[Tim Harrigan]

That looks great. Is it on the west side of the road?

[Tim Harrigan]

I try to follow a process of adaptive management: look at the crop conditions, weather forecast, tools available, acreage in process, storage method etc., and adjust accordingly. Sometimes, doing nothing might be the most effective action. I learned a long time ago that a haying recipe was not going to work for me. By that I mean, for instance, first mow then ted then ted again then rake and bale. It may be that for a given cut that turns out to be the best action, but unlikely to be the best next cutting or next year. Grass or alfalfa, first cut second or third cut, VT, MI, MA or NY specific haying practices are going to be different but the bottom line will your actions create conditions that both protect hay quality and facilitate moisture removal (heat, dry air exchange, gentle handling etc.) given the required energy expenditure, etc?

Rotary rakes and rotary tedders are effective tools but are very aggressive compared to previous generations of hay handling tools. When I was younger these rotary tools did not exist. They became prevalent in the early 80’s. Earlier tedding was done with a tool that we would now call a fluffer or a kicker. We also had a bar rake/tedder combo tool. Ted, flip the lever and switch to raking. These old tedders lifted the windrow without throwing it half way across the field. I would see more continuous action with those old-style tools as being quite different, and more gentle on the hay than the current generation of rotary implements.

Rotary rakes are effective and I think are a technological advance compared to the old style tools. They sweep the hay sideways, thereby disorienting the stems and providing better air movement and exchange. They also stand the windrow up, further improving air movement. Will hay quality improve? Perhaps. Timing, speed of operation etc. come into play. Running the rotary rake or tedder too fast for ground speed will be unnecessarily rough, although this is much more likely to be a problem with a tractor compared to draft animals. If you have dust flying behind the tool you can bet your losses are increasing although that is not the only indicator. Any tool can be used skillfully or misused. Selection of these rotary tools is pretty much a one-way street; folks that try them don’t often reject them. But as George, Carl and others have pointed out you can make excellent hay without them. I think in a way they reduce the margin for error by providing a technological alternative to a certain level of experience and refined observation and judgment.

George, I know folks who are pleased with Delmhorst and Agratronix electronic moisture meters. They will set you back about $400. I prefer the Koster type driers that physically dry the hat. They are more work but more accurate and you can probably put something together for less $. If you can find a microwave oven, a small dietary scale (gram units) and an old style paper cutter with a board and pivoting knife to cut up the sample that will get you started. Then you can decide if you want to invest in an electronic version. If you web search ‘microwave hay drying’ or something like that you will find a good extension pub from Purdue Univ that describe the process.

Donn, I like the practice of cutting later in the day and tedding the next morning to break up the windrow and shake off the dew when the hay is still tough. Good strategic move. I am not sure about early grazing for a delayed hay harvest. I tried something like that last year and the regrowth for hay harvest was disappointing (grass-legume mix). Perhaps I could refine the timing and improve the results. It might be worth your while to experiment with it on a small area for a year or two before applying the approach on a large area. I am still a little more comfortable leaving a portion of the hay to harvest then switching to grazing later in the season. That seems like a reasonable way to handle the spring flush for me and get the most potential for dry hay. I suspect a very early flash graze might be OK, but extending it very far might send the wrong signal to the forage crop.

Erika, I like your balance concept, I think it is the same as my reference to adaptive management. I also like the 5% rule, as you say not exact but probably balances out over time and it gives benchmark to add to the energy conservation cost calculation. It is hard to see and believe, but dry matter losses begin at cutting and every subsequent operation including tedding, raking, baling, storage (2-5% dry matter shrinkage from microbial consumption) and feeding (4-15% waste, particulary with large round bales depending on the type of feeder). The closer the hay gets to harvest moisture the greater the dry matter losses. In fact, a 25% loss of dry matter comparing the standing crop to what gets into the animal is not uncommon in good/typical management and it can get much higher with rainfall. Many times I have looked at the pile of rich, green leaf material building up on the wagon behind the bale chute and other places and thought I should collect it for calf starter. But I never do, usually enough to do on the hay wagon without looking for more.

Obviously, some dry matter losses are unavoidable. Some are. Find the balance point, work in your comfort zone. Just be mindful and deliberate. I guess we could avoid all dry matter losses by not harvesting any hay. That doesn’t seem to work very well either. But it is a real issue and one of the reasons grazing is competitive with confinement feeding.

[Tim Harrigan]

Well, -17 F and windy this morning, I forgot how much harder it is walking in snow up to your knees. Good time to think about hay. Generally, when hay gets down to about 20% moisture you can begin baling small square bales, 18% for large round bales. Probably 22% or so for loose hay but that depends on how much and how big the stack, how quickly, if there will be air movement through the stack, etc. Loose wrapped bales with dry better than tight bales when moisture is on the edge.

The best meters for testing moisture and calibrating your hand/eye is a Koster meter that is like a little stove. You take a few samples, chop them up, weigh them, dry them down to near 0% moisture and reweigh the dry matter to calculate the moisture. The Koster is kind of expensive but you can do the same thing with a small microwave oven and a small gram scale. If you use the microwave put a cup of water in the microwave with the sample or you could set it on fire. The probes will not be as accurate but will give you a good idea. You just need to create similar conditions between samples. For instance, if you are checking a windrow, grab a handful and squeeze it tight around the probe, don’t just lay it in the windrow. Tight bales will give a different reading than what you get by hand.

