Hmmmm, well I don't _think_ I'm cutting too late. I usually cut in mid to late dough stage. That about right? I try to plant so I'll be cutting about mid-August, during the historic dry time, so it usually only takes 3 or 4 days to dry down with the swather. There really isn't much greenfeed that gets done in my area, so I didn't have anyone to ask and I just winged it. As far as loss when baling, until this year I ran M&W enclosed chain balers, so there wasn't much loss except a little off the pickup.
I also prefer steel rollers in my haybines (tried rubber, hated them, lost 1 day of dry down time in alfalfa, even setting the rollers tighter than I would with steel), so maybe its the steel rollers?
Rod