Hay 2022

I charge €10 an acre

Another night of heavy fog and mist. The footpaths around the house are wet. I won't be able to do anything until this dries off. How this will effect the Hay I don't know. Hopefully that's the last night of the mist/fog as it's not ideal.

I haybob all the Hay yesterday and tbh the quality isn't great but I don't think it would have made good silage either. It's a lot of work for a few acres of Hay on top of which I got rattled alive and attacked by horseflies too.

West Clare

After looking, very heavy dew last night. Like it had rained. But sun beginning to get through. In North Cork. Next to zero rain for the last week. Hopefully good sunshine for all the next 3 days and everyone gets what they want baled. Have ours sold but could be a huge quantity on done deal next week

No not ideal weather for Hay but if it stays like this till Monday I'll get it regardless of the night time mist. I think the blanket of cloud drops at night giving us the mist. Himself doesn't seem to mind, he's happy out with the fork breaking up lumps from the haybob. Real 1980's farming here!! Thank God we don't have a square Baler or I'd have to emigrate

Baled here today 200 small square and rest in round bales, great day after slow start, maybe small bit under high hedge less than ideal but happy enough considering weather wasn't great early in week. Tedded 3 times in total but its the sun and wind makes hay

Is it possible to bale hay maybe a day early ....slightly green ......Round bales and leave them outside for a few day or more in a sheltered area ???

No point baling it a day early, you are only baling dung. If it's not fit leave it. If it's the back swards that's not fit and the middle of the fields are fine, you could wrap these.

Personally, I would give it time, the week ain't bad and its amazing what a few hours can do

Rule of thumb is when you think it's fit for hay plus an extra day. You'd be surprised the damage a few green lumps in a bale of hay can do. The weather is promised good till Tuesday, and by the looks of the forecast what rain we'll get on Tuesday might not keep the dust down. Rest of the week is looking good too.

Our hay is ready now but it will not be baled till tomorrow as that's the slot we got from the contractor. Happy to be finished haybobing now as it's tough going in a tractor with the dust, chaf and horseflies. Contractor under severe pressure as the two weeks prior they got nothing done account of the rain.

Good thing about hay is you can store it very long term for years, we've already a big heap of silage, it's been some year for growth even with only a pepper of fertilizer

Might sound a bit mad but if you're turning or rowing hay, put on sunglasses and you'll see the damp bits in it

Agree with this. I used to do a lot of baling years ago. Some of the hay used to be roasted, some had it spot in and other times when the weather didn’t cooperate the hay wasn’t fit to bale.

I’m of the opinion that you don’t know until you turn it. Many’s a crop looks fit until you shake it again and you find more fresh stuff.

I took a half one of these beforehand, you still felt the horsefly bites, but they didn't rise lumps. they are supposed to be non drowsy, half a tablet is enough for prevention.

Weather has to be given the chance to save though. Too often you see lads leave grass in the sward for days without turning and they are only codding themselves.

The stuff on top is baked and the stuff below is still green and sweating. Then they will say the bales need to be left in the field to “season”

turning it doesn’t ruin it. Letting grass stew is what ruins it.

If the hay is actually fit it can go straight in the shed.

I think it depends on the Grass you are trying to make hay out of. If it's fertilized ryegrass then no way is 2-3 turns enough with a haybob. On the other hand if its roughish type stuff with a lot of stem and timothy grass then you can get it saved with 2 runs of the haybob.

Haybob is an old piece of kit, I think anyone should be looking at a 4 or 6 rotor tether, from what I seen of them they lift and spread. A haybob rotates and clumps anything more than a medium crop