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Hay 2015

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    #32
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,373 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    20 acres for hay here this year and 25 acres for haylage


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    #33
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    Reggie. wrote: »
    20 acres for hay here this year and 25 acres for haylage

    Big rounds or small squares Reg?


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    #34
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,373 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    Username John wrote: »
    Big rounds or small squares Reg?

    Both. Rounds mainly but take orders for small squares aswell. 100 booked in already weather depending. A few studs around us


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    #35
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    Reggie. wrote: »
    Both. Rounds mainly but take orders for small squares aswell. 100 booked in already weather depending. A few studs around us

    Lad beside us makes hay every year, about 5000 small squares I'd say.
    He has a special sleigh that puts the bales in a set position, and then a loader attachment to pick em up. No handling...
    Serious job...


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    #36
    darragh_haven
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3,433 ✭✭✭darragh_haven


    Why do people need hay. What animals need it. Calves are as well eating the bedding straw for roughage.


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    #37
    Username John
    Closed Accounts Posts: 4,237 ✭✭✭Username John


    darragh_haven wrote: »
    Why do people need hay. What animals need it. Calves are as well eating the bedding straw for roughage.

    Don't some lads feed it to cows before calving?

    We would always have fed the sheep hay when inside, but lately I'm half feeding em straw plus more ration...

    I know almost everyone is setup for silage now, but hay is still 'handy'


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    #38
    Kovu
    Closed Accounts Posts: 14,241 ✭✭✭✭Kovu


    darragh_haven wrote: »
    Why do people need hay. What animals need it. Calves are as well eating the bedding straw for roughage.

    Very handy for us to have 20 or so bales of it in case we have some cows in for a day or two. No point opening a bale of silage and letting half of it go to waste, a few flakes off a round bale of hay and the rest will keep.
    Far cheaper to make as well, don't forget straw is more expensive up this side of the country!


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    #39
    RobinBanks
    Registered Users Posts: 930 ✭✭✭RobinBanks


    darragh_haven wrote: »
    Why do people need hay. What animals need it. Calves are as well eating the bedding straw for roughage.

    Would it keep cows dung drier than silage? Say when you have cows in the calving pin. Would feeding hay keep her and the udder cleaner? If a bale of haylage is opened how long would it keep before heating or going off? A bale of hay might be handier for this reason aswell?


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    #40
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,373 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    Username John wrote: »
    Lad beside us makes hay every year, about 5000 small squares I'd say.
    He has a special sleigh that puts the bales in a set position, and then a loader attachment to pick em up. No handling...
    Serious job...

    The flat 8.


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    #41
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,373 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    darragh_haven wrote: »
    Why do people need hay. What animals need it. Calves are as well eating the bedding straw for roughage.

    People with horses or ponies want a few squares. The round bales do be too awkward for them


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    #42
    Limestone Cowboy
    Registered Users Posts: 3,526 ✭✭✭Limestone Cowboy


    Best hay we ever had was 2 years ago in July in scorching heat and a light enough leafy crop. Turned it twice and raked it and baled on day 4. Was still fairly green when we were feeding it out but it was cracking stuff. No heating either. photo_zps7d13b1d3.jpg


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    #43
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,373 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    Limestone Cowboy wrote: »
    Best hay we ever had was 2 years ago in July in scorching heat and a light enough leafy crop. Turned it twice and raked it and baled on day 4. Was still fairly green when we were feeding it out but it was cracking stuff. No heating either.

    The greener the better


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    #44
    C0N0R
    Registered Users Posts: 1,923 ✭✭✭C0N0R


    Seen hay baled last Sunday in Castleblaney, the rolled out a few round bales and baled it back up with square balers!


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    #45
    Sam Kade
    Registered Users Posts: 12,313 ✭✭✭✭Sam Kade


    In the US they use popcorn acid to dry hay apply it through the baler baling around 30% moisture then store it straight away. Some fella was doing here a few years ago around the midlands I think. If it's stored too long the popcorn could wear off and you could be pulling dung out the shed also if you store it beside dried hay the moisture from the acid hay will seep into the dried hay.


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    #46
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,373 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    Sam Kade wrote: »
    In the US they use popcorn acid to dry hay apply it through the baler baling around 30% moisture then store it straight away. Some fella was doing here a few years ago around the midlands I think. If it's stored too long the popcorn could wear off and you could be pulling dung out the shed also if you store it beside dried hay the moisture from the acid hay will seep into the dried hay.

