I am worried about damage to my fields

[new jersey mike]

I struggled to find a farmed this past spring so that I could have him hay and I would get a tax deduction. I had to give him a lease $0.0 as part of the state regulation. He cut the hay in late august but has left the large rounds sitting were they dropped and then he later cut two additional fields tedded but just left that.

My worry is that the 21 spots were the bails sit will be killed off and the hay under the tetered rows will also die. I plan of brush hogging the 2 fileld in the spring since the hay I suspect is now no good.

What is your opinion is this an issue of neglect and poor management or should I not worry?

Thank you

 

[Xfaxman]

You might get an answer if you post in this forum: Haying

 

[zzvyb6]

Yes, I believe you should worry.

Push the round bales to the edge of the field or beyond it if nothing else.

The TEDDERED windrows are much more trouble. The hay will rot and residue will repeatedly plug any mower going through it next year. Plus it will add dead material to any hay baled which hurts its value.

You can try to burn it (controlled) in place after raking into double or triple tight windrows, or round bale it for no other purpose, or shred it with a rotary finish or bush hog type mower. Do it before next spring. You could square bale it with a JD348 type baler (industrial strength) and then burn it as moldy hay or sell it as mulch to a local organic 'farmer'.

 

[countryguy1225]

Yeah, if you've ever seen the mold under a 5month old Windrow come springtime- Nasty stuff. Hmmm.... Could you just till it in? Just a thought? It's a sore situation, I agree. Post back if you get some unique solution here.

 

[Brad_Blazer]

Find someone with a hay chopper and chop it back into the field. It's common practice when the weather is too wet to get the hay off.

 

[Gary Fowler]

It is common practice to leave the round bales out in the weather here when feeding to cows. Some of the bottom might be a little moldy but the rest should be good. Leaving them in the middle of the hay field is not good though. If you have a hay spike, move them to the side of the pasture. Someone will want the hay if you let them know it is cheap or free. As for the windrowed stuff, after your grass goes dormant, burning it off should not hurt the roots of the grass. I don't think I would make the fire any hotter than needed so burn them as is now, just set them upwind so they burn faster.

 

[bigbull338]

the grass will grow around where the bales are setting.but if you can you can stack them on the outside edge of the field.

 

[Egon]

Leave em in place and you will have lots of wild friends!

 

[new jersey mike]

Thank you for your comments, I have a phone call out to the guy but he returns calls the same way he collects hay.

 

[cowski]

looks like he has plenty of hay and was doing you a tax deduction favor.it does not hurt for bales to be left in the field until needed.around here there are not too many people baling hay,so i would not upset him.you may not be able to get anyone else to bale it.it would be nice to run a tedder over the windrows to spread them out for next year.