2016 Hay season started for me.

[powerscol]

Well did the second cutting yesterday on my 3 acres with the PZ 170 mower. Waste high thick grass. Cutting in some area actually put a load on the tractor running in mid range. No uncut strips this time as I finally figured out where to drive. I started by driving the outside, cutting in and then went back and cut the outside the opposite of how I drove giving the grass a chance to spring back. This worked great as the mower cut the mashed down grass by sliding under it first. Using my hydraulic top link also made adjustment of the drum mower easy. Best position was a very slight up tilt.

I have at least 7 days of sun, 90 degree temp and up to 15 mph winds - perfect drying conditions with humidity in the mid to low teens. I will tedd the windrows left by the mower tomorrow after the top drys today.

I still need to add my disk spacers if I can ever get the bolts to come free to raise the cutting height.
Adding a few pictures of my mowing set up and the results.

 

[wmonroe]

Looks like it will make some good hay.

 

[powerscol]

I hope so. Good wind today, so I will tedd after dew is off tomorrow and let it sit another day. Should be able to rake Wednesday and possibly bale. Give me time to put it up so I can irrigate Saturday when I get water again.

There is no way I am going to bale wet like happen last time. I have good weather through the weekend if you can trust the weather service and Mother Nature. Fortunately I was able to feed out before mold set in. I sorted by weight and fed heaviest first.

 

[prevent]

Only got 80 small bales left of 2015 cutting, shame 2016 been kinda dry after first cutting...

moving 27 to the horse side

 

[powerscol]

Well 60 good dry bales off of the 2 acres I cut. Moisture running between 9 and 12. Color is good too. Cut Saturday, tedded Monday. raked late yesterday and baled this afternoon. Baler did great wit no misses. I found I can also run at 2000 RPM vrs 2500 if the hay is dry. A lot less rocking and no loading the engine. A good day for me.

Now to get the herb chicken on the BBQ before the Boss gets home.

On edit - the 60 bales stacked with my hay grapple. NO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! HAND WORK - getting old and soft :thumbsup::confused2:

.

 

[powerscol]

Only got 80 small bales left of 2015 cutting, shame 2016 been kinda dry after first cutting...

moving 27 to the horse side

Where in Illinois are you? I was born an raised in Peoria. Do you use your small Kubota in your hay operation? Just wondering.
Keith

 

[prevent]

Where in Illinois are you? I was born an raised in Peoria. Do you use your small Kubota in your hay operation? Just wondering.
Keith

Northern IL, about 1 mile away form Wisconsin. No, a farmer down the road cuts/bales our hay and we do 50/50 share.. We don't have large enough tractors to do it, nor care too lol. We just use this one to move the wagons and stuff which it does surprisingly well... 150-200 bales in a wagon and it moves it no problem around the property...

 

[powerscol]

Its amazing what our small tractors can do when properly used. Looks like you have a nice place.

 

[RPW]

Looks like next week I'll be doing my 2nd cutting. Looking forward to see how the new (repaired) equipment perform. Hay isn't anywhere near as tall or as thick as the first cutting so I don't expect as much hay but I'll have what I need for the rest of the summer and through the winter. After cutting it will be time to do some repairs on the fields and try and get the ruts out of the smaller field.

 

[cat fever]

The last time I had any rain at my place was about May 25th. Here we are Aug 2nd and still no rain. My place is as dry as a bone. Somehow by some miracle some weeds are still able to grow. I was not planning to feed my baled hay so soon, but there is just nothing in the field for the cows to eat. Sure hope it rains soon. A side note would be the humidity is high single digit or usually less than 15%.

 

[Creamer]

Wow! We are very dry here but not near that dry. The second cutting of alfalfa just stood there and didn't mature so a lot of people did not cut it hoping we would get rain and it would grow a little more. Now it has bloomed and people are just finishing it. 3rd cutting looks weak and unless we get some serious rain there will not be a fourth at all. Last year some guys got five.

I grew up in the Dakotas so I know what you are talking about when you say dry.

 

[RPW]

We just got a week of rain totaling 6 inches. I had just put up the equipment for the winter but looks like I'll be back in the field in about 3 weeks to get a 3rd cutting.

 

[cat fever]

I am concerned about hay this year. Since I cut/baled it has not rained at my place going on 3 months now. Normally it will rain every 2-3 weeks and keep enough growing that I don't have to feed the cows until October. I have been feeding them now for over a month, there is just nothing in the field for them to eat. Looks like I'll be buying hay, even after my best production year ever.
The guy that lives across the street from me said I could grow hay on his 5 acres. He doesn't want anything in return other than a clean/smooth field. (I can do that) I'm going to do it next year so I don't have to buy hay.

 

[powerscol]

I am concerned about hay this year. Since I cut/baled it has not rained at my place going on 3 months now. Normally it will rain every 2-3 weeks and keep enough growing that I don't have to feed the cows until October. I have been feeding them now for over a month, there is just nothing in the field for them to eat. Looks like I'll be buying hay, even after my best production year ever.
The guy that lives across the street from me said I could grow hay on his 5 acres. He doesn't want anything in return other than a clean/smooth field. (I can do that) I'm going to do it next year so I don't have to buy hay.

Bummer - I am at the opposite - too much rain and too cool to get good growth. Long range forecast looks terrible too with no good dry spell in the future. Sounds like a sweet deal with you neighbor. Be sure to take good care of his field, even fertilize and weed spray for him and a good gift card to somewhere he likes.

 

[PMA]

Best year in long time for me. At least 3 cuttings on all fields.

Sent from my iPhone using TractorByNet

 

[Bigfoot62]

Rolled 149 more 4x5's last week. That's a total of 357 so far, from my 52 acres. Looks like I might get one more cutting. Our problem here has been getting enough days of sunshine in a row to get it cured and baled.

 

[powerscol]

Rolled 149 more 4x5's last week. That's a total of 357 so far, from my 52 acres. Looks like I might get one more cutting. Our problem here has been getting enough days of sunshine in a row to get it cured and baled.

I am in the same boat. Long range forecast says I am at lease 10 day out for 5 days of no rain. As I dont condition it takes longer to cut and dry.

 

[powerscol]

I am concerned about hay this year. Since I cut/baled it has not rained at my place going on 3 months now. Normally it will rain every 2-3 weeks and keep enough growing that I don't have to feed the cows until October. I have been feeding them now for over a month, there is just nothing in the field for them to eat. Looks like I'll be buying hay, even after my best production year ever.
The guy that lives across the street from me said I could grow hay on his 5 acres. He doesn't want anything in return other than a clean/smooth field. (I can do that) I'm going to do it next year so I don't have to buy hay.

Hay Cat - have you ever looked into and Irrigation well? Might be the ticket for your place. If your Agg, the Federal USDA has grants and other cost sharing programs available, Around here they even do the design for free.

 

[powerscol]

Frustrating day. Had showers off and on until yesterday. Got the IH 1300 sickle mower out and tuned it up and tried to cut starting at 3 PM after sun all day. Lower grass was still to wet and clogged badly. Ground is fairly dry below ( have not irrigated for 3 weeks). So fired up the PZ 170 and went to work - no issues seemed to cut fine, but a lot slower than my 9" sickle when it works. I tedded right after cutting, so here is hoping the weather forecast is correct for the next 5 days. Wishing Sun and Wind.

 

[TomSeller]

Days are getting awful short