Haying when wet

[dorper2]

Long time watching this form but just signed up.
I have a question for any one that has a hard time getting the windrows dry enough to bale when the rain is threating. Can I use a spot sprayer to apply a chemical preservative so I do not lose a whole round bale when parts of it are too wet? Is there one preserver that is better than another?

 

[Hay Dude]

I run a Harvest Tec applicator built into the round baler. Don’t know how youd spot spray...
Mine comes on automatically when it sense moisture over a preset amount, like 16%.

 

[dorper2]

Thanks for the info.
I only hay about 8 acres twice a year with a small twine wrap round baler so it probably would not pay to try to adapt an applicator to it. I am looking for a cheap way to (manual spray can?) to hit problem spots when I know them to be too wet. Has any one tried this?
Thanks for your help.

 

[Hay Dude]

Thanks for the info.
I only hay about 8 acres twice a year with a small twine wrap round baler so it probably would not pay to try to adapt an applicator to it. I am looking for a cheap way to (manual spray can?) to hit problem spots when I know them to be too wet. Has any one tried this?
Thanks for your help.

I don’t think that will work as well as you want it to. And if it doesnt and you store hay inside, the results can be catastrophic

 

[Farmer495]

Thanks for the info.
I only hay about 8 acres twice a year with a small twine wrap round baler so it probably would not pay to try to adapt an applicator to it. I am looking for a cheap way to (manual spray can?) to hit problem spots when I know them to be too wet. Has any one tried this?
Thanks for your help.

If it was me, 8 acres twice a year I would wait for good weather, less stressful then putting up damp hay. I've rushed damp stuff and let the bales sweat outside for several weeks, but wasn't worth the constant worry the bales were going to combust.

I'd invest in a tedder if you don't already have one, speeds up your drying and "mixes" the hay so the damp spots dry evenly. A two rotor would go over 8 acres in a couple hours easy.

My record for baling dry hay was 8 hours after mowing (30C day on dry ground and 30-40k wind blowing) Tedder turned the swaths to ensuring top/bottom dried evenly.

I'm feeding some of those bales right now, nice hay.

My real weather beater? Since I am doing the acreage with smaller gear and can't always get all the hay done in the narrow weather windows...I bought a bale wrapper.

 

[5030]

I run a Harvest Tec applicator built into the round baler. Don’t know how youd spot spray...
Mine comes on automatically when it sense moisture over a preset amount, like 16%.

Same here.