[AT] OT Hay question

[charlie hill]

I don't know much about hay farming but I do know that if you bale it too 
wet it will take heat and catch fire.  There is a family farm right down the 
road from me run by two brothers who know what they are doing.  The put some 
hay up too wet  about 10 years ago and it cost them the hay, a big shed, a 
nearly new Gleaner combine, an Allis B with a belly mower,  a JD tractor 
about 50 HP (don't remember the model) and about $20,000 worth of tillage 
equipment.

Charlie
----- Original Message ----- 
From: "toma" <toma at risingnet.net>
To: "Antique tractor email discussion group" <at at lists.antique-tractor.com>
Sent: Friday, July 07, 2006 4:33 AM
Subject: [AT] OT Hay question


> 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.
>
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