Hay Yields

[mark.r]

I believe you are right it had something to do with it. I just have a hard time thinking it cost me 40 bales an acre. But who knows?

Again, I'm no expert but assume this. The grass that was cut by the rotary got overly chopped (huge losses there). Secondly, you mentioned you cut high (huge losses there). None of us, except you, know how "healthy" your grass was to began with so we don't know what your yield would have been if you would have cut using a sickle bar/haybine/discbine. So it is quite feasible that what you ended up with is about right. Just a thought . . .

 

[barrybro]

Yeah you may be right. I almost want to fix things one at a time to see the yield differences.

 

[mark.r]

Yeah you may be right. I almost want to fix things one at a time to see the yield differences.

Nothing wrong with that. On the other hand, nothing wrong with having healthy pastures either. Fix your sickle mower, and get your soil tested and go from there. If you can afford it add whatever fertilizer/lime you need. At the very least you'll know two thing, there is a reason that hay farmers don't use rotary's to cut hay and your fields will be more healthy than they were last go round! In the end you seem to be doing better than many other people like myself included who still can't make up my mind when I want to buy my hay equipment.

 

[ddivinia]

I baled my 100 acres last weekend and I got 107 round bales 48" * 65" bales.

I am still trying to get the weeds out so I am not going crazy on fertilizer. When we sprayed (grazon P+D) we put out some straight nitrogen (the amount slips my mind right now).

We need rain more than anything. I was thinking I would sell some hay, but until I see some more coming out of my baler - I am going to hold it all.

What kind of equipment are you using? The rotary cutter didn't help your situation. What kind of rake? Was there much grass left on the ground after you baled? How low did you cut?

How much do the bales weight?

D.

 

[WTA]

I've been out spraying 24d since late last night. I'm noticing the careless weeds and nightshade wilting over when I come back on the next row already. That is some awsome stuff! I'm only doing the minimum amount on it which is 1 pint for 100 gallons and I'm moving pretty fast too. If you have cotton or anything even remotely like it around your farm then I would recommend being very careful with this stuff. The nearest cotton to me is a mile away but the hail last week totally wiped him out.

 

[ddivinia]

I've been out spraying 24d since late last night. I'm noticing the careless weeds and nightshade wilting over when I come back on the next row already. That is some awsome stuff! I'm only doing the minimum amount on it which is 1 pint for 100 gallons and I'm moving pretty fast too. If you have cotton or anything even remotely like it around your farm then I would recommend being very careful with this stuff. The nearest cotton to me is a mile away but the hail last week totally wiped him out.

That stuff can work wonders for sure. What temperature is it up there? With the Grazon P+D it really needs to be cooler overall (early spring for us iN Texas). If you spray it late at night and then it warms up - it can change to a gas and be blown off. I needed to spray some stuff late int he season and I used Sterling (banvel). It does not have the same issue. This late in the season It wont kill them dead, but it will really slow them down.

What kind of sprayer are you using?

What really helped me get this spraying stuff figured out is you have got to know how much water you are putting out per acre. Then you can back into what you want to put down per acre, etc.

Did you mix any surfactant with it? Like preference or the like?

D.

 

[mark.r]

I've been out spraying 24d since late last night. I'm noticing the careless weeds and nightshade wilting over when I come back on the next row already. That is some awsome stuff! I'm only doing the minimum amount on it which is 1 pint for 100 gallons and I'm moving pretty fast too. If you have cotton or anything even remotely like it around your farm then I would recommend being very careful with this stuff. The nearest cotton to me is a mile away but the hail last week totally wiped him out.

What are you spraying it on, meaning which crop?

I use Pasture Pro from TCS and it works great. Kills everything but the grass within a day and half, for what's it's worth.

 

[vettemanwight]

You are in the learning curve on your haymaking !!!!! A good hayfield should produce about 100 bales per acre of 1st cutting and 35 second cutting. An excellant field should give 135 to 150 bales and 75 bales of 2 nd cutting. What do you need the hay for and how many bales do you need for the year ? The seeding is run out I would say and with the price of fertilizer this year I think you would be wasting your money this year. I would plow up some or all of your hay field and lime it and reseed it. Its going to cost you some money but then next season fertilize the fiels and you will notice REMARKABLE increase. It takes the same amount of time and fuel and equipment to cut 5 bale per acre as 100 bales per acre !!!! In this economy you need to get the most for your time and money !!!!!!! V

 

[ddivinia]

My 100 acres is in bermuda.

D.

 

[barrybro]

Thank you to all. I obviously have some work to do. Sorry for disappearing over the weekend, but I got wrapped up in my other projects (planting 250 mums for the fall, and getting my drip irrigation system started). I think I will probably plow under and start over next year. In addition I need to get the mower part handled.