Estimating Hay Yield for Harvest on the Ranch

[@cwhitt2702]

I'm a older feller and I'd guess Ive watched ton of YT videos. I will say your videos have got to be the most genuine videos with tons of heart and soul. And your commentary is laid back and relaxing. Keep up the good work

[@delberth.atcitty9141]

NC Gamer well said, I was thinking of something to say but you gave a great comment.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much, we will keep it up :) Thanks for watching - Mike

[@conduit242]

@Our Wyoming Life Hey Mike, mathematician here! There are two super simple things you can do to improve your estimation: 1. Use the median of your measurements instead of the average...just weigh them all, order the numbers from smallest to largest and take the middle value (if you have an odd number of measurements) or the average of just the center two (if you have even). The median is much more *robust* (plays it safe) than the average. Right now, a small change in where you measure *and the weather later* will make a big difference in your estimates...the median will fix that. Equivalently, you can just toss that hoop out and measure wherever it lands, the median keeps you from having to be careful, which will save you time. 2. Take more samples. You need to track this per hay field, get 5 per. You’ll probably get a 20-30% more accurate estimate each year regardless of the weather that year!

[@JerodMatlock]

I appreciate how you talk the actual numbers with us, how you perform experiments, that you are always working to understand what's really happening, and how you can continue to look for ways to improve.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much. I figure there is always room to learn. :) -Mike

[@bluemtnsman]

I know the pain, the anxiety's, and sleepless nights. You seem to have a firm understanding of reality without falling into the pessimistic black hole. That in itself is remarkable. Press forward young man. Your videos with their frank explanations are a treasure and I thank you sincerely.

[@brianjonker510]

Indeed

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much, we try our best. - Mike

[@leonardarmstrong6188]

Remember you in my prayers for rain for Wyoming Life. Enjoyed the video

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much ! - Mike

[@TwoFarmBoys]

We bale half of our hay fields in small square bales and half the other half in round bales. But where I live, we cut twice every year. However, the rain has been holding us back from our first cutting so far. But at least it's good for the crop. I love baling hay! I've been handling square bales since I was two! Great video as always!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you, it is alot of fun - Mike

[@ericbubbles8642]

Rain 🌧 Rain 🌧 Rain 🌧 for U guy’s Mike&Erin🌧🌧😊😊

[@OurWyomingLife]

Bring it ON!! :) - Mike

[@debcarpenter8519]

Mike and Erin. Best of luck this growing season!. Hay and gardens! Something has got to give, and hopefully, after Erin gets everything planted, it will be the clouds in the sky. Deb

[@OurWyomingLife]

Bring on the rain, Thanks Deb - Mike

[@theresathreadgill1386]

I'm glad I live in TX. I was a school teacher for 23 yrs, and I still understand what we owe the farmers and ranchers! I hope and pray you have a good year!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much Theresa! - Mike

[@floydfarms1578]

13.577 million gallons of water equals 5" of rain across 100 acres. Irrigation is definitely not cheap. Gabe Brown in North Dakota works off of about 16" of rain a year if I remember correctly and runs a large operation that is cropland, cow calf, and stocker along with chickens and other livestock. We farmers are always the optimist and always trying to improve our land! Great video showing the struggles we all face to feed America and provide for our families.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much, the water usage for irrigation is something that people dont consider thats for sure. You dont think of an inch of even rain, being millions of gallons. Thanks - Mike

[@brianjonker510]

How does the sky hold so much? Nature is a wonder.

[@TheSoutholive]

Our congregation fasted & prayed for rain this Sabbath.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you all so much :) - Mike

[@Mario_Gillette]

I love these videos that show the realities of ranching and farming. Thanks for another great and informative video. On a side note, I dug the picture of Charlie Daniels! I got to see him live open for Travis Tritt back in 1995, and he put on a heck of a show! To this day I'm still not sure why a legend like Charlie Daniels was opening for anyone, but I was glad to add him to my list of live acts I've seen. I could have seen Johnny Cash, but I'm pretty dumb and turned it down, but that's a story for another day!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thanks Mario, I was cleaning the shop and found that picture that Charlie sent me years ago. I kinda forgot it was there, I need to add it to the box with the others. :) - Mike

[@Mario_Gillette]

Our Wyoming Life It's certainly a good one to add to the collection!

