Agri Vehicles Insurance from Greenlands

Author Topic: Anyone still to cut hay?  (Read 27781 times)

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #30 on: August 09, 2015, 09:20:08 am »
You know what guys maybe whenever we get a few days of really good weather we should gradually bale our fields. So say about 3 days good weather, you cut about 2-3 fields and bale em, then the next time and the time after you repeat until all your fields are cut. I think that's the only way we'll ever be able to make hay this year :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.

Fleecewife

  • Joined May 2010
  • South Lanarkshire
    • ScotHebs
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #31 on: August 09, 2015, 11:55:48 am »
Even with ideal weather it takes 5 days of sunshine and breeze to make hay here.  We haven't had that, let alone several episodes to stagger making hay.  When you live in a wet cool region, you do your best, take risks, and work your butt off to get a crop in, making use of any snatches of dry weather you get.  The hay may not be perfect if it's been rained on part way through the making but, as they say, it fills their bellies  :sheep: :sheep: :sheep:
"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.

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #32 on: August 09, 2015, 01:02:16 pm »
I have to watch out (with the buff being in calf over the winter) which is why I make haylage now and not silage, as I can't afford for any abortions due to listeria. Its supposed to be really hot next week, so am gonna cut then.
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.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #33 on: August 09, 2015, 02:12:22 pm »
What is your distinction between haylage and silage, wbf? 
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

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #34 on: August 09, 2015, 02:23:20 pm »
What is your distinction between haylage and silage, wbf?
Haylage has been turned more when in the field. Its basically like big baled hay. Silage requires less time to sit and be turned by the spinner. Also silage stinks and goes off whereas haylage doesn't. Plus silage needs to be wrapped whereas with haylage you stack it unwrapped in the building and it serves you well. How did I do? ;) Also I do haylage cause silage has always been a disaster and the buff are very picky eaters ::)
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.

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #35 on: August 09, 2015, 02:33:10 pm »
To me, if it's unwrapped, it's hay, if it's wrapped it's silage.

We dry ours as much as possible too, which of course depends on the conditions at the time.  If it's nearly dry enough for hay but not quite we call it 'haylage'.  So I guess that to us, all haylage is silage but not all silage is haylage!

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

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #36 on: August 10, 2015, 07:45:54 pm »
Mr Rea farmer just rocked up and started mowing..looks like he's going round the edges and rougher/dippier bts and left the rest-- which means his young son will get sent down to fill in the mowing. Gives the kds something useful to do on school holidays. He's a good little telehandler driver too.

waterbuffalofarmer

  • Joined Apr 2014
  • Mid Wales
  • Owner of 61 Mediterranean water buffaloes
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #37 on: August 10, 2015, 07:58:00 pm »
Am gonna cut tomoz as the weathers gonna be good this week. i spent all day cleaning my hay shed. :relief:
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.

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #38 on: August 10, 2015, 09:27:40 pm »
...the lad's out there in the dark with the work lights on still going round...only 15 acres more.

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #39 on: August 11, 2015, 07:48:44 pm »
The hay got turned twice today.. if it's a good night without too much dew then then they might be able to turn am and start baling late pm tomorrow sun forcast all day...but some weather warnings for thursday and friday...

Womble

  • Joined Mar 2009
  • Stirlingshire, Central Scotland
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #40 on: August 11, 2015, 08:39:10 pm »
Lots of folks round our way cut over the weekend..... then it rained solidly all of Monday  >:(
"All fungi are edible. Some fungi are only edible once." -Terry Pratchett

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #41 on: August 12, 2015, 09:31:27 pm »
With dire forcasts for tomorrow but a lovely day today the guys worked hard..turned twice and rowed and baled and finsihed just on the target of 8.30pm before the dew - about 160 large round which is up on past years.
I've been letting neighbour farmer just have it in exchange for a few odd bits of help.. but he really hasn't offered anything this year so perhaps time to get more commercial....?

SallyintNorth

  • Joined Feb 2011
  • Cornwall
  • Rarely short of an opinion but I mean well
    • Trelay Cohousing Community
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #42 on: August 12, 2015, 10:39:14 pm »
With dire forcasts for tomorrow but a lovely day today the guys worked hard..turned twice and rowed and baled and finsihed just on the target of 8.30pm before the dew - about 160 large round which is up on past years.
I've been letting neighbour farmer just have it in exchange for a few odd bits of help.. but he really hasn't offered anything this year so perhaps time to get more commercial....?

Large round bales of hay cost £20-£25 around here.  We worked out that it costs us approx. £10-£12 a bale to make (including paying contractors for cutting and baling.)   
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

Penninehillbilly

  • Joined Sep 2011
  • West Yorks
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #43 on: August 13, 2015, 01:09:15 am »
With dire forcasts for tomorrow but a lovely day today the guys worked hard..turned twice and rowed and baled and finsihed just on the target of 8.30pm before the dew - about 160 large round which is up on past years.

managed to get some 3x2 flags on ebay, driving home10.15pm they were still baling near the village, it's been cut long enough for hay, would it now be haylage?
 
and how many sizes are there in round bales?

pgkevet

  • Joined Jul 2011
Re: Anyone still to cut hay?
« Reply #44 on: August 13, 2015, 06:15:44 am »
Large round bales of hay cost £20-£25 around here.  We worked out that it costs us approx. £10-£12 a bale to make (including paying contractors for cutting and baling.)

I guesstimated his costs...1/2 a day to go round each time: cut, 4 turns, a rowing then baling then a day collecting and carting with 2 men. So while he has some of his own gear and some contracted out it works out to be some 5 'contractor days' equivelent at say £200/contractor day or £1K in costs for £3+K in hay. It'd be nice if I got a £5+ a bale out of it or he offered to pay for  3 or 4 contractor days of work on my place for me (since he could deduct the vat etc 'cos we're not commercial)

In past years he did send  someone down to top my slopes for me (1 day's work) but it was always way late in the season and for bracken control I've been paying a driver to use my kit to do it 3 times this year aready (I don't have the bottle/skill for those slopes). It's really knocked that bracken back too.

 

Forum sponsors

FibreHut Energy Helpline Thomson & Morgan Time for Paws Scottish Smallholder & Grower Festival Ark Farm Livestock Movement Service

© The Accidental Smallholder Ltd 2003-2024. All rights reserved.

Design by Furness Internet

Site developed by Champion IS