Haymasters

When we put our hay(alfalfa) in stacks we would mow in the morning and start raking the next afternoon and then stack it the same afternoon.

Baler mons wanted to leave it in windrows for several days and then have it turned just ahead of the baler by an hour or two. I was always afraid it would get rained on and didnt like to leave it over 2 days. Cut hay with swather.

steveormary

Hey! I see it is warming up! 6:15 and it's 1 above here this morning already!

Let's see. That's one of those "I gotta feel it" questions and is kind of a regional one, to boot. :>)

But generally, same as you, rake it when the the wilt is on the leaf. Then, wheather raked or swathed, put the hay up when the leafs will fall off the stem if ya even look at it wrong (bone dry). :>)

That was one advantage of stacking hay; you could work it in the heat of the day and not loose any leaves. Baling doesn't work that way; in this dry country, have to wait for the dew to come down at 2am.

Still drives me nuts to see someone running a round baler in the heat of the day. Those leaves are just pouring out the back of the machine and just end up on the ground.

Being raised on a dairy farm, I'm of the opinion that anything other than straight alfalfa is pure junk. If the field is upwards of 3 years old and getting a little cheat and broam grass in it, we would run a spring tooth harrow across it early in the spring time to kill those grasses.

Have a good one,

Allan

steveormary