[@cruzbeckham2504]

Love watching your videos

[@caseih-pz9vp]

Thank you for tell it like it really is this year. Their are a lot of farmers and ranchers across the country that are not in Wyoming but we had long winters and very little spring rain. Some folks put up their wheat for hay for their cattle and this has hurt the custom wheat harvester . Some ran out last year and like you had to buy hay, Now this years hay may not be enough to feed next year and if you can afford to buy hay where is it going to come from? It is all up to GOD to take care of all of us most people when they go to a store or restraint they do not have a clue keep the GREAT videos coming.

[@OurWyomingLife]

It might be a tough year if people have to buy hay, I was lucky to find mine last year and it was priced through the roof. Thanks for watching - Mike

[@46rambo49]

We threw up 2 used big guns off of a well on our dry farm and doubled our yield on 300 acres, hope it pans out for you. As always fightin the good fight, Thanks folks for the stories of life

[@OurWyomingLife]

Very nice, thank you for watching - Mike

[@KJMudge]

Hi Mike , Erin I will be remembering you in my prayers in hope that you recieve sufficient rain to produce enough tonnage of hay to feed your cattle . Living on the land can certainly be a gamble at times relying on mother nature to come up with the goods and all of the other suprises she throws your way. I am sure Erin's dad would be looking down on you guys extremely proud of the great job your doing in running the ranch . Cheers and bleasings to my favourite farming family . 😊

[@OurWyomingLife]

Gamble is a good word, I might have better luck in Vegas :) Thanks Kylie - Mike

[@Daynaleo1]

Mike, my prayers are with you and the huge family that depends on you. I have been stressing about the reduction in my salary since I retired from Federal Service after 30 years. After hearing this, I honestly got no problems. As a young man, I was a carpenter, then started a remodeling business. The high cost of insurance, mainly health insurance for my wife and two boys forced me to make a career change. What was to be a temporary job turned into a 30 year cubicle odyssey. Inside, never rained out, and missing being outside almost every day. God Bless the good work you, your family and all your friends do.

[@glennthompson7525]

Thanks for the excellent video and informative discussion. Prayers sent for optimum weather.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much Glenn - Mike

[@jeffery19677]

Have you read Joel Salatin's "Salad bar beef"? He grazes his hay fields once in the spring on a fast rotation to have them "top" the pastures. That delays his haying until after the spring rains have hit so he is making "early" hay, a month later.. This also let him begin grazing a month earlier, too..

[@OurWyomingLife]

Sounds interesting. Thank you very much. -Mike

[@case115ufarmall8]

I farm in Dumfries and Galloway Scotland and our problem with grass is that it is generally to wet to make hay so we have to silage and pit all the grass. This year our first cut had half of the crop it normally would have due to lots of snow late in the winter so if we don’t get enough from a second and third cut we may have to sell every cow that doesn’t milk just to not run out of silage. It is never a good position to be in having to sell animals that you have spent so much time with and that is really a thought not worth thinking about that I my have to sell lots of my stock. By the way I absolutely love the videos they give a great insight in to how you farm in Wyoming it truly is a different world to the one I farm in

[@OurWyomingLife]

It is amazing how much it changes area to area and locale to locale. Its easy to forget farming is different everywhere you go. Thanks a bunch - Mike

[@pcsweeney3898]

Nice video Mike. We’ve had a fair amount of rainfall here in central Ohio. I’m a week and a half behind getting our first cut. Due to daily showers. Went to my daughters house in Indiana last week and noticed many farmers getting their hay up. Hope you get your fair share in the coming weeks. I look forward to your next video.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much - Mike

[@JordanJames316]

Last year was a great hay season for us. We got several cuttings an the hay was cheap! Today makes the 16th day straight it's rained 😥 I'm so over it! Hopefully it'll be dry enough to cut soon! Hope your fields yeild good for y'all. :)

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you Jordan, rain slowing us down is one issue we dont deal with. We can usually cut one day, rake and bale the next. - Mike

[@himself2]

good luck with the weather and the hay Mike,hopefully the hay Gods shine down on you this year!!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much - Mike

[@jefflambert835]

Sir in the last week in southern Illinois we have in this area gotten 6” of rain but we had a tropical depression from the gulf sit on us for 12 hours wish I could send some your way love you and your wife’s videos thank you

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you Jeff, have a talk with mother nature for me :) - Mike

[@northshoreireland1074]

Best of luck from Ireland 🇮🇪. We had a terrible spring with never ending rain then late snow. Finally the sun came out and hasn’t went away for 10 weeks no grass has stopped growing. The most bipolar year 😂 but should be fine.

