Hay 2024

West

I thought the whole idea of hay was to dry the grass!

Seriously though,I couldn't imagine a much Ireland unsuitable short term forecast to pull out a mower.

U plan to put them in small squares?

Same here all we can do now is try our best and hope the weather gods play ball.

Sunday is looking doubtful now so we will be up against it to have it ready for the baler by Saturday but like you say just have take it day by day

The forecast is changing the whole time in past 5 days. I have a feeling this hay could be down for over a week

Just on that I wonder what is the longest people have had Hay down for and still turned out ok quality wise ?

7 or 8 days would have been the longest here I'd say.

Depends on how far it is gone when it gets rain and for how long after before you can gather it. But in general one wetting isn't the end of the world, not much impact on quality if it is got a few days after.

I remember making hay that was down for nearly 3 weeks by the time it was baled, it looked ok but the bales had no weight, you could throw up into the air like as if it was a football. Cows still ate them come winter, but they also had to get supplemented with ration or they'd have starved.

If it hasn't been turned its got some chance. I wouldn't bother if it rained on it again. I saw too much hay looking grand till it's open in the winter.

100% was a high possibility alright especially this summer

If you can't use them up quick enough, you need more cattle 😁.
Or maybe split them between pens of cattle.

It is better to make the call to wrap earlier rather than later though.

I'm sure it has gone better for some than others. Weather can vary significantly from one end of the country to the other, type/density of grass and not choosing to wrap when really should have will definitly have left some toasty. Plenty of hay made is fine too.

I've seen some very black grass baled up too, some people just don't know when to quit.

Cut some myself this evening, forecast is vague but this would be got quickly

Yesterday was savage day. Today has been good as well. Baler is booked for Sunday, wrapped or hay is still up in the air. It's take it day by day and field by field

Going good, today was a great day in the west with plenty Sunshine and a nice breeze. Parts of the meadow are fit already, the lower parts where the crop is heavy will need another 2 days to get it fully dry.

I'm surprised the way you can save hay without extreme heat, I think a good breeze is as important.

Question is will is hold dry until Sunday evening as forecasts are showing drizzle and light showers for both Saturday and Sunday.

This weather is a bloody disaster.

dirty mist this morning, but looks like its brightning out now. Weather isn't great but I can't control it.

Turned again. Lovely breeze sun started break thru, but cloudy again . Like minor league middle of meadows are nearly there. I have one meadow that won't make the cut by Sunday so will wrap it instead, it's just too grassy. Still taking it day by day as to whether we will have hay or not

Yeap nearly there, today is a great day on hay, serious strenght in that Sun along with a breeze. I have it all rowed up now for baling this evening. I dont think I'll have a major amount of bales in the 7 acres, I'm thinking about 40

Not bad for a few hours work though

Same as that here - heavy drizzle this morning and a cracker of a day now so don't know what to do. Head says to wrap it this evening but the optimist says give it a turn today when top dries and see how it is tomorrow.

Just thinking like others have said if I do have to wrap the earlier the better so hard to know

Baled and wrapped some attempted hay for a friend today after wrapping up some silage for myself. Great few days but would have needed a few more to get hay and Monday looks to be a washout.

I'd rather have left it till tomorrow too but was just too afraid of it getting wet again to leave it.

I'll be sickened if tomorrow turns out a good day now but that's the way it goes.

Still have't baled yet, contractor had a breakdown, in fairess he did offer to get another lad to bale it late yesterday evening but I said we'd chance it till this afternoon. The day looks ok, it might brighten out later on, but at least the rain isn't on the forcast now. This morning is the first morning that we didn't have that dirty mist either.

Got 25 round bales made there this evening. It was still a bit green but tomorrow is been given as a pure washout round here. It was ment for silage light meadow and dired out quickly so turned it Friday and yesterday. Will leave it to season for two weeks before putting it in the shed

There's 4 bales over in a shaded corner I expect to heat a bit, I'd say it could heat today if the rain doesn't come. I only baled yesterday cos today was given so bad round here and now this morning that's changed again