Can you mow hay in the rain?
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.
Should you cut hay when its wet?
Tip #1 – Cut hay after the morning dew dries. Wet fields will also add to the moisture content of drying hay. Moisture gets soaked up from the soil into the bottom of the windrow if it is contact with wet soils, so keep drying hay off these soils.
Does hay get ruined if it gets wet?
Unfortunately, rain can damage hay in several ways. Rain leaches soluble nutrients and keeps the moisture level high, thus increasing the likelihood of decay and mold. Hay rained on during field drying of course damages legume hay more than grass hay and the drier the hay when rain occurs, the greater the damage.
What happens if hay gets wet before baling?
The first thing to keep in mind when dealing with wet hay is that moisture can easily lead to combustion. Twenty percent moisture is about the highest level that bales should reach. Above this, microbes begin to break down plant matter and mold growth occurs.
What do you do if it rains while cutting hay?
The trick is to get it dry again as quickly as possible in order to reduce the amount of time for leaching of nutrients. Just remember that excessive tedding or raking of hay will result in material loss so be as efficient as possible. Unfortunately, in some cases the hay will not be salvageable.
Why do farmers cut hay at night?
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.
How long does it take for cut hay to dry?
It basically takes about three days of good weather to cure hay. This can be a challenge in late May or early June. A good strategy is to mow just before or right after a rain, because of the likelihood of good weather for the next few days.
How wet is too wet to bale?
Even if many of the harmful effects of heat in wet hay are avoided, spores produced by the mold increase hay dustiness and affects palatability. To prevent excessive heating, large round bales should contain no more than 18 percent moisture at baling and small square bales should not exceed 20 percent moisture.
How often should hay be cut?
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 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.
Can hay dry in two days?
It basically takes about three days of good weather to cure hay. This can be a challenge in late May or early June.
How can I dry hay faster?
Another method Kaatz suggests for making hay dry faster is to use a tedder. A tedder, which works especially well with grasses, will fluff the windrow or swath and allow air to flow through it more easily. The additional air dries the hay faster, but Kaatz advises not to use a tedder on partially dried alfalfa.
Can you bale hay that’s been rained on?
Hay baled at normal moisture levels will usually heat to 120-130 degrees F. Some mold and mustiness often occur, but usually not enough to affect quality or consumption. If it is baled above 20 percent moisture, though, the bales can heat up to 190-200 degrees F, the point at which spontaneous combustion can occur.
When should you stop cutting hay?
The answers to these questions are usually something like… “it is fine to harvest through the first week of September”, and… “we recommend harvesting at least six weeks before the killing frost.” On average, the alfalfa killing frost (24 to 25 degrees F) in northeast Iowa occurs in the third to fourth week of October.
How can I dry hay fast?
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.
Will raking hay help it dry?
The drier the hay is at raking, the greater the leaf loss. If possible, raking alfalfa at moistures between 30 – 40% is often a good compromise between low leaf loss and good drying. Leaf loss can be extremely high if raking at 20% moisture.
What to do with hay that has been rained on?
How do you make hay dry faster?
Make A Wide Windrow 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.
Why do they cut hay at night?