[@OurWyomingLife]

It has been a weird year, even here. Rain continues to fall even now. Cant get much done in the field. Thanks for watching - Mike

[@northshoreireland1074]

Thanks for the reply mike hope it ends well what is ur overall acreage

[@OurWyomingLife]

We manage over 5000 acres

[@Gchupp]

That is crazy y'all don't get more rain than that but you get all that snow in the winter, Memorial Day weekend we had three inches rain Saturday night in parts of Ohio best of luck to you

[@OurWyomingLife]

You're not kidding, I wish all that snow translated into spring and summer rain. Thanks - Mike

[@mattpeacock5208]

I know this video is a few years old, but I'll keep praying for rain for you guys!

[@michelleotten1420]

Loved the outtakes at the end! Thanks for another great video!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you Michelle :) - Mike

[@stevebennett9839]

Hey y'all. I love the channel, every video is entertaining and educational. I admire how u live. I live and grew up in western Pennsylvania on a horse farm. We boarded 76 horses for various people. The day to day there was not really comparable to ur situation. We feed the horses oats and grain at like 730 8 a.m then let them out to pasture about 30-45 minutes later then started scooping the piles from the stalls, we would change the bedding once a week but pick up piles daily. From there we would just do whatever else needed done. I loved that lifestyle and would love to b able to have my own ranch. I hope u get to see this I know u get a lot of comments to read plus ur daily life to live. Thanks for the videos, tell Erin Good luck on the upcoming harvest. Have a good day.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much Steve, we are all connected by those little things :) - Mike

[@grantdubridge7995]

It's kind of funny that they call the one area in Wyoming "Thunder Basin National Grassland ". I saw in Torrington and along the North Platte river that they do a lot of irrigation out of the river.

[@OurWyomingLife]

They do irrigate out of it quite a bit. In fact when we have to buy hay we get it from down by Torrington usually Thanks - Mike

[@JussiValkila]

We had a wet year last year. Grass was dry but ground wasn't. We just missed a big rain during haying last year. But this year we had a lot of snow in the winter and now it hasn't rained for well over two weeks. Next week is 50% of little rain. So it's weirdly dry. PS we got yesterday our heifers out.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Wow, yea that weather can get ya. Thanks - Mike

[@PatyBN]

Mike, drip irrigation has turned some semi desertic places into farmlands. The quantity of water is small but it is constant and directly onto the soil. Sprinklers throw the water willy-nilly some of it depending of heat and wind never makes it to the souls and roots. Some people that can't afford drip systems make do with PVC pipes or hoses drilling holes as wanted and/or needed. You could give it a 'scientific' try like you did with the sprinkler. A rain dance could also be helpful, maybe Mother Nature needs some cajoling! Good luck!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thats a good idea, The cost of pumping water could also be figured into it. Thank you very much - Mike

[@jerrycoon4504]

Hopefully you get some more rain. Looks like you have a ways to go with the hoola hoop... LOL! Next year will be your year! The other day I was driving by a local farm and saw a calf out in the field with it's mama and a tag in it's ear and I felt like I had a little insight into what was going on. Pretty cool!

[@OurWyomingLife]

That is really cool Jerry, we love it when people feel more connected to what they see. Even if its not part of their world you do feel a connection. That is awesome, thanks Jerry. By the way, I'm going to blame the hula hoop on the fact it was kid sized and not me sized. lol - Mike

[@JamesOBrien2253]

Great video Mike. We cut silage 3 days ago and got 9 tonnes per acre at 65 % moisture. I can't believe one tonne to to acre hay is a good cut we graze heavier covers lol. We always complaining about too much rain but after watching this video it makes me appreciate it

[@OurWyomingLife]

That is wild, people always ask me if we do silage here. Our hay is at 14% when it hits the ground :) - Mike

[@jenhoney9741]

Oh no Mike and Erin. This makes me ill. My worst fear. No I don't have a farm of any kind but I live in southwest and never take water for granted. Oddly enough it rained tonight. This vid is breaking my heart. Think y'all should look to all resources while everyone can and will pray for rain. I know I will. Bless y'all and try not to be upset or discouraged. Hope y'all don't have to sell your cattle.

[@OurWyomingLife]

We wouldnt have to sell all the cows, thank god, but we are doing everything we can to avoid it at all. Thank you very much - Mike

[@leroysouza5066]

Great video. Didn’t know it took that much math in ranching. It was a very interesting video. Pray for rain I will do. Good luck with your Wyoming life.

