Hay Making on a Different Scale

[Hay Dude]

If I rake night before, or early while some dew is still present, then bale about 10-11 the dew moisture is mostly gone, but it makes the hay incredibly soft and palatable.

I've had good success with this when hay gets too dry in droughts

 

[LHF2019]

If I rake night before, or early while some dew is still present, then bale about 10-11 the dew moisture is mostly gone, but it makes the hay incredibly soft and palatable.

I've had good success with this when hay gets too dry in droughts

Ours was still running about 15%

 

[LHF2019]

Poured on the urea on 16 acres using up what I had left.

 

[Hay Dude]

Ours was still running about 15%

Wow you’re 15% even with the drought? You must have damp ground?
I baled yesterday with drought and without teddering and I was only 12%.

 

[LHF2019]

Very interesting day yesterday. Turns out a tree fell on the power line tweaking the post in our fields. The crew were extremely grateful that, one, I had a hard road that could use to get to the pole, and two, I gave them permission to use it. I don't know how many times I was thanked over the course of the time I spent with them. Probably never see this again. Surprising how much stress the poles can take. Pole was 6+ feet from where it was supposed to be and pictures just don't show what it was really like in person.

 

[Hay Dude]

The power company in my area does a lot of tree work near our steel structure power lines to try to keep that from happening.


I’d really like to have one of those 6x6 chassis with a flatbed for a hay hauler and to sit a V-box fertilizer spreader on, but they are hard to find with a long wheelbase.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Very interesting day yesterday. Turns out a tree fell on the power line tweaking the post in our fields. The crew were extremely grateful that, one, I had a hard road that could use to get to the pull, and two, I gave them permission to use it. I don't know how many times I was thanked over the course of the time I spent with them. Probably never see this again. Surprising how much stress the poles can take. Pole was 6+ feet from where it was supposed to be and pictures just don't show what it was really like in person.

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It's very rare for a tree to fall into a transmission line, usually the ROW's are required to be wide enough to allow for such things without any disturbance to the grid, in many cases that kind of event can cause cascading effects and take out other grids, usually a narrower ROW is an older line that is within 69-138 KV. I am sure that they appreciated the fact that you had and let them access the line to get the equipment in to make the repairs go quicker, else wise break out the climbing gear and do it the old fashioned way, and I can tell you from first hand experience that sometimes in emergency situations that's just how it plays out, you made it easy for them, hard to beat salt of the earth farm people.

 

[LHF2019]

The power company in my area does a lot of tree work near our steel structure power lines to try to keep that from happening.


I’d really like to have one of those 6x6 chassis with a flatbed for a hay hauler and to sit a V-box fertilizer spreader on, but they are hard to find with a long wheelbase.

It was within last 5-7 years they used a helicopter to trim out the ROW. 3 years ago or so they sprayed the vegetation. You can see the ROW in the straight on shot of the truck. They said very rare trees get to them but it does happen.

It's very rare for a tree to fall into a transmission line, usually the ROW's are required to be wide enough to allow for such things without any disturbance to the grid, in many cases that kind of event can cause cascading effects and take out other grids, usually a narrower ROW is an older line that is within 69-138 KV. I am sure that they appreciated the fact that you had and let them access the line to get the equipment in to make the repairs go quicker, else wise break out the climbing gear and do it the old fashioned way, and I can tell you from first hand experience that sometimes in emergency situations that's just how it plays out, you made it easy for them, hard to beat salt of the earth farm people.

I told them I didn't think I had a choice. Their line and needed to fix. Asked what happens if they are refused. Next is their boss tries to convince landowner. next is to figure out how to get equipment to the area. sluice pipes and pads which they commented would be a lot for where this one is located. Lawyers sometimes involved after the fact if repair is emergency enough that they proceed regardless of landowners lack of cooperation. If all else fails they do the work from the air. Poles and all whatever needs done.


The tree

 

[Lineman North Florida]

Yeah no doubt that they have the right to access or be on the ROW to do the maintenance and make repairs, it's just sometimes there will be sections of ROW that are wet or row cropped, etc and a private road outside of the ROW is an absolute godsend, matting in to a pole can be very time consuming and often times just a no-go for emergency repairs, as very few company's have enough matting on hand without renting it from a specialized company. We have drug equipment in with skidders and bull dozers but it makes a mess.

 

[Tx Jim]

The power company in my area does a lot of tree work near our steel structure power lines to try to keep that from happening.


I’d really like to have one of those 6x6 chassis with a flatbed for a hay hauler and to sit a V-box fertilizer spreader on, but they are hard to find with a long wheelbase.

