Hows the Hay Season Going

tow653 · May 27, 2012

Stopped and talked to neighbor,his yields are down about 50% due to late freeze and dry weather.

ham · May 28, 2012

Are you kidding... I awoke to 3 inches of snow here in Montana this morning!

rankrank1 · May 28, 2012

All my antiques (aka junk) held together so that is always a relief. Cut late in day on May 16th and baled early in day on May 20th.

By far the earliest in the year that I have ever did my first cutting (normally I wait until after Memorial Day). Had no problems getting it to dry down which is my usual problem this early in the year. Also had my highest yield ever so that was good too, but yield is probably more of a function of me doing some fertilizing along with all the early year rain and warm weather. Additional yield enhancement also realized by using more efficient cutting equipment in using a mower conditioner instead of using a bushog - with bushog you do suffer some yield loss but it does work. I started using a moco last year and am slowly getting it refurb'd and working pretty decent.

All in all a success - now we need rain bad!

DJ54 · May 28, 2012

rankrank1 said:
All my antiques (aka junk) held together so that is always a relief. Cut late in day on May 16th and baled early in day on May 20th.

By far the earliest in the year that I have ever did my first cutting (normally I wait until after Memorial Day). Had no problems getting it to dry down which is my usual problem this early in the year. Also had my highest yield ever so that was good too, but yield is probably more of a function of me doing some fertilizing along with all the early year rain and warm weather. Additional yield enhancement also realized by using more efficient cutting equipment in using a mower conditioner instead of using a bushog - with bushog you do suffer some yield loss but it does work. I started using a moco last year and am slowly getting it refurb'd and working pretty decent.

All in all a success - now we need rain bad!

I made mine in that same time window. Humidity was down to 38% for 2 days, so it dried well.

As far as yield, it was probably at 65-70% of the norm. But, my horses are pretty particular on their hay, and prefer not so mature hay. Just got 'em spoiled with 2nd and 3rd cutting. I figure if they waste 50% of the more mature hay, what's the point.

It is decent hay, as I have sold some 1rst cutting rounds to friends with horses, and they say they lick up every stick. Guess it makes a difference storing inside too. I can store approx. 80, 4X4 round bales in the hay storage area in the horse barn. Plus it's pretty well varmint proof, as far as Possum's, and Racoon's.

I hear you on the needing rain. I haven't top dressed. With the price of fertilizer, hate to loose the nitrogen.

Planning on building a manure storage pad, and let it compost about a year, then spread after last cutting. I can still tell in the field where we spread cattle manure, and there hasn't been any around there since 1985.

Mistyridgefarm · May 28, 2012

About half way through first cutting here in mid-TN. Dry spring and a late frost has everything mixed up. The field I broke and planted last fall did 25% better than most years. Another field did 30% less. Folks I talked to are seeing around a third less than normal. I've been trying to heal the ground after many bad years of management so it is hard to tell what normal is for me.

If we don't get some rain though, second cutting will be very poor.

aczlan · May 28, 2012

Finished the first field today. ~190 bales. 2 more larger fields to go (perhaps next week). One field for the barn, one for sale.

Aaron Z

AKfish · Jun 1, 2012

Everything is just starting to grow up here... small field is probably 4-5" and the other 2 are maybe ~2".

Still don't have all the trees leaved out!

We could use some rain, too. Got a couple of really small shower's - just enough to move the fertilizer down - thank goodness... but need more to really kick the Timothy off!

Gonna get my compost bins set up this year, too. All that horse manure and chicken manure has got to be put to better use than just bein' a PITA.

AKfish

Hoosier Hay Man · Aug 5, 2012

Hay is hard to come by. Drought has prices off the chart. $6 to $11 for small squares & $70 for rounds. It is starting to rain over the last 2 weeks. Corn crop is junk but soybeans are perking up. Livestock sales have been full.
Hope it is a mild winter.

riptides · Aug 5, 2012

We have cow hay only. Fields are parched. I think it another disaster ruling will be coming for my area any day now.

Pulled about 80 round bales off 35 or so acres. Not the best quality.

MWRR · Aug 5, 2012

East Central Illinois....
1st cutting was completed before May 15th. Yield was down slightly from last year, but I cut before alfalfa started to bloom. Put up 120 5 X 5 round bales.
2nd Cutting was done by June 6th. Yield was down a bit, but was good hay. Took 525 bales off one 20 acre field.
August 2nd took my 3rd cutting off the same 20 acres and got 421 bales.
I'm running 14 cows and 11 calves on about 35-40 acres of pasture and haven't had to feed any hay yet. Looks like I can go another 30 days.

We received about 1 1/2" of rain three weeks ago which really helped, but it hasn't rained since.

I'm hearing prices are running $ 6-10 per bale for square bales.