[@OurWyomingLife]

I didnt either when we first got here :) Thank you very much - Mike

[@happyhunter6108]

I just subscribed. Great video. Never have seen one that breaks down hay needs like this. Hope you get what you need.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much, glad you found us and thanks for watching - Mike

[@CharlieParker1959]

I pray you get rain very soon you Erin the kids and the in-laws will be in my prayers...May Gog look over you all and may he give you Rain.....

[@OurWyomingLife]

We are hoping and praying every day ! Thanks Charlie - Mike

[@jwhitley101whitleyfarms9]

Mike I have drilled and fertilized my hay fields for five years in a row just started cutting yesterday and it has gotten thicker every year this is starting out looking like the biggest since we started drilling seed so hopefully you 'll get your crop this year your due since the past few years of being dry good luck

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much Justin - Mike

[@HNCahoon]

Excellent video. Highly informative. Entertaining, with music and humor. I'm pleased to see you are experimenting on irrigation. A Barley sprout fodder system might use a lot of water, but some of it could be used to water livestock and irrigate the High-tunnels and other outlying areas.

[@OurWyomingLife]

We are looking at a fodder system, we would have to find some indoor area to do it on a large scale. Thanks - Mike

[@mikenicholson2548]

Nice job Mike I am happy with our rain this year my grass hay is up to my knees just hope it gets warm so I can cut it.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Nice good to hear, always nice to get it up to the knee height! Thanks - Mike

[@atheanicholls2199]

Hi good evening Mike and Erin and girls . Just love watching the ranch life. It's a real life experience with great satisfying benefits . Have to respect the life of the ranchers. The informative information you share on you're videos Mike and Erin is really a help to a lot of us subscribers in subscribers land so thank you both for sharing .Till the next video have a beautiful evening. 👋 bye 🐂🐂🐂🌱🌱🌿🌿🌿🌿🍅🍅🍅🍠🍠.u

[@OurWyomingLife]

We never ever dreamed that sharing our life could benefit others but obviously it does. Thank you for being there for us Athea! - Mike & Erin & Mackenzie & Grace & Lincoln. Sorry they all wanted in on it! :)

[@cattleNhay]

Sprinklers are great and easy if you have unlimited/ cheap water..but if you want to be water efficient use drip line, delivering water to the roots.

[@chadhazekamp6952]

good luck with haying Mike going to start hay this week also

[@OurWyomingLife]

Good luck to you! Thanks Chad - Mike

[@toddbrewer8215]

I had an idea. I don't know if you have ever heard of SARE. But they do have grants available for farmers who want to experiment with different plants for hay. For example they might pay for the seed if you wanted to see how Teff grass works in your area. Guar is another plant that is drought tolerant. Keep up the good work.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Interesting, thank you Todd. I will look it up! - Mike

[@davidphillips6571]

I hope you get the rain that you need. I have had 15.75 inches of rain for the year so far .

[@OurWyomingLife]

Nice, thanks and thanks for watching - Mike

[@williamdunn2525]

Best of luck to ya Mike and Erin. Don't worry rain is coming. Forecast for the next 10 days shows some disturbances moving through Wyoming, bringing a alot energy for thunderstorms.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Those thunderstorms are nice, I'll take it. Thanks - Mike

[@davehughesfarm7983]

It is dry and getting serious in North Missouri....Ponds are low,low, hay crop will be half...Guys will be selling cows in a couple weeks if it don't start raining....Usually we have it made here with to much rain but, I farm in a flood plain so we can't have it both ways...Just started on Alfalfa today its just fair... Like your vids and would say your numbers accurate...We always chop some corn silage. It is a life saver...

[@OurWyomingLife]

I bet it is, I wish we could get corn to grow here. Would be nice. Thanks a bunch - Mike

[@littlerougue]

another good video we will be pulling for some rain for you guys here in Oklahoma

[@OurWyomingLife]

Send it on up. Thanks - Mike

[@sammypatton8726]

It really shows you the difference in soil over here we can get around 150 silage bales from a 20 acre field but we get a lot of rain

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thats how it works, different locations and different problems as well. Thanks - Mike

[@offroadoutdoorist0376]

I know that it might be expensive but y'all should definitely put in and irrigation system because if you look at cost of buying hay and what you get back as grass that was watered instead of buying hay it pays off

[@OurWyomingLife]

