Hay 2021

2smiggy

:-)

Jb1989

2smiggy wrote: »

:-)

Great crop

Young95

2smiggy wrote: »

:-)

When was that mowed ?

2smiggy

Wednesday evening. But weather has been good here. Last year was a disaster , touch wood , all going well so far

Tileman

Great afternoon here now. But I cut turning lovely. Will bale on Wednesday.

kk.man

Being driving around wicklow and Wexford today
... The world of hay is on the ground.

Mitchells33

Mowed 12 acres on Saturday, all going well it will he baled tomorrow after lunch all going well, the last two days have been perfect for it

minerleague

mr.stonewall wrote: »

Even back to 350rpm on the pto

Wouldnt agree with this at all, machine designed to be run at 540rpm for a reason, revs up to that & forward speed down is the way to go. Poor haybob gets a bad rep but usually down to poor setup or tedding more than once in the day. Turn it and let sun do the work

893bet

Poor enough day here today. Cloudy and dead.

Hay is like bulmers. Nothing added but time.

DBK1

minerleague wrote: »

Wouldnt agree with this at all, machine designed to be run at 540rpm for a reason, revs up to that & forward speed down is the way to go. Poor haybob gets a bad rep but usually down to poor setup or tedding more than once in the day. Turn it and let sun do the work

Finally someone that understands how to make hay!! Anyone that turns hay more than once a day should be put through the haybob themselves.

We’ve about 140 acres of hay on the ground at the minute, about 30 acres of our own to be saved, the rest for other men who are saving it themselves. I’ll be tedding mine out before lunch tomorrow and that’ll be it’s second tedding since being cut Saturday. It’ll make hay every bit as quick as the lads that are beating it around day and night with the difference being that mine will be good hay and theirs will be chaff with very poor feeding in it.

mr.stonewall

minerleague wrote: »

Wouldnt agree with this at all, machine designed to be run at 540rpm for a reason, revs up to that & forward speed down is the way to go. Poor haybob gets a bad rep but usually down to poor setup or tedding more than once in the day. Turn it and let sun do the work

Fluff the sward almost into almost a row. It is vital that you are gentle with the crop as it is getting closer to the bale. Haybob is the the devils work. A machine which is a bit of both but not fully up to the job in either. Bought a rough tedder a few years ago and with a bit of tlc and a few parts, its singing. There is an option of a gear box for the tedders, called night sward. All it does to is reduces the speed of the rotors down to leave it almost in a row. Hard and slow in the start of hay, and the gentle and fast as it drys is the key. Going at 540 or close to it after 3 days just batters the crop into short hay and leads to loses when baling.
The idea of turning it is to get air at the crop. Air at this time of year will dry grass very quick

minerleague

mr.stonewall wrote: »

Fluff the sward almost into almost a row. It is vital that you are gentle with the crop as it is getting closer to the bale. Haybob is the the devils work. A machine which is a bit of both but not fully up to the job in either. Bought a rough tedder a few years ago and with a bit of tlc and a few parts, its singing. There is an option of a gear box for the tedders, called night sward. All it does to is reduces the speed of the rotors down to leave it almost in a row. Hard and slow in the start of hay, and the gentle and fast as it drys is the key. Going at 540 or close to it after 3 days just batters the crop into short hay and leads to loses when baling.
The idea of turning it is to get air at the crop. Air at this time of year will dry grass very quick

I'd argue that if hay is as brittle as that you should have it baled already, haybob has stood test of time , width is limited so more people are going for 4 an 6 rotor tedders. the amount of badly setup haybobs is unreal, teeth breaking all over the place, and forward speed too quick just so they can get a second run in

mr.stonewall

minerleague wrote: »

I'd argue that if hay is as brittle as that you should have it baled already, haybob has stood test of time , width is limited so more people are going for 4 an 6 rotor tedders. the amount of badly setup haybobs is unreal, teeth breaking all over the place, and forward speed too quick just so they can get a second run in

Set up if the machine is someing that is under estimated even with a haybob. Spent many years baling silage for a contractor and you could easily tell how easy it would be to bale by the pilot of the haybob rowing it up. Some guys shouldn't be let near one.

Getting back to hay. Fridays cut will be baled tomorrow. Some will have been only tedded twice and the rest 3 times. Light cover as it wasn't planned as a meadow

Base price

893bet wrote: »

Poor enough day here today. Cloudy and dead.

Hay is like bulmers. Nothing added but time.

We were going to cut 12 acres on Saturday but the weather was overcast and cloudy. It's been much the same since and when the sun comes out it doesn't have the intensity that you need for hay.

We are going to wait for another week or so and see if the weather improves.

Bleating Lamb

I see there is a strong possibility of rain beginning in the Southeast on Friday afternoon before tracking northwards.

