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Justin-PA 07-31-2009 18:26:32 66.82.9.25 18832 Report to Moderator	This is my first year making my own hay...the first cutting went well and I had some good weather windows. However, the past month has been rain, rain, rain. This week coming up has a couple days with rain predicted at 30% to 50% chance, and also several days of sun or part sun. The field is red clover, trefoil, and orchard grass. The clover is already at about 75% bloom, the trefoil is about 25% bloom. I hate to wait much longer to cut it. So, what would you do? Cut the hay and take a chance it might get rained on? Or wait out the weather and possibly get overmature hay? What will give me the best quality hay? I"m feeding bred ewes thru the winter with this. Thanks for any advice! Justin [Reply]   [No Email]
david in md 08-05-2009 13:44:17 199.145.20.248 18878 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   You"re not alone, I made 1st cut alfalfa on July 4th when it should have been made May 20 here. It rained very little in July but the hay wasn"t ready to cut again. Now that it"s ready again we"re in a pattern with 30-40% chance of scattered/isolated thundershowers for the next 10 days. I look at it if you have several days each with 30% chance of showers one of those days you will actually get rain and the rest of the days will be poor drying weather. Looks like my second cut will be over mature and it might be a 3 cut year when 4 or 5 is normal. My horse customers don"t care so much about maturity as they do about good green color which takes good drying weather to produce.   [Reply]   [No Email]
Ed S. (IL) 08-03-2009 13:27:41 12.2.142.7 18859 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   If I cut and get a light rain on alfalfa / grass within 24 hours of cutting, how much does that impact quality? I've been told not to worry it too much if it gets rained on right after cutting... es Oh, I agree with the post about about weather underground - they seem to be about the most accurate around us, but I also check the radar loops, too.   [Reply]   [No Email]
sammydwm 08-02-2009 06:49:35 63.135.150.161 18848 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   Just find a weather channel that gives you less of a chance, then cut.   [Reply]   [No Email]
Justin-PA 08-03-2009 13:00:30 192.88.212.43 18858 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to sammydwm, 08-02-2009 06:49:35   Well I look at 6 different weather forecasts and all 6 are a bit different! weather.com weatherunderground.com intellicast.com plus my 3 local tv weatherstations Most are curently agreeing that Wed thru Saturday will be clear. Problem is, I have to take my father to surgery on Wed and might not get back in time to mow! Of course Tuesday is calling for rain so I might be mowing Thursday and hoping weather holds until Sunday or the hay dries by Saturday. fun fun fun! Justin   [Reply]   [No Email]
Crazy Red Power in SE-WI 08-05-2009 21:21:53 24.183.138.183 18879 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 08-03-2009 13:00:30   Justin, all funnin' aside, the link below I've found to be most accurate. Night & day difference between the NWS & The Weather Channel. I do believe all of the TV station meteorologists have access to this page. I don't believe many read it. I have a 33.75% avarage chance of rain Fri - Mon. I knocked my hay down yesterday with lesser chances at the time. The weather always changes. That reminds me, the NWS page for your area should be updated anywhere between 15-25 min. Hit the F5 key every so often to refresh your page. I leave the page up all day & refresh when I need to. Works pretty swell. - Mike Better Weather   [Reply]   [No Email]
showcrop 08-02-2009 05:23:12 75.67.231.80 18847 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   Justin, years ago I settled on 30% as my threshold. but you need to take other factors into account such as crop density, maturity, ground moisture, predicted temp. and cloud cover etc. Your clover and trefoil will probably require more drying time than straight grass and the presence of the two indicate that there is probably some moisture to the ground so I would be looking for a three day 30% if I were you.   [Reply]   [No Email]
flying belgian 08-01-2009 19:21:35 98.132.233.132 18845 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   Look at the national doppler radar and wait to cut until you see a clear window.   [Reply]   [No Email]
kyhayman 08-01-2009 12:25:37 75.104.128.58 18840 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   I'll take over mature hay over wet hay every time. 40% chance in this weather pattern, I'm staying at the house. 40% in dry weather I cut. Thats really my break point.   [Reply]   [No Email]
