Hay Making on a Different Scale

[LHF2019]

Both. Could do more squares but with the market flooded is it really worth removing the nutrients to sit on hay. They are our 2nd poorest fields due to location so they could use the break

Are you mowing last 30 because you are out of room? Or low sales?

 

[Hay Dude]

Both. Could do more squares but with the market flooded is it really worth removing the nutrients to sit on hay. They are our 2nd poorest fields due to location so they could use the break

Gotcha.
Knowing now they are your poorest fields, it makes sense.
You could round bale them and bring them as mushroom hay, but I don’t think your fuel/wear& tear on your truck would be worth the 300 mile trip down here?
You’d get $100-$120 per ton.

 

[LHF2019]

Not to mention no trailer.

 

[LHF2019]

Just another auction purchase that turned out to be a good buy. Spent more than I thought I should have. About $4800 I think. Then we put on a wood deck and it became invaluable. Hold 230 square bales. Our sheds limit the stacking height and can only go 6 high.

Not quite a full load

 

[LHF2019]

Cleaned up waiting on parts.

 

[Hay Dude]

We’ve had nothing but rain down here for about a week. I think Monday was our last clear day.
I hope the rain increases growth & tonnage for 2nd cut.

 

[LHF2019]

Knocking out 40 acres today and tomorrow

 

[LHF2019]

Field above went 32 bales/acre. Not good not bad. About average but seems low when past years we were doing 50-75.

 

[LHF2019]

Almost 40 acres going down to bale this week. 21 acres of 2nd for me and this field of custom work

 

[nisaacs]

Eddie's post shows why I enjoy reading you all on here. Just a nice, friendly exchange of information. And people like above, not trying to be a know-it-all but instead asking genuine questions. It's one of the reason's that this thread and @Hay Dude 's thread are things I look forward to each day.




And here is is again. ^^^ @LHF2019 sharing his experience and admitting that there were better ways of doing it.

I don't know how to properly thank all of you who contribute and make this a nice place to be, other than simply say "Thank You."

I agree, been following quietly, I like hay. I was born and raised on a ranch/farm and when I retired, I bought, hauled and sold hay. Stopped it during covid. Just use it for personal use now. I am considering hay delivery for a local farmer, 3x3x8. It is what I buy now, small bales are too much work for us.

What would cause this mold? It did get rained on in the stack but I don't think it was rained on in the windrow. This was the top bale in the stack, I fed it first thinking it might mold in storage. Just two small areas, the rest is fine.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I agree, been following quietly, I like hay. I was born and raised on a ranch/farm and when I retired, I bought, hauled and sold hay. Stopped it during covid. Just use it for personal use now. I am considering hay delivery for a local farmer, 3x3x8. It is what I buy now, small bales are too much work for us.

What would cause this mold? It did get rained on in the stack but I don't think it was rained on in the windrow. This was the top bale in the stack, I fed it first thinking it might mold in storage. Just two small areas, the rest is fine.View attachment 926979View attachment 926980

Probably moisture of some kind, could be a different type of grass that was thick and clumped that never dried like the rest, down here if you have native crabgrass in your Bermuda fields it will usually require at least 1 extra day of drying after the Bermuda is dry because the crabgrass will still have green stems and plenty of moisture which will cause it to mold in the roll.

 

[LHF2019]

I agree, been following quietly, I like hay. I was born and raised on a ranch/farm and when I retired, I bought, hauled and sold hay. Stopped it during covid. Just use it for personal use now. I am considering hay delivery for a local farmer, 3x3x8. It is what I buy now, small bales are too much work for us.

What would cause this mold? It did get rained on in the stack but I don't think it was rained on in the windrow. This was the top bale in the stack, I fed it first thinking it might mold in storage. Just two small areas, the rest is fine.View attachment 926979View attachment 926980

Agree. Damp spot in field. Gob of green that didn’t get tedded out good.

 

[LHF2019]

Custom job done. Dodging sink and woodchuck holes and nothing but a hill. Makes it fun. Places with standing water. We are not wet just lots of springs.

 

[Lineman North Florida]

I bet it can be challenging at times kicking out a round roll on some of those hills that ya'll have, that's something that we seldom have to deal with as it's pretty flat down here with a few exceptions.

 

[Hay Dude]

I bet it can be challenging at times kicking out a round roll on some of those hills that ya'll have, that's something that we seldom have to deal with as it's pretty flat down here with a few exceptions.

I have some ground thats so steep that we have to drive to a flat spot to eject bales.
I got so tired of doing this. One of the reasons I went to a large square baler.

 

[EddieWalker]

Have you ever lost a round bale in the trees and just left it there?

 

[LHF2019]

Tandem raking.

 

[LHF2019]

The two 2nd cutting fields averaged 28 and 37 bales/acre. The 37 bale field is our best field in general and will always out perform any others.

In the distance you can see the other rake finishing up the 2nd field. 700 bales in 3.5 hours.

And to finish off the day helped neighbor put heifers back in. Came close to having them on the road with open football traffic on the road.

 

[LHF2019]

Have you ever lost a round bale in the trees and just left it there?

In my entire career of round baling which is about 20 years now I believe have only lost 2 that was not recoverable. When I was doing custom only had a customer that the majority of his fields were just hills. I got pretty good at being able to place them but over the years I have lost my touch at this. I'm more concerned with putting a round bale into somebody's house or property than just loosing one in the woods.

 

[Torvy]

Someday need to get where I can stack all hay with skidsteer. Picking away at squares by myself. Slide them in with skidsteer then stack by hand. FunView attachment 881413View attachment 881414View attachment 881415

Those top couple of pictures remind me of my youth. Round bales were not in common use. Don't recall any stackers on Bobcats, either. Small bales directly from baler to wagon. Stacked by hand on the fly. Barn were filled manually, too. Lots of hard work, but rewarding, too. I worked some for my grandpa and, like many where I grew up, for a little spending cash for various farmers.