windrow inverters

[Robert_in_NY]

It is a fun experience. I will try to get pictures this year of my current equipment in action. The only picture I have that I can find is this one. I bought the 7710 that month and rented the baler. This field was actually a nice field but a freak rain storm came in the morning I was going to bale. I woke up and it was pouring out. /forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif

 

[rambler]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I have a friend in NH that loves his bar rake but insists that wheel rakes make ropey windrows. Oh well....

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You know there are 3 types of rake - the roll-a-bar basket rake like a NH 256; the wheel rakes, both old & new ones; and the rotary rakes that spin in a circle as the Krohn, NH 254, etc.

I think you are confusing the wheel rakes with a NH 254, which are very different designs.

Bar rakes are great. Wheel rakes are easier to get a lot done in a short time. The rotory rakes are the delux models that really handle hay well, but you pay for them in purchase & upkeep.

--->Paul

 

[cowboydoc]

Jim,

If you're in Washington alot of what you're being told doesn't apply. These guys, and doing a fine job, are talking about doing hay in high humidity conditions. In the west here you don't have to worry about those problems. You don't have the rain, no sun, and 90% humidity the east and south faces. You don't have to spread the hay way out to dry it as the dry conditions without humidity will suck the moisture right out of hay. Many times we bale hay at night to keep the leaves on the alfalfa and get moisture IN the hay. It's a completely different situation.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Hi Richard. He stated during this discussion that he wanted to setup his farm operation in North East Virginia. At least I think that is what he typed.

Also, I thought the west coast of Washington was similar to the east coast where there is a lot of moisture. The only thing I can think of is Seattles reputation as always raining. But you are right, each area is different and I hope we made that point somewhere in this thread.

I had been waiting for you to chime in. How are things looking out your way this year? Twine prices increased but not as bad as I was told they would. I ended up paying $32 per bale of NH 9000 sisal. Not to bad compared to last year. Hopefully fuel prices will stay where they are but if they do move I hope it is down.

 

[Charolais]

I should call you "Old Lucky" /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif I've read about haying in the middle of the country and westward. It's to easy. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

One of the best drying methods here is cut 3 inches off the ground. It took use years to figure that out. When I got my first conditioner I found out real fast to set the shoes so it'll cut high. The grass below will hold the cut grass up and allow air under it. Back in the days of the mower we'd cut so close that if it rained before the hay dried it would plaster the hay to the ground. Wore out a lot of rake teeth getting that hay back up off the dirt.

 

[jimg]

>> don't sell hay either. All I need is enough to make it through the
>>winter.
You live in the lower Piedmont? If so I thought your winter was very mild and could graze your pastures all winter long.

>>I've seen some Timothy here but it won't survive very long in our
>>hot dry spells from July in to Sept. Fescue is about the only grass
>>that will hold up here.
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Of course thats why the horse people want it. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Ive read every VT bulletin on cool/warm season grasses suited to the state and I think there are better choices BUT I want also to serve my market. I havent yet decided on exactly what Im going to plant but I know that fescue isnt much liked by the horse crowd. Ive also been looking at orchard grass and reed canary (I think thats what its called). I have some other choices too and the 5yr trial that VT published will probably figure into it heavily. In other words the jury is still very undecided.

>> I'd plant the farm in trees if I had to square bale by my self.
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Oh yes...I DO understand the feeling BUT I dont know many horse types that like round bales. So....its really not my choice. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

>>But 3oo rolls would be max.
Thats ALOT or a one man operation!

>>I store all my hay under a roof setting on pallets. I also unroll the >>hay when feeding.
Do you by any chance use the baler option that slices up the bale? I forget exactly what the various companies call them but it basically precuts the bale so when its feed out the waste is (supposed to be) less. Ive always wonder how popular that option is and how usful it is in practice.

>>I also use stockpile fescue to graze in the winter. I like for the cows
>> to do as much grazing as possible. They can bale hay cheaper than
>>I can. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
This figures into my q above about grazing your animals during the winter...I thought you wouldnt need to have dry hay at all in the winter...or very little.

