The summer I was 14 years old, my friend Ronny was age 15, we hauled hay. Neither of us had a drivers license. Ronny had an old truck with a wooden flat bed on it, It had no license tag, and no doors. We used a rope to keep the steering wheel straight when in the fields in granny low creeping along while we both tossed hay. Occasionally, one of us would have to make a steering correction. We’d drive on the back roads every morning to get to the hay fields. No seat belts. You had to hold on going around a curve. One day we were in a large field hauling square bales. Fifty-five bales per load. This farmer comes driving across the field in his pickup truck and tells us he will pay us double to come help him get his alfalfa bales into the hay shed before it rains. He told us he had cleared it with his neighbor, who we were working for. We got the alfalfa bales in the hay sheds. It never rained that day. The dark clouds lightened up and moved on. That alfalfa was a lot heavier bales than the hay in the other fields, which were probably considered trash hay. The next day, we were back in the field loading bales. At the end of that summer, Ronny turned 16, and got his drivers license. He sold the truck for $150 and purchased an old Chevy sedan. That was the end of our hay hauling days. Back then those alfalfa bales sold for $2.00 a bale at the co-op store. The regular grass hay sold for a $1.00 a bale. Ronny and I got two cents a bale to haul it to the sheds. Somebody was making good money, but it was not us.

The hay making processing is oddly satisfying to watch

Made hay for many years with my Dad. This was in the 1960’s and 70’s. We sold most of what we baled. 1st cutting hay that did not get wet was sold to dairy farmers for milk cows. Anything that got rained on even once went for heifer hay or we kept it for our own livestock. Thanks for sharing your experience.

If you want it to rain...cut hay...rain guaranteed

The secret to teddering hay is having the correct PTO RPM set, sometimes lower RPM is better. Also, if you tedder your hay after rain, the ground may still be wet, thus you may need to tedder a second time.

In central iowa we usually bale clover. As far as fertilizing, we just grew clover for about five years and then plow it and planted soybeans to get the nitrogen back in the soil...

It happens. Had some get rained on last weekend that we just baled up yesterday.

And that is why we never cut all the hay at the same time on our small Missouri farm. Regardless, with that particular Tedder/rake, perhaps change direction so it kicks the majority of the hay outward, where you have already tedded. The key is to get the hay up in the air where it will sit on the dryer stubble. I’m looking at the same question about field inputs. I’ll probably test and lime this fall. My renter who currently pastures and hays my place puts down a little fertilizer every spring. Not to test or anything, just what he thinks he can afford. When I hayed this farm 40 years ago, I fertilized to the soil test and had all kinds of hay and pasture. We square baled back then and my goal was always 100 square bales per acre, or with a 50# per bale assumption, about 2-1/2 tons of hay per acre. I made enough hay to feed my cow herd during the winter and sold the excess hay which paid for my fertilizer bill. Regardless, Brock, good luck on your hay making; I’m certain a lot of other new-to-the-land folks are watching and learning along with you.

For many years it was said that since records have been kept there has never been measurable rain in Salem, Oregon on July 11th. They don't say that about any other day. There's a name for farmers who have had their hay rained on. They call them "farmers".

It's not hard to improve a hay field. Takes time and repeated soil tests...and it's worth it. Your rake/tedder is WAY too small if you are haying 30acres. Get a conventional tedder and you'll be happy. Up here in New England we have to ted and we do it once or twice a day after cutting. Then we rake and bale.

Funny how I've never thought about what you're showing in this video, but after watching..... seems completely logical! wet hey needs to be dry! Great video Brock!

I put up 3-400 rolls per year of hay. A lot is what you have heard described as trash hay. That’s because the people calling it that are usually in the high input hay business. Lots of fertilizer and other amendments. It’s higher in protein and a few other nutrients as well as being “weed” free. Now my opinion is that my cattle eat the same varieties of forage that I roll for hay. They stay slick and fat all summer and in good condition through winter. Why do I need to spend a fortune on inputs that ultimately degrade the land base. I alternate as much as possible meaning I graze what was hayed last year and hay what was grazed. It keeps the nutrient cycle moving in a natural rhythm. Please don’t get sucked into the amendment toilet bowl. Test it for yourself but I doubt it will pencil out. Best of luck. Also most “weeds” are higher in protein than the best Bermuda fields.

I think you are correct in that you have to try different things to know how it really works. I’d think first priority is to eliminate weeds, especially any which are toxic to whatever you are feeding. Around here we have Johnson Grass which if killed by frost is toxic to cattle. Or if not frosted can contribute to bloat.

maybe use spreader and seed with a pasture mixture seed - maybe alafla, clover, timothy seed spread out and seed

tedders breaks the stems of hay to allow the moisture go out of plants- most of time we could bale within a day after teddering

It Might turn out , Brock . Spread it out , then rake and check it . If it is good bale it . Hope it is good hay . Seeya

yea use tedder to get hay up and dry out , if not tedder the rake bottom over and let dry out

Sounds like you have knowledgeable locals that will give you good advice. I know fertilizer cost has gone crazy the past few years, and also the price you have to pay for someone to bale your hay. In my area $35-$40 a bale and they don't like small fields. I know you're just making videos, but it will require some pencil whipping to see which direction to go with your fields. Our area has been in drought conditions for the past 6-7 years and top quality irrigated horse hay is bringing $130......on top of that, trucking hay into this area is running $4 a mile. I have a few cows and can tell you, I would hate to be trying to making a living raising cattle.

