Making hay ........ or not?

[woodland]

Just curious how everyone is making out with putting up feed? Haven’t been able to make a bale yet due to the constant rain that’s been coming for three weeks. Not really grumpy about that as it was way too dry before but it would be nice to get a week or two of sunny heat soon. Friends 25 miles east and 50 miles northwest both got dry hay made but every night it dumps 1-5 tenths here. Got everything ready to roll and just trying to locate a mouse nest somewhere in the heater core of the bale truck while it’s raining again.

[DaneG]

Hopefully I will get started today or tomorrow!

[smcgrath76]

I cut some small test pieces a week ago and just got them baled up today. They only had about 3" of rain on them. We will likely start full tilt in Aug now...
We were bone dry until near the end of June, and thankfully it was cold so the hay never got started and didn't really head out. Now we are super wet and the hay is making volume in the bottom.
Can't get too discouraged. I remember one year I finished our first cut of hay, just after Thanksgiving.

[15444]

Started June 25th. Was only guy making dry hay. Everybody else was wrapping. Only got 40 or so acres done. Have another 30 on ground right now. Got 4" rain last week, yet holes are dry. Supposed to be dry and sunny all this week but almost got hit by freak downpours today and yesterday. Heavy red clover year, so drying is basically 5 days. Lots of feed, going rank underneath in places. Pretty well running 3 to 3.5 ton per acre. Hoping to be close to 1/4 done by end of week.

[Taiga]

I have 575 x 1650lb rounds done with no rain, only 1/3 done. Looks like forecast will let me mow some more on Sunday.

[littledoggie]

We made our first bales yesterday on some outside rounds. Huge crop out there. No shortage of hay this year - quality might be an issue if we can't get it off in a timely manner.

[bullshead]

Well we finished baling today and that includes the greenfeed. Hayland went about 25% of normal on the stuff we cut about a third wasn't worth cutting. Greenfeed made a bale and half and acre so about 30% of normal and still real dry with temps in the low 30's all week. There is a real shortage of feed in SE alberta so hope you guys get lots.

[woodland]

Well we finished baling today and that includes the greenfeed. Hayland went about 25% of normal on the stuff we cut about a third wasn't worth cutting. Greenfeed made a bale and half and acre so about 30% of normal and still real dry with temps in the low 30's all week. There is a real shortage of feed in SE alberta so hope you guys get lots.

There’s a normal crop up here but lots of guys haven’t even started yet. We gave up on dry hay and started wrapping silage bales on Sunday.
Took the stock trailer to our plastic supplier and cleaned him out of bale wrap and will need another load by next week if this crummy weather keeps up.


Dad was thinking we should leave this field another day and dry bale it tomorrow but after getting another downpour last night he hasn’t mentioned it again.

Lots of feed “here” just getting it put up let alone in a “saleable” form is the challenge ahead of us. Good thing we like challenges. 😎

[Taiga]

What does everyone use for bale recovery from the field? I have the Haukaas and it is ok, too much bale and netwrap damage for my liking though, chamber alignment with bale is critical. I do like only one contact patch with the ground though. Is there anything better?

[woodland]

What does everyone use for bale recovery from the field? I have the Haukaas and it is ok, too much bale and netwrap damage for my liking though, chamber alignment with bale is critical. I do like only one contact patch with the ground though. Is there anything better?

We used to use a b-train with a loader in the field and at home and moved 31 without straps and it wasn’t bad except our fields are spread out so you always needed a hand to move fields. When the trailers rusted away a few years ago we updated to a self loading body job. Saves moving a tractor but you need every bale to be “nice” looking as a partially exploded bale self destructs after picking. Also gets used lots in the winter for hauling bales out to the cows. Usually use a loader to load the truck after the snow/ ice builds up as the arm can’t get low enough to go under the bale.

It gets around pretty good with full locking diffs and knobby tires too.

I know of one fellow who has a haukaas around here it seems to do ok but they only make a few bales. There’s quite a few of the Morris or Inland pickers pulled behind tractors here but we’ve never had or used one since our bales usually move 3-20 miles.

[littledoggie]

NO HAYING since we rolled up the outside rounds. NO HAYING weather in sight.