How long do you wait to bale hay after cutting?

Time your mowing around the most reliable weather forecast you can find. It basically takes about three days of good weather to cure hay.

How do you know when hay is dry enough to bale?

Breaking stems in half or twisting them in a circular motion to see if the stems break cleanly will give farmers the go-ahead to bale. “If all the stems break and crack that's an indication that the hay is cured and then you can rely on the moisture test that you're getting from the probe,” Yaremcio said.

Can you cut and bale hay the same day?

In a trial at the University of Wisconsin Arlington Research Station (Figure 2) where alfalfa was put into a wide swath it reached 65 percent moisture in about eight hours and could be harvested for haylage the same day as cutting.

How long do you leave hay after cutting?

So how soon can you feed new hay? If the hay is cut and bailed in perfect conditions with less than 12% moisture in the bale, it should be safe to feed straight away. But due to how hard this is to get accurate; it is recommended to wait 2-8 weeks before feeding.

Can hay be too dry to bale?

When hay is too dry before baling, the leaves of the forage become stiff and brittle, making them much more likely to fall off. In many cases, a significant portion of hay's nutritive value lies in the leafy portions of the herbs used to make the hay.

When is the best time to cut hay?

Can you bale hay at night?

Baling at night is nice if your climate will allow. Then the leaves start to toughen up before the stems and the outside before the bottom. “We used to go to the field when the air felt right. That is above 50 percent relative humidity.

How long does hay need to cure?

When preparing to bale hay, the transition from freshly cut, high-moisture grasses and legumes to dry forage is known as curing. This process takes on average 3 days—in good weather.

How can I dry hay faster?

Swath width is an easy adjustment that has a big impact on drying time. Lay the crop as wide as practical. Do not cut hay into a tight windrow. A wider swath will dry faster, because more drying area of the hay is exposed to sun and wind.

What is the best time of day to cut hay?

Though starches and simple sugars accumulate during the day, a substantial amount of these carbohydrates are used up during the night for growth and maintenance (via the processes of respiration). Therefore, cutting the crop at night will likely maximize the sugar in the crop, at least at the time of cutting.

Do you have to Tedder hay?

Therefore, in moist climates, a tedder, which spreads the hay for increased sun and air exposure, is most likely a necessity. There are situations, however, when a tedder should not be used. Tedders are intended to be used on crops while they are still higher in moisture and pliable.

Does rain hurt cut hay?

Research at Iowa State University found that fresh-cut hay with less than 1 inch of rain took a few more hours to dry, but didn't suffer much, if any, quality or quantity loss. A light rain on nearly dry hay, though, caused significant losses.

Does raking hay help it dry?

Raking tends to roll the wetter hay from the bottom of the swath to the outer surface of the windrow, which improves drying. Following the initial improvement, the increase in swath density can reduce drying rate, so the crop moisture content at raking is important.

How long can you leave hay on the ground?

Ground a little of everything, the hay doesn't blow after its ground, rain or snowfall isn't harmful for the one to two month period. A nice lime or concrete pad would be best.

Can you cut hay right after it rains?

Rain doesn't hurt the freshly cut hay really at all and when the weather clears the ground is much dryer than if you try to cut right after the rain.

Do you have to rake hay before baling?

As a rule of thumb, wait to rake hay until after the dew has dried and the sun nears its peak, or around 11:00 am. If possible, let the raked hay sit for an hour or two before baling to allow more drying time. Haymakers have several types of rakes available.

Can you bale hay with dew on it?

Baling hay that is wet/damp is not recommended. You will see better results if you are able to let the dew dry off before baling or bale before dew sets. Damp hay can mold and decrease quality and nutrients.

Is it OK to cut hay with dew on it?

Avoid cutting hay until the morning dew has fully dried. “There is enough water that must leave the plants already without adding more from the nightly dew,” Kaatz says. “The bottom of windrows also absorb moisture from the soil, so keep drying hay off of wet soils as much as possible to avoid added moisture content.”

How long should hay dry before raking?

Generally, raking should be done during the late morning once the dew has dried and the sun is near its peak. If possible, it's best to then allow at least two hours before baling.

When should you fluff hay?

Initial tedding should be performed after a brief wilting period following a morning cutting while the hay is still moist (two to four hours). In very damp conditions, tedding may need to be done immediately after cutting. A second pass is usually done the next day, and the hay is raked and baled that afternoon.

How do you cure hay?

How often should you turn hay?

Hay should be cut when dry at the end of a sunny day when sugar levels are at their highest and tedded immediately after cutting. In good weather the grass is tedded twice daily and in very good sunny, breezy weather haymaking should be achieved in 3 to 4 days.

How fast can you bale hay?

5-8 mph here. Typically 2 13ft swaths raked together. Typically baling about 30 bales per hr on 1.5-2 bales per acre stuff.

How tall should hay be before you cut it?

The first cutting in the spring should be when grass has greened up and reached 12 – 16 inches tall. This should clean up all the old growth of winter weeds and such. Then each subsequent cutting is at 3.5 to 5 week intervals.

Can horses eat 2 year old hay?

If the hay was of good-quality when harvested and stored in a dry place with sufficient airflow, hay is likely suitable for consumption for two to three years. Keep in mind that hay, even premium forage, loses much of its vitamin content in the first few months of storage.