The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[LHF2019]

it still has to dry down a little (I don't remember the %) and that's even giving him a little trouble!

Anywhere from 25-60% moisture. I try for 50% and just under. Depending on your area. for 1st cutting mow one day bale the next. Crops like oats, rye, sorghum sudan, etc might leave it for a couple days. Heavy clover almost never gets dry enough. That is a tough crop. Fine line between getting it to a decent moisture level and keeping the leaves on. That's a good one to rake together very early morning with dew on then bale.

 

[deserteagle71]

Anywhere from 25-60% moisture. I try for 50% and just under. Depending on your area. for 1st cutting mow one day bale the next. Crops like oats, rye, sorghum sudan, etc might leave it for a couple days. Heavy clover almost never gets dry enough. That is a tough crop. Fine line between getting it to a decent moisture level and keeping the leaves on. That's a good one to rake together very early morning with dew on then bale.

Here in the desert most baling is done starting about 2 in the morning (middle of the night!) when the humidity is highest. Baling during the day when humidity is in the single digits just results in "shattered" hay.

From the National Weather Service - typical summertime conditions:

 

[dodge man]

Here in the desert most baling is done starting about 2 in the morning (middle of the night!) when the humidity is highest. Baling during the day when humidity is in the single digits just results in "shattered" hay.

From the National Weather Service - typical summertime conditions:

View attachment 3638436

That dew point is insane, ours is in the mid 60’s today and yesterday was around 70.

 

[Hay Dude]

Crazy day today. I was able to get some more hay down. Beatiful sunny morning. Chance of T-storms later

I got one field baled and got nailed with downpours on my way back to the shop.

We got nailed square upside the head with a red cell.

My buddy called me and told me a tree fell on or near my hay mowing tractor.
I thought the worst. Got there and luckily, the tree fell the other way onto the road. My tractor was spared. We survived to fight again tomorrow.

 

[sandman2234]

Glad your tractor (or house!!) didn't catch that tree!
David from jax

 

[Hay Dude]

Glad your tractor (or house!!) didn't catch that tree!
David from jax

Not my house, but I’m glad it didn’t hit it, either. Nice mom with kids live there.

Looks like it’s going to be a ROH summer (Rained on hay)

 

[Hay Dude]

Some baling today. Hot, dry & breezy. A hay farmers 3 best friends.

Mrs HD bought me a new cooler pack for Fathers Day.

 

[Hay Dude]

Bringing up some bales during some unexpected rain showers. It cleared up and we were able to make quite a few bales-even after 5PM, we were still baling.

 

[Hay Dude]

On to the next customers fields. We are back at the big field, but this time to rake & bale. Off in the distance you can see the Challenger raking tractor.

Now here I am at the other end of the field where the raking tractor was in the baling tractor.

Was very hot. Hit 97* today with high humidity.

All of this hay saw rain, so it’s going to the mushroom growers. Sad, because it was beautiful stuff.

 

[Cycledude]

How do mushroom growers use the hay ?