I'm curious what you do with your hay out there...cows, sheep, horses, sell? Looks like mostly grass but I think I see quite a few alfalfa blooms don't I?
I always thought making hay was part science and mostly luck with the weather. In a perfect world we mow hard on day 1 after the dew burns off about 11 and quit by 5 or 6. Leave it lay on day 2 and go rake fast on day 3 with a large v-rake about 10 am. We bale large rounds with a Vermeer 605M.
WE aren't in the dairy business so quality is not the first concern. I know in places where they "really" make hay, climates dictate a different approach like baling at night.
I never worry about driving on the hay unless its pressing it into the soft ground in which case I shouldn't be out there anyway.
A fella at the University of Wisconsin did extensive research on making hay and its an interesting read if you can find it. Names Undersander I'm pretty sure. He said the single most important thing you can do to make quality hay is to spread it out as wide as possible to promote fast initial drying. Seemshay is still trying to grow after cut is is using energy and losing energy or sugars through the pores or stomates. Fast initial drying traps these sugars or something like that. My point is I never could understand why hay is mowed into a narrow windrow for baling. We do it when we are chopping to avoid the hay getting too dry for us but for baling ?? Another thing I could never understand is the tedder except in the more humid climates or after hay is rained on.
Our hay is only 6 inches tall yet and we have a lot of corn and beans to plant if it ever drys up.
Sorry I've rambled... I get too analytical. Thanks again for pictures its nice to see how its done in different parts of the country.
The hay is first cutting that's all I get dry land no irrigation. Rye Grass and Purple Vetch. I feed Black Angus cow & calf herd.
I agree it is a science making hay. I see guys leave bales out and get rained on. Leave the hay way to long and gets rained on. It's like they don't care? Or not that important. It is raining 2 days in a row. I am lucky that my hay is out of the field and under cover. I went by a field of wind-rowed hay today that most will be lost before it gets into the baler.
I think that what we did 45 years ago is now a lost art we grew alfalfa for the dairy cows, in Pennsylvania. And we made good hay and it was green color most of the time and full of leaves. It would be mowed late morning sickle bar and conditioner. I think after 2 or 3 days we would ted the hay which we did real real slow. We used old steel wheel New Idea rakes hooked in tandem. That was to keep the leaves on. It might need a second tedding if we got heavy due. If it would rain we might run the conditioner over it and ring out the water asa long as it was not raked in windrows. Then we would rake it if it felt right. It might need to be turned over again if there still had a little moisture in it. I was glad I learned from the best back then. Now I can apply what I learned.
The tight windrow is used because you lose less Alfalfa when it is not spread out. Over the hill 10 miles East in the central valley were irrigation is used and they make a tight windrow and can let it dry a wile longer with out worry of rain. (Most of the time.) Then they use v-rake and double up the windrows. So what farmers like to ramble!
