[Fleecewife]

I'm feeling extremely smug - sorry    Our little bit of hay is all baled, carted and stacked, and in spite of the endless rain it's perfect quality (for primitives).  Our lovely workies took half the afternoon off to help with the work and they really enjoyed it (stacking bales is 3D brickwork  ).  It means we're not dead on our feet as most years. 

You can go off people....... 

    

[Fleecewife]

Years ago I used to make small baled hay, always perfect weather. One year I made so much that it was a squeeze to shut the door to the building, very good year that. Am glad though that you have had a good year for hay though fleecewife, I wouldn't wish this year of bad weather in Wales for anyone. Am always happy to hear other people being successful at baling for hay

Most of the year has been awful WBF, constant rain, never a long enough stretch to make hay. I had totally given up expecting to get any hay at all, and having to buy it in. The past week with mainly dry weather (a couple of good soakings but soon dried in the breeze) was a complete surprise    I hope something similar happens in wet Wales and you get a crop.  It's always a big worry, and an expensive one too.

[Andrew]

Managed to get neighbour to help and finished at 10.20 pm last night

[pgkevet]

WBF .. if my current frcast is correct then you have a hay-making window starting in a couple fo hours when the worst of the rain has dried off...supposed to stay dry to tuesday pm. That's if you believe forcasts..

[Fieldfare]

My first ever baling. Cut Saturday...baled Wednesday- all went smoothly for the 1st field (then I broke the baler- see equipment thread!). All home and dry (neighbour round-baled the 2nd field). 60ish bales in the warm and dry by 9pm Wednesday all done by my own fair hand. Phew- time to sit down 

[waterbuffalofarmer]

WBF .. if my current frcast is correct then you have a hay-making window starting in a couple fo hours when the worst of the rain has dried off...supposed to stay dry to tuesday pm. That's if you believe forcasts..

I've come to not believe any forecast at all, I rely on a farming neighbor who can predict (to some accuracy) of when to cut, however it was a close shave for him this year. The day here has been mist, fog and rain with a lot of salty wind from the sea, reminds me of loch lomond pics in scotland

[pgkevet]

It bucketted down here until about 2-3pm then dried up and by 5.30pm the long grass was dry as well as the pathways..forcast is good for 3 days and into tuesday.. as good as you'll get this time of year - a cut this evening would have been a good start then plenty turning to make up for the lack of breeze...

[Dogwalker]

Well my small field will be cut tomorrow and keep fingers crossed it gets made.

[Garmoran]

Hay still standing here, but the ground underneath is so wet that I would need at least 2 good days with a dry wind before I could think of cutting it.

There were 4 days in a row without rain early last month but apart from that I don't think there has been a day for months without at least one shower. At least the events of Monday this week have been a one-off - beautiful warm morning followed by a cloudburst and floods in the afternoon which closed away the railway line.

I'll give the hay until the end of the month and then let the tups and hoggs start work on it. At saletime I'll keep back the minimum number of animals for this winter. In theory SGRPID should be handing us £80 for each ewe hogg we keep over the winter but as there is no knowing what ways they will find to reduce the payment I'm being cautious this year. We'll see how the scheme works and maybe keep more next year.

A couple of months ago I was visiting a farm in Banffshire and they were telling us that farmers there had been trying to sell off big bales of silage at £10 each. It's enough to make you weep!

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Ah well I've taken the plunge and cut! 4 days of good weather, supposed to be forecast. I have a neighbour cutting half the crop and I'm cutting the other half, I just sincerely hope all goes well. I couldn't wait any longer, my grass is already past its best!

[shep53]

My first ever baling. Cut Saturday...baled Wednesday- all went smoothly for the 1st field (then I broke the baler- see equipment thread!). All home and dry (neighbour round-baled the 2nd field). 60ish bales in the warm and dry by 9pm Wednesday all done by my own fair hand. Phew- time to sit down 

      WELL DONE  hay looks good , see what you mean about the mowing, next year       have a look on ebay  a very simple bale sledge     ( one for £ 140 )    dragged behind the baler to collect 10 or so bales in one place  , released at the same point across the field makes stacking in the field or picking up much easier

[Rupert the bear]

Ah well I've taken the plunge and cut! 4 days of good weather, supposed to be forecast. I have a neighbour cutting half the crop and I'm cutting the other half, I just sincerely hope all goes well. I couldn't wait any longer, my grass is already past its best!

  Keeping fingers crossed for you   

[waterbuffalofarmer]

Thanks. If all goes well I should have over 150 big bale haylage am just hoping all goes well. I have more fields to cut, but am focusing on the biggest fields, so hopefully at the end of the year I should have over 200. Probably not quite enough over winter but if need be I'll buy more in.

[Sudanpan]

Things are most definitely against us    Had arranged for our neighbour's grandson to come and cut the field this weekend as the forecast looks good til Thurs - however after waiting all weekend I get a text from him at 4pm today to say his mower was having problems so no chance to cut for us 


Twice this summer we had the opportunity to buy our own disc mower at a couple of auctions - really wishing we had taken the plunge now - relying on someone else is a major pain in the proverbial.

[Dogwalker]

Phew,  all safely in the barn ( and shed and kid pen because I've never had so much hay and have run out of places to put it.)  Not sure where the goat kids are going to eat their creep tonight.
It's been a fantastic haymaking day.  Clear sky, hot sun and a steady breeze all day.

Hope everyone else is having the same luck at last.

How have you done WBF?