Just a haying between the rains

[Haytrucker]

I hope a lot of you have this problem, and I wish everyone could. Just once. We usually don't, dang I miss a good 2 month dry spell... Got first cutting alfalfa up right, but we have grown a batch of fuel since then. How's the rest of the world getting along?

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

We just got started, have had a shower every night it seems but not really enough to do much more then delay our morning start. Not a bad looking crop of grass hay with a little alfalfa showing.

 

[Haytrucker]

The native hay here is staying fresh longer than usual so I guess we aren't losing much, but all we have to do is cut oats and here comes the next drink. The last wheat we baled had been down over 2 weeks.

 

[Faster horses]

We have been trying to start; waiting out the showers...so Mr. FH cut some July 3, it got rained on. But, he made 4 rounds and broke down, so not much got rained on. Going to give it heck today, 20% chance of rain in the forecast so that can mean anything!!

There has been so really bad weather around, rain, hail, tornadoes. There were 4 or 5 tornadoes near Camp Crook, Mt. June 28th.
It's been wicked.

 

[leanin' H]

What is this rain you speak of??? We desert folks are in a heck of a dry spell. Haven't had a drop of rain since April and we are burning up. 9 major wildfire going in Utah and its tinder dry, even in the high country. If ya'll can send a little this way I'd sure be tickled.

 

[Big Muddy rancher]

Feel for ya H, we burnt up last summer here in the Great smoky north,
Better year here on the ranch with some hay to cut and green pastures. For now.

 

[Faster horses]

What is this rain you speak of??? We desert folks are in a heck of a dry spell. Haven't had a drop of rain since April and we are burning up. 9 major wildfire going in Utah and its tinder dry, even in the high country. If ya'll can send a little this way I'd sure be tickled.

So sorry, 'H. Praying for rain for you and your area. Droughts are not fun.

It was dry the whole 3.5 months we were in AZ and didn't seem like it was going to get better. Some places in
Wy are good, some not so good. In SE Mt. the ones that have escaped the hail/tornadoes (and there has been a lot of those) are having bumper crops. We have friends that planted Titracale and it was shoulder high. They are chopping it and weighing the trucks; they say 10 ton to the acre!!! They needed it--been hailed out and in drought for two years. If I can figure out how to get a picture in a message off
my phone, I could post a picture here.

Any suggestions?

 

[Haytrucker]

Still raining, 40 A of 2nd alfalfa and all of the N oats are very clean. Straw baling is no fun either. Still have some second cut standing, while some third around is about ready. Good weather for pasture and millet I guess. I'd share if we could.

 

[Broke Cowboy]

When all else fails wrap it - the quality is there - costs more but makes excellent feed.

 

[redrobin]

When all else fails wrap it - the quality is there - costs more but makes excellent feed.

hello old friend. I hope all is well. I see the boy raping rag heads didn't kill you yet.

 

[Haytrucker]

B C, we aren't set up to wrap wet bales. Plan B here is chop the remainder out of the regrowth. Finally had a day without rain and 4 more forecast. Good thing I caught up on my rest. Grazing looks real good. Win some, bale some crap hay.

 

[Silver]

We are still trying to get our first and only cut done. Finally had a little stretch of 90F weather for about 4 or 5 days so cut a bunch and hardly got any of it to dry because of the humidity. Wrapped somewhere over 100 bales in plastic today while we were getting the odd light shower. Going to wrap all day tomorrow too if we can. Rain forecast for the next few days after tomorrow.

 

[Haytrucker]

There is no average weather, that is a compilation of the extremes. Sure shouldn't complain because we haven't had any fires.

 

[Silver]

Ya, I'd sooner deal with this than drought. At least the pastures look great. Wrapped 171 bales today so we are making progress.

 

[Broke Cowboy]

When all else fails wrap it - the quality is there - costs more but makes excellent feed.

hello old friend. I hope all is well. I see the boy raping rag heads didn't kill you yet.

LOL - enough of them tried - had a visit from a cop in Tennessee last week - he was my main shooter when we were in the "Stan - little guy as tough as nails - he brought his son up for the visit - brought me a few gifts from the guys as well.

Hate to admit it but I dropped a few tears when we hugged goodbye - an absolutely awesome guy who will be a friend for life.

You be safe and have a great weekend.

 

[Broke Cowboy]

B C, we aren't set up to wrap wet bales. Plan B here is chop the remainder out of the regrowth. Finally had a day without rain and 4 more forecast. Good thing I caught up on my rest. Grazing looks real good. Win some, bale some crap hay.

Chopping works - I have used the feed but never made it - hope it goes well.

Cheers

 

[Haytrucker]

We're gaining. The rained down oats were a mess, but we rolled 135 real nice alfalfa bales tonight. It was bloomy when cut, but you take the good when you get it. Started the pivots tonight, spose it's almost fire season.

 

[RSL]

It is nice to hear some folks are making out OK with feed. Did an extended tour yesterday (south of halkirk, down to Oyen and home). It is really patchy. 2 miles of difference could makes 10x difference in yields. We got a letter from our AFSC moisture insurance that said we don't get a payout. We had less than 10% of the precipitation our closest insurance weather station had in June.
Our corn looks amazing considering, our cover crop looks really good, but our hay is pitiful. It takes about 15 minutes to roll up a bale at 7mph.
This is our cover crop on 3.5" of rain total... It is a mix of oats, forage wheat, fall rye, sweet clover, BMR84 corn, Forage Rape, Forage Brassica and Grazing Turnips.