It does if you can get the water to do it Thanks - Mike

[@mrfordman9999]

I love your optimism its contagious

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thats a good thing, I think you have to be. - Mike

[@mrfordman9999]

Our Wyoming Life people are such a pessimist these days but really it's the positive that makes the world go round tomorrow's another day keep at it Mike I love your Channel

[@tomsikes9064]

Hay Mike!😎 Thanks for the upbeat look into the measurable uncontrollable life out in the real world of Ranching/farming. It’s business plain and simple, I think you were preparing for this during “Radio” business. I have similar issues but with my floor/tile etc. cleaning biz. The seasons of plenty are invariably followed by lean times. But I keep on, looking for my fields to become regularly productive....except I deal with people and not nature. Thanks again for the optimism and planning. Looking forward to the next vid. Happy Sunday!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Hay Tom!!! You are very welcome. It is all a business thats for sure. Not sure how much the radio biz prepared me for this but the paperwork and budgets are all pretty much the same. Thank you very much! - Mike

[@johnboling6510]

Love the videos. Educational to see how different things are in your area from mine. We usually get 3 cuttings a year. We are about 2 weeks behind on our first cutting because we have had too much rain and no opportunity for drying time before the next rain. We are cutting today and will bale Tuesday or Wednesday of this week.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Its always different wherever you are, I hear from people cutting and sometimes I am jealous but we do with what we have and look for ways to make it better Thanks John - Mike

[@GAFarms]

I see, hey thanks for quick reply. Good luck for a great season!!!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you - Mike

[@zackthrower5429]

I know the climate is much different in WY but you guys might look into a guy named Greg Judy he’s a rancher here in MO. Seems to be doing some great things with rotational grazing. Might help offset some costs, just a thought. Thanks for the videos really enjoy your work!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much, rotational grazing is tough here because, just like haying, if a cow eats the pasture its not going to grow back. We rotate cows through pastures but rotating them back through doesnt do us much good. Thanks - Mike

[@chunkmen]

Mike have you ever considered looking to cover crops for improving soil health? Generally after 3 or 4 years you start seeing the Big results but from what ive seen some guys can even grow some 89 day corn on 14 inches of rain so im sure it could grow some grass. Every 1% of organic matter in the field per acre can hold between 20-50 thousand gallons of water (depending on how sandy or clayish) your soil is. Also it can add some extra types of food into your cows diet which may improve poundage gain per day.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Well it also comes down to nutrients in the soil as well. We are very sandy here and nitrogen moves through the soil quickly leaving us nitrogen deficient. There are options we are looking at when the money presents itself. Thanks - Mike

[@chunkmen]

When you are very nutrient liquid(moves ALOT) you get a benefit from adding more root mass, to hold and absorb it, especially radishes (dont know off the top of my head if they can live on so little water for the first couple of years) but there is a website called Green cover seeds and there is a calculator that will work off your location and average rainfall to give you the best plants for your needs. sometimes the fix is as easy as 3 dollars an acre and some 4 wheeler gas :) i hope you get all your Hay needs. We live in ohio and we got record hay cuttings off our fields (nearly 2tons in some places) and got 10 inches of rain and 95 degree heat so maybe the price of hay will drop even if you dont get enough yourself.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Very nice. I hope hay price drops. But then its trucking lol.

[@chunkmen]

Who knows maybe diesel prices will drop to a buck fiddy and we have bumper crops all year. That would just make everyone a chipper camper. Have a great night mike and i wish you luck on your hay.

[@danielweber4432]

Very good video Mike.. As I was watching I couldn't help but notice how closely related your hay production is to our sugarcane production here in Louisiana. It's all dependent on the rain and Mother Nature. We have good years and bad. We harvest sugarcane by tonnage per acre as you do hay. We use the term heavy cane or light cane and it is rain related. Right now we are in a dry spell and hoping for rain to come soon. When it does the sugarcane will start to grow rapidly. The elders use to say you can hear the sugarcane cracking and popping from the rapid growth. You Probably can say the same with hay. Hoping you can get some rain soon also. Thanks for the video.

