Hay 2022

minerleague

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119317465#Comment_119317465

As you say rare enough these years to see enough of a spell of fine weather to have to worry about it getting too dry ! How come we seem to forget how much work is involved in the small square bales until its time to stook them ( in field knots down and out !) load them on trailers , unload them and stack them again in sauna of metal haybarn 😝 The days of teams of workers around is long gone

StevenToast

Hay done...over 100 round bales....incredible spell of weather....

Therell be no shortage of hay around the midlands anyway...

Make Hay while the sun shines......

glanman

650 small bales, next few cool days will help big time as too hot to draw in on days like today.

Heavier meadow to do next, looks like it should be rock solid for the next week.

therunaround

What are small squares making off the field? €3.50-€4?

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119319647#Comment_119319647

€3.50

weatherbyfoxer

Ovet 1500 rounds baled for customers over the past few days and 80+ acres on today,safe to say there will be no shortage of hay for sale in Co.kildare anyway by the looks of it

TL17

Just wondering, what's the average rounds per acre?

Silverdream

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119320219#Comment_119320219

We had really heavy crop of long bulky hay that came in at 11 bales/acre (feed value I think was about on par with cardboard). Fine green grass type hay is usually around 6-7 bales per acre but with a much higher feed value

Thekeencyclist

This may be of interest to some but i have been following the following discussion and in fairness they are giving better forecasts than met eireann (which I know wudnt be hard!!). The week is looking good especially for down south and next weekend is looking very good.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058248300/fi-charts-t120-onwards-summer-2022-read-mod-note-in-first-post

mr.stonewall

I'm knocking another bit of hay as we speak. This will be the 3rd lot. Got a lot in June. Baled a few acres yesterday, was cut on Monday. It either hay or make wraps with this lot

Serious spell of weather and drying further. Sunshine and a breeze perfect here in the Midwest

Tileman

All bales up this evening. The day turned cool very quick. My own tractor kept giving trouble and the contractor broke down and had to get another man into finish so not all plain sailing but at least it’s done. Now for the second half. To knock more Tomo evening. Had intended to do it today but that didn’t happen.

WJL

And looks like another week from Wednesday for hay for late grazed pasture etc. Very good year if drought doesn't develop.

Bleating Lamb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119320423#Comment_119320423

It's amazing the different weather cycles we get within a small country....in Leitrim here and there has been no proper spell of fine weather for hay, although I saw some from South Leitrim advertised on Donedeal but it looked decidedly green in the swarth!

In fact tbh a lot of avg land would still not be fit to take heavy machinery at the moment even though we had a great day yesterday for example.Good day again today but started raining again this evening.

Jb1989

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324318#Comment_119324318

Not trying to be awkward 🙈. But hay and heavy machinery shouldn't go together, proper hay is a job for the 168 and the 4000.

ruwithme

Lads to drive the 168 & the 4000 are nearly all dead now, imagine asking the youngsters.

Bleating Lamb

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324497#Comment_119324497

You might have took me up wrongly,my point was ground is still quite wet up here as we haven't had the 5+ days spells you would need for hay that lower half of country seems to have got.. Nothing to do with machinery to save hay. See people getting silage made with Fusion Balers and tracks been left in places. Definitely a shortage of drivers for 168's and the like. Hardest ever day I put in machinery wise was bringing in bales with a neighbours 168 that had no seat,no brakes or no lights and a dodgy clutch!....but I was a teenager and thought it was great craic.

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324588#Comment_119324588

168 that had no seat,no brakes or no lights and a dodgy clutch!

😆 Fairly sure the biggest issue there was the owner of the tractor and not the model. No excuse for not keeping tractors safe to use.

Young95

HAve hay down here since Thursday. Nice drop of rain on it last night . Would lads leave it sit for a day or two and then give it a turn or two or would it be ritten off from the rain altogether for making hay out of it ?

emaherx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324923#Comment_119324923

Far from written off being rained on once, let it sit till it's dry and turn again, if it's a good day that could be this evening.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119319647#Comment_119319647

Jaysus.

We're being spoiled for it, by local farmer.

He's topping us up during the winter/spring months and we're having to force money on him.

Getting thick with us at anything over €20 for 30 squares

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324318#Comment_119324318

The difference is huge. Well worth have a look at met eireann for the average rainfall from east to west. Overall June wasn't bad here. The main rain was at the end off the month and that made places sticky. No field work for the week after.

Ground is huge thing. I'm on lot of heavy ground. The thing I find is hay suits this heavier ground. Machinery is lighter, tractor and mower and the tractor and tedder. Ground is getting chance to crust a bit once it's cut and this helps hugely. The year so far is back a lot on rain and this has helped

The hay got in June wasn't classic weather. It was down for 9 days and got a small bit of rain on it. Overcast and windy.

The key with hay is once you see a spell you have to go quick.

mr.stonewall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324923#Comment_119324923

Leave it alone today unless this afternoon evening turns out good. A bit of rain will do it no harm and the forecast is on your side for the rest of the week

whelan2

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119318383#Comment_119318383

Pharmacist told me to take 1 of those a day 4 days prior to when you'll be meeting the challenge. I was eaten by mosquitoes a few years ago in France. Only got 2 bites last week on holiday no itch

Silverdream

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119325175#Comment_119325175

I've noticed the horseflies are particularly wicked this year. I got badly bitten on my wrist and it well swollen and sore.

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324923#Comment_119324923

Do not touch it until the surface has dried off. That when you can walk through a grazed field and your boots are still dry. After that it depends on how far to hay you are gone, it might only take 1 more shake to dry it out complete then it's hay

Sami23

Thought I was finished for this year as baled the squares on Sunday and rounds on Monday but very tempted to go again with another field that's gone a bit strong as Cows won't be going into it for another few weeks.

Promised good till next Monday I think so will cut tomorrow if gonna give it a go ?

Sami23

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119324166#Comment_119324166

It is Wednesday or next Wednesday ?

WJL

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119327920#Comment_119327920

From now, Tuesday evening for 5 or 6 days, it'll be fine in the southern half of the country. The west and north could see drizzle. Need to keep up with the forecast for possible thundery break early next week.

Silverdream

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119327913#Comment_119327913

I'm going again Tomorrow too. It's a neighbours meadows, very light crop no fertilizer so it should save in about 3 days max. Met.ie is showing the weather Good in the south but not such Hay weather in the Northern half of the country, plus there's rain for Saturday night but clearing again for a few days.

minerleague

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119327913#Comment_119327913

Probably cut myself tomorrow also, could have cut with last weeks but away from other bits I cut - no fun travelling on road with haybob between two or three fields 6 or so miles apart. Can leave tractor in this field once start tedding. Talk of very hot weather by saturday. Lots baled up around here on monday.

J.O. Farmer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119327920#Comment_119327920

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119328098#Comment_119328098

According to M.T. cranium on the weather section it's looking good from next Wednesday.

Another Atlantic high will build in around Wednesday 20th and a more settled interval will follow. Temperatures then will be near July normal values but could rise a bit late in that week or towards the following weekend.