How early in the morning would you turn hay

Dunedin

As the subject says, obviously it depends on the weather but allowing that it was reasonably good sunny morning and you weren't under too much pressure, how early would you turn hay.

CloughCasey1

Dunedin wrote: »

As the subject says, obviously it depends on the weather but allowing that it was reasonably good sunny morning and you weren't under too much pressure, how early would you turn hay.

A lot depends on what time ya turned it yesterday. If it got a full days sun if it was turned early the day before you could turn it as soon as any dew has burned off. That could be 11.30 or 1.30 depending on the day. My neighnour was turning his at 9pm and the sky falling last night. It really is how long is a piece of string question.

Reggie.

CloughCasey1 wrote: »

A lot depends on what time ya turned it yesterday. If it got a full days sun if it was turned early the day before you could turn it as soon as any dew has burned off. That could be 11.30 or 1.30 depending on the day. My neighnour was turning his at 9pm and the sky falling last night. It really is how long is a piece of string question.

We turn hay twice a day here. Morning and evening. It still wilted with a good dry night. Many waste the night time drying plus leaving grass till midday is too late as the day is half gone. Often made hay in 4 days with the tedder that way.

Was going to ted hay this morning at 5am only I hadn't the time. It was good dry night with a very slight dew so was well able to be tedded.

visatorro

A lad told me before you have hay turned for the heat.

Bullocks

I'd let the dew be well gone off the ground before I'd bother . Don't think time has anything to do with it , as little turning as I'd get away with really

_Brian

Bullocks wrote: »

I'd let the dew be well gone off the ground before I'd bother . Don't think time has anything to do with it , as little turning as I'd get away with really

This makes sense, no point in leaving dew on it and turning it over.

Reggie.

Bullocks wrote: »

I'd let the dew be well gone off the ground before I'd bother . Don't think time has anything to do with it , as little turning as I'd get away with really

We are the opposite here. We made 40 acres of hay here last year for a man in 3 days. 3 tedders going non stop for the 3 days. Just kept turning it. All sold out of the field. Bone dry. I'd say it got 2 hours in the sun before getting hit again each time.

Reggie.

_Brian wrote: »

This makes sense, no point in leaving dew on it and turning it over.

Unless the dew is very heavy there's no point waiting for it. Most dry grass sits up when tedded and any moisture will be dried by the wind. Like it blowing around with the wind. It takes grass a few hours to lie down flat again onto the ground.

I've often tedded grass with the ground wet underneath and on the second tedding the ground was gone dry. Don't forget the ground heats up as well and will bake the grass underneath.

Who2

There was a heavy dew here last night , I wouldn't chance it until at least eleven, but then sometimes needs must and you may have to get going early to cover the lot.

Reggie.

Who2 wrote: »

There was a heavy dew here last night , I wouldn't chance it until at least eleven, but then sometimes needs must and you may have to get going early to cover the lot.

Yeah we usually ain't too bad with dew as we are on hilly ground so if we get any kind of wind at all it dies dry off very quickly. Was barely any dew out this morning at 5am

mahoney_j

30 acres cut for haylage here on Friday afternoon ,turned once yesterday ,again at 9 this morning and off to shake it again now ,turn again around 11/12 tomorrow ,take it up tomorrow evening and baler on Tuesday am ,hay a non runner for me as it takes up valueable shed space ,also havnt the patience for hay!!!

Reggie.

mahoney_j wrote: »

30 acres cut for haylage here on Friday afternoon ,turned once yesterday ,again at 9 this morning and off to shake it again now ,turn again around 11/12 tomorrow ,take it up tomorrow evening and baler on Tuesday am ,hay a non runner for me as it takes up valueable shed space ,also havnt the patience for hay!!!

You wouldn't be far off hay at that rate anyways

mahoney_j

Reggie. wrote: »

You wouldn't be far off hay at that rate anyways

Probably right ,actually whilst we're at it define haylage rather than hay ???.had this discussion over a few cold cans of. Cider last night and none the wiser !!!! Best we came up with was half way beteween silage and hay

Reggie.

mahoney_j wrote: »

Probably right ,actually whilst we're at it define haylage rather than hay ???.had this discussion over a few cold cans of. Cider last night and none the wiser !!!! Best we came up with was half way beteween silage and hay

It was explained to me that haylage should be around a day or two away from hay. As in it looks like hay but requires just another day to be safe.

Robson99

mahoney_j wrote: »

Probably right ,actually whilst we're at it define haylage rather than hay ???.had this discussion over a few cold cans of. Cider last night and none the wiser !!!! Best we came up with was half way beteween silage and hay

A day off hay. Any less is just dry silage.

