Curing Hay

[Texasmark]

I'm scrapping out a bunch of bales of Sorghum-Sudan hay I baled in the May-June time line here in N. Tx.. It appears that once again, I didn't get it dry enough and it developed some mold. I realize that SS doesn't pack as tight as grass but it does have to sit out; do not have adequate covered storage and all. This mold is down inside, well beyond of any precip after rolling. I do have and use a crimper and tedder. Don't have a moisture tester. Usually dodging rain. Dry windows usually aren't long enough.

On curing, you guys in Northern climates where your winters are longer and wetter (usually with snow and all), how do you get your hay crops cured out if you run cool season grasses and harvest in the spring.

Thanks,
Mark

 

[rustyshakelford]

I'm scrapping out a bunch of bales of Sorghum-Sudan hay I baled in the May-June time line here in N. Tx.. It appears that once again, I didn't get it dry enough and it developed some mold. I realize that SS doesn't pack as tight as grass but it does have to sit out; do not have adequate covered storage and all. This mold is down inside, well beyond of any precip after rolling. I do have and use a crimper and tedder. Don't have a moisture tester. Usually dodging rain. Dry windows usually aren't long enough.

On curing, you guys in Northern climates where your winters are longer and wetter (usually with snow and all), how do you get your hay crops cured out if you run cool season grasses and harvest in the spring.

Thanks,
Mark

We had a moisture tester but I would hardly ever use it. Hard to explain but when I was checking to see if it was ready to roll, I'd get a handful of it off the bottom of the windrow and break it in half. The way it felt told me if it was ready or not. Hard to articulate it with words on the internet but you know what dry dry is. That works but isn't what we wanted. It had just a hair of softness but still broke. Don't know if that's helping or not.

We also took an old peanut picker we got at auction to fluff a raked windrow if it got caught in some rain.

Brett

 

[Texasmark]

My rule was grasp a wad in both hands pressed together, palms down and make 3 twists, like pedaling a bicycle. If it snaps on the 3rd loop you're good to go. However very subjective due to curing medium and product.

 

[LouNY]

We baled about 100 round bales of sudan grass / sorghum up here we knew it would not get dry, we baled it as silage bales and then plastic wrapped them so it will cook up like silage
and keep. Around here if you do dry bales and don't store them under cover you will lose 30 to 50% because the ground gets so wet and all the rain.

 

[Creamer]

All depends on where you are at. Northern states where the climate is dryer it is fairly easy to get hay to cure because the ground is dry and it isn't absorbing moisture from the ground and the ground actually helps take moisture out of the hay. Keeping it dry is no big deal since once again the ground is dry and it doesn't pull moisture out into the hay and when snow comes it freezes and doesn't melt and soak in.

Here in Indiana it is a little different because the ground is damp consequently it is all crimped when it is cut and spread wide - not in a windrow. then quite often it is tedded on the 2nd or 3rd day to get it up off the ground again and fluff it. Finally it is raked right before baling. Soft core bales help some too. The bigger problem is keeping it dry in this climate especially this time of year when it sprinkles almost every day and doesn't really dry then when you get snow that melts it is worse. Consequently most guys store their bales under cover although quite often with open ends for air movement.

 

[tcreeley]

In central Maine it is cut the afternoon before, rake and tedder, bale the following afternoon . Often there is a morning dew and the sun needs to get to it. The hay should be fluffy before it is is bailed. - I've found if hay is stored on anything but wood flooring, it tends to mold in that first layer - soaking up ground moisture. Bales feel light and flex when dry. Square firm bales that feel heavy usually have some moisture. I stick my hand between the leaves and can tell.

 

[joeu235]

I'm scrapping out a bunch of bales of Sorghum-Sudan hay I baled in the May-June time line here in N. Tx..

Try to sell it on Craigslist as goat hay. At least get something out of it.

 

[jaxs]

Next to corn,Sorghum-Sudan is my last choice as forage or hay. It can work and produce's tonnage but unless carfully managed,it can be more trouble than it's worth. We put a lot of small square bales in dry storage before round bales became the norm. Even when stored dry, cattle did poorly. Some have fair results with green silage but we have never tried that. In time's of shortage,I'd rather take a share for baling someone else's pasture grass than raise Sudan and keep it all. Although less than Johnson grass,grazing,Surghum-Sudan risk's prussic acid poisioning at the very time it's needed most.

 

[M5farms]

its too easy to test moisture with a microwave and a scale.