[@OurWyomingLife]

I have heard that before, listening to the grass pop. I need to pay more attention :) Thank you very much Daniel - Mike

[@rayeddy528]

Mike thank you for sharing your heart with us !! Some things are hard for a man to be open about !! I am joining with other folks on your channel in praying for you to have rain and sun on your grassland in the correct amount to have abundant hay. I am a man of faith in my Heavenly Father!!! God is my provider and I am trusting Him that He will provide for you all also ! If we do our best He will do the rest !!! Be safe my friend and God bless you all !!!!!! Eddy

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much Eddy, I honestly believe that if we dont open up about things then its harder for them to become important to others. - Mike

[@rayeddy528]

Great answer Mike ! I hadn't thought of it that way ! Thank you !!!! Eddy

[@kingmidget7123]

my family is lucky to get 4 cuttings with all the rain we’re getting, it rains almost every day

[@OurWyomingLife]

That is wonderful, thanks for watching - Mike

[@nmelkhunter1]

Prayers for rain are needed in New Mexico too. I hope you have luck your way as well. What kind of swather do you own? God bless!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Headed that way of course. We have a Hesston 8700 but I doubt we will be using it this year and we will be cutting with a Rowse double 9 mower to get lower to the ground. Thanks - Mike

[@wiguy3462]

Love your videos. I grew up with family as dairy farmers and hand baling hay on wagons, at least you don't have that. Here is my two cents, have you thought about raising fodder as an extender for feed. And amending the soil with cover crops to get soil that holds on to water better? You could try some of this on small areas to see how it works or not. Keep the faith (I know you have it or you wouldn't be ranching).

[@OurWyomingLife]

We are looking into some fodder systems. We need to work on some heating systems to do so though. Cover crops would be an option, we would also have to add some equipment to be able to do that. Love the small scale idea. Thanks - Mike

[@lostnation5348]

Constant dependence on the weather. Here in the Northeast. Its always trying to find that 3 day window to be able to cut it, dry and then get it in..... Thanks for sharing.....

[@OurWyomingLife]

I get that, different issues everywhere you go. Its never easy. Thanks - Mike

[@robertv8851]

Those cows don't like coming in for the winter,mike ,there crazy.

[@GerraldFarms]

Every thing is looking good, maybe you’ll get the rain you need.👍🏻

[@OurWyomingLife]

We sure hope so, thanks - Mike

[@toddbrewer8215]

I think you are well on the way to hitting your goal. It is very probable you will hit 1 or more tones per acer. From talking to family members who still live in Wyo I have observed that when the weather is sunny in Ak it is rain in Wyo and when it is sunny in Wyo it is rainy in Ak. The weather liar is calling for a week of sunshine in Ak. So I think you are going to be getting good rain.

[@OurWyomingLife]

I sure hope that holds true. Thanks - Mike

[@marchindy]

Well done video you 2. We've all had bad years that's for sure. I have a feeling this will be a good year for you.

[@OurWyomingLife]

We never give up hope! Thanks - Mike

[@jrod264winmag]

We used to hay the road ditches, maybe check with the county for that.

[@OurWyomingLife]

We can do that, in fact, one of our neighbors does it for us and leaves us a few bales. Thanks - Mike

[@generobben7290]

Great video. Wow, the realities of hay production become extremely serious. Come on rain!!!!. Take care. Gene

[@OurWyomingLife]

They do become serious very fast, Thanks Gene - Mike

[@deanbrown4512]

Bless you, you a great farmer/ r rancher.

[@SuperMo41]

I sure wish I could send you some Iowa weather. we have already had an alfalfa harvest. and a grass harvest it really makes me grateful to be here and be able to have a great hay harvest almost every year and the pastures are doing very well the last few years. most people get about 1.2 cows per acre on pasture and an amazing hay yield.....is it at all cost effective to rent some better hay ground in a wetter area somewhere close to you? best wishes -cody

[@OurWyomingLife]

We would take it..leasing is always an option but there isnt much hay ground available for lease that I have found. It would be worth figuring out if it was worth it. I hate to get too spread out, moving equipment and what not. Thanks Cody - Mike

[@lucasnydam469]

I'm Glad we have irrigation here in Central Washington. We get between 3 and 3.5 tons per acre for timothy hay, and consistently get two cuttings per year, although the second is a much lighter. I hope you guys get plenty of rain this year.

