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Hay

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  • 25-06-2019 11:33am
    #1
    somofagun
    Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭


    Mowing down 10 acres today. I am considering making it into small hay bales. Weather isn't looking to bad but its giving a bit of rain for Saturday.
    I mad hay of the same fields last year but it was no problem as the good weather just kept going.
    Would you risk it?


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    #2
    patsy_mccabe
    Registered Users Posts: 10,687 ✭✭✭✭patsy_mccabe


    I think with hay, it helps to have the ground dry before you mow. Waiting an extra day after all that rain can help a lot.

    'When I was a boy we were serfs, slave minded. Anyone who came along and lifted us out of that belittling, I looked on them as Gods.' - Dan Breen



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    #3
    2smiggy
    Registered Users Posts: 19,953 ✭✭✭✭2smiggy


    going to risk cutting 15/20 acres later today , hoping for the best


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    #4
    CloughCasey1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,741 ✭✭✭CloughCasey1


    patsy_mccabe wrote: »
    I think with hay, it helps to have the ground dry before you mow. Waiting an extra day after all that rain can help a lot.

    Spot on Patsy. Conditioner mower will also help dry it out and the ground between the rows. Will be a struggle to save it. Very close. It will need until next week anyway.


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    #5
    Pod123
    Registered Users Posts: 115 ✭✭Pod123


    Ground makes a huge difference.
    Had corcas land and would always be damp under neath.
    Then on the up land no problem ground dry as a bone and when turned always dry underneath.
    The only thing going for the corcas low land it was so open no ditches always got the breeze and sun.


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    #6
    Never wrestle with pigs
    Registered Users Posts: 1,447 ✭✭✭Never wrestle with pigs


    Cut 15 acres today, going to chance it too.


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    #7
    Box09
    Registered Users Posts: 240 ✭✭Box09


    Got hay saved on Saturday and more down now, weather looks good enough


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    #8
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,477 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Ground very damp and soft here, be tough making hay with that much moisture under it.
    Even if it were hot it would sweat onto the back of mown grass rather than dry away.


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    #9
    893bet
    Registered Users Posts: 8,745 ✭✭✭893bet


    Cut last night on the gamble that would avoid the rain which we did. Ground is wet enough and crop is heavy. Will be tight enough for Friday I’d say.


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    #10
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,477 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    once it’s watched it can always be wrapped up anyway


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    #11
    Never wrestle with pigs
    Registered Users Posts: 1,447 ✭✭✭Never wrestle with pigs


    893bet wrote: »
    Cut last night on the gamble that would avoid the rain which we did. Ground is wet enough and crop is heavy. Will be tight enough for Friday I’d say.

    Rain that was promised for Saturday here seems to have disappeared off the radar today. Hopefully it will stay gone.


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    #12
    somofagun
    Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭somofagun


    Went home from work yesterday and the grass was mowed. Got the haybob out and had her sitting ready to go this morning at 6am to turn it over. I have chickened out, its a heavy crop and will take a fair bit of sun to get it dried and i dont think 2-3 days window that we have will be enough. As said before on here the ground really needs to be dry on ours is soft at the minute. Will let it sit now till Friday/Saturday and round bale it.


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    #13
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,368 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    somofagun wrote: »
    Went home from work yesterday and the grass was mowed. Got the haybob out and had her sitting ready to go this morning at 6am to turn it over. I have chickened out, its a heavy crop and will take a fair bit of sun to get it dried and i dont think 2-3 days window that we have will be enough. As said before on here the ground really needs to be dry on ours is soft at the minute. Will let it sit now till Friday/Saturday and round bale it.

    Was out in the fields this morning and a very heavy dew out. Seems to be no drying at night. MT giving heavy downpours on Saturday for Midlands and east. Too tight a window I think.


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    #14
    Donald Trump
    Registered Users Posts: 19,070 ✭✭✭✭Donald Trump


    somofagun wrote: »
    Went home from work yesterday and the grass was mowed. Got the haybob out and had her sitting ready to go this morning at 6am to turn it over. I have chickened out, its a heavy crop and will take a fair bit of sun to get it dried and i dont think 2-3 days window that we have will be enough. As said before on here the ground really needs to be dry on ours is soft at the minute. Will let it sit now till Friday/Saturday and round bale it.




    As a rule, you'd be wasting your time out turning hay at 6am. You'd need to give it a few hours for the day to lift up a bit. Maybe if you are just kicking it out of the swarth and there is no dew out you could somehow justify it, but I'd be inclined to wait a few hours.


