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Optimum conditions for first cuttings can generally be expected around May 15th in the south and May 25th in the north. Though different cuttings provide different levels of nutrition (a topic for a future blog), the most important determination of hay quality is its state of maturity when cut.
How late in the season can you cut hay?
The answers to these questions are usually something like… “it is fine to harvest through the first week of September”, and… “we recommend harvesting at least six weeks before the killing frost.” On average, the alfalfa killing frost (24 to 25 degrees F) in northeast Iowa occurs in the third to fourth week of October.
How many times a year can you harvest hay?
In most areas of the country, grass hay can be cut twice, sometimes three times, per year. The first cutting generally has the largest yield.
How long is hay season?
From the month of May to late summer and early fall, hay baling is on the minds of many farmers.
How often do farmers cut hay?
Orchard grass and other cool season perennial grasses should be harvested at 4- to 6-week intervals, ideally between 35-40 days. Production and cutting frequency are greatly affected by soil moisture, soil temperature, soil fertility, and disease incidence.
What is the best time to bale hay?
As a rule of thumb, wait to rake hay until after the dew has dried and the sun nears its peak, or around 11:00 am. If possible, let the raked hay sit for an hour or two before baling to allow more drying time.
Can you cut hay too early?
An Alberta Agriculture beef specialist warns that hay needs to be completely cured before being baled. Recent high temperatures, resulting in quick drying conditions, have some producers heading out to bale within two to four days after cutting.
What season do you make hay?
Next, the cured hay is gathered up in some form (usually by some type of baling process) and placed for storage into a haystack or into a barn or shed to protect it from moisture and rot. During the growing season, which is spring and early summer in temperate climates, grass grows at a fast pace.
Can you cut hay after frost?
The forage can be mowed anytime after a frost if you are making hay. It is very rare for dry hay to contain toxic levels of prussic acid. Forage with prussic acid potential that is stored as silage is generally safe to feed.
How soon can you bale hay after cutting?
Proper dry matter content for chopping haylage can often be achieved within 24 hours as compared to three to four days for dry hay.
What is the easiest hay to grow?
Alfalfa, clover and fescue grasses are popular hay types, as well as brome and timothy grasses. Oats and millet can also be useful for hay crops. The best hay to raise will depend not only on growing conditions, but also on the livestock that will eventually eat the hay and what their feed preferences may be.
Is hay profitable to grow?
Brown says using 2019 numbers, it costs about $400 an acre to plant corn on ground that may yield 150 bushels per acre. “If you are getting $125 per ton for quality hay, you are going to see a profit of $51 per ton, or $204 per acre. “The potential is there to make some pretty good money on hay.”Apr 8, 2019.
When should you Ted hay?
Initial tedding should be performed after a brief wilting period following a morning cutting while the hay is still moist (two to four hours). In very damp conditions, tedding may need to be done immediately after cutting. A second pass is usually done the next day, and the hay is raked and baled that afternoon.
Can you Ted hay with dew on it?
If drying conditions are lousy and rain is coming or hay is heavy may ted a second time. This is for any type, grass or legume or mix, if lots of legume use slow rpm and do it with dew on. Often times you only have a few hour window to do it right.
How late can you cut alfalfa?
“With more and more farmers planting emergency forages this fall to fill that void, the thought of taking a later cutting of alfalfa lingers. “Historically, it has been recommended that the final cutting of alfalfa be removed no later than four to six weeks before first killing frost.
Can you mow hay in the rain?
Cut it the day before a rain. Rain doesn’t hurt the freshly cut hay really at all and when the weather clears the ground is much dryer than if you try to cut right after the rain.
Can you mow hay at night?
Though starches and simple sugars accumulate during the day, a substantial amount of these carbohydrates are used up during the night for growth and maintenance (via the processes of respiration). Therefore, cutting the crop at night will likely maximize the sugar in the crop, at least at the time of cutting.
How many cuttings of hay can you get?
In most parts of the country, two or three cuttings is typical. The third cutting, if you get it, will be late in the season and you won’t get very much hay, but enough to make it worth harvesting it, unless you can turn your cattle onto the hay field and let them graze it off.
