First Hay of 2023!!! Will it Dry?

Date: 5/1/2023
In this video we are jumping into the first hay of 2023. Really wasn’t planned for today but after looking at the forecast it looked like this was the best opportunity to get started. I’m cutting with the Gehl 2412 and White 2-135 while dad teds with the Deutz 6150 and the Krone 4 basket tedder.
Thanks for watching. Hope you enjoy.
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Comment with any questions.

[@WelshFarms]

Good to see bro! Thanks for the update. Good luck baling.

[@thebalerman]

Thanks good to hear from ya!

[@davidcassady8491]

Here in S Ky we had 4 dry days forecast also but the temps are only about 58.

[@thebalerman]

Yeah it was cooler here too. Luckily we had some wind and Thursday was up in the 70’s. The preservative really helped out

[@davidcassady8491]

@@thebalerman that's an option I don't have. Maybe I should invest in that

[@thebalerman]

@@davidcassady8491 My dad just purchased a Gandy box to put dry preservative on. I plan to install it and make a video of it. We will see how the two compare hopefully. The dry sounds really promising. It is definitely worth it when its the difference between a cutting spoiling and not spoiling.

[@davidcassady8491]

@@thebalerman I will be watching for that video

[@windrowfarm]

Nice!! I know what you mean about the first super early hay excitement but lacking the “warm fuzzy feeling” 😂. Well put. Excitement, but coupled with “should I be doing this?”. I think the answer is always yes, it’s just hard to shake off winter and remember that you know what you’re doing 😊 Hope it turns out well, will stay tuned! (What date did you mow it? Was this Monday 5/1?)

[@thebalerman]

Thanks for the comment and for watching. Yes this was cut yesterday 5/1.

[@davidcassady8491]

What were the temperatures? Did you use any 24d?

[@thebalerman]

Temps are 40’s at night and 60’s in the day. It is windy and the suns shining decent. Actually fairly low humidity for us. I’m hoping it will possibly bale tomorrow. Thursday is cloudy so won’t be much drying after tomorrow. We will see how it turns out.

[@thebalerman]

And o didn’t use any 24d

[@mattstuck2189]

I hope all the best for you..curious to see how it turns out but certainly no ill will.. I’m not far from you but left my mower in the shed.. nights in the 40s are not my cup of tea so I didn’t risk it.. hopefully you’ll teach me something my first cutting has been running nearly 40% of the total bales a field makes in a yr ..so even if I can’t catch it until late the increase in bales of lesser quality can make up for the fewer bales bale of higher quality.. just how I think about it.. I always think regardless of how nice I make it, it will still be first cutting and everyone will ask for 2nd There’s something to be said for checking that everything works and is ready for the season, getting your fields on schedule for a late cutting, etc., plus you also work a full time job whereas I’m on the farm everyday so it’s not a one size fits all.. best of luck all year Ross

[@thebalerman]

Thanks for the comment we are going to bale today. So far it has dried pretty well but there is still some stem moisture. As for yield, I generally make half of my hay on first cutting if I don’t get it cut until the first part of June. If I can cut the first part of may that percentage drops to about 30% depending on the year. Because my second cutting is then the highest yielding cutting making more than first cutting and I also get an extra cutting later in the year. I’m doing so makes all cutting high to premium quality hay and I don’t have any that I can’t get top dollar for. Late first cutting means I either have trouble selling it at all or I have to discount it so much that I make less overall than fewer bales at higher quality and price. My customers are happier with the less mature first cutting and always come back is the main driving force for wanting to take first asap. The weather windows are a huge factor too. When I get any weather this time of year I have to utilize it.

[@jimcox6687]

Why would you cut the hay so In mature? It looks really thin.

[@thebalerman]

This hay is actually not that immature. It’s just not as far along as first cutting usually gets. I always like to get first cutting as early as possible, it make higher quality hay and get second cutting growing sooner which usually has better drying weather anyway and wider windows to get it made right. There were a good number of seed heads on this field and the next wind won’t be for at least 2 weeks and by then it will be too far along. I also wanted to try to get a small amount cut to make sure everything is going to work like it should. And like they say you have to make hay while the sun shines. There are definitely thin spots, like I said mostly the lower spots of the field.

[@windrowfarm]

@@thebalerman I totally agree! In the dry hay biz at a production level, if you wait until the first field is "prime", the last will be so very far gone by. I always start as early as possible too - even if I feel silly in the moment, I'm always thanking myself by the end of first cut. And you're right about a bumper second crop on these early fields!