When was the latest you have cut hay?

[HayDR]

I have 25 acres that Lord willing will go up today. I also have 20 more acres that will need to go up in the next 2 weeks. Last year we put up hay Thanksgiving week. It usually a good idea to be finished haying before Oct 15 in Northeast Tennessee.

 

[MIKE_D]

Well I went ahead and laid down about 20 ac. this morning.(In a slight drizzle.) The forecast shows nice weather till Thursday.(high 60's, low 70's) I will keep my fingers crossed it will come up Tuesday. Wish me luck!!

 

[Gizmo36]

I am going to cut 40 acres tomorrow. It has rain so much this year I have never gotten all around the fields . I just stop and started over so I would get better hay. I have not had this much hay in 15 years.Ever time I get 4 days of sun I cut and bale hay.I am always done by now but I am going to cut as long as I can.I want to square bale if I can get the knotter to work . it want tie on the right side of the JD 336 and want tie on the left side of the New Holland 268 . and I don't want to round bale any more if I don't have to.I think the bill hook may have some rough edges on them.any one close by that wants to work on some knotters

 

[Mike120]

I'm going to cut a 15 AC Tifton 85 field tomorrow....this will be my fifth cutting off of it this year. I only got 3 off the Bahia. I had the baler and other equipment cleaned up, the accumulator off, and everything ready to be put up for the season. The rains came, everything started growing again, and I can't pass it up.....

 

[scrapironford]

Today I just square baled a field of Russell bermuda that was green top sprigged on july 18. Still have 60 acres of bahia to bale. scrapironford

 

[Niji]

I'm sad to report I've discovered a whole new and unforeseen trouble to cutting late hay--hunters with bushhogs.

I took on a new farm this season, and since I am so far behind due to the rain, I met all my pre-existing obligations first, then went to the new farm. I got all of it cut first cutting except one field, about 25 acres, and it had hundreds of square bales worth of hay. I started on second cutting of my best fields and figured I'd get that field done somewhere in the mix of second cutting. In the mean time, hunters who rent the hunting rights to the property bushhogged the whole thing!

While I bet I could press the thing in court and win, the land owner and I spoke and she wanted the guy to bushhog it since it was later than the other farmer traditionally got it mowed.

I decided rather than try to drag my jd 1217 moco through that mess next spring, I'd just let the field go and the hunter can just keep on bushhogging it now that he's done it. I was pretty shocked though. Those hunting rights must bring in way more rent than the hay rights. The field was really steep and rocky too, which factored into my choice.

But I never would have guessed I'd see trouble like this! I'm over there now just starting 2nd cutting on the fields I still rent, which the hunter has hunting rights to too, and hope my equipment doesn't get "mistaken" for a deer (even though some of it is Deere). Would hate to have it look like some of the road signs around here.

 

[ddivinia]

It sounds like you need to talk to the hunters and and get a plan together. They are leasing the place too so you guys just need to work together. This late in the season they probably figured they needed to do it since it was not done.

I am not sure of your contractual obligations, but I would not assume you would win. You had a grass lease and you did some pastures but not this one. The land owner made a decision to have the hunters clean it up. If you want to keep the lease you might want to play nice. The hunters might be willing to make up the difference and just bush hog the whole thing.

D.

 

[Niji]

I think it has honestly worked out for the best. The fields I got mowed first are owned by one sibling, and I rent a barn from her anyway. The other field (that got the bushhog) has some nice hay, but is a disk bine or hay bine disaster area with nasty rock outcroppings and is really steep--so I've been warned by several farmers who've cut it in the past--and is owned by another sibling. I'm just keeping all my arrangements with the one owner, and just letting that other field go so they can figure out whatever they want to do with it.

And, I'm delighted for the hunters to be there, don't get me wrong. The place is covered up with deer, like everywhere around here. It's rediculous, and I hunt a bit myself. I was caught completely off guard though. 500 bales is no small bit of hay either. Part of the problem, aside from the weather and my equipment troubles seriously setting me back for the season, was that I agreed to take on this place from another farmer as a sub-lease not long before the season started. No mention of time frame to get the hay mowed had ever been discussed with anyone, and so there was a fair bit of confusion.

I'm quite happy with the way things have arranged themselves though, as long as no bushhogs cross the border unannounced!

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

Hope to get our coastal bermuda cut tomorrow. It will be the first cutting in about 3 years due to the extreme drought Lee county has been suffering. (And I am only about 65-70 miles from Mike120 in Hockley)

 

[Mike120]

Good luck Kyle! I was lucky this year with the amount of cuttings....but my yelds were down. With Tifton 85 I'd rather have more cuttings than let it get too stemmy.