[@OurWyomingLife]

We are always hoping, thanks Lucas - Mike

[@rob244810]

Living in southern California really makes me feel spoiled considering that we get 8-10 cuttings on irrigated alfalfa

[@redoerlord]

In New Zealand we had what we call a wet summer,getting 12-15 Inc of rain a month with high heat,we were getting 12 tons of grass in our first cut then 10 down to 8 tons for the last cut,each cut was between 4-5 weeks apart, we have mild winters here(now snow) and get good grass growth throughout the colder months,we also run higher stocking rates per acre than around the world (2.2 head per acre)

[@lucasnydam469]

Wow. Thats a long and busy haying season

[@cruzbeckham2504]

Love watching your videos

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much - MIke

[@fionajane56]

Living most of my life in dryland ranch country I really understand the agony and travail of making hay. However now I live in Kentucky. An entire new set of problems. High volume of hay but far less nutrition and getting it up dry and rain free is really hard. To be completely honest I miss the quality of dryland hay like yours. Would irrigation cause Alkali problems. This was a tremendous video. Your honest description of the way hay and weather work together to feed the Ranch is dead on. By the way the calves look terrific.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much Fiona. I can see where Alkali could be an issue. We had once spot on the ranch where they plugged a methane well and a bunch of ground water made it to the surface. Years later and still nothing grows there. Thanks - Mike

[@brianjonker510]

Yeah it is funny all the great ideas people from the east have for the dry;land farming areas. Unless you have lived in a dryland farming area you would never understand.

[@nashguy207]

Mike thanks for sharing. I think another good analogy is its almost like you are playing the lottery every year. I pray that mother nature blesses you with more rain in the next month. I know here they are just finishing up the first cutting of hay we normally get 3 to 4 cuttings here depending on rain and what temperatures are like in the fall they have had a little trouble getting the first cutting done due to rain they got it cut then it rained so had to let it dry out to rake and bail it. I think you needed a larger hula hoop. LOL Hope all is going well. Have a great week. God Bless!!!

[@OurWyomingLife]

haha, a larger hula hoop would help. Thank you very much as always - Mike

[@HumphreyFamilyHolsteins]

Been waitin’ on that hoola hoop moment!! Didn’t disappoint!!

[@OurWyomingLife]

haha, thanks Ryan - Mike

[@doneddy5812]

Mike same here. High '90's low 100's no clouds in sight. I'm glad you have gotten some rain. Weeds aren't growing here lol

[@OurWyomingLife]

You know its rough when weeds wont grow. If only we could figure out something to do with them! Thanks - Mike

[@doneddy5812]

Mike I have rain!! Hope lasts longer than 5 minutes.

[@FiremedicGross]

Great video, very educational thanks for breaking it down so I can understand all the information provided. 👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍👍

[@OurWyomingLife]

You are very welcome, thank you for watching - Mike

[@johndeereman365]

Mowing Thursday hopefully.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Nice! Good luck - Mike

[@yopierre6407]

hey Mike, do you think you could do an episode where you do stuff with the horses and show the routine for them?

[@OurWyomingLife]

Planning on it, although our horses are just for recreational riding. Thanks - Mike

[@KALSINFILMS]

Hey, I was sitting on my ass trying really hard to tell you what to do. Than I realized that I am not a farmer nor rancher. Good Luck buddy. Only thing that I can say is irrigate at night or dawn for max moisture retention. Rain Catching set up. Is that 2 expensive? Some people use old billboard plastic on a hill to catch. You may be able to direct that to your well maybe. Anyway. I hope it rains.

[@OurWyomingLife]

haha, Rain catching is tough if there isnt too much rain. Plus if you think about it, it takes over 27,000 gallons of water to equal 1 inch of rain on one acre. We would need a ton of water. We have seen the plastic on hillsides but then we are taking pasture away from livestock. Everything is a catch 22 sometimes. Thanks and thanks for watching - Mike

[@42thgamer80]

Love this channel!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you for watching - Mike

[@brentderksen]

love the bloopers!

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you! - Mike

[@farmerfrog8904]

Intresting to get to see how much difference there is in farming in Wyoming vs. West Virginia. Here hay is our biggest crop. If you don't mind my asking how much were you paying per bale? Love seeing the ranch videos, good luck in production.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much. Hay gets pretty expensive when we have to buy it. Seems like that's when the price goes through the roof. We ended up paying between 160 to 180 per ton delivered. We ended up buying from two separate sources. Thanks again for watching -Mike

[@MRnostate]

I really enjoy watching the channel. Keep the videos coming. I have a suggestion/question and realize that you are in a completely different area then me and the forage situation is a lot different. From my outside perspective If you did up end selling some of the cows it seems like it would really help the bottom line even in a year with average rainfall but especially when you had to buy hay. In another video you said it takes about $540 in hay to take a cow through winter in your area. Say 1/3 of the cattle were sold and the cows are able to be grazed 8 months instead of 6. Now the hay bill is $359 per cow or $180 per head less .Yes the gross income would be lower but theoretically the bottom line would be better.Maybe the grass comes in a little stronger from less animals on it and you are able to get by with less supplements or graze even a little longer then the 8 months. Is this something that you have ever considered and if so why would it not work out so well in real life as it does in theory?

