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Author Topic: Cut hay got wet and now showery weather predicted  (Read 3691 times)

Fieldfare

  • Joined Feb 2011
Cut hay got wet and now showery weather predicted
« on: August 08, 2016, 01:01:46 pm »
...I'm sure this has been dealt with before but I have cut my hay on Friday, turned it Saturday and Sunday. Overnight on Sunday it was rained on (pretty much soaking it). On Monday the weather has turned blowy and sunny and it is drying a bit. Have been told by a neighbour to leave it until it does dry fully on the top (which would prob. be Tuesday lunchtime if it hasn't rained). If it doesn't dry and we get more rain he said to just leave it.

Does that approach sound sensible? Can I leave it for days untouched if it keeps getting showered upon? I am following the BBC weather but at the moment it seems to change by the hour so difficult to predict the next few days (at least for where I am in Sheffield)...

Any tips would be helpful...

Thanks!






landroverroy

  • Joined Oct 2010
Re: Cut hay got wet and now showery weather predicted
« Reply #1 on: August 08, 2016, 06:05:33 pm »
 Yes - as your neighbour says - leave it till the top is dry before turning.
 Every time you turn it you lose a certain amount of leaf and the nutritious part of hay is in the leaf. So if you keep turning it when you don't need to you will eventually end up with a pile of crisp dry stalks, with little feed value.
« Last Edit: August 09, 2016, 11:21:27 am by landroverroy »
Rules are made:
  for the guidance of wise men
  and the obedience of fools.

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Cut hay got wet and now showery weather predicted
« Reply #2 on: August 08, 2016, 07:28:47 pm »
Yes best to leave it , in showery conditions its better in tight rows  than spread out

shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Cut hay got wet and now showery weather predicted
« Reply #3 on: August 08, 2016, 07:54:33 pm »
The tight rows also allows the ground between rows to dry faster so that you can move the rows on to dry ground or spread onto  at least some dry ground

Fieldfare

  • Joined Feb 2011
Re: Cut hay got wet and now showery weather predicted
« Reply #4 on: August 08, 2016, 09:02:43 pm »
Hi all- thanks- sadly it is spread and not in rows. The wind and sun today did almost dry it but we keep getting short showers- so didn't get the opportunity to row it up. The next 2ish days look a bit showery also so I guess I am stuck with leaving it spread... my eyes are glued to the weather forecast and the skies!  Bring on that high pressure and nice southerly air they are promising!


shep53

  • Joined Jan 2011
  • Dumfries & Galloway
Re: Cut hay got wet and now showery weather predicted
« Reply #5 on: August 17, 2016, 05:53:09 pm »
Have you got baled now ??

Fieldfare

  • Joined Feb 2011
Re: Cut hay got wet and now showery weather predicted
« Reply #6 on: August 26, 2016, 10:49:15 pm »
...yes it rained for a clear 7 days- just left it unturned... then 3 really nice days where I turned it 3x... despite that it baled nice and smells and looks pretty good!

pharnorth

  • Joined Nov 2013
  • Cambridgeshire
Re: Cut hay got wet and now showery weather predicted
« Reply #7 on: August 27, 2016, 07:40:28 am »
I am glad to hear that. It is also useful to know as I live in a dry part of the country I get stressed if it gets drizzled on once it is cut so maybe I worry too much about it. We've only had bad hay one year in the last 20. It was a particularly dry May and the yield was low and it wasn't palatable. The horses ate it eventually but only because I wasn't going to give them a choice.

Fieldfare

  • Joined Feb 2011
Re: Cut hay got wet and now showery weather predicted
« Reply #8 on: August 28, 2016, 04:33:55 pm »
...Yes it was interesting to see how it 'behaved' with all the rain we had.. I checked it every day and just to monitor if it was turning mouldy (still smelt nice)...and for my own education. The key is, I think, not to turn until the top was dry and weather was going to do some good (warm, dry and blowing). Once weather turned good it quickly dried in fact probably 2 days would have done it.
cheers,

 

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