Hay progress

[nwobcw]

   You must have a bunch of hay.  Here in NW Ohio we usually get 3 cuttings.  Once in a while 4.  Last year averaged 5.2 ton per acre in alfala/orchard grass.   Straight grass made 3.4 ton.

[Buc10]

Yes, do about 700 acres twice.  Looks like a thunderstorm coming this morning. Had a great haying day yesterday.

Buck

[nwobcw]

   That's a bunch of hay.  Just had a shower here at 7AM.  Funny, it wasn't on the radar.  Quite a bit of down hay here got rained on.  I guess they quit believing rain would ever come.  What do you do when downed hay gets rained on?

[Buc10]

If it's not to bad, we feed it to our cattle. If it's bad, sell it to the beef cow farmers.  Nothing rained on this year yet. That may change in the next hour.

Buck

[nwobcw]

   We're going to bale a neighbors wheat straw today.  I like to let it get rained on 1st as it is easier to roll up and the straw is more absorbent but he is kind of a hurry to get it off.  We have never done business before so I understand his concern about not getting it done timely.  It doesn't look like there's much straw there, pretty light.  That wet May sure hurt the wheat around here.  Baling behind a 20 foot head shouldn't take more than a couple hours in a 25 acre field.

[Buc10]

We bale straw behind a forty ft. head hear in Ontario with a 7060 New Holland. You can make a pile of bales in a short time. We will finish haying this weekend. Huge crop, and excellent hay. Hay will be worth a good dollar this winter. We sell a lot of 4x5 rounds and 45 lb. small squares, all the way to Florida. Second cutting is growing good.

Buck

[nwobcw]

  1st cutting averaged 400# less than last year per acre.   Lack of rain is causing second to struggle.  What are rounds worth up there?

[Buc10]

Right now, $35 for a 4x5 round, but will be worth more as winter comes. What about your price down there?

[nwobcw]

  About the same.  I have seen them go for up to 70 bucks at auction in the winter.