[@OurWyomingLife]

Very interesting. Give me some time and I will do some work on it. Thanks - Mike

[@tonyburelle6633]

Being in Connecticut, all the farms I've worked on, including our own, never worried much about not enough moisture, but with that kind of hay bill, I sure see why growing your own is much better, kinda odd about the irrigation rules, I suppose there's probably reasons, but with the government?, ...., Looks like you have a good system to figure our yield, good luck

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much Tony - Mike

[@zezeandjr4110]

Another very informative and very honest video about ranching and what it takes, I hear that sometimes Rain Dances work, have you tried that?

[@OurWyomingLife]

Might be worth a try! Thanks - MIke

[@aCycloneSteve]

I've seen some extension videos that had a special stick that would measure height and thickness of grass and provide a good estimate of hay production.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Interesting, most of this video is from rangeland management classes that the University of Wyoming has taught right here on the ranch. I havent seen one like that, but I will now have to look. Thanks - Mike

[@brentfarrow8125]

For tomorrow is another day , have a good day 😎

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thanks Brent- Mike

[@johnhatt1219]

Good luck on the hay

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you John - MIke

[@PlasticContainerCity]

Please excuse my armchair ranching. Can permaculture and bar grazing help your hayfield growth? Richard Perkins. Ridgedale permaculture channel in Sweden has fields which are way more lush than his neighbors fields. And the Swedish Homestead channel was showing how much more productive his hay fields were than previous years now that he is doing permaculture . I hope you get over a ton per acre this year. Wishing you the best.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much, I will look at that channel and see what I can learn. :) - Mike

[@barbjarvi6543]

Water early morning and at late evening will give you a better chance at growth because the sun and heat won’t dry it up so bad

[@cliffordanders6678]

Your so right the ranch is in God's hands each year so we pray a lot

[@OurWyomingLife]

Yes we do, thank you - Mike

[@jacksak]

I think I understand why ranches out your way have so many acres that seem empty. Where I am, farmers get two cuttings, maybe three, with very tall grass. But, if you only get one cut with shorter grass, I think you must need big acreage to bail anything worthwhile. That's my guess anyway.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Takes lots of land to support a cow. Thanks Jack - Mike

[@welderella]

Totally confused. I feel like I have heard your voice before, but this is only my second video. It’s like you have a radio voice or something. Where I come from, if you have never met someone, and they look familiar, it is because you saw them on TV or in a movie. Anyways, watching your videos is like watching what it is like in another country. Completely foreign to me. I appreciate the education.

[@OurWyomingLife]

I worked in radio for years before coming to the ranch, that might be it :) Thanks for hanging out with us :) - Mike

[@jeanettewaverly2590]

That's a great sampling strategy, Mike! I think you've invented a new measurement -- the hula unit, lol. My mom was a champion hula-hooper back when it was the newest and hottest thing on the toy market. And, yes, you do need a dad-sized hoop to successfully challenge her record. ;^]

[@OurWyomingLife]

A dad size one would help but might yield the same results haha. Thanks Jeanette - Mike

[@Darthreloy]

Wow, what a reality check. interesting.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much for watching - Mike

[@lukascarbeault633]

Hy Mike, you must look up Dave Brown on KZbin. He also talk of his farming experience and how he his making his operation to make money for his family. Same battle has yours and Erin. And maybe what he is sharing could be of interest to you. Luk

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thanks. We know Gabe :) -Mike

[@RiverbendBicycles]

Good luck. I enjoyed the video.

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you very much! - Mike

[@cntslesfabrication]

You my friend are a genius to call it HAY and not grass/tree/bud/dope. Lol or not but the process you did look like a grow operation from the beginning to end

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thanks for watching - Mike

[@cntslesfabrication]

Our Wyoming Life thanks for your channel I don't know alot about the cattle part but I have alot on the equipment side of things. I have some ideas for you and your family for the hay next season so here in the coming months we will talk and see what you think about them.

[@bettykuykendall2083]

AWESOME BLOSSOM👽

[@OurWyomingLife]

Thank you Betty, hope all is well :) - Mike