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Author Topic: Hay in Scotland?  (Read 11250 times)

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #15 on: July 30, 2016, 11:35:43 am »
No chance of small bales here, either, yet.  We've got a few big round bales of two of the three fields we've cut so far,  but the bulk of the crop so far has had to be wrapped, as per usual :(.  Annoying, especially as we didn't really need any more silage.   >:(
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

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #16 on: July 31, 2016, 11:02:57 am »
Lots grass being cut or turned on the Carse of Stirling yesterday. Dry and a good breeze today too. Fingers crossed for everybody!  :fc:
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #17 on: July 31, 2016, 05:05:00 pm »
Lots grass being cut or turned on the Carse of Stirling yesterday. Dry and a good breeze today too. Fingers crossed for everybody!  :fc:

Oh good - that's where we would buy it from if we have to buy.
You must get better weather on the Carse, or better luck, because the hay from there seems to be good quality and available in most years  :farmer:
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #18 on: July 31, 2016, 06:17:29 pm »
.......and it's just started raining!  >:(
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #19 on: July 31, 2016, 10:58:15 pm »
.......and it's just started raining!  >:(

 :roflanim:   it's that or  :'( isn't it.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #20 on: August 08, 2016, 09:56:13 pm »
Well we cut it today  :farmer:  It is due to rain a bit in a couple of days time, but after that, if they don't change the forecast, there should be 3 more drying days at least after that.  We felt that if we didn't do it now the crop would be lost, whereas we at least have some chance by cutting it today.
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #21 on: August 08, 2016, 11:34:08 pm »
I'll keep my fingers crossed for you!
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

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #22 on: August 08, 2016, 11:59:34 pm »
Thank you Sally  :)

I shouldn't even have mentioned the weather forecast as, yes, they've changed it all around and now it's going to rain for the next couple of days as well  ::)
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

oor wullie

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Strathnairn
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #23 on: August 10, 2016, 08:10:20 am »
Mine is still standing and I see that we have a weather warning for rain over the next 2 days.

Because we haven't had any dry spells for ages the ground is soaking - yesterday my wee tractor was making a right mess whilst pulling a harrow in the mud.  I suspect I will still be looking at the hay field at the end of the month.

oor wullie

  • Joined Jun 2012
  • Strathnairn
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #24 on: August 15, 2016, 11:53:07 am »
It looks like this week might be our 1 chance this year.  As Sod's law would have it I am working away from home for 2 weeks so can't get home to make use of this good weather!

The good news is that Mrs Oor Wullie has just taught herself how to work the mower and mowed the field. 
Hopefully it stays dry long enough for me to get get home and bale it.......

CarolineJ

  • Joined Dec 2015
  • North coast of Scotland
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #25 on: August 15, 2016, 12:37:50 pm »
We got the one that's been on the ground for nearly 3 weeks turned yesterday and today and we're baling it this afternoon.  Emergency feed and bedding use only for that lot, I think!  However, we cut the field out on the point on Saturday, it's thick, it's dried beautifully and we should be able to bale it tomorrow night, fingers crossed.  :fc: :fc: :fc:

NethertonSH

  • Joined May 2015
    • Netherton Smallholding
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #26 on: August 15, 2016, 02:44:08 pm »
Looking out the window at the sun shining on my cut grass I'm feeling very blessed. Cut half on Sat and the rest last night. I've turned it twice today and it doesn't seem far too far off being ready to bale. Tomorrows meant to be a cracker so I think I'll turn it once late morning then start baling late afternoon. Even if I only get half baled and into the shed Wednesday is meant to be nice as well so can finish it then.

6 weeks left to finish my PhD and I'm spending best part of a week making hay ;D first things first!

devonlady

  • Joined Aug 2014
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #27 on: August 15, 2016, 03:52:18 pm »
I was reading somewhere (and annoyingly I can't remember where - I think it might have been a book about a year in the life of a meadow or similar) about a chap who cut his hay by scythe, a bit at a time, brought it inside almost straight away, laid it on frames to dry and then stacked loose.  I must try and find it again.

(Current hay sit-rep, it's rained a bit this morning and it seems the baler has seized up at some point in the last six months - now applying large amounts of WD40 and grease!)

I remember, Caroline someone offering us mowing grass (this was about 30 years ago) not much, about half an acre and we scythed it, turned it by hand and carried it home, bit by bit, on the back of a motorbike!! It was lovely hay.

CarolineJ

  • Joined Dec 2015
  • North coast of Scotland
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #28 on: August 15, 2016, 08:19:02 pm »
138 bales in the barn and it's actually not as much of a lost cause as I'd feared - the horses will certainly eat it anyway :excited: :excited: :excited: :excited: :excited:  The point field is going to need another couple of days to dry, but the forecast is holding and we've got enough to feed everyone over winter now, so any more we get in is a bonus (and can be sold!)

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Hay in Scotland?
« Reply #29 on: August 17, 2016, 10:20:36 pm »
Similar to caroline above. All baled and stacked.  The last couple of days have been scorchers.
  :sunshine: :relief: :farmer: :thumbsup:

Has everyone else got theirs in now?
"Let's not talk about what we can do, but do what we can"

There is NO planet B - what are YOU doing to save our home?

Do something today that your future self will thank you for - plant a tree

 Love your soil - it's the lifeblood of your land.

 

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