How Long Do You Leave Hay On Grass Seed
A picture of a round bale of hay from first cut 2013
For the last couple of weeks I've been at my in-laws' farm. They needed some assistance on their farm, and I was more than happy to oblige. Because it was hay flavour, I got to learn a lot virtually hay.
So here's what I learned about hay.
Bonus Video
In this bonus video, I show you the process of making hay in Farming Simulator 2013.
Let me know what y'all think.
What type of hay seeds work?
When you abound hay it can be a combination of seeds. Many farmers adopt a combination of different seeds.
A corking combination is alfalfa, fescu grass and clover.
Depending on what blazon of livestock a farmer has will change what combination of hay they want. Some equus caballus farmers adopt 1 combination where sheep farmers may want another.
Keep that in mind when you're selling hay. Take note of what's in your hay because some farmers are very detail.
How to know when to cut hay?
It's funny when I was helping out, I didn't cut whatever hay, so I had no idea when to do information technology. And then I asked when yous should cut hay.
The all-time time to cut hay is when your hay-field is just almost to blossom. That'due south the answer I got for first cut.
OMAFRA suggests cut hay in the morn just after the morning dew is off for better drying. Even so, if you lot desire more saccharide in your hay OMAFRA suggests cutting hat later in the twenty-four hours.
Try to cutting a swath that is as big as possible. This helps hay dry out faster.
How to know when hay is dry?
At present that you've cutting the hay y'all demand to know when it's dry. The way I learned to see if it is dry is to reach under the windrow and experience the bottom of the hay.
If the hay feels moist, then it's not ready to bale. An easy test to do to see if hay is ready and bend it in one-half. If the hay is still wet, it won't make whatever crunching sounds. If the hay is prepare, it will brand a crunching sound and snap almost. Practise this test with the hay at the bottom of your windrow.
If the hay it all the same moist, you have 2 options:
- Y'all tin employ a tedder to plow over hay and to help it dry faster.
- You tin wait a bit longer to let information technology dry.
The advantage of using a tedder is that your hay will dry out faster. The disadvantage is past tedding you will lose material in turning over your hay.
If you wait longer, then time and the weather will be your problem.
How to bale hay?
This is a film of me using the pocket-size square baler attempting to become all the hay in the baler.
I didn't do much baling because I was very slow at it, but I did exercise some when I was at the in-laws.
I noticed that y'all accept to bale very slow in most cases. I was using a pocket-size square baler and the windrows were pretty large, so I had a hard time to keep the baler where I wanted it.
One choice you lot demand to make if you're baling rounds is, whether yous want net wrap or twine.
This choice is largely dependant on your baler. Some balers can utilise both others only twine.
Advantages of using twine
- Twine is very inexpensive. It runs around xxx$ for 28,000 feet.
Disadvantages of using twine
- Twine takes a while to wrap bales upward. If y'all're using a round baler, you lot will have to wait longer using twine.
Advantages of net wrap
- Net wrap is faster than using twine. Even if you practice ii wraps, it'due south quicker than twine.
- Because you're not spinning the bale as much, at that place is less loss when spinning.
- Besides, net wrap bales come out very neat and tidy, which can help if y'all're selling hay.
- Some advise that internet wrap tin shed h2o better than twine.
Disadvantages of cyberspace wrap
- Net wrap is more than expensive than twine. It tin can exist one dollar per bale whereas twine is cents.
- Some farmers say that net wrap bales stick to frozen basis more than twine.
Storing hay
My father in law picking up the pocket-sized squares in the field.
Once you've baled your hay you need to store information technology somewhere.
The best place to store hay is inside. Cover alls, or storage sheds work well.
If you don't have storage space inside, you lot can utilize a tarp to protect your hay outside.
A big business concern when you're storing hay is heat. Yous demand to exist very careful how you store you hay. If you agglomeration hay bales together also much, your hay will oestrus upwards. And so, provide infinite for the estrus to escape.
Concluding thoughts
Hay is a lot of work but the rewards are well worth information technology. I hateful without information technology, many animals wouldn't have annihilation to eat.
Practice you lot have an insight on hay? Leave a comment below.
Source: http://myfarmeducation.ca/new-farmers-info/a-beginners-guide-to-hay/
Posted by: whiteleyanyther.blogspot.com
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