One challenge when to bale is due to the variability in the field. Some places might be 18%, in the swales might be 22%, higher yielding areas greater than lower yielding areas, heavy red clover in some areas will slow drying, north slope dries slower than south, edges of the woodlot slows things down, etc.

Rapid drying of hay requires heat (sunlight), dry air (low humidity), and air movement to move moisture and moist air out of the windrow. Anything that interferes with these conditions, cool temperatures, high humidity, cloudy skies, still air will delay drying. Tools like a tedder or rake create conditions that allow natural drying processes to work, but they do not in themselves dry the hay. Tedding right after mowing lifts the hay and spreads it over the entire area making full use of available sunlight and air movement. If the hay gets matted down or something happens to impede air movement through the hay perhaps second tedding is justified, or for instance a heavy dew the next morning when the hay is still tough, tedding again may be justified. A tedder is most valuable at first cutting in heavy yields. Second cutting, you may make the most $ with a tedder by leaving it in the shed. Alfalfa in particular takes a beating with the tedder because the leaves get knocked off. Look at the weather, if things look good leave the hay alone and let nature dry the hay. That will be the best hay.

Rotary rakes sweep the hay sideways and disorient the stems, thereby improving air movement through the windrow. This can allow you to begin raking at a slightly higher moisture than you might with a bar rake. My rake tilts so if I tilt it forward so the teeth contact the windrow sooner it kicks the hay up. I do this to speed drying. If I tilt it back it tends to roll and rope the windrow. I do this if no rain in sight, the hay is drying quickly, and I want to delay drying to keep some moisture in. The best approach here many times, particularly with second cutting is to cut and lay the hay in a wide swath and stay out until it is time to rake and bale. The question is always when do you use your tools? Raking and tedding can help if the conditions call for it, but high quality dry matter is lost and at a cost of finite energy expended by the team. Am I just getting old, or does anyone else think about energy conservation?

So for me the issue with tedding is, will the tedder improve drying conditions enough to justify the energy expense and wear and tear on the equipment? If you have conditions in the hay that suit good air movement, but the humidity is high, cloudy conditions or cool temperatures, etc., you can ted all day long and the hay will not dry any faster. You will bale stems with no leaves.

Everyone needs to find their comfort zone when making hay, every cutting seems different. Give nature a chance.

[Tim Harrigan]

Thanks, all, for your encouraging comments. George, I used 2 cameras, a standard Sony and a GoPro. The Sony I just have a small, 6 inch tripod that I set on a log, stump, on the ground or whatever is convenient. I used the GoPro for the more unconventional looks. It has a small stand for mounting on different surfaces with a permanent mount but I just tape it on with electrical tape or in one case on a log I used a small nylon strap pulled tight. If it is tough to get a strap tight I suppose you could snug the strap up with a wedge. You can see the stand on the far end of one rolling log, it is probably 3-4 inches tall. I just use a simple editing program that came with the computer, Windows Movie Maker. It is not fancy but I don’t try to do anything fancy. It is interesting to get looks you can’t see any other way.

[Tim Harrigan]

Carl,
…Luckily, I have killed many animals, and it took very little time to put her out of her misery… This ability to dispatch animals quickly and mercifully is duty entrusted to those who work with or have close contact with animals in out daily lives. I have been thinking about this lately because, once again, I witnessed a badly bungled attempt to put down an animal that finally came to its intended end, but only after a great deal of needless suffering. Life resists and mocks those who mistakenly believe it will give in easily.

[Tim Harrigan]

It is important to, as you did, go over the event and recognize where things went wrong and what you might have done to avoid the problem. This was a good learning experience. It won’t be the last.

[Tim Harrigan]

Thanks, Elke. It looks effective and they are able to trim the feet without much problem. It would be nice to see a little more detail of how they are doing it.

[Tim Harrigan]

Yes, the bottom is hollow, the sand is removed after bending. The straight, vertical sections are then reinforced with wood. Works great. I many areas it is difficult to find timber that is suitable for bending into bows. This makes it much easier.

[Tim Harrigan]

When Abe was getting too big for his 10 inch bow but the 10 inche fit Will fine, I took about 1/4 inch off the inside of each side of Abe’s bow with a spoke shave, just in the areas where the bow would contact the neck. Worked out fine.

[Tim Harrigan]

Where are you, what are your normal planting dates and what crop is now too late to plant? It is a little delayed in Michigan, a little cool and wet but not too far out of the ordinary.

[Tim Harrigan]

Is there a lot of ash up in that area?

[Tim Harrigan]

Nice videos.  Good information.  Thanks, Scott

[Tim Harrigan]

Welcome back, Bivol. I have been wondering about you lately.

[Tim Harrigan]

When is Sam’s mother going to learn to stop tangling with skunks? 😮

[Tim Harrigan]

Seems logical, but US logic is probably not the same as Ugandan logic.

[Author]

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