Only a drop,but would be enough to spoil Hay for baling.Good steep of rain Nationwide on Saturday.

Suppose most people with Hay down will have it saved by Wednesday or Thursday so will avoid the rain.

Getting light meadow for Silage bales for sheep cut tomorrow morning and baled Wednesday morning .
Want to get it off the fields when the ground is dry.


I wonder what will good quality sheep hay be priced at for small square bales sold from the field?

Too_Old_Boots

My hay is struggling so far. A very heavy crop that still has plenty green through it.
Cut Sat morning, turned twice since. It needs 2 more good days but the weather is cloudy for Weds - Friday.
I'll make a decision after today as I might just wrap it for hayledge instead.
Top quality hayledge Vs mouldy hay is a no brainer

lab man

Too_Old_Boots wrote: »

My hay is struggling so far. A very heavy crop that still has plenty green through it.
Cut Sat morning, turned twice since. It needs 2 more good days but the weather is cloudy for Weds - Friday.
I'll make a decision after today as I might just wrap it for hayledge instead.
Top quality hayledge Vs mouldy hay is a no brainer

If your making haulage of it make sure to bale it with the dew on it and plenty plastic on them we usually bale here at 6 or 7 am for haylage

Young95

Anyone here in the southeast? Think there’s rain on Thursday? Or is it only gossip and plough on for bailing on Thursday?

Gudstock

lab man wrote: »

If your making haulage of it make sure to bale it with the dew on it and plenty plastic on them we usually bale here at 6 or 7 am for haylage

Is there a point at which it's gone too far to wrap?

Too_Old_Boots

Gudstock wrote: »

Is there a point at which it's gone too far to wrap?

No, but
if it is almost at the point of hay then you really need to be going with extra wrap, 6 wraps instead of 4 or else you could get some mold in the hayledge, but it still makes for cracking feed stuff.

The day has shone out so I'm going to rattle it again today in an hour or so. I think if today stays good then it should make great hay by Friday.

Sami23

Too_Old_Boots wrote: »

No, but
if it is almost at the point of hay then you really need to be going with extra wrap, 6 wraps instead of 4 or else you could get some mold in the hayledge, but it still makes for cracking feed stuff.

The day has shone out so I'm going to rattle it again today in an hour or so. I think if today stays good then it should make great hay by Friday.

If we get till Friday evening without rain I think everyone will be laughing

Sami23

DBK1 wrote: »

Finally someone that understands how to make hay!! Anyone that turns hay more than once a day should be put through the haybob themselves.

In perfect conditions you are 100% correct if you were guaranteed over a week of perfect sunny weather.
The problem this week in many parts of the country is the cloud cover and lack of a good breeze and high temps so we have to turn/ted more often than we would like to get it baled before the rain..
The weather dictates in Ireland I'm afraid

kk.man

Young95 wrote: »

Anyone here in the southeast? Think there’s rain on Thursday? Or is it only gossip and plough on for bailing on Thursday?

Thursday is up in the air tbh... I'll know later on

Neddyusa

DBK1 wrote: »

Finally someone that understands how to make hay!! Anyone that turns hay more than once a day should be put through the haybob themselves.

We’ve about 140 acres of hay on the ground at the minute, about 30 acres of our own to be saved, the rest for other men who are saving it themselves. I’ll be tedding mine out before lunch tomorrow and that’ll be it’s second tedding since being cut Saturday. It’ll make hay every bit as quick as the lads that are beating it around day and night with the difference being that mine will be good hay and theirs will be chaff with very poor feeding in it.

You're spot on there.
It's the weather that makes it, not the turning.
The best hay I ever made was just turned twice or three times and rowed up. 2013, 2014 and 2018. Was good enough to fatten stock.
Every turning reduces the DMD by something like 3%.

Dunedin

Neddyusa wrote: »

You're spot on there.
It's the weather that makes it, not the turning.
The best hay I ever made was just turned twice or three times and rowed up. 2013, 2014 and 2018. Was good enough to fatten stock.
Every turning reduces the DMD by something like 3%.

Agree but how often do we get the weather to have the luxury of sitting back and letting it save itself.

kk.man

Better bale before Thursday in the South East

K.G.

Whats the price of making a smallsq bales these days

Stihl waters

K.G. wrote: »

Whats the price of making a smallsq bales these days

Handier for feeding on the winterage

2smiggy

dull and foggy morning here. should brighten up later in the day. have about 20 acres left that should be good to bale with a bit of sunshine this afternoon.

K.G.

Too_Old_Boots wrote: »

No, but
if it is almost at the point of hay then you really need to be going with extra wrap, 6 wraps instead of 4 or else you could get some mold in the hayledge, but it still makes for cracking feed stuff.