>> had to feed hay in that time frame so my hay supply is lower now
>> that it's been in 4 years.
I see so does most of your hay get fed out in the summer vs winter? I knew the Shenandoah Valley was very dry but thought your area got plenty of rain during the summer.

>>If I have to wait until June quality goes down and quantity goes
>>up. I can get buy ok on lower quality but if you're selling hay I
>>know you don't want that. Until we can control the weather we'll
>>just take it as it comes. /forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif
Right...my primary goal is highest quality and I plan to test each crop and sell it off the paper work (at least use it as a selling pt.). Id also like quantity and I think I can get both or at least a good mix. At any rate I know its going to be HARD work.

/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Ya Id love to find one of those weather controllers.





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[jimg]

>>I was at first a little hesitant to get into the straw market but I
>>have a lot of request for straw. I can sell the grain off to the local
>>mills but currently I have to hire out the harvesting and hauling.
Do you make $$ from the grain? Are you growing oats or ?? Was it an option to buy and bale the straw from someone elses crop? How many yrs have you been growing grain? I looked into wheat (alot is grown in VA) and there was just WAY too much to know and understand. The volume was overwhelming to my eyes.

>>As for the discbine vs. haybine (sickle machine), think of it like
>>this. The faster you get the hay on the ground the sooner you can
>>bale it.
Right...however as in the beginning of this thread theres the issue of swath width vs cutter width. None of the disc mowers conditioners Ive found do better than about 50% (or so) cutter width to swath. OTOH the sickle mowers (most anyway) can put down 87% or better swath. From what Ive read the difference in dry time between 50% (or so) and 75% and above cutter width is large. Which is better then, getting the crop down fast with a slower dry rate or slower w/ a faster dry rate???

 

[jimg]

>>If you're in Washington alot of what you're being told doesn't apply.
/forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif Im on the west side of the cascades...the WET side. From what little Ive seen to date very little dry hay is made over here b/c of the climate. Most of the really good hay comes from E of the mtns...and it IS good hay. OTOH they have to irrigate to get anything to grow in most of E WA. That and farms on the E side are HUGE. As I said earlier Im moving E before I get my operation started.

>>It's a completely different situation.
Oh yes...in everyway. /forums/images/graemlins/smile.gif

One more thing...on this side the field trash from green pea harvest will be let to dry and baled. That is some nice lookng forage!!! Its the brightest green and perfect stuff Ive ever seen...much greener than the grass and alfalfa grown on the east side. I dont know what it sells for but the goat diary's are all over it. When I first saw this stuff I thought it was fresh only to find out it was dry!!!!

 

[cowboydoc]

<font color="green">He stated during this discussion that he wanted to setup his farm operation in North East Virginia. </font>

OOPs my apologies. I missed that part of the post. Things are going well Robert. Lost of moisture so things should be good as long as we don't get a drought again like last year. We just contracted 20,000 gallons of fuel. Our fuel guy said he thought fuel was going to be $3.00/gallon ag price by june because of the new low sulfur fuel. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif We never saw the twine price increases. I was at the farm store today and they are around $24.

Charolais yes leaving a little sure does help with getting the air under the hay. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

I have no idea what type of profit I will make on grain as this will be the first year growing oats. If you have a co-op near you, talk to them and tell them what you want to do. They can help you out a lot with spraying and such and advising you what not to do. The feed mill that we have dealt with for years has their own spray rigs to do custom work. I figure if I break even on the crop then the profit is in the straw. However, I should be able to make money both ways but only time will tell.

The farms that do grow grain bale their own straw. If I want straw I have to grow my own. /forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

I run a Gehl 2340 (basically the same as the 2345) discbine. It is a 9' 2" cut and lays a 7' 7" swath. Gehl has a couple models that only move the swath in around one foot on either side. Gehl Discbine specs

If you have never run a sickle machine like a haybine you will not understand just how much nicer a discbine is. I have not had the pleasure of using a brand new haybine but the one I did use was well maintained and I sunk a lot of money into it to try and make it run smoother. I spent a lot of time clearing clumps of hay out of the guards as it would build up and stop the reel. I don't think you will ever find anyone say they regret going to a discbine from a sickle based machine.