Hay 2022

The Crows got it right 3 months ago..

Its drought..

Cut 6 acres Tuesday evening, wrapped the headlines yesterday evening. Turned it this morning. I'll turn again tomorrow and hopefully bale/turn Saturday.

Must keep that in mind.

Took the plunge and knocked it yesterday evening anyway. Raining heavy enough this morning but said I'd cut it dry whether that was right or wrong n hope for the best.

Just wondering in these conditions are people turning/tedding everyday or every second day ?

If dry ted daily for the 1st 3 days, then as it needs, often just the heavy parts and the back swards If it gets rain leaves it alone for that day unless there is serious drying that evening

Ted it out as soon as finished mowing in normal conditions

As easten said the power of the wind is huge

Older generation here were always happy to see the birds building high up in the trees. It was meant as a sign of a dry warm summer.

There's a marginal window of opportunity for hay over the next few days. This mornings rain was promised but this afternoon is going to clear. I wouldn't be touching it till tomorrow as it needs a days wilt before doing anything. It'll all depend on how cloudy these days remain. Sat/Sun/Mon/Tue are looking the best but no savage heat but there is a good breeze promised which is good enough. Mine is very strong steamy stuff so it should save, there is a few acres of leafy green which I may have to wrap for hayleadge. We'll see how it plays out

Good old Met Eireann....today was forecast to be the best day of the year....

Cloudy and pìssing rain all day.....

Do not trust them

I think that was from last Sundays forecast which was 5 days ahead. I don't think any of them are that accurate as there is 2 weather systems at play from the North west and then the heat wave from the southern Europe which would rise a lot of moisture. Even so they are now predicting a 0% chance of precipitation in the south from now until Weds. The BBC on the other hand are showing a 20% chance of showers on Saturday night, I do find the BBC weather more accurate lately.

If anyone has only cut since yesterday then that bit of rain will have no effect on it yet. Either way we have the benefit of always being able to wrap it if the weather doesn't play ball. Farmers years ago didn't have that luxury.

idk have they an app, but just google "BBC weather Cork" or use Dublin or Shannon. There's a couple of Youtube weather channels too. https://www.youtube.com/c/metoffice is the best but again none of them can predict beyond 4 days in this type of changeable weather.

Haven't looked at any apps but I remember the Met.ie app was awful but maybe it's better now.

I have a **** of a haybob also. That’s not even working right.

it rained yesterday so made the call to bake as hay ledge today. Looking out the window this morning I am like “will I cancel him” and chance it again.

80 percent chance I would get it by Monday but 20 percent chance it would end up with a pile of **** in the field. Going to buy a Tedder I have decided to ****.

Going to give the hay a shake in a bit. Nice bit of a breeze. Either bale tomorrow or Monday

I'm using an old Haybob too. I reckon it's about 45 years old and i like pulling a bag of cans around. I think I'll be upgrading too at some stage

After shaking it out now, it's much better than I expected. Powerful drying in that breeze and we've a bit of Sun too

Will make the finest of stuff here just I don't think the weather is gonna play ball

Great to hear some part of the Country is basking in the Sun!.....has it being dry most of the week down south and in midlands?....have mainly heavy ground here that's not suited to wet spells we are unfortunately too used to in NW!

We have had an odd dry day in last few weeks but heavy rain most nights or days. I am just in from looking at hoggetts in a 'meadow field' that is usually taken up for Silage. I took 30 bales of Silage off it this time last year and didn't leave a track in the field!.....

It's well eaten and could see the track of my wellies in it today!

Will there be many people getting hay saved that didn't see rain at all?

Baled this morning as hayledge. Was pretty cold this morning and dead.

of course the rest of the day was savage. Great sunshine and a breeze. Tomorrow and Monday will surely be the same and won’t see a drop of rain then till next weekend.

But shurlookit, tis home and stacked. All first cuts done. A small second cut should be fit in 3 weeks and then done.

Got a rained off yesterday. Turned it out this afternoon and the wind did a wonderful job. Will turn it again tomorrow and bale for hay on Monday. It was nearly there on Thursday. Good bit of wind due tomorrow and there will be sunshine Monday.

If its been otherwise dry 3 hours of misty rain is far from lost.

Dull asf this morning, looks like mist is near. Hopefully the day will shine out as I need 2 good days yet to get some of it in Hay. I reckon I'll have to wrap about 10 of the 15 acres as its just too green to get it in hay so I'll bale that much up this morning before it goes beyond hayledge.

I think once its at the point of Hayledge it is at its most vulnurable as rain will destroy it for hay after, and wet hayledge is not as good a wilted silage. So fingers crossed it stays dry as I should pull about 90 bales of Hayledge today and 90 Bales of Hayledge is better and more feeding than 120 bales of Silage

I am considering it, I have my eye on a 4 rotar tedder but idk will the 35x be able for it. Plus a tedder does not row up for baling so I'd still need to hold the haybob or else I wouldn't be able to do my own baling. I've a 2nd hand claas 46 for hay making so without a way to row up I'd be completely at the mercy of the contractor which is not nice when making hay.

I do like the going out in the 35x. It's a miser on diesel, and you can't beat that feeling driving her on a Summers day with blue a blue sky above and a quarter of a mile of a car tale back behind you on the road!

I'd say we can all forget about getting the Hay this week. Dull and threatening to mist this morning.

Rain due to cross the country in Tuesday and then more rain or drizzle on Thursday/Friday.

Think I'll wrap it up tomorrow.