Robson99

Reggie. wrote: »

We are the opposite here. We made 40 acres of hay here last year for a man in 3 days. 3 tedders going non stop for the 3 days. Just kept turning it. All sold out of the field. Bone dry. I'd say it got 2 hours in the sun before getting hit again each time.

Hay is as much dependant on the type of grass as much as Times turned.
Turning the ****e out of it will leave it full of dust as will grass with a lot of clover in it. Would be all right for dry cows but thats about it
When making horse hay the stronger the grass the better and the less thrashing the better too. A good breeze is essential to make good hay

patsy_mccabe

It's usually a case in this country that rain is never too far away, so the quicker you save hay the better. That means turning it more often and sooner than is ideal. Too many have been caught with the rain to risk leaving it too long.

sea12

Not much hay cut here at all. Think like mts elf the people who do cut it are in Glas so can't cut for another 2 weeks or so. Also heavy showers on Thursday put people off. The last two days were powerful with sun and wind. Fir anybody who cut it they should get nice quality stuff. June hay is fantastic feed quality if you get it.

Had one 3 acre field not in Glas hay category but was a bit light and your only annoying the contractor to come bale 20 bakes if hay when he doesn't live beside you.

Keepgrowing

mahoney_j wrote: »

30 acres cut for haylage here on Friday afternoon ,turned once yesterday ,again at 9 this morning and off to shake it again now ,turn again around 11/12 tomorrow ,take it up tomorrow evening and baler on Tuesday am ,hay a non runner for me as it takes up valueable shed space ,also havnt the patience for hay!!!

Add to that the fact that it's a shyte feed. Made some last year, won't make thT mistake again.
Takes shed space and only fit to be fed to cows just dried off. Best stuff I've ever seen to take condition off cows

Reggie.

Keepgrowing wrote: »

Add to that the fact that it's a shyte feed. Made some last year, won't make thT mistake again.
Takes shed space and only fit to be fed to cows just dried off. Best stuff I've ever seen to take condition off cows

That's what the suckler and horsey people around here use it for. Horses tend to get very fat on haylage so near spring they have to get the hay to lose condition. A lot of studs around me including Ryanair

visatorro

Reggie. wrote: »

That's what the suckler and horsey people around here use it for. Horses tend to get very fat on haylage so near spring they have to get the hay to lose condition. A lot of studs around me including Ryanair

Does Michael give you abit of work?!

Reggie.

visatorro wrote: »

Does Michael give you abit of work?!

Nope he has his own fleet for that but do be in about there a bit.

visatorro

Reggie. wrote: »

Nope he has his own fleet for that but do be in about there a bit.

Just aswell, I wonder what his attitude to contractors would be?!

whelan2

Almost 30 years to the day my uncle died suddenly, we ended up making 5000 small square bales of hay on his land. I will never make hay ever again. Total sickner. We stacked them in 21's and drew them in with bale grab. Sold them all

Reggie.

visatorro wrote: »

Just aswell, I wonder what his attitude to contractors would be?!

She's 100% once you don't try to ride him or that. It's mainly done through his accountants and if any difference in price compared to last year's one and they want answers.

adam14

Turned hay at 7.00am last week. Baled today, best of stuff.

pedigree 6

The newer varieties of ryegrass don't make good hay.
They just don't.
If you want good hay use an older sod but have a bit of leaf on the grass and don't have it all stem and no leaf.
Don't have much nitrogen in the grass you're cutting either.
Then turn as little as possible as you can, to save the leaf from shattering to dust,
depends on weather and if you have a light or heavy crop.

That's my take on it anyway.

CloughCasey1

Lovely sweet smell of it this morning. ☺

kollegeknight

sea12 wrote: »

Had one 3 acre field not in Glas hay category but was a bit light and your only annoying the contractor to come bale 20 bakes if hay when he doesn't live beside you.

Tram it?

I wonder does anybody tram hay anymore?

max12

How soon can I draw in rounds. Will be stacking 4 high in a hay shed

Is there any need to turn them for an hour before drawing in to let the damp spot at the bottom dry out.

Base price

max12 wrote: »

How soon can I draw in rounds. Will be stacking 4 high in a hay shed

Is there any need to turn them for an hour before drawing in to let the damp spot at the bottom dry out.

Best to leave them in the field for 5 days to a week. Irrespective of how dry the hay was at baling it will still heat in the bales and you don't want it heating in a shed.