Cleaning-up sloppy bale job

okiecraig · Jun 9, 2009

Following the first hay cutting this year, the guy I hired to cut, rake and bale did a sloppy job and left alot of cut hay on the ground. I know from past experience that the cut hay will not allow new growth and may take several years to rot and decompose.

What attachment(s) can the Forum suggest to clean-up the mess? I don't have a hay rake, only a bushhog and angle blade. I thought about having my teenage girls sit on the back of the bushog and use leaf rakes to windrow the leftover cuttings but they are't too excited about the idea. I tried mowing over the hay with the bushhog on the lowest height setting and that didn't work either. The angle blade might work if I go slow enough to keep from digging into the high spots but that will take a long time to cover portions of 12 acres!

What else can you guys think of?

claridon · Jun 9, 2009

I don't know what your weather conditions are there but would it be possible to cut around the field with the brush hog and then burn everything inside the cut area? The ash is great for the next crop of hay.
-Len
By the way, keep the girls off the brush hog. Somebody will get hurt.

Robert_in_NY · Jun 10, 2009

I don't know how thick the hay is in the spots your talking about but if yoru chopper can't touch it then I don't think you have to worry. I have certain fields where it is hard to get all the hay picked up because of the corners and such but the grass grows through the cut hay and everything works out fine. If it is left in a real heavy, thick windrow it will kill the grass under neath but if it was that thick then your chopper would have been able to do something to it. If it is a real big problem for you find a tedder and run it across your field.

okiecraig · Jun 11, 2009

Thanks to you both for your thoughts. I can't burn in Oklahoma when it gets hot and usually dry because of burn bans. I am going to try mowing the strips of leftover hay with my old Sears riding mower and see what happens. It will be a long and slow day........