Hay Making

orchardfarmer

Was thinking of cutting some hay in the next week or 2 for big round bales ( weather permitting and its not looking good at the minute!!). Am new to this game and was wondering when do you know its fit??
Some men have told me ive to wait until the grass seeds? but then i read that the goodness goes out of the grass once it 'heads'??

Also, i was gonna mow it myself, i have a old krone drum mower. but a neighbour told me i should get it cut with a 'harvester' because it will 'chop' the grass, otherwise he says it will just come off the bale in rolls?? i thought there was a chopper on the baler??

any other advice on making hay would help, i made made silage before but no hay

ps the reason im making hay instead of silage is because im hard coring a pad for the silage round bales outside and it wont be ready for another month - have a decent size old hay barn.

sweeney1971

Make hay while the sun shines as the old saying goes. Just cut when the weather is going to be good, never mind about waiting until the grass seeds. Its all down to the weather. I would not use a 'chopper' baler on hay, it will just turn to dust with the particles being smaller, they are great on silage though.
Get the hay as dry as possible before bailing as it will sweat if you dont and once baled do not leave in the field get it covered straight away.

reilig

I would wait till the grass heads. ie. It developes a purple head and is long and stemy. If you cut too early or if the grass is too short, it will be too hard saved.

Your own mower will be fine for cutting it.

Make sure you get fine weather when you cut it so that it is fully saved and dry before it is baled up. It won't dry any more when its in the round of the bale.

It doesn't matter if you chop or not. Have had both chopped and non chopped and they worked out fine.

Muckit

If baled RIGHT should round baled hay sag if left out for a week?

Tora Bora

Jaz lads, will ye stop talking about hay:pac: ...................... I'm feeding last years today:D

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

sweeney1971 wrote: »

once baled do not leave in the field get it covered straight away.

I would leave the bales out in the fields for a week before bringing them in for storage. I would make sure there is a little extra net put on the bales as it kinda acts like a coat for them

Muckit wrote: »

If baled RIGHT should round baled hay sag if left out for a week?

I roll my bales once every day or two day to prevent sagging, also helps to dry the bottom of the bale pretty good.

PatQfarmer

ZETOR_IS_BETTER wrote: »

I would leave the bales out in the fields for a week before bringing them in for storage. I would make sure there is a little extra net put on the bales as it kinda acts like a coat for them



I roll my bales once every day or two day to prevent sagging, also helps to dry the bottom of the bale pretty good.

Me too. Neighbour must think I'm mad, but last year made 100 bales and pushed them all around a bit with tractor to dry underneath bit.
Important to leave out for a week or so, to help prevent heating. Also best to stack on side rather than on end, as the heat can rise up through them if on end.

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

PatQfarmer wrote: »

Also best to stack on side rather than on end, as the heat can rise up through them if on end.

I found that out one year Pat Brought them in after a week just before a weeks solid rain came and scattered them standing up in the sheds.
I quickly put them on their sides!!;)

PatQfarmer

ZETOR_IS_BETTER wrote: »

I found that out one year Pat Brought them in after a week just before a weeks solid rain came and scattered them standing up in the sheds.
I quickly put them on their sides!!;)

And always roll out loads of straw underneath. Concrete and hay is a no-no;)
Anyway, 'tis far from hay-weather we are today. Hoping to knock silage as soon as, but no window ahead, it seems.

reilig

My personal experience about hay is that if the grass is such that it will heat in the bale, then it is unfit to be made into a round bale and you will end up with orange hay in the centre of the bale. If its properly saved it won't heat. If its only 95% saved then wrap it - you'll end up with far better quality feed.

pakalasa

From what I remember.......:D
- Always good to have a few dry days before you cut. Easier to save hay when it's lying on dry rather than damp ground.
- The problem areas in the field are always around by the hedge. Better to wrap a few runs around by the hedge first.

A lot of people around me take a gamble on hay. If it doesn't work out after a few days, they then wrap it. They use extra plastic then to stop the formation of mould. Mold on dry silage is lethal. It can lead to listeriosis.

Muckit

PatQfarmer wrote: »

Also best to stack on side rather than on end, as the heat can rise up through them if on end.

I'm trying to understand what ye are saying here.....

I would consider their end to be the flat part. So are you saying it is not good to stack them on top of each other on the 'flats'? (like a can of pringles)

I know they create what they call a 'chimney effect' and air can be drawn up and out the top through them..... would this not be a good thing??

Pharaoh1

pakalasa wrote: »

From what I remember.......:D
- Always good to have a few dry days before you cut. Easier to save hay when it's lying on dry rather than damp ground.
- The problem areas in the field are always around by the hedge. Better to wrap a few runs around by the hedge first.

A lot of people around me take a gamble on hay. If it doesn't work out after a few days, they then wrap it. They use extra plastic then to stop the formation of mould. Mold on dry silage is lethal. It can lead to listeriosis.

I have a few acres of meadow reseeded 2010 and very clean.
I have arranged to sell it to a guy as haylage for his horses. Arrangement is I will get my contractor to wrap it and deliver it - we have agreed a price.
Hoping for a couple of dry days to get it done - it is not that heavy and still fairly leafy.
Don't know much about haylage but contractor knows his stuff but he says he usually puts three layers of wrap on haylage.
Is this because the dryer stems would be inclined to puncture through the plastic or is there another reason? Also would two good days be enough as the crop is light and it gets spread and turned?
I'd let the buyer look after the job but I want to do it at the earliest opportunity to get back grazing asap.

ZETOR_IS_BETTER

Muckit wrote: »

I'm trying to understand what ye are saying here.....

I would consider their end to be the flat part. So are you saying it is not good to stack them on top of each other on the 'flats'? (like a can of pringles)

I know they create what they call a 'chimney effect' and air can be drawn up and out the top through them..... would this not be a good thing??

If you were able to stand them like a pringle can on a slatted unit the 'chimney effect' would be a great job on them.

If they are on solid concrete you are effectively sealing the end and it cant draw air through.

This is done though while you are giving the bales extra time to release any bit of heat left in them and before you pack them into a shed for storage. When ready, stack what way you like

Bizzum

Muckit wrote: »

If baled RIGHT should round baled hay sag if left out for a week?

No it shouldn't. We usually have get on the contractors case to bale it tight cos it's gonna be well handled with the loader. Last thing you want is sloppy bales.
It has to be fit to be baled dead tight though.

Pharaoh1 wrote: »

Is this because the dryer stems would be inclined to puncture through the plastic or is there another reason? Also would two good days be enough as the crop is light and it gets spread and turned?

My take on it is that water (sap) displaces air more efficiently than air alone (no much sap-dry grass) .

Two good days is pushing it. It would want to be standing dry and light crop to turn in two days. We generally wilt silage 2 days. I think you would be looking at 4 days.

pakalasa

Pharaoh1 wrote: »

Is this because the dryer stems would be inclined to puncture through the plastic or is there another reason? Also would two good days be enough as the crop is light and it gets spread and turned?
I'd let the buyer look after the job but I want to do it at the earliest opportunity to get back grazing asap.

The reason for the extra plastic is mainly due to the dry nature of the haylage. If plastic gets a small hole, the air can penetrate deep inot the bale and create a lot of the green/blue mold. Wetter silage kinda forms more of a wet dung at the hole and seals it better. My take on it anyway.