Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Anyone still to cut hay?  (Read 27792 times)

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #75 on: August 18, 2015, 08:05:59 pm »
quite well actually, 2 fields I got 95 bales off, should be another 60 or so off the other half. I still have about 20-30 more acres to cut, but I had to only cut half as I had only a limited window. Just got back from watching the guy bale all the hay. The guy who's gonna do the wrapping is gonna be here shortly to wrap the bales. The hay is almost haylage, only slightly damp.
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

Dogwalker

  • Joined Nov 2011
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #76 on: August 18, 2015, 10:09:44 pm »
Glad you've got something in.   :fc: for the rest.
I find this forecast fairly realistic.  http://www.farmersweather.co.uk/

Herdygirl

  • Joined Sep 2011
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #77 on: August 20, 2015, 10:28:39 am »
My contractor cut it Sunday as he said there was a window until Wed night.  He turned it Monday, and then it bucketed it down Tues afternoon and then again Wed night.  We have lost 6 acres  :'(   what is usually around 600 small bales. Luckily we have enough really good hay in the barn from last year that will do the fussy pony and the two little goats, who are arriving in 10 days time, until Christmas, Will have to get some big bale haylage for the other horses and then we will have to buy in for the sheep.

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #78 on: August 20, 2015, 11:18:35 am »
Ah man am so sorry to hear about that, that's awful.
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #79 on: August 20, 2015, 11:40:32 am »
My contractor cut it Sunday as he said there was a window until Wed night.  He turned it Monday, and then it bucketed it down Tues afternoon and then again Wed night.  We have lost 6 acres  :'(   what is usually around 600 small bales. Luckily we have enough really good hay in the barn from last year that will do the fussy pony and the two little goats, who are arriving in 10 days time, until Christmas, Will have to get some big bale haylage for the other horses and then we will have to buy in for the sheep.

Is it really lost?  Ours often gets wet at least once, but if you then get a good spell and you can lift and turn, the hay will be ok.
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SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #80 on: August 20, 2015, 12:17:32 pm »
My contractor cut it Sunday as he said there was a window until Wed night.  He turned it Monday, and then it bucketed it down Tues afternoon and then again Wed night.  We have lost 6 acres  :'(   what is usually around 600 small bales. Luckily we have enough really good hay in the barn from last year that will do the fussy pony and the two little goats, who are arriving in 10 days time, until Christmas, Will have to get some big bale haylage for the other horses and then we will have to buy in for the sheep.

Is it really lost?  Ours often gets wet at least once, but if you then get a good spell and you can lift and turn, the hay will be ok.

Absolutely.  Where we are, it's never lost - it might not be as good, but it's still usable.  The only time it's really lost is if it rains a lot on it when it was bone dry ready to bale.  (And we'd still bale and wrap for silage.)

But then, it takes 4 days to dry here and needs to be worked a lot - if you are somewhere much dryer and warmer, I suppose it might have been more dry before it got wet (if that makes any sense.)

If it's no use for hay, could you still bale and warp for silage - and sell it if that's not useful for your own livestock?
Don't listen to the money men - they know the price of everything and the value of nothing

Live in a cohousing community with small farm for our own use.  Dairy cows (rearing their own calves for beef), pigs, sheep for meat and fleece, ducks and hens for eggs, veg and fruit growing

Herdygirl

  • Joined Sep 2011
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #81 on: August 23, 2015, 12:09:24 am »
TBH girls, it hasn't really stopped raining since  :gloomy: .  Contractor has gone to ground so I will have to write it off.  Not sure what to do with all the grass on the ground though.  Will the new grass grow through?
 
I will investigate if anyone ants any silage, thanks for the tip.

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #82 on: August 23, 2015, 01:54:57 am »
I feel for you HG, the storm tonight was crazy, worried about flooding again, but luckily it kept having lighter showers between the downpours, just about got the goats in as it started and had to leave the lights + radio on because of the thunder & lightening,
just been looking at weather forecasts, nice start tomorrow but rain pm, and some rain each day till Friday, which at the moment looks good.
I know a few people now who are losing their hay, not locally, we have 3 local contractors who seem to get it in once cut, maybe they only cut what they know they'll have time to work and bale,
def not going to be much summer hay about, but the contractor told me they've had some good hay in september.
 
I'd try and get the wet hay raked off, it could act as a mulch and kill the grass underneath?

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #83 on: August 23, 2015, 09:46:14 am »
I've got some gulleys I only top once a year (or it means lots of turns through the good flat meadow) and each time they end up with thick layers of toppings that happily rot down with new grass coming through better than the hay meadow. last year the crows dug up a whole 5 acre field (looking for larvae?) and it looked like bare mud by christmas... it all came back with good hay cut this year at as good a level as on the untouched fields.
With all the seeds in there and the seeds from the hay cutting and the new organic matter from the rotting grass these fields recover well - more resilient than you'ld think.

Also if you do rake it up what are you going to do with it apart from let it rot down and spread it back on?

Garmoran

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Lochaber, Highland
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #84 on: August 27, 2015, 07:11:41 pm »
Well, to my surprise I actually managed to get some hay in on Tuesday, a week after it was cut and in spite of two wet days. Most of the drying was on Sunday, with a fine warm wind. It's only a small amount, six tarpaulin loads, so perhaps 8 or 10 small bales, but it's not bad stuff, considering, and maybe I'll manage a bit more if we get a few more dry days. And now I have some space to spread new-cut hay!

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #85 on: August 27, 2015, 07:45:25 pm »
Very good, glad to hear it :thumbsup:
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

Scotsdumpy

  • Joined Jul 2012
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #86 on: August 27, 2015, 08:57:42 pm »
Weve finally managed to get our park cut, baled and wrapped for haylage - 37 large round bales. Weve never used it before and we aren't sure if our anima ls will take to it (cows, goats, sheep). The guy who made it for us has offered to swap it for hay if we can't use it.
We don't yet know how much he will charge yet - any ideas much the going rate is in Aberdeenshire? We bought the film wrap - so hopefully will reduce the cost a bit. I never realised how much the black plastic costs  £97 for 2 reels of 500mm!! Trying to work out what I can use the half reel left!!

Garmoran

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Lochaber, Highland
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #87 on: August 27, 2015, 09:33:57 pm »
We went down to Edinburgh at the weekend (passed 2 lorryloads of small bales heading north) and there was a lot of haybaling activity in Stirlingshire, so perhaps things aren't as bad as I'd feared. I was imagining prices going through the roof.

claire

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Falkirk
    • Clairesgarden
    • Facebook
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #88 on: August 28, 2015, 07:09:41 am »
the local farmer here has baled loads of hay , small and round bales, mostly for their own use, I think the farm where I keep abbey has a certain amount of it booked and paid for in advance as they dont' sell it to the public usually as far as I know, I am sure the farmer kept working for at least 48 hrs without a break  to get it in.. .. so hard working. he gets a bit grumpy at this time of year, I dont' blame him..  but is usually the nicest person ever. and some fields he might get a second cut, he's just waiting the weather out now.. it'll be less nutritious but good for fat ponies so I'm hoping for some of that.

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #89 on: August 28, 2015, 07:12:46 am »
I always use the leftover black plastic for raised beds in the winter. Also if you get any bales with holes in it can be useful too. Am sure there are more people with a lot more suggestions :thinking:
the most beautiful people we have known are those who have known defeat, known suffering, known struggle, known loss and have found their way out of the depths. These persons have an appreciation, a sensitivity and an understanding of life that fills them with compassion, gentleness, loving concern.

 

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