Would you use a haybob to Tedder out second cut silage for baling

cacs

I am going to cut second cut silage in the next two weeks. It's very good quality but very soft. Last year we baled it wet and I nearly threw my hat in trying to get cattle to eat it. This year I am going to wait for the weather and I was thinking of leaving it down for two days and spreading it out with the haybob to wilt it. I know my contractor won't want me to do it, but that might for his sake. If I do this am I increasing the risk of mould and rot in the bales . The silage will be left adequate time to deplete the nitrogen.

welton john

By wilting it you are reducing the chance of it rotting. Always wilt aftergrass a bit more than first here and if your really worried about mould put on extra wrap.
If it dont suit your contractor get another one

Nekarsulm

Work fine with a baler. Haybobs and precision chop harvesters not a good combination.
Once took 14 knives out of a JF harvested (out of twenty!) with a lost haybob tine.

After the initial BANG I stuck the tractor I reverse, and picked up the broken knives again, that she had shat out the back.......

visatorro

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Work fine with a baler. Haybobs and precision chop harvesters not a good combination.
Once took 14 knives out of a JF harvested (out of twenty!) with a lost haybob tine.

After the initial BANG I stuck the tractor I reverse, and picked up the broken knives again, that she had shat out the back.......

Oops

jimmy G M

Nekarsulm wrote: »

After the initial BANG I stuck the tractor I reverse, and picked up the broken knives again, that she had shat out the back.......

Sorry Nek but I got a great laugh out of that.

jimmy G M

jimmy G M wrote: »

Sorry Nek but I got a great laugh out of that.

Sometimes Ted out the grass before baling here with a hay bob and row back up again., however set the tines for spreading not rowing when rowing up. Also drilled a few extra holes on the arms of the gates so we can set the gates at 4 ft wide same as grass after mower conditioner. This makes a more even row I find.

Mostly we run along the mowco. rows with the hay bob set up as described above and it fluffs up the rows grand. You need to be careful when driving that the grass is going out through the reels evenly otherwise the rows will come out evenly.

Lots of benefits to a good wilt. ..not least better quality and less bales per acre. We have been wilting grass for years and never a problem with mould even with haylage.

orm0nd

not 2nd cut, but baled some real lush sheep grass last week, once mowed we literally kept it airborne with the tedder

contractor rowed with 9m rake , very solid bales & about 6/ac
without tedding, would have been 9-10/ac & most likely "swiss rolls"

Zr105

Nekarsulm wrote: »

Work fine with a baler. Haybobs and precision chop harvesters not a good combination.
Once took 14 knives out of a JF harvested (out of twenty!) with a lost haybob tine.

After the initial BANG I stuck the tractor I reverse, and picked up the broken knives again, that she had shat out the back.......

Short lengths of rope and tie it in a loop through the spring of the tine. Takes a bit of time to do them all but if one breaks you'll just here a ting ting ting, get out cut the rope and throw the broke bit into the cab