I saw a larger 6X6 flatbed on FB for sale but I don't remember where it was. I'll be on lookout for it.

 

[LHF2019]

Still working away at the hay. I believe most of the areas last 1st cutting is finally cleaned up this past week. Except mine. Still picking away at it and in no hurry. Made some rounds for my animals and squares for mulch buyer. The lack of rain and pastures are gone 2-3 months earlier than usual I am contemplating buying hay for my own animals. How sad is that. Only reason is because it is close and stupidly priced. So I can buy 2.5 bales for every one of mine I sell. $20 for 2024 2nd cutting 4x4 bales. I have no expectations that it is a quality product, just feed. Can't be worse than feeding them mid September 1st cutting. LOL


Hay making past week. The 2nd cutting here went 7 small square bales/acre. This is our poorer fields but had also received fertilizer after first cutting. All of our fields are running 50-75% below normal average yield.

 

[EddieWalker]

7 square bales per acre sounds really bad. I've never done hay, but I can't imagine that's worth the fuel to bale it. I'm amazed at how you went from too much moisture to it being this dry!!!

 

[LHF2019]

Knocked out another 11 acres of 2nd. 114 bales. 10.3 bales/acre

 

[Lineman North Florida]

That dang drought has definitely put a hurting on your yields.

 

[LHF2019]

7 square bales per acre sounds really bad. I've never done hay, but I can't imagine that's worth the fuel to bale it. I'm amazed at how you went from too much moisture to it being this dry!!!

It isn't but trying to fill our regular customer orders. Be the first time we haven't been able to do it in the 10 years of making hay. Already canceled a customer order of round bales. That just isn't going to happen.

 

[Hay Dude]

Still working away at the hay. I believe most of the areas last 1st cutting is finally cleaned up this past week. Except mine. Still picking away at it and in no hurry. Made some rounds for my animals and squares for mulch buyer. The lack of rain and pastures are gone 2-3 months earlier than usual I am contemplating buying hay for my own animals. How sad is that. Only reason is because it is close and stupidly priced. So I can buy 2.5 bales for every one of mine I sell. $20 for 2024 2nd cutting 4x4 bales. I have no expectations that it is a quality product, just feed. Can't be worse than feeding them mid September 1st cutting. LOL


Hay making past week. The 2nd cutting here went 7 small square bales/acre. This is our poorer fields but had also received fertilizer after first cutting. All of our fields are running 50-75% below normal average yield.

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Should be quick dry times.
I guess I’m looking for a silver lining in the clouds.

 

[Hay Dude]

Knocked out another 11 acres of 2nd. 114 bales. 10.3 bales/acre
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Those are some skinny yields.
We are now getting rain down here.
Light rain Tuesday night, Weds and now Thursday morning.

We had 1/2-1” of rain last weekend, that should help, but this rain is little too late to help. I should be done hay in about 25 days.

What’s your predicted end for 2nd cutting? Mid October?

 

[LHF2019]

Those are some skinny yields.
We are now getting rain down here.
Light rain Tuesday night, Weds and now Thursday morning.

We had 1/2-1” of rain last weekend, that should help, but this rain is little too late to help. I should be done hay in about 25 days.

What’s your predicted end for 2nd cutting? Mid October?

Last 2 fields if they grow. November. 3rd and 4th cutting. The rest of the fields yes mid late October. Total probably about 100 acres we could waste our time on and at 700 bales would cover customers

 

[LHF2019]

The final bales of first cutting 2025 done on Sept. 21. 6 more days and I would have tied the record for finishing first on Sept. 27 set back in 2019. That year was similar with wet conditions that proceeded much longer than this year.

 

[LHF2019]

It was within last 5-7 years they used a helicopter to trim out the ROW. 3 years ago or so they sprayed the vegetation. You can see the ROW in the straight on shot of the truck. They said very rare trees get to them but it does happen.

I told them I didn't think I had a choice. Their line and needed to fix. Asked what happens if they are refused. Next is their boss tries to convince landowner. next is to figure out how to get equipment to the area. sluice pipes and pads which they commented would be a lot for where this one is located. Lawyers sometimes involved after the fact if repair is emergency enough that they proceed regardless of landowners lack of cooperation. If all else fails they do the work from the air. Poles and all whatever needs done.


The tree

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First Energy is STILL doing paperwork on the tree that fell. For the 3rd time since tree fell and repairs made guy has been doing paperwork answering all the questions the company has as to why the tree fell and why it was missed during inspections and who is to blame and how can we avoid this in future and was the tree healthy and on and on..................

Just paperwork he said. lol