Bottom is wet, ted it out. If you only have a rake, you flip it. Wait flip it again, then bale once dry. You will lose a little hay, but as you noted, if you bale it wet, it will spoil and/or build heat from rotting and could become a fire hazard.

@anthonyg6924

23 күн бұрын

Agreed. And nothing will eat it either. Wet is wet, flip it and move on I say. Wet isn't dry, it needs to be dry.

When I was 20 we would rake it slowly to get the wet on top , then we would slowly Ted it with a different kind of Tedder ( old fashion kind, ) that we would drive over the rows and gently fluff it up to let the air get trough it and drive the wetness out , some times we would then bail or re rake and bail depended what it was doing . Play around with it , it's probably the best learning experience u could get right now . This is the biggest dilemma , well unless everything breaks while bailing lol . And cows / cattle will eat it as will goats , sometimes I'm amassed that mine like the shittest stuff . . I usually get a $40 bale 4x5 for $20 that was rained on here or free . I can always run a brush hog over it and leave on the field for the nutrents , u can let it sit and bail in a couple of days when it drys out on its own , . I'd bale it after playing around with it how ever u are going to decide or do dif senerios with each field and see what happens , is it worth doing this way or that way . Right now u are going to kinda loose monies on it but it's a learning experience I feel & that's cost effective down the road. Just have fun and don't worry . Cows will eat it , great job farmer , Todd

I saw the radar last night, was hoping you got it all baled. It's kinda like a bad haircut though, it'll grow back!

@RockhillfarmYT

22 күн бұрын

I normally post everything the day after I record it but right now I’m a few days ahead of my video releases and I mostly beat the rain

Never fails.

In my experience there are folks who bale grass hay as a side project to feed there own livestock and sell what they don't need. Then you have the folks who produce hay as a major part of their farm and they grow higher protein stuff like alfalfa.

Good morning 🌄🌅

Looking at the way your tedder throws I think it might be worth to try going clockwise. Then it won't throw on top of the untedded hay.

Try and explain my thoughts, but being in the nw usa/wet side of cascades, things are far different. Because of the rain having a Tedder is definitely something you "need" to have, for rain issues. Overnight dew/very few days over 90F, is a very real problem in a coastal environment. . we have a far different summer then most of the rest of the country, we get rain a lot, for mabe 9 months of the year. Then for 3 months we on average go full on bone dry. Where as all of the eastern and Central time zones can have major random rain all summer. . For us to get fertilizer at a competitive price involves putting near 200 miles on a auto to go get it. It's available locally from resellers, but obviously they are making $$$$ as well. . In Oregon..every state has its own laws on water. Legally we can water up to 1/2 acre of land up to 5,000 gallons every 24 hours. ((But the product cannot be sold)) or the animals consuming the product cannot be sold. . Any water being used for product being sold requires a water-right. This includes growing of hemp, and other things of that nature.

And then we have a big rain overnight! Welcome to the world of production agriculture where the things we have no control over make the biggest impact on how much and how good our product is. The up side is that the green grow back under your current hay crop is going to make some hay later too!

@RockhillfarmYT

23 күн бұрын

you know that generally my videos are posted the day after I record them Luckily, in this case, I am three days ahead on my videos. What that means is almost almost all of my Hay is already bailed before rain last night Always good to hear from you, Paul

@paulcasefarms9933

23 күн бұрын

@@RockhillfarmYT we finished almost 2 weeks ago but still are hauling in . I believe we baled about 700 rolls and no little square bales.👍😵‍💫

@RockhillfarmYT

23 күн бұрын

@@paulcasefarms9933 I have over 100 of the small round bales. And one field that is not bailed yet. I think I’m going to use that square baler on the last field.

@paulcasefarms9933

23 күн бұрын

@@RockhillfarmYT have you got any of them sold?

@RockhillfarmYT

23 күн бұрын

@paulcasefarms9933 I think Doss farm is going to take some, but probably not all of them

i think you are doing great you know more about it than most people watching your videos lol 😂 😂

did you switch how the rake levels the rakes

Darn the bad luck! Not sure if your videos are ahead of real time or not but I hope you missed the crazy rain we got here overnight…

@RockhillfarmYT

23 күн бұрын

Generally, everything I post is what happened the day before. Luckily, in this case I’m three days ahead. 80% of my property is bailed before that rain.

I rank up enