Any hay in 2012?

Western Pomise

Know that up this neck of the woods apart from very light crops cut when the sun shone in May for a week no one at all who would usually try to has got hay.Will there be a serious shortage countrywide for Hay for horses,sheep and to a lesser extent cattle?.Talk of second half of this week being good.Then again it wasnt meant to be P#####G rain today which it is here.

Username John

Western Pomise wrote: »

Know that up this neck of the woods apart from very light crops cut when the sun shone in May for a week no one at all who would usually try to has got hay.Will there be a serious shortage countrywide for Hay for horses,sheep and to a lesser extent cattle?.Talk of second half of this week being good.Then again it wasnt meant to be P#####G rain today which it is here.

I think there will have to be a shortage of hay this year.

A lot of 'the usual suspects' who would cut hay around these parts got caught the past week. There is a lot of grass cut, which people were hoping to save this week - given the forecast was for great weather...
Yesterday we had heavy mist all day - today, its just been pissing rain all day... :mad:

People were holding out for this week, and when they saw a chance of fine weather, they cut, but if they get it as silage now, they will be doing good... The forecast here is for rain for another good few days... :mad:

Even if we get good weather now, will people chance for hay, or given the summer we're having - will they just get it in as silage and be thankful?

Box09

Great weather here in Wicklow all weekend. The baler is out today for its first hay of the year!

Richk2012

Box09 wrote: »

Great weather here in Wicklow all weekend. The baler is out today for its first hay of the year!

Good guessing . Did you get yours done??

MfMan

Box09 wrote: »

Great weather here in Wicklow all weekend. The baler is out today for its first hay of the year!

Poxed! Absolute c*nt of a 24 hours here again, fields drowned etc. These past 2 months have just been unrelenting.

Rasheed

thought we'd get some today/ tomorrow, not a hope its pissing/ misting here in roscommon.

KatyMac

Same here, fields squelching underfoot. Have couple of acres left and haven't yet given up on hay, but it's close. Will strip graze it with electric fence if the weather doesn't improve.

Username John

I let a few acres for silage - the guy who took it cut 9 acres on Friday, he wanted to save it as haylage. The forecast was good, everyone was happy...

- Saturday was a super day here - a real summers day, great heat, great wind to dry it, all looked good...
- Sunday we had a heavy mist all day
- Monday was wet all day
- Today has been misty all day, and now its fcuking lashing :mad:

The forecast is for poor weather to the weekend - maybe Friday and Saturday might not be too bad... But the field needs time to dry out to get in there and be able to bale it...

Fcuking weather... :mad:

sea12

Username John wrote: »

I let a few acres for silage - the guy who took it cut 9 acres on Friday, he wanted to save it as haylage. The forecast was good, everyone was happy...

- Saturday was a super day here - a real summers day, great heat, great wind to dry it, all looked good...
- Sunday we had a heavy mist all day
- Monday was wet all day
- Today has been misty all day, and now its fcuking lashing :mad:

The forecast is for poor weather to the weekend - maybe Friday and Saturday might not be too bad... But the field needs time to dry out to get in there and be able to bale it...

Fcuking weather... :mad:

Iknow. I am in the same boat. Tried to get the contractor into wrap it Monday afternoon when I saw the weather had changed. Was too busy. It's after pissing rain here all yesterday evening and this evening. . Hay in ****. Don't know what to do now. What are other people doing. Is it even worth wrapping it now if it dries out on Friday or would it be dung when I open them next winter.

I was down in cork today and saw quite a few in the same boat.

Western Pomise

Lot of people who went for hay around here after the fine few days fri,sat,then got caught....great day here today but lot of fields and 'hay' soaked after constant rain mon,tues.....not an easy year.Can see good quality hay making premium prices next Spring.

grange mac

The forecast for tomorrow is....rain...and if it dont rain tomorrow it will rain on saturday....dont care what them forecasters sat it rains/misty every second day...alot fellas in west of city got caught with grass down last weekend....now with this mist whay was supposed to be hay is going black....I am strip feeding my silage as just cant travel it & grass is just not growin for my bullocks......

Bizzum

I saw hay baled along the coast in Louth on Sat 14th gone. Mowed on the wed. It's still there in the field baled.

flatout11

i was told they were baling up in kildare yesterday and lads were putting cows in sheds at home because ground was being destroyed

pakalasa

I spoke to a contractor today. He said he hasn't made one bale of hay this year. The first year ever.

flatout11

pakalasa wrote: »

I spoke to a contractor today. He said he hasn't made one bale of hay this year. The first year ever.

not surprising really, i spoke to a baler man the other evening he reckons he is under more pressure time wise this year than any other when the break comes everyone wants him and he isnt getting through any ammount each week

Western Pomise

Sad that making hay has become such a hardship...always handy to have some in the shed...could see hay been imported yet next Spring......Likely from south of England.

lab man

flatout11 wrote: »

not surprising really, i spoke to a baler man the other evening he reckons he is under more pressure time wise this year than any other when the break comes everyone wants him and he isnt getting through any ammount each week

you'd need 5 balers for 1 day and no baler for 6 days at the moment we have worked the last 8 sundays and done no monday

tabby aspreme

flatout11 wrote: »

i was told they were baling up in kildare yesterday and lads were putting cows in sheds at home because ground was being destroyed

There was a good lot of hay baled in south Kildare / Carlow on Friday most of it was cut previous Friday should be ok

Western Pomise

Anyone going for hay given the forecast?....great day up here today,Looks like excellent weather till fri eve anyway but forecasters have been wrong miore often than not this summer....at least people should be able to get silage.

sh1tstirrer

tabby aspreme wrote: »

There was a good lot of hay baled in south Kildare / Carlow on Friday most of it was cut previous Friday should be ok

I checked hay that was made a few weeks ago round bales still in field. It isn't great quality smells musty and no green in it.

fastrac

I had intended to mow today but it rained all morning and now its grey skys and not a puff of wind.

sea12

I had the mower on Monday afternoon. Was just pulling into the field when the heavens opened up. I was working all day yesterday and didn't get home to late. Had intended having it cut but not turned out for any rain yday and the turn it today and try make it by Friday evening or sat morning. But not going to chance it. I'm not going to make hay in 2 days.

Usually sell all this field of hay. Don't need it for my self so if I could get it, it would be worth a few pound. Will have to wait til next good few days if they ever come.

Suckler

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

I checked hay that was made a few weeks ago round bales still in field. It isn't great quality smells musty and no green in it.

Was chattin to the aul lad about this, he was telling me that the poor quality musty hay made in a few bad summer suring the 80's destroyed the uncles lungs.

sh1tstirrer

Suckler wrote: »

Was chattin to the aul lad about this, he was telling me that the poor quality musty hay made in a few bad summer suring the 80's destroyed the uncles lungs.

Farmers lung http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-602/442-602_pdf.pdf
My neighbour suffered from it which prevented him from working his farm from a young age.

Suckler

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

Farmers lung http://pubs.ext.vt.edu/442/442-602/442-602_pdf.pdf
My neighbour suffered from it which prevented him from working his farm from a young age.

Yep thats the one; constant wheezing and coughing. He died in his sixties, looked as if he was in his ninties.

fits

Anyone else have hay down at the moment? This is my first year responsible for it, and I have six acres cut. One field is quite thick and very green but there was a lot of drying yesterday and today will be even better. The other is not as thick, so has a better chance of drying sufficiently. I may have to wrap the first one dont know when I'll have to call it as its touch and go.

I am in the south east and hoping that I'll get it baled before the rain arrives tomorrow afternoon. Wouldnt it be great if we had a week of this weather???

hurling_lad

We've made a few big bales of hay this year for the first time (always made small square ones before). Some came out of a fairly mucky patch, look bad and are heating a fair bit (steel rod stuck into them comes out very warm/hot to touch). Most of them look grand although got a big wet while sitting out in the field and a rod stuck into them comes out feeling warm (30° odd, I'd say).

Is it normal to have a small bit of warmth in the middle of a big hay bale, or do people reckon they're a total write-off?

mauser77

Have 3 acre down wil be well fit this evenin if it stays like this bit of fog this morning but it burn off fast some heat in the sun now

Grecco

hurling_lad wrote: »

We've made a few big bales of hay this year for the first time (always made small square ones before). Some came out of a fairly mucky patch, look bad and are heating a fair bit (steel rod stuck into them comes out very warm/hot to touch). Most of them look grand although got a big wet while sitting out in the field and a rod stuck into them comes out feeling warm (30° odd, I'd say).

Is it normal to have a small bit of warmth in the middle of a big hay bale, or do people reckon they're a total write-off?

if they are heating like that then you`ll have a lot of mould. But I`m sure the cows wont leave a rib of it behind them by next april

hurling_lad

Grecco wrote: »

if they are heating like that then you`ll have a lot of mould. But I`m sure the cows wont leave a rib of it behind them by next april

Yeah - sounds like using the face-mask (ridiculous as it may seem) while opening them mightn't be a bad plan either.

moy83

Grecco wrote: »

if they are heating like that then you`ll have a lot of mould. But I`m sure the cows wont leave a rib of it behind them by next april

An elderly neighbour of ours asked could he have any bales out of a few rough gardens that were gone too strong for the cattle in our place ,not great stuff with docks and rushes in it . When I said he could have it but that it wouldnt be great his answer was that it would be better than a mouthful of snow next march Thought it was a good answer

jimmy G M

545 square bales made this evening off aprox 5 acres. Cut and spread on mon, got rain on mon night, turned on tues, and weds, twice on thurs, turned, rowed and baled this eve. 250 bales sold @ €3 out of the field (cheap?) keeping the balance, only 93 bales left in the field to bring in tomorrow. Just having a cup of coffee and a biccy before hitting the shower. Havn't had hay in 3 years. Happy out.

Western Pomise

Well done...even this year thats not cheap for man buying it ....out of the field that is....a neighbour of ours got 500 small sq bales delivered from 250 miles away,sheep qual hay,never saw rain the other day at 3;50 a bale...so you did grand.Would imagine a lot of strong type stuff will be got as hay in next day or two,if it was cut in time.

archtech

Have seen a right mix in quality of hay on the back on trailers this afternoon.

cloverleaf

cut ours two weeks ago , never even got to shake it out when the rains came, all dry and baled today after trojan work since Wednesday
thank goodness. now to get the autumn herd calved safely

grange mac

Saw a square baler wrapper in action today...not one of them mickey mouse micro balers...this thing was wrapping bales that were coming out of a regular small square baler...never knew such a thing existed...

reilig

Wrapped almost 100 bales of hay for a farmer last night who had baled them on friday evening thinking they were fit. He drew them yesterday morning and found the spikes hot as he pulled them out of the bales and further inspection saw them sweating. He decided for the sake of a couple of rolls of wrap to seal them us - they will come out of the wrap the same way as they went in. I'm sure there are loads of bales across the country heating this morning - I wonder if many people have the sense to wrap them?

gally74

How much is it to sq bale his year, hay that is?

sh1tstirrer

reilig wrote: »

Wrapped almost 100 bales of hay for a farmer last night who had baled them on friday evening thinking they were fit. He drew them yesterday morning and found the spikes hot as he pulled them out of the bales and further inspection saw them sweating. He decided for the sake of a couple of rolls of wrap to seal them us - they will come out of the wrap the same way as they went in. I'm sure there are loads of bales across the country heating this morning - I wonder if many people have the sense to wrap them?

Been there, done that. He will still have mould on the bales when he opens them. It would have been better to have baled the hay damp then wrap.

Farmer

Western Pomise wrote: »

Sad that making hay has become such a hardship...always handy to have some in the shed...could see hay been imported yet next Spring......Likely from south of England.

Hope it comes in cheaper than this stuff !!! (€50)

Richk2012

Farmer wrote: »

Hope it comes in cheaper than this stuff !!! (€50)

Thats total madness . Wont be too many callers for that .

reilig

sh1tstirrer wrote: »

Been there, done that. He will still have mould on the bales when he opens them. It would have been better to have baled the hay damp then wrap.

I have done it too, loads of times and the hay came out of the wrap the same way that it went in. perfect. Never saw any mould on it.

fits

I baled 30 on Saturday. Wrapped 23 of them and left seven. One appears to be heating a little but the rest are ok. Happy out.

whelan1

can someone explain to me , why when so much effort is made to make the hay with out rain, are some of the bales of hayleft in the fields for months makes no sense to me at all

Richk2012

whelan1 wrote: »

can someone explain to me , why when so much effort is made to make the hay with out rain, are some of the bales of hayleft in the fields for months makes no sense to me at all

And end up looking as black as the ace of spades

reilig

whelan1 wrote: »

can someone explain to me , why when so much effort is made to make the hay with out rain, are some of the bales of hayleft in the fields for months makes no sense to me at all

Half the owners of them are lazy. The other half baled them beofre they were fit and they think that by leaving them out in the rain that they won't heat and turn brown :rolleyes:

Western Pomise

Can never figure what people are at that leave hay out either...its fine if stacked in a reek...but they are a rarity in fields now,lot of stuff tidied up at wkd nationwide Id say.

sh1tstirrer

reilig wrote: »

Half the owners of them are lazy. The other half baled them beofre they were fit and they think that by leaving them out in the rain that they won't heat and turn brown :rolleyes:

What about the ones that had hoped to sell them off the field as they have no storage for them?

Conor556

110 bales of hay left from last year, usually sell from field but prices were **** so held onto them since we had the place to store them. Should make good price in a few months. Hopefully.

Richk2012

A high slowly building and should be dry from thursday onwards ...
Cut 4 acres this evening , is it mad to think of hay this time of the year with the heavy dew, and considering the summer we had ????

Black Smoke

Richk2012 wrote: »

whelan1 wrote: »

can someone explain to me , why when so much effort is made to make the hay with out rain, are some of the bales of hayleft in the fields for months makes no sense to me at all

And end up looking as black as the ace of spades

But you get a great crop of grass on top of tha bale after a few weeks -;)