[AT] OT Hay question

[toma]

My son and I are putting up a crop of hay for the first time in many 
years. It is oat hay and we are in a cool area near the coast. We are 
watching the neighbors and trying to do it the same way. We let it lay for 
5 days before we raked. It looks like everybody waits about a week to bale 
except one guy has let his set over 2 weeks, maybe he is having trouble 
with his press. We are going to start to bale Monday. We only have 6 acres 
so we won't have enough to feed the cows all winter.

If the baling goes ok I got a notion to ask a neighbor if we can cut this 
pasture grass he's got. It is harding grass and its about 4-5' tall. It 
would make a lot of bales. I know a guy who cuts this grass for hay for 
his cows and I will ask him if I see him. I know he cuts his real early. 
This grass I am thinking about is still good and green , its quite coarse 
and has some of last years straw in it. What I am thinking is if we rake 
it kind of green maybe we could get it to sweat and make it a little more 
palatable. I know some of you guys grow hay and I know our conditions are 
different than hot dry country. I am thinking we could rake it kind of 
green and maybe turn it once. Years ago I used to put up oat hay kind of 
green and shock it and I never had a mildew problem. I would welcome any 
discussion.