2016 Hay season started for me.

cat fever · Mar 2, 2016

Due to the warm weather we have had for over a week now. I have been able to work my pasture, fertilize and over seed my alfalfa with oats.
Now, if Mother Nature will help out over the next 3 months I should have plenty of hay. I am getting a new V-Rake this year, looking into the Befco brand wide enough to put two windrows together from my 9' New Holland haybine.
Good luck to all you growers out there and I pray Mother Nature is kind to all of us.

Here's a couple pic getting to this point.

Fertilizer being spread.

Spring tooth harrow and leveling drag. (getting it smooth)

The drag is ugly but it works for now.

Last pass. Not a very good picture, lots of dust on the window and the sun was getting low.

This drill seeder is as old as the dirt I'm seeding. :laughing: But it works great.

foreman Etexas · Mar 2, 2016

Looks Good. Still see little snow in the mountains in back ground.

cat fever · Mar 3, 2016

Yes, I think this warm spell is just a head fake. Getting snow into late April is not uncommon at all around here. But heck, I'm glad to get the seeding out of the way.

kevin37b · Mar 3, 2016

What a view ! That has to make (working) enjoyable . Nice pics .

cat fever · Mar 3, 2016

Thanks Kevin,
I do enjoy a really nice view. If my house was up on the hill behind me I would be able to see the Great Salt Lake, but it's just out of my view.
Here's a shot looking back from my house.

powerscol · Mar 3, 2016

Will be fertilizing my fields and drag harrowing this weekend. What Fun

cat fever · Mar 4, 2016

I'm glad I got it done, it's supposed to rain Sunday and Tuesday.
I will be in Texas next week for business and then working the next two weeks after that so I would have been way behind if the snow would have still been on the ground.

kirkawilson · Mar 4, 2016

Nice looking place, cat fever. I really like your white fencing shown in the pix. Is that flex fence run on top with coated wire run below? What are your posts? How easy is it to maintain? Cost? I'm planning to fence a portion of 20 acres for livestock and am exploring options. Thanks

cat fever · Mar 4, 2016

kirkawilson said:
Nice looking place, cat fever. I really like your white fencing shown in the pix. Is that flex fence run on top with coated wire run below? What are your posts? How easy is it to maintain? Cost? I'm planning to fence a portion of 20 acres for livestock and am exploring options. Thanks

Thanks Kirka,
I should get the details from the one who installed it.
I can tell you the 6" line posts ( pine or fur not sure) are all cemented in, the corners are like 8" or 9" post. The wire is galvanized coated with ???. The bottom and middle wire are electric. The wide strip at the top is also 3 strands of galvanized wire. What ever the white stuff on the wires is I don't know, but it's strong and doesn't fade. All the wires have tension adjusters on them. This fencing has been up since 2002 ish and I've had no problems with it. Expensive, ( 20K) but after the pain of paying for it, I'm glad I have it. No animals get in or out, it even held my tractor in. Don't ask how, still a little POed over that one.

powerscol · Mar 4, 2016

Now come on you gotta tell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have all been there

Please share :shocked::laughing:

cat fever · Mar 4, 2016

powerscol said:
Now come on you gotta tell!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

We have all been there

Please share :shocked::laughing:

OK, here goes,
I had the spring tooth harrow on and was trying to get all the corners of the pasture ripped up. I pulled up to a corner with the loader up above the fence. I pulled up real close to the fence and raised the harrow up and started to back up- - -or so I thought. I forgot to pull the PS lever into reverse. Well, I was looking back and the tractor was going forward when I let the clutch out. Luckily I was only at an idle, the engine guard hit a post and lugged the tractor down to almost a stall, I was able to push the clutch in real quick but I still had fence paint on my 2 month old tractor.:mur: Learned a good lesson that day. And now I don't care if the corners have weeds in them.

I never told my wife about that one.

CDennyRun · Mar 5, 2016

That's a real beautiful place you have there! Great setup!

Chris

cat fever · Mar 5, 2016

Thanks CDenny. I really like the place I just wish it rained a little more.

But hey, I live in a desert. The Bonneville Salt Flats are only about 60 miles or so west of me.

cat fever · Mar 16, 2016

Even though it has been cool (30 to mid 50 degrees) I was in the field Monday and noticed some green shoots coming up. Very excited to say the least. We have been getting enough rain/snow mix to keep the ground moist. Hopefully it will warm up in the next couple weeks and the field will just take off I think.

Maybe I should say I hope.

Not the best picture---shot through my living room window but you can see the green.:thumbsup:

countrybumpkin · Mar 16, 2016

Looks good, I think your right, as soon as your temps stay a bit warmer it should really take off. How large of a area did you plant?

cat fever · Mar 16, 2016

countrybumpkin said:
Looks good, I think your right, as soon as your temps stay a bit warmer it should really take off. How large of a area did you plant?

5 acres, and I seeded it very heavy. Getting warm is key but in my area getting rain at least every couple weeks or so will make or break my production. My fingers are crossed.:thumbsup:

flusher · Mar 17, 2016

cat fever said:
OK, here goes,
I had the spring tooth harrow on and was trying to get all the corners of the pasture ripped up. I pulled up to a corner with the loader up above the fence. I pulled up real close to the fence and raised the harrow up and started to back up- - -or so I thought. I forgot to pull the PS lever into reverse. Well, I was looking back and the tractor was going forward when I let the clutch out. Luckily I was only at an idle, the engine guard hit a post and lugged the tractor down to almost a stall, I was able to push the clutch in real quick but I still had fence paint on my 2 month old tractor.:mur: Learned a good lesson that day. And now I don't care if the corners have weeds in them.
I never told my wife about that one.

My 10 acre ranch was a flat, perfect square one furlong per side (660 ft, 1/8 mile, 1/2 mile fenceline total). For weed control along the fenceline, I just ran my riding mower (42" wide deck) along the fenceline to mow the weeds. No problem mowing in the corners.

To tidy up under the fence, a used my commercial-grade weed whacker once or twice a season. Good upper body workout.

Good luck

countrybumpkin · Mar 17, 2016

I only have about 2000 foot of fence line that is mowable, the rest is in the woods, i too just use the zero turn every other time or so. If i had a huge amount id look into a fence line mower for the tractor.

cat fever · Mar 22, 2016

As you can see from the picture we have a good rain storm here in northern Utah right now. The weather is saying that it might turn to snow later today with 2-4 inches for my place. I'm really excited to be getting the rain. The oats are up about 1-3 inches so this will really boost their growth.