When was the latest you have cut hay?

[warhammer]

There are several farms near me that were cutting and bailing last week.

 

[ddivinia]

There are several farms near me that were cutting and bailing last week.

Wow - I was out towards Lufkin and there was a lot of fresh hay on the ground.

D.

 

[Kyle_in_Tex]

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.

I didn't expect much and I was right. It was our worst cutting ever. I guess 2 1/2 years of drought takes its toll.

 

[rdbigfarmboy]

I cut late growth with a direct cut green chopper, blow it directly into the silage wagon and feed it to the cows. One step one trip.
Other option is haylage

 

[Renze]

about 3 years back i saw a picture in an Ag magazine of a guy who was cutting early, in january !! The ground was wet all autumn, but now frozen, able to carry the equipment. They left it out to freeze, then bale and wrap it. when used in the winter, the bales remained frozen untill opened so it had good conservation, despite the absence of fermentation.

 

[jmurd85]

I live in central Utah where the temp can very this time of year by 20 degrees. It's considered a high desert environment. We have had snow in the middle of July and 90 degree temps in the next couple of days. But it is now the 30th of September and I am about a week away from starting 3rd cut and this is about as late in the season that I have ever cut hay. Usually I'm putting it in the stack around the end of September and getting ready to dig potatoes. But do to breakdowns I got behind on first and it was down hill from there. I have noticed that a good amount of the neighboring farms are just getting third down right now. So I am hopeful that after this weeks cold front we get one more week of at least 70 degree temps.

 

[cornshucker]

We could not get some hay cut before a killing frost on year due to wet conditions and a late tobbaco crop. One of the fields close to home would go in field with haybine, mow and come right behind with round baler and dump in pasture. This was in January and February. I had one guy who is in his eighties that has a lot of hay and a lot of brood cows that he had got up hay every month of the year but March.

 

[blueriver]

I have 65 acres that has yet to be cut because of the dry conditions. A few weeks back we got good rain and I can see some growth. So now I am watching the forecast for the first frost ... I'm going to hit it right before the frost and take what I can get.

 

[bigbull338]

weve baled hay as late as thanksgiving day.

 

[Egon]

Would not this all depend on the local climate.:thumbsup: