mowers without conditioners?

@matt wny 11731 wrote:

i have an old #6 mccormick mower i am working on restoring for next year.i have always mowed with a haybine that has rolls in it.my question is does the hay take a lot longer to dry if it is not conditioned through rolls?

Yes, about 3 sometimes 4 good dry sunny days, and according to the humidity, and then it also has to be tethered, and it will be golden yellow in color and not as very green when it is finished.

But they say it will have a little more nutrition in it because you are not squeezing it out along with the water and juice, like the rollers do when you crimp it.
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I sold my haybine years ago and have not noticed any difference at all in drying time using only a sickle bar. I always ted to be sure, but I did with the haybine also.

@TBigLug 11760 wrote:

We’ve always mowed with a haybine/ conditioner but the neighbor uses a sickle bar. It really depends on what your hay’s made of. If it’s mostly grass there’s no difference in drying time. If there is mostly alfalfa, ours usually cures a day or two faster than his.

Yes, alfalfa seems to be what mower conditioners were designed for.

I mow with a haybine, and think every year I will mow more with a sickle bar mower. I have a lot of red clover in most of my fields. That is another crop that is harder to dry with out crimping. I figure it is about one day difference in drying but it varies alot. Early cutting or late, Light cutting or heavy, grasses or more legumes, weather, humidity. I think you have to consider the hay you are trying to make, how much and what it is for. I make first and second cutting for a 100% grass fed sheep dairy. Every bale of hay I make must be the highest quality. When I change and advance my methods I will still adhere to that high quality standard. Some day I hope to graze more and clip more in June and make more hay later in the summer. This is one area that might allow me to do more sickle bar mowing.

S. Indiana was some tough haymaking. And I mean the hay was tough until 1pm, and would get tough again by 4 pm….

I was asking and watching my neighbours’ methods, one spoke up and said,”my equipment dealer told me a conditioner would save me half a day on drying, so I bought one. And I bought a tedder to save a half day. And my new hay inverter will save a half day. Spraying chemical on the hay so it won’t mold saves me a day. Now I can bale my hay before I cut it!”:rolleyes:

Actually he was one who used a disc mower without conditioner, and except for first cut, his drying time wasn’t hardly longer than anyone else’s.

Stay safe in the hayfield either way,
Kevin

@Joel 15617 wrote:

One other thing… horses are colorblind. Green hay is for human beings.

Ain’t that the truth. I have some hay that is bleached but had no rain. Beautiful stuff other than lacked the green. Had several horse people turn up their noses at it. The guy that bought it looked at the nutrient print out and bought it on the spot. He knew good hay.

I find it interesting to have hay out and watch the white tail deer. They will tell you where the good stuff is. LF