With all of these factors in mind, it is best tocut hay when there is the greatest opportunity forsuccessful drying, or early in the morning after the dew has driedoff. As the old saying goes, “make hay while the sunshines!”.
Also to know is, when should hay be cut?
It's best to cut grass pastures from the bootstage to the early head stage for the first cut, and then 4to 6 weeks afterwards. The late boot level might best be describedas when the seed head first pops out of the sheath.
Also, how many times can you cut hay? Unfortunately, weather and other commitments don'talways let you cut hay at the optimum time. In mostareas of the country, grass hay can be cut twice,sometimes three times, per year. The first cuttinggenerally has the largest yield.
Then, what is the best hay cutting?
The first cutting usually has a higher weedcontent, and quality decreases after the second cutting, sothe second cutting is usually the best to feed.Bermudagrass hay is used mostly in the southern UnitedStates. Common bermudagrass does not grow tall enough forhay production, but coastal bermudagrass can beused.
Is it OK to cut hay in the rain?
The timing of when rainfall occurs after cuttingwill also influence quality. If rain occurs immediatelyafter cutting, the plant cells are still relatively turgid,or firm, from retained water, and, though some losses will occur,little moisture will enter the cells and leach the water-solublecell contents.
Related Question Answers
How long do you let hay dry before baling?
As a rule of thumb, wait to rake hay until afterthe dew has dried and the sun nears its peak, around 11 a.m.If possible, let the raked hay sit for an hour or twobefore baling to allow more dryingtime.Does hay moisture increase after baling?
When hay is baled, it should not be higher than18 to 22 percent moisture. At higher levels ofmoisture, bales lose large amounts of dry matter (Figure 1)caused by excessive heating and molding (Figure 2).Is first cut hay better?
Second cut smells sweeter and is richer innutrients. Also calories. First cut hay is coarser thansecond cut, this is because the spring growth (rain, etc.)leads to thicker stems and stalks and heavier leaves. Second cuthay has a finer texture and usually, a greener color andheavier leaves.How can I dry hay faster?
Strategies for faster drying A study done by Dan Undersander, an extension forageagronomist with the University of Wisconsin, shows hay willdry twice as fast when it covers the entire cut areacompared to hay covering one-fourth of that area. Anothermethod Kaatz suggests for making hay dry faster is to use atedder.Does hay dry faster in windrow?
Lay the crop as wide as practical. Do not cuthay into a tight windrow. A wider swath will dryfaster, because more drying area of the hay is exposedto sun and wind. If the ground is wet and in contact withthe windrow, the hay will absorbmoisture.What does Tedding Hay mean?
A tedder (also called hay tedder) is a machineused in haymaking. It is used after cutting and before windrowing,and uses moving forks to aerate or "wuffle" the hay and thusspeed up the process of hay-making. The use of a tedderallows the hay to dry ("cure") better, which results inimproved aroma and color.How much hay does an acre produce?
In general, you can get as much as 5 largerounded hays that have weigh 1000 lbs. each, per acre onaverage. Some farmers also give a rough estimate of 100 s??mallbales of hay per acre.What month is hay harvested?
From the month of May to late summer and earlyfall, hay baling is on the minds of manyfarmers.How many bales of hay does a horse eat a month?
Jennie Ivey, University of Tennessee Extension equinespecialist, says ideally, a horse should consume between 1.5percent to 2 percent of their body weight of hay or forageper day (dry matter basis). For example, a 1000 pound horsewill eat 15 to 20 pounds of hay daily.How much does a round bale of hay cost?
As you can see, the cost or value of the primarynutrients in a typical bermudagrass round bale is $20.30. Ifyou add to this the cost of baling, about $15 perround bale, then your cost for a 1,200-pound roundbale is now $35.30.Can a horse founder on hay?
Access to excessive amounts of carbohydrates (lushspring pasture, hay, grain or pelleted feed) is the mostcommon cause of founder. A horse that has suffered aprevious episode of founder is more susceptible toreoccurrence. Ongoing low grade laminitis is often referred to aschronic founder.Does hay lose its nutritional value?
However, most of the dry matter and nutrient losses fromhay in storage occur within the first month or two. Ofcourse, hay kept in storage for a long time will loseits field-fresh smell, but that will not affect itsprotein or energy nutritional value.How many bales of hay does a horse need?
An average sized hay bale (95 pounds) makes foran average of about 21 bales to a ton of hay. So,doing some quick math, that means that the average horsewould eat 75 bales of hay a year.Why are there rolls of hay in fields?
These rolls of hay, compiled of grass, legumes,and other plants, are cut, dried, and rolled to store on theland for the animals to graze on. They are imperative forgrazing animals when the pasture doesn't provide thecorrect nutrients or if the weather doesn't permit grazingaccess.How many bales of hay does a goat eat?
Each goat needs about two to four pounds ofhay per day, minus what they might forage on pasture.Hay can be fed free choice or twice a day. If a good rangeisn't available, dry grass hay of a horse quality isacceptable. Goats require additional hay, which isroughage, for their rumen to function properly.Can horses eat hay that has been rained on?
Mold commonly is found in rained-on hay. Oftenthe hay was baled too wet, either to avoid furtherrain damage or to remove it from the field to reduce itsimpact on regrowth. Usually, mold makes hay less palatable,which can result in lower intake or even in animals refusingto eat the hay.Can horses eat grass clippings?
NO! Feeding horses on lawn mowerclippings can be very dangerous for several reasons. Whenlawn mower clippings are fresh they are fermenting(this is why they are warm or even hot when you put your handinside a fresh pile of clippings). If a horse is given apile of fresh clippings to eat he/she cangorge on them.How many bales of hay can you get from an acre?
Here was the thought, on 50 acres you would get 100square bales per acre, which is a conservativenumber. If we do the math, that works out to be. 100 bales x50 acres = 5000 bales of hay for 50 acres ofland.Can you use a bush hog to cut hay?
uncle Will in In. The hay will be OK, A square baler willbale it but the bales will bust up when they come out of thebaler. Knew a farmer who took the side panel off the bushhog, so the hay would fly out the side as soon as theblades cut it. This helped prevent the stems from beingchopped so fine. 