 

[Creamer]

its too easy to test moisture with a microwave and a scale.

Please tell me the procedure - I cannot think of how to be accurate. The scale tells you how much you evaporated out but how do you know how much moisture is left in?

 

[M5farms]

Please tell me the procedure - I cannot think of how to be accurate. The scale tells you how much you evaporated out but how do you know how much moisture is left in?

A paper plate and get 100grams of your forage , I like to cut it 1 inch lengths , put a small glass if water in in microwave . I turn it on high for 1.5 min the fist time and re weigh , then another 1.5 min re weigh , then one more time and it should be very similar weights by now . I will do 30 secs 3 or 4 more times until the weight is consistent. take your final weight from starting weight the difference is moisture %

starting weight 100grams
dry weight 80 grams
moisture 20%

 

[leeave96]

We make squares, but the same applies to round bales. We have a baler mounted Agtronix BH-2 moisture meter that gives us "live" humidity readings of the hay being baled. Coupled with that, we have a baler mounted tank w/pump and nozzles to apply hay preservative - buffered propionic acid into the pick-up. Been using the moisture meter for several years now and this fall, first time, turned on the acid. Works like a champ - highly recommend it.

Our applicator is from Paul B Zimmerman and I think is labeled crop care. The preservative I buy from New Holland, though it's called crop saver, it is the stuff labeled for CAseIH, NH, MF and JD - it is made by Harvestec. Non- corrosive, very effective, easy to apply. Smells like dill pickle chips in the bales; harmless to animals. One of my hay customers fed it out and no issues whatever - though some folks hate this stuff. I'd rather loose a customer than a crop of hay.

That's how I deal with high humidity hay when there's no other choice but to bale it or loose the crop.

YMMV

 

[Texasmark]

its too easy to test moisture with a microwave and a scale.

Problem with this is my fields are highly irregular in shape and density of product both in the growing and in the cuttings lying on the ground. No common ground for an accurate measurement.

 

[Tx Jim]

Mark
Does this high moisture hay have black or white mold? Years back I baled some wheat hay that was in pre-boot stage that laid on ground over 2 weeks. I finally decided it was dry & rd baled it. 2 months later while driving by stack lot I smelled a funny smell. It was the tobacco looking rd bales that were emitting an odor. I fed everyone of the bales to cows with no apparent problems.

 

[cat fever]

Problem with this is my fields are highly irregular in shape and density of product both in the growing and in the cuttings lying on the ground. No common ground for an accurate measurement.

Are you getting mold in all the bales or just the ones that come from a thicker part of the field? I know it's a pain but if so can you bale the thicker areas a day or two later.

I have two spots in my field where it grows thicker. So when I bale, that area seems to not get as dry. I usually have about 10 bales that really want to mold.

I decided, when I think it's time to bale, I wait one more day. This year it worked out good.

 

[Creamer]

Are you getting mold in all the bales or just the ones that come from a thicker part of the field? I know it's a pain but if so can you bale the thicker areas a day or two later.

I have two spots in my field where it grows thicker. So when I bale, that area seems to not get as dry. I usually have about 10 bales that really want to mold.

I decided, when I think it's time to bale, I wait one more day. This year it worked out good.

Don't you lose a lot of leaves waiting the extra day?

 

[Creamer]

Mark
Does this high moisture hay have black or white mold? Years back I baled some wheat hay that was in pre-boot stage that laid on ground over 2 weeks. I finally decided it was dry & rd baled it. 2 months later while driving by stack lot I smelled a funny smell. It was the tobacco looking rd bales that were emitting an odor. I fed everyone of the bales to cows with no apparent problems.

Good point! the tobacco smelling mold is not harmful - in fact it improves the palatability for cows - what does that say about them?

 

[cat fever]

Don't you lose a lot of leaves waiting the extra day?

I could, but for me that is only 2 days total 3 max. Most of my field is Oats, Wheat, Barley/Peas the Alfalfa is the lessor concern for me currently although it does make up maybe 20% of the field. This year I was very happy with how the hay turned out.

 

[cat fever]

Good point! the tobacco smelling mold is not harmful - in fact it improves the palatability for cows - what does that say about them?

Many years ago I had some moldy Alfalfa, it was white and the cows would eat it first then go for the green stuff.:confused3:

 

[CincyFlyer]

Many years ago I had some moldy Alfalfa, it was white and the cows would eat it first then go for the green stuff.:confused3:

Perhaps it was like bleu cheese to them.