We usually don`t get that bad of rain, Fairbanks only averages 10" per year, but it usually comes in just small enough quantities to keep hay farming interesting. It usually seems to be dry through June, with about 8-10 good days in July, and then we usually get a real nice stretch early in september, but then the dew comes off so late, and on so early, that dry-down is slow. Then some years are totally out of character, and Alaska is so big that what works in Fairbanks might not in Delta, or much less on the coast at Palmer. Then again, I`m selling timothy/brome squares for $12 a bale, and I`m on the cheap side.
I gotcha on the silage comment, I misunderstood. I`m not set up with a chopper yet, but I`m looking at getting one and some cows to diversify a bit, and put any wasted hay to use.
As for salting the stack, I`ve done it, learned the trick from my dad, and I think it has its place, but I honestly don`t think it will save hay that is too damp to keep. Where I have seen the best results is when I get clumps of vetch in the bales, they dry down muchslower, and can spoil a good portion of the bale. My reason for not think salt helps much is merely because of the weight of water in a damp bale (very noticeable) VS. the amount of salt usually applied and the amount of weight that the bales lose (not much). I guess pickiling the hay will keep it from spoiling, though.
As for cutting at the wrong time of day, I mostly agree with you. I wait for the dew to come off, other than that I try to mow as early as I can. When we are trying to get hay dry as fast as possible, often we have to cut when our tires are a bit damp rolling on the ground, but we leave it in a windrow, let the sun and wind dry the ground, and then ted it out, our ground is almost always moist so it works better than nothing. As for cutting too dry, never seen that, doubt I will!
We have our share of crazies up here, they don`t know a thing about hay or making it, but they certainly are willing to share the wives tales. I had quite a few leave before I started fibbing about what my fields are. Several of my fields are meadow foxtail, a good cool-season grass very similar to timothy in appearance, with no relation to barley foxtail, that everybody knows and hates. Nobody would buy my hay, until I told them all it was timothy, and not a one has known better yet.
We sell tractor parts! We have the parts you need to repair your tractor - the right parts. Our low prices and years of research make us your best choice when you need parts. Shop Online Today. [ About Us ]
Today's Featured Article - The Day Mom Drove the 8N - by Brian Browning. My Dad was wanting to put in a garden but couldn't operate the 8N and handle the old horse drawn plow he had found and rigged up to use with the tractor. Well, he decided to go get Mom out of the house and have her drive the tractor while he walked behind the plow. You got to understand that while my Mom is a hard worker who will always help whenever she can... she had never operated farm machinery before that day. Dad got her out there, explained how the clutch was the same as in our o
... [Read Article]
Latest Ad:
Oliver 550 Diesel runs like a watch three point hitch pto engine gone threw about two hundred hours ago nice clean tractor
[More Ads]
All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of any part of this website, including design and content, without written permission is strictly prohibited. Trade Marks and Trade Names contained and used in this Website are those of others, and are used in this Website in a descriptive sense to refer to the products of others. Use of this Web site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement and Privacy Policy
TRADEMARK DISCLAIMER: Tradenames and Trademarks referred to within Yesterday's Tractor Co. products and within the Yesterday's Tractor Co. websites are the property of their respective trademark holders. None of these trademark holders are affiliated with Yesterday's Tractor Co., our products, or our website nor are we sponsored by them. John Deere and its logos are the registered trademarks of the John Deere Corporation. Agco, Agco Allis, White, Massey Ferguson and their logos are the registered trademarks of AGCO Corporation. Case, Case-IH, Farmall, International Harvester, New Holland and their logos are registered trademarks of CNH Global N.V.