My hay is too dry

Fred Werring · Jun 8, 2023

Southern Ohio, like a lot of places, VERY dry.
Dropped 50 acres of fescue grass for hay a week ago. Then my back pulled it's trick with sciatica, couldn't move for a few days.
So the hay is too dry. My NH 855 chain baler is pulverizing it to dust, and it's difficult to get a bale started

So is going and raking starting 6am tomorrow when there's some dew on it a decent plan? Figure rake for a few hours, then bale that, do it again on Saturday.

Have no way to test moisture.

Been baling hay 45 years, don't think I've ever tried to bale hay this crispy.

Thanks

Bill VA · Jun 8, 2023

Sounds like a good plan - good luck!

caterpillar guy · Jun 8, 2023

If it is already raked just wait till the dew is just about off or go bale some as the moisture is coming up on the hay at evening just before sunset or there abouts. Do watch that they don't heat up from to much of a good thing. I've had to wiat till close to dark and run some through to get it so it didn't turn to chaff.

rrlund · Jun 8, 2023

I posted a week or so ago about an eight acre field I baled. I got the bale to about two feet and that was it. I baled the rest of the field and it didn't get any bigger. It was crumbling and falling out the back and out from under the ends of the outside belts. I hope you have better luck than I did.

MF#1 · Jun 8, 2023

Several years ago we had a pretty serious drought. I got my hay cut, about 15 acres and raked it up for my baler man. He had a later model New Holland belt baler. I asked him before he started if it was too dry, early afternoon. He said Nope and went to it. I wouldn't have believed it if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes. He would start a bale by BACKING into the windrow then once it got going he would continue forward and finish the bale. I know it's not a chain baler but it might work for yours. Asked him later where he learned that trick, he just smiled and said he had a few tricks up his sleeve with over 30 years of baling. I believed him.

Chief 83 · Jun 9, 2023

SW Washington state. Hay quality is pretty good but there is not much of it. All of my fields are about 35% less than last year which also wasn't a banner year. Cut another 20 acres today with no rain in the 7 day forecast. Well,except for tonight! Hopefully no too much rain. Wobble box issues today so finished with the drum mower. Always something!!

Mike(NEOhio) · Jun 9, 2023

I baled four acres Wednesday and got 125. Baling more today, looks like about 1/3 of what I normally get. Some rain predicted Sunday through Tuesday. 20 days without rain here.

Chris in SK · Jun 9, 2023

I've got a NH chain baler and in dry hay or light windrows they will smash it up. Baling with the dew or at night helps.
Rake your windrows up as big as you can and feed it into the baler as fast as it'll take it, so it doesn't get time to smash it.
I usually start the bale at about 1200 rpm, and a reasonably fast forward speed. Try not to run any distance on the headlands with no hay feeding in. They won't be the prettiest bales but they won't turn to dust.
If you run any distance with the bale rolling around and no hay feeding in, they will smash it up and throw it on top of the pickup then you start having real problems!!
I've even raked round and round the field so I have a never ending windrow and no empty headland turns...I find that helps sometimes.

mjsnodgrass · Jun 9, 2023

raining pretty good today in my part of sw washington.

Fred Werring · Jun 9, 2023

Chris

Funny, I read this tonight when I came back in from baling.
Pretty much figured out on my own what you had said....slow down engine rpm, increase ground speed.
I've had this baler 24 years, guess I've never had hay this dry. Usually trying to get it dry enough to bale.
Thanks

My hay is too dry

Fred Werring

Well-known Member

Bill VA

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caterpillar guy

Well-known Member

rrlund

Well-known Member

MF#1

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Chief 83

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Mike(NEOhio)

Well-known Member

Chris in SK

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mjsnodgrass

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Fred Werring

Well-known Member

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