Making hay

[Jim Meade / Iowa City]

I know most of us are switching gears to thinking about corn and soybean harvesting, but there are a few, me included, who are still putting up some hay.  It's been a funny year for hay around here, with some going up in good shape and others hit by the weather.  Some still need hay and some have plenty.

[jtheis04]

Up here in NC Wisconsin the same can be said Jim.  Although most of us have a good amount of inventory, the quality is debatable.  Now mother nature just needs to let us dry out for a bit to get hay and corn silage done, then to the fun of combing a good looking corn and soybean crop here

[Milligan Hay - Iowa d:^)]

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@JIM Meade / Iowa City wrote:

I know most of us are switching gears to thinking about corn and soybean harvesting, but there are a few, me included, who are still putting up some hay.  It's been a funny year for hay around here, with some going up in good shape and others hit by the weather.  Some still need hay and some have plenty.

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Here in South Central Iowa, It has been the worst year for making hay, ever.  Most of the alfalfa drowned out and has been replaced with a fine crop of foxtail and barnyard grass.

Talking to many of the growers around here...most are throwing in the towel...at least for a while, including myself.   Horses are almost gone, a few stables are seeing who will sell hay for the most loss, and delivered, too.

Very little hay stocks are on hand, and if we get another winter like last year....pack it in and get the cows to the sales barn, 'cause there isn't much supply available.  I am sold out on small squares...what little I was able to get made.  My cows are going to have to make due on what they can grub out of the fields...and if the winter gets too deep, they are gone, too.

Livestock days are numbered, for many guys.

[nwobcw]

     Same here Jim.  It's getting late for last cutting but the weather forecast doesn't give a 3 or 4 day dry window.   Local agronomist says hay shouldn't be made between Srp 15 and Oct 15.   If all goes right I'll mow Thursday and bale rounds Sunday or Monday.    Hopefully!

[Artifice]

i the NRE dairy belt we saw a record hay crop,

2 cuttings where you usually got one.

excellent WX, rare for these parts .

i migfht buy a JD 430 fro fun

wh o can help mne set a price?

artifice

[jtheis04]

A quick update.  Up in NC Wisconsin we are right in the middle of a nasty stretch of rain calling for close to 5".  Harvested a corn silage plot yesterday thankfully.  Any silage that isn't off isn't gonna come off for at least a week.  This is getting ugly in a hurry around here now. 

[nwobcw]

Update.  Mowed Thursday.  Nice light wind, low humidity for here 60%.   Sw wind Friday up to 40 mph and 85 degrees,  btw it was 93 Thursday when I mowed.  Could have baled by 3PM Friday if the windrows would have stayed together.  I plan on starting to rake by 8 this morning already.  No dew and 15 mph wind all night 60% humidity.  Have about 6 hrs. of raking for 1 1/2 hrs. baling.  Need to get a newer rotary rake.  Old side rake is just too slow.  Checked some 3.2 beans yesterday late afternoon.  The wind and heat of the last 2 days sure dried them out.  They must be 10% or less but the straw is visibly green in some areas and wiry where it is brown.   I'm 5-11 and with the beans solar plexus high I'll wait a few more days to combine.

[nwobcw]

Finished baling yesterday.  Barely over 48 hrs. since it was mowed.  Only problem was the wind blowing the windrows apart.  Maybe that's why they are called windrows.

[djsinseia]

Still baling down here by What Cheer.   HAve quite a bit of CRP hay that we bought back that must be done by the 30th.

Just too short on hay here as well, which is why we bought back the CRP.  But midseason management was done last spring.  There is a lot of clover in it.  Should be decent stuff..........if the fields dry out!

[nwobcw]

Good luck on drying out the clover.  There is quite a bit of CRP ground around here.  What"s the rules for baling it?  I don't need it but I would bale it and sell at the hay auction if it is worth it.