered roofs and open sides like blueriver shows in his photos tends to brown a little more on the outside from sun ray exposure but it is fine inside. Hay loses it's vitamin A content over time but that happens within the first month of cutting. 2 year old hay properly cured and stored is just as good as this years hay.

 

[Gordo 56]

We have high humidity, normally, in Ohio. I have never seen a roll of hay stored in my barns with mold in the middle. But that doesn't mean it couldn't happen. Making hay is not an exact science and there are many factors involved in the proper curing and storage of hay.
Our ancestors had it right when they built barns that were 2-3 stories of ruff cut wood that shrunk when it dried leaving some nice vertical cracks for circulation as well as cupolas and other natural air flow venting systems. There are still thousands of these old barns built in the 1800's still in use today. Sadly, more thousands have been left to deteriorate and fall into ruin from not repairing the slate roofs. The hay is normally stored on the 2nd and 3rd floors which are wood.
Our modern metal pole barns even though they are 12-16 feet high at the bottom of the trusses normally have a dirt floor. The roof unless it is insulated under the metal drips moisture due to the differential temperature and humidity inside and out. Most metal pole barns don't have windows because of the cost and the effect on property tax. The doors are often kept closed because of the swallows building nests in the rafters and crapping all over everything.
Rolls or square bales in that environment need to be up off the dirt floor to not grab moisture from the ground. Most folks use shipping pallets as a minimum to get the bales or rolls off the ground but due to loose hay pieces from moving and stacking the hay getting down to the dirt mold will still develop and grow up onto the pallets and the layer of bales in contact with them.
"The square bales with the stem straws in every direction" really like to suck up moisture and mold on the bottom. Stacking them on the string bottom or on a side has preference by some but really doesn't make much difference. So the bottom layer of square bales or the bottom inch or so of a round roll will get some mold in time where they touch the pallets. Above that there should be no mold if the hay is dried right before baling or rolling. A roll of hay in a barn will brown a little on the outside in time, due mainly to dust, but when the first layer of grass is unrolled it should look just as green as it was when it was baled. Hay under covered roofs and open sides like blueriver shows in his photos tends to brown a little more on the outside from sun ray exposure but it is fine inside. Hay loses it's vitamin A content over time but that happens within the first month of cutting. 2 year old hay properly cured and stored is just as good as this years hay.

Thanks pacerron, I appreciate you taking the time and explaining this in such detail. This is why I come to this site to ask questions of farmers that are doing what I want to learn to do. No amount of book reading can replicate this. Thanks again

 

[blueriver]

Thanks pacerron, I appreciate you taking the time and explaining this in such detail. This is why I come to this site to ask questions of farmers that are doing what I want to learn to do. No amount of book reading can replicate this. Thanks again

Yep ... he pretty much covered it. My stored hay does excatly as he says ... browns, fades, sunbleaches any way you can describe it. Best to have pictures just after its stacked in the barn and be prepared to cut one open to show the buyer whats on the inside.

 

[blueriver]

Well I been chasing the new BULL since I got him(neighbors 2oo wooded acres),he's been winning:laughing: but I got an idea dropped 6 older girlfriends off(they are not going to mess with any fence) and now time to set and wait for him to come back threw the fence and run a dang HOT wirer for his

Nothing worse than a bull that won't stay home ... was he home alone?

 

[foreman Etexas]

Just put 4-17mnth old Heifers out with him. Have 9 more Heifers to move over there,when I get some time to work and move them. As of right now He has 11 girlfriends.....

 

[pacerron]

Thanks pacerron, I appreciate you taking the time and explaining this in such detail. This is why I come to this site to ask questions of farmers that are doing what I want to learn to do. No amount of book reading can replicate this. Thanks again

I might add, if your just starting to make hay with the idea of selling it to city horse folks, farm stores, or pet stores, don't sell any for a couple years until you have the experience of doing the process and seeing how it turns out for your own use. You have to get a feel for it that nobody can really explain.
BlueRiver has a descriptive name for horse customers and you don't need the hassle that some may give you about your hay, especially if they are new to horse ownership and don't have or use proper storage facilities and techniques themselves.
You won't fool any farmers as to the quality of your hay but you won't sell them much either unless they are running a business of reselling it.
If that's the case you won't get near retail for your hay either.

 

[Gordo 56]

I might add, if your just starting to make hay with the idea of selling it to city horse folks, farm stores, or pet stores, don't sell any for a couple years until you have the experience of doing the process and seeing how it turns out for your own use. You have to get a feel for it that nobody can really explain.
BlueRiver has a descriptive name for horse customers and you don't need the hassle that some may give you about your hay, especially if they are new to horse ownership and don't have or use proper storage facilities and techniques themselves.
You won't fool any farmers as to the quality of your hay but you won't sell them much either unless they are running a business of reselling it.
If that's the case you won't get near retail for your hay either.

Thanks again for the advise, I am just hoping my own cows will eat what I bale up. My hay field will be just Reed Canarygrass and from what I have read here on this tread, the horse people will turn their noses up at my hay. I want farming to be fun and dealing with horse people don't sound like fun to me LOL.