    Local contractor here has the applicator on the baler for the additive


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    #47
    davidk1394
    Registered Users Posts: 4,046 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    Friend a mine made hay in april. We've 25 ac stopped so hopefully we'll get it


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    #48
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,373 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    Friend a mine made hay in april. We've 25 ac stopped so hopefully we'll get it

    This April


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    #49
    Sam Kade
    Registered Users Posts: 12,313 ✭✭✭✭Sam Kade


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    Friend a mine made hay in april. We've 25 ac stopped so hopefully we'll get it
    Didn't some fella make hay in March? But it would be only light grass that went to seed the year before and was nearly ready for baling before it was cut. It would have sh1te feeding value and also costly having land tied up growing it all year.


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    #50
    davidk1394
    Registered Users Posts: 4,046 ✭✭✭davidk1394


    Reggie. wrote: »
    This April

    Yeah there earlier on when the weather was good


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    #51
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,373 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    davidk1394 wrote: »
    Yeah there earlier on when the weather was good

    Jaysus fair play if he got it. Wasn't weather like that around here


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    #52
    ABlur
    Registered Users Posts: 817 ✭✭✭ABlur


    What do lads think of making hay in 16 degree 'heat' forecast for this week is it hot enough or should we wait til the 20's come along?


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    #53
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,373 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    ABlur wrote: »
    What do lads think of making hay in 16 degree 'heat' forecast for this week is it hot enough or should we wait til the 20's come along?

    Its wind ya really want more than the heat. For cast is too tight for hay atm as it's to change Thursday and there will be plenty of dew at night aswell I bet


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    #54
    ABlur
    Registered Users Posts: 817 ✭✭✭ABlur


    Reggie. wrote: »
    Its wind ya really want more than the heat. For cast is too tight for hay atm as it's to change Thursday and there will be plenty of dew at night aswell I bet

    Inclined to agree Reg, just saw Gerry the rainmakers farming forecast there on rte at 1 and it wouldnt inspire confidence!


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    #55
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,373 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    ABlur wrote: »
    Inclined to agree Reg, just saw Gerry the rainmakers farming forecast there on rte at 1 and it wouldnt inspire confidence!

    You would need about 2 weeks of good Indian summer weather to be in with a chance


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    #56
    mahoney_j
    Registered Users Posts: 11,096 ✭✭✭✭mahoney_j


    Lads weather decent for most of week,just knock the grass ted it bale it and wrap it.hay is a pure lottery and tbh a pretty crap feed.good straw id rate better to feed.also have nice after grass back in 4/5 weeks.only hay I'd use in this country is the stuff coolmoore use and id say you wouldn't have a snowballs chance of getting that


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    #57
    Birdnuts
    Registered Users Posts: 9,650 ✭✭✭Birdnuts


    I think it could turn out to be a decent Hay season yet - on the basis that years with bad May's can often lead to a decent summer in late June/July time if you look back at the stats. At least its something I'm clinging too!!


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    #58
    Sam Kade
    Registered Users Posts: 12,313 ✭✭✭✭Sam Kade


    Birdnuts wrote: »
    I think it could turn out to be a decent Hay season yet - on the basis that years with bad May's can often lead to a decent summer in late June/July time if you look back at the stats. At least its something I'm clinging too!!
    A wet and windy May fills the haggard with corn and hay, so the saying goes how true I don't know.


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    #59
    Base price
    Registered Users Posts: 11,171 ✭✭✭✭Base price


    My brother normally makes about 600 square bales every year. He round bales the headlands two or three rows in. Always demand for it from local farmers in the Winter/Spring. Handy for a bit of cash during the lean months :)


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    #60
    Reggie.
    Registered Users Posts: 24,373 ✭✭✭✭Reggie.


    Base price wrote: »
    My brother normally makes about 600 square bales every year. He round bales the headlands two or three rows in. Always demand for it from local farmers in the Winter/Spring. Handy for a bit of cash during the lean months :)

    Everyone complains about the square but come the winter I always hear a "few small squares would be handy"


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    #61
    Zr105
    Registered Users Posts: 1,453 ✭✭✭Zr105


    Reggie. wrote: »
    Everyone complains about the square but come the winter I always hear a "few small squares would be handy"

    Everyone wants them, they just don't want the hassle of handling them.. Can't say is be fond of handling them either, mainly cause it takes a lot of time when time tends to be scarce enough,

    A flat 8 would be great but at the guts of 2k for sleigh and grab you'd wanna be doin numbers to justify it..

    balers here in the shed and I'll bale any number of them for someone once they'll shift them themselves 😜


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