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    #15
    Dozer1
    Registered Users Posts: 1,198 ✭✭✭Dozer1


    Cut a few acres last evening. ...and then it poured rain for 10 mins. Going to be tight I'd say for hay. Never saw any point turning hay until at least midday


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    #16
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,477 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Was on a job earlier and one guy has 6acres down for hay. Was cut yesterday 4pm.

    It was still wet to handle at 12 when he went home to check on it. Has baler and wrapper booked for tomorrow but not sure it may be Friday when they make it as so much on.


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    #17
    blue.dub4sam
    Banned (with Prison Access) Posts: 30 ✭blue.dub4sam


    Met eireann have issued a heat warning for tomorrow.
    27°. Get out the forks.


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    #18
    CloughCasey1
    Registered Users Posts: 2,741 ✭✭✭CloughCasey1


    blue.dub4sam wrote: »
    Met eireann have issued a heat warning for tomorrow.
    27°. Get out the forks.

    Going to see will I get mine on Saturday afternoon. Will need all to go right. Knocked yesterday evening.


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    #19
    Dinzee Conlee
    Registered Users Posts: 2,139 ✭✭✭Dinzee Conlee


    CloughCasey1 wrote: »
    Going to see will I get mine on Saturday afternoon. Will need all to go right. Knocked yesterday evening.

    That's less than 4 days, surely you couldn't save hay in 4 days? :eek: :confused:


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    #20
    johnnyw20
    Registered Users Posts: 198 ✭✭johnnyw20


    Cut some Monday evening and turned last night and turning at the minute. Savage drying out. Going to go cut another 8 acres later. Hopefully the weather holds till monday


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    #21
    bogman_bass
    Registered Users Posts: 5,057 ✭✭✭bogman_bass


    Cut mine lunchtime yesterday. Good drying today. It’ll be a close call


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    #22
    davidk1394
    Registered Users Posts: 4,044 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    Would anyone know how much an acre of hay is making ? Sold standing in the field


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    #23
    Genghis Cant
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 4,980 Mod ✭✭✭✭Genghis Cant


    Reggie. wrote: »
    MT giving heavy downpours on Saturday for Midlands and east. Too tight a window I think.

    You're probably right. 4 acres knocked and kicked out . Maybe we'll be lucky. If you don't mow it you won't make it.


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    #24
    893bet
    Registered Users Posts: 8,745 ✭✭✭893bet


    Ours dried a lot today in limerick. A scorcher tomorrow.

    Be grand on Friday.


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    #25
    2smiggy
    Registered Users Posts: 19,953 ✭✭✭✭2smiggy


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    Would anyone know how much an acre of hay is making ? Sold standing in the field

    too early to tell I think, maybe 22-25 a bale off the field ?


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    #26
    _Brian
    Registered Users Posts: 18,477 ✭✭✭✭_Brian


    Good breeze with sun this morning. Will help dry stuff quickly.


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    #27
    somofagun
    Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭somofagun


    Just an update. Went home from work yesterday and the ole man had the field turned after telling me i would be mad to try an make hay of it. It is still fairly wet so much so that if i lift a bit that is under the sward you could still squeeze water out of it. Will turn it over today again and see how it is looking this evening before a call is made on whether to round bale it or keep going.


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    #28
    RobinBanks
    Registered Users Posts: 923 ✭✭✭RobinBanks


    would ye normally shake once a day everyday until its ready for bailing or do you shake twice a day?


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    #29
    jimmy G M
    Registered Users Posts: 1,140 ✭✭✭jimmy G M


    I wouldn't panic if ihay is not fit in the next day or two...There's a decent spell of weather again next week I believe, so if not fit leave it off til then. Have about 3 acres cut myself and am hoping for hay middle of next week. If weather goes bad I'll just wrap it as haylage...
    .


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    #30
    jimmy G M
    Registered Users Posts: 1,140 ✭✭✭jimmy G M


    RobinBanks wrote: »
    would ye normally shake once a day everyday until its ready for bailing or do you shake twice a day?

    If you are trying to get hay fit fast then absolutely turn twice in the day....

    If weather is crap no amount of turning will help, you are just thrashing the stuff..


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    #31
    Anto_Meath
    Registered Users Posts: 1,303 ✭✭✭Anto_Meath


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    Would anyone know how much an acre of hay is making ? Sold standing in the field

    I have taken meadows from 3 different farmers 9 acres field @ €100 an acre field reseeded about 6 -7 years ago, strong grass and wouldn't be suitable for hay - very green
    26 acres in 4 fields at €130 an acre (good heavy meadow and nice new grass about 4 years reseeded)
    15 acre field €1,600 old meadow grass but very heavy. All 3 are more or less beside each other and going to put them into the pit weekend after next. With heavy crops and the broken weather there isn't much demand for meadows up our way this year, you couldn't get a sniff at one last year.


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