Hay Hay Hay

[D7E]

Grass has been on the ground for almost a week . 35-39 degrees c with 100% humidity has not helped, wind picked up and clouds cleared this afternoon . got 244 baled and stacked 4pm till midnight . Alfala/brome/timothy mix ..about 7 bales/acre .

No raking or tedding...12 foot sickle haybines just rolled once with single roll bar side rake and a 6 wheel vicon.

 

[charleyfarmall]

:thumbsup:

 

[DJ54]

We'd have been glad to share some of last weeks heat we had here, to even things out. Digital thermometer in town read 109 degrees Sat. afternoon, about 4:30 p.m.

Made my little patch of hay week before last. Mowed in the afternoon, and no moisture showing at all, on the rolls of the Moco. About 90% Red Clover, and Alfalfa. Let it dry 1 day, then baled, or at least tried to bale it the next day. Checked the weather service. We had 95 degrees, 25% humidity, and 6 - 10 mph winds. I could pick up a handfull the day I baled, and crush it in my hand... Uh-oh...

Literally too dry to bale with my round baler. It just ground it up between the belts. Plugged numerous times. More was in between the belts, rearward of the bale chamber, than in the bale chamber. I tried faster, slower, and lower RPM's... Nothing seemed to work.

It would have made about 1/3 of what it normally does, and I lost half of that. Glad it's only a 6 acre patch, because I ended up loading it all by hand with a pitchfork..!! Way too nice to leave on the ground.

Hay is going to be scarce here this year,and expensive. I should have enough to get me through till next year. I never really mind having 10 - 15 bales left over from a previous year, just for this reason.

The only good points are, my clover is reseeded for next year, and I learned a whole new appreciation for my equipment..!!

 

[cowski]

glad you got your hay up . down in alabama ,we were so dry we did not have any grass big enough to cut.this week it rained nearly 7 inches.hopefully we will have some hay to cut in a few weeks.