The day has shone out so I'm going to rattle it again today in an hour or so. I think if today stays good then it should make great hay by Friday.

Id say its thurs or no go .you wont get the evening sunshine which is best for baling hay on friday.have small bit baling tomorrow cut friday evening

Mooooo

Cut sat evening here, fine fog down this morning. Should burn off hopefully will get it in 2moro

893bet

Our bit is fit at this stage one last turn for the backsward required is all.

cute geoge

What is turn the back sward ,is it turn the oposite way to the previous runs

893bet

cute geoge wrote: »

What is turn the back sward ,is it turn the oposite way to the previous runs

The backsward is the last sward of grass cut closest to the ditch. The hardest part to dry out as it’s often the heaviest grass and most sheltered.

Other people prob call it something else.

dzer2

893bet wrote: »

The backsward is the last sward of grass cut closest to the ditch. The hardest part to dry out as it’s often the heaviest grass and most sheltered.

Other people prob call it something else.

Headlands around here

Young95

kk.man wrote: »

Better bale before Thursday in the South East

Baling later dis evening here

Western Pomise

Very dull here in Mayo the last two days…..have leafy enough stuff I usually make Silage of for sheep but when I saw the forecast last week I chanced for hay and cut it Saturday.We had several hours of torrential rain last Thursday so I had to wait nearly 36 hours to get the grass cut dry.

Turned it Monday and again there now but will be tight enough if it’s ready for baling tomorrow evening.Looking at forecast things look safe enough rain wise till Saturday at this stage which is great.

This week may have come a bit early for people with sheep whose meadows would only be taken up late but there is a lot of stuff been gathered up tg.

releasevalve

dzer2 wrote: »

Headlands around here

As the ould lad use to say round with the wall

Mad about baa baas

893bet wrote: »

The backsward is the last sward of grass cut closest to the ditch. The hardest part to dry out as it’s often the heaviest grass and most sheltered.

Other people prob call it something else.

Many moons ago I shared house in college in limerick with a wild leitrim man that I'd swear got his first pair of shoes around age 15.. anyway one day we were in town and he insisted we go to a cafe for tea and cake.. he duly confused the woman behind the counter when he said..can I have the back sward on that cake mam

2smiggy

Now sunny and very hot in North cork. So should be good to go in an hour or so

Aravo

Aravo wrote: »

Cut 10acres today, 2 no. 5 acre fields. One was light, the other heavier. With the dry weather over the last few weeks, one would imagine the crop should dry out quicker than normal.
Not going near the Glas THM. Will wait till the 1st. Don't fancy getting a letter in the post.

Hoping to bale here tomorrow afternoon. Turning daily.
One field is grand, the other got an extra turn yesterday and will get same again today as the grass is a lot newer as was reseeded 2 yrs ago, the grass in this field is a lot greener and more sap in it.

Weather has been a bit hit and miss with cloud blocking out the sunshine for long periods some days.

Sami23

Aravo wrote: »

Hoping to bale here tomorrow afternoon. Turning daily.
One field is grand, the other got an extra turn yesterday and will get same again today as the grass is a lot newer as was reseeded 2 yrs ago, the grass in this field is a lot greener and more sap in it.

Weather has been a bit hit and miss with cloud blocking out the sunshine for long periods some days.

Do ye think all the country is safe from rain tomorrow lads ?
Mine won't be fit today anyway

2smiggy

Small few dark clouds, hopefully avoid any showers

Tileman

Sami23 wrote: »

Do ye think all the country is safe from rain tomorrow lads ?
Mine won't be fit today anyway

U should be ok but there is a small risk. However don’t panic. If it’s not fit to bale don’t bale it today as u will be left with poor fodder for feeding and not suitable for sale.

Too_Old_Boots

Heat and dust is unbearable out there now. Hay is absolutely cracking. Baler arriving at 7, hoping for about 7 bales/acre that should leave me around 120 bales which i doubt will fit into an old 2 aisle hayshed

kk.man

Last of the hay 2021 baled this evening. None of it got rain. Now to bate Wexford on Sunday ðŸ˜

Dunedin

Made 50 bales on Monday. Got a bit of last weeks rain but it was in good enough order. Happy to get it.

Aravo

Tileman wrote: »

U should be ok but there is a small risk. However don’t panic. If it’s not fit to bale don’t bale it today as u will be left with poor fodder for feeding and not suitable for sale.

+1

Reggie.

65 acres done today and another 15 tomorrow

weatherbyfoxer

raked 80 acres of hay yeasterday for different farmers and cant say much of it was actually fit to bale..can never understand lads willing to bale damp hay and let it heat instead of spending €6 per bale and having decent haylage