Justin-PA 08-01-2009 18:21:23 69.19.14.25 18843 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to kyhayman, 08-01-2009 12:25:37   Thanks again for the advice...that was my main question is what's worse...overmature hay or wet hay (even if it gets wet only once). The thing with this wet summer weather...is will I ever get this hay cut??!!! I may end up with overmature AND wet hay. Thx...Justin   [Reply]   [No Email]
kyhayman 08-02-2009 08:27:04 75.104.128.58 18849 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 08-01-2009 18:21:23   I've worried about the same thing before. Yes, you will get it cut. In fact, I got to fretting back in June about it, I got stupid and cut when I knew better, or more correctly I cut more than I should have going against the forecast. Thats the only hay so far this year that I've had get rained on. I've rolled hay Thanksgiving weekend before. Its not ideal, but eventually the weather will turn, or it always has. For feeding purposes its not too bad if it gets wet once, or if its rolled a little too wet and dusty if its going into cows. For sales though, its pretty much an orphan. I've been pushing my moisture contents to try to get mine up. So far, my loss rate is about 4% to mold. Of the 1850 rolls I've baled this year I've got 94 lined up outside to feed, that just ended up being a little too damp when I rolled them. We are wet again this week here. I'd hoped to cut an alfalfa field that was really late when I cut it the first time, then start my 3rd cutting of alfalfa but just no weather for it.   [Reply]   [No Email]
Larry NE IL 08-01-2009 09:40:42 68.251.40.173 18839 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   I've got 27 acres laying down now and hoping this squall line splits as it passes....either way, I'll ted it again lightly and hope to bale tomorrow afternoon. Seems this year, if you waited for a 3-4 day "clear" window, around the midwest, you wouldn't have a first cutting yet!   [Reply]   [No Email]
Justin-PA 08-01-2009 07:13:31 69.19.14.15 18838 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   Well you were all a lot of help HAHA! Ya I know its a judgement call. Looks like weather next week is shaping up a little better so I may wait till Monday or Tuesday to mow. Tuesday is 50% chance scattered showers, but Monday, Wed, Thr, Fri is currently supposed to be clear. Justin   [Reply]   [No Email]
JOE FARMER 07-31-2009 22:12:32 72.35.56.108 18837 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   take a chance and cut half; if it gets terribly wet youll b glad u did not cut it all'''''if it stays dry youll wish u cut the whole field THATS FARMING USE YOUR BEST JUDGMENT AND HOPE 4 THE BEST   [Reply]   [No Email]
Crazy Red Power in SE-WI 07-31-2009 19:20:24 24.183.138.183 18836 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   If you mow the hay, you will up the odds of getting rain. Cutting the lawn may offset this effect. Just my wit & $.02 - Mike   [Reply]   [No Email]
hayray 07-31-2009 19:06:32 173.104.253.44 18834 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   If you are only baling a small amount of acreage then I would take the over-maturaty over the chance of rain. Trefoil will not loose any carbohydrate storage quality as it matures and clover will have somewhat more losses, especially if it is in its majority second year. The midwest and Great Lakes area summer this year has maintained a cool trend with lots of frequent rains so if you are doing a lot of hay ground by this time in the game some hay ground should always be laying down. A slim chance of actually loosing any hay this late in the season. My strategy now so that I can still get second cuttings is to now always have 20 to 40 acres down because there have been pleanty one and two day intervels for good drying.   [Reply]   [Send Email]
Gwiz 07-31-2009 18:31:21 75.63.251.2 18833 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Justin-PA, 07-31-2009 18:26:32   It won"t dry if it"s raining, and it won"t dry if the sun don"t shine. I would wait till the required number of days are predicted to have no rain or at least very slight chance. James   [Reply]   [No Email]
Animal 08-02-2009 09:03:37 70.41.37.48 18850 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Gwiz, 07-31-2009 18:31:21   Weather channel at 2pm. said 4 days in a row of hot and dry, I knocked down 20 acres in the afternoon moved to an 80 acre field to start the next morning, weather channel that evening changed to next 4 days of rain, if I get that 20 up with out a rain I will be lucky! Whats a fellow to do?   [Reply]   [No Email]
showcrop 08-02-2009 10:26:52 75.67.231.80 18851 Report to Moderator	Re: 40% Chance of rain...should I mow hay?? in reply to Animal, 08-02-2009 09:03:37   Animal, try underground weather. I have been going by them this year. their forecast seems to be a little more localized than others   [Reply]   [No Email]