The Life of a Custom Mowing contractor

[Jstpssng]

I have to pass by a bunch corn fields (animal feed) and hay fields on the way home. Couple of times when they first opened up the fields they had their tractor stuck big time not realizing how soft certain areas were, right up over the diffs. they were hauling manure spreaders and the area was right below their barn so I assume it was full of good ole liquid. Good size tractors as well, New Hollands, not sure of the model number but big enough to run duallies front and back. Getting them out, they pretty much destroyed a good sized portion of their new field. Years later, they leave that area untouched.

Side story, before they got stuck, on their first spread around the perimeter which was right beside the road, they sprayed both lanes of the highway (85 KPH road) with liquid manure aka snot. That was bad enough but it was at the bottom of a blind hill on a slight corner that the bikers love to act out their racing dreams. I was going the other way and managed to slow down two bikers coming toward me before they went off roading, scary stuff.

Nowhere near the same but I was going through Vermont years ago and there was an ice cream stand set on the road in a field. The first day I went by there were spreading manure almost up to the building. It wasn't uncommon for me to stop someplace and get a cone on the ride home but never stopped there.

 

[Hay Dude]

Finally got over to the back side of this field.

Hoping to get 100-120 tons from this field when its all said & done.

The green patch on the right is a deer food plot

 

[groundcover]

Just what you need down there , more deer and ticks !

 

[Hay Dude]

Just what you need down there , more deer and ticks !

In about 3 months, the deer population will be substantially reduced.
Our county is one of the worst for lyme disease.

 

[Hay Dude]

We finally got a great day for baling. 91*, sunny, windy and dry. Haven’t had a day like this yet this year.

Here I am baling about a 65 acre piece yesterday. You can see the Challenger raking off in the distance.

Raking tractor approaching. We are raking about 24’ of hay per pass into one windrow.

Getting closer

This field netted 119) 4x4x8 bales, average bale weight ~1750lbs. So about 104 tons of hay.

 

[LouNY]

I take it that it's a first cutting hay crop? Must be quite mature, does it have some good young growth in the bottom?
Most of the dairy hay here is starting 3rd cutting. Most of the first went in as haylage, some of the 2nd was baled and some haylage. For beefers 2nd will starting soon, first finished about 2 weeks ago, a combination of haylage and round bales.

 

[Hay Dude]

Still getting 1st cutting for beef & mushroom done.
Rained almost every day from June-18 to July 8th so we are behind, but getting caught up.

 

[LouNY]

We've been a bit soggy for awhile now but did have some good hay weather earlier, then it started getting too dry.
Started hearing that we were heading for a drought then the skies opened up, and showers every couple of days.

 

[Hay Dude]

Stacking 4 layers.

16’ high!

 

[Hay Dude]

We've been a bit soggy for awhile now but did have some good hay weather earlier, then it started getting too dry.
Started hearing that we were heading for a drought then the skies opened up, and showers every couple of days.

We had drought from middle of May to middle of June, then nothing but rain from June 20 to about July 8.

We seem to have kind of turned the page and are now in a more typical July pattern of hot & humid.

Normally I’m done first cutting by 4th of July (Independence Day for all the uninformed lol) but this year has been exceptionally rainy.

Have 2 customers who specifically request to have 1st cutting done in mid-late July because of the nesting birds in the fields.
Should be cutting/haying their fields next week, weather permitting.