Hows the Hay Season Going

[Hoosier Hay Man]

First cutting finished in Indiana. Dry and hot this hay season in the Hoosier State. The last 2 seasons were wet. Finished first cutting in July last season. Yield was off by 40% this year due to the dry weather and late freeze after 80° temps in March. I did a 17 acre that yielded 78 rounds which was real good for this year.

 

[foreman Etexas]

First cutting finished in Indiana. Dry and hot this hay season in the Hoosier State. The last 2 seasons were wet. Finished first cutting in July last season. Yield was off by 40% this year due to the dry weather and late freeze after 80ｰ temps in March. I did a 17 acre that yielded 78 rounds which was real good for this year.

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Glad to see some hay being made:thumbsup: Maybe in a couple weeks I can get a few made,and I mean a few...

 

[DJ54]

Got my first cutting in the barn 3 weeks ago yesterday. Red Clover, and Alfalfa was in full bloom, and Rye Grass just out of the sheath.

Wish I could have weather to make it that early every year. Certainly looks good for 2nd and 3rd cutting..!

Sure could use a shot of rain though... Looks like a good chance Tuesday, although with two strong front colliding, it will probably be a Toad strangler...

 

[blueriver]

First cutting finished in Indiana. Dry and hot this hay season in the Hoosier State. The last 2 seasons were wet. Finished first cutting in July last season. Yield was off by 40% this year due to the dry weather and late freeze after 80ｰ temps in March. I did a 17 acre that yielded 78 rounds which was real good for this year.

View attachment 266943

Great to see ... been an early spring with alot of Rye grass hay put up here. It had alot of clover and some bermuda along with the rye and selling as fast as we bale. Rain is the main topic now. If we don't get some there will not be a second cutting .... this week we have a chance and I'm holding a field in hopes of rain ... if it does I can let it grow some more ... if it doesn't rain, I'll cut, rake and bale it before it burns up.

 

[jwcinpk]

One more small field and we'll be done with our first cutting here in SE KY. I don't ever remember being done before June 1. Usually everyone is starting around memorial day. Yields are GREAT where I've used chicken litter, off about 1/4th where noone has fertilized.

Hoosier Hay Man how big are those rounds on the 17 acres? I got 18 4x5s from a little over 4 acres (I figured it at 4.25 for 4.23 bales per acre) and I had never done that good. It's amazing the difference in yield when someone takes care of the soil. Problem here is we lease a lot and as soon as you get it right someone else gets it. Then they don't fertilize it and it goes right back to nothing in a few years.

 

[ultrarunner]

Are prices up, down or about the same as last year?

I hadn't bought hay in years and was in the local feed store the other day and noticed 2x2x4 bales of grass hay at $24 and alfalfa at $21

Most of their customers have one or two horses so they buy no more then a few bales at a time...

 

[blueriver]

Are prices up, down or about the same as last year?

I hadn't bought hay in years and was in the local feed store the other day and noticed 2x2x4 bales of grass hay at $24 and alfalfa at $21

Most of their customers have one or two horses so they buy no more then a few bales at a time...

In my area they are higher than before the drought, not as high as during the drought ... but if it don't rain they will go up.

 

[Hoosier Hay Man]

One more small field and we'll be done with our first cutting here in SE KY. I don't ever remember being done before June 1. Usually everyone is starting around memorial day. Yields are GREAT where I've used chicken litter, off about 1/4th where noone has fertilized.

Hoosier Hay Man how big are those rounds on the 17 acres? I got 18 4x5s from a little over 4 acres (I figured it at 4.25 for 4.23 bales per acre) and I had never done that good. It's amazing the difference in yield when someone takes care of the soil. Problem here is we lease a lot and as soon as you get it right someone else gets it. Then they don't fertilize it and it goes right back to nothing in a few years.

The rounds are 5x4. It was the best field. I baled 1200 small squares off of 20 acres. I put on 200lbs of potash to the acre after first cut. It is over $600 a ton
this year. 6 years ago it was around $250 a ton. I am defiantly putting on all of the manure I can this fall. I will soil test late summer. Also want to lime before winter this year.

 

[JasG]

We had some strange weather. Dry hot march and cold wet April and into May. Many around here are still trying to get spring planting done. This is latest a friend of mine has planted his corn in the 20 years he has been farming by a couple of weeks.

Normally we start 1st cutiing about now, it will be a few more days for us. A guy up the road chops 100% and is normally done with his 1st by now. He has started but isn't done.

 

[whitmerlegacyfarm]

Got my first cutting down and in the barn. Got rained on a little but it needed cut bad, so now i'm looking forward to my 2nd cutting and helping a neighbor with his first cutting.