Time to get the hay in.

[QRTRHRS]

We finally got a fair stretch of weather to get some hay made here in south central Kentucky. Having all of my land in pasture, I need to buy elsewhere. But then, given the cost of the equipment and the work involved, buying it is probably cheaper than growing my own.

Here is a load of orchard grass with some clover and of course a little fescue but not much. Though it somehow looks a bit raggedy on the trailer, the quality is really nice and the bales were packed just right.

Loading off the hay wagon onto my rig, I brought home 123 bales on the first trip, 181 on this one and another 136 the next day. Humping it up to the mow solo, that is just about enough for now.

Nothing like that fresh cut hay smell in the barn.

 

[two_bit_score]

Just curious about what the price of hay is in your area now. Thanks for the pic.

 

[Thomas]

Good to see mother nature working w/you.

Some have already done first cut in our area..fingers cross for 3 cut season.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Just curious about what the price of hay is in your area now. Thanks for the pic.

The hay on my truck runs 60-80 lbs a bale. No obvious weeds to speak of. Mostly orchard grass, clover, some fescue. Fescue takes over here. I paid 3.00 a bale. Round bales are going for 15. I don't see how people can make money at those prices but the labor rate is pitifully low here.

When I moved here in 08', 07' had been a terrible year and you could not find small bales. One outfit was bringing in large squares from out west that went for 85 or 90 bucks. Round bales were 40 and more.

09' brought near normal moisture so there was pretty good hay everywhere. So much that last years round bales are still to be seen.

We were dry in early April then had flooding rain from the second half of April to the beginning of May. Abundant grass is everywhere. There is still alot to be cut but we are back to scattered showers again.

Too back transportation costs are so high.

 

[dcyrilc]

Nice rig!:thumbsup:

 

[jayste]

Someone had to work a little this weekend! Nice rig. We put up a few hundred ourselves last weekend. Now that the Mrs. and I are pushing 50 we pay to have ours loaded on our trailers and we haul and put in the barn.

 

[QRTRHRS]

Someone had to work a little this weekend! Nice rig. We put up a few hundred ourselves last weekend. Now that the Mrs. and I are pushing 50 we pay to have ours loaded on our trailers and we haul and put in the barn.

I hear that. Coming up on six decades myself. I usually bring in a hundred or so bales at a time but my friends wanted to get as much off the fields and into my barn as opposed to handling it twice and I tried to help them out.

Four hundred forty bales must have been a bit much. My back and my one shoulder with a torn rotator have been "talking" to me since. Hey' the barn smells sweet!

 

[mjarrels]

Horrible hay season here this year. Cut, thunder storn, rake, thundrer storm, rake again, thunder storm, rake again, thunder storm, finely baled yesterday, more thunder storms called for this afternoon.

mark

 

[QRTRHRS]

We had a dry spell going into April. I did some online looking at the forecast and it looked to be unusually wet coming up. The people I work with were skeptical. As you may know, the rains did come and it seemed like they would never stop but finally did.

We had about a ten day forecast for clear weather following the rains. We got maybe 3-4 days before a daily shower or so returned. I usually only bring home a load as needed but I agreed to get as many as I could right off the field to help my supplier out as they worked to get the hay in.

Luckily, they only had a sprinkle or so and were able to tedder anything on the ground again to get it done. That's the way it has been now, hit and miss.

My neighbor is just finishing up about 50 or so round bales. We had a light misting on it Sunday but then it dried off and they teddered it again Sunday afternoon then windrowed it and baled it today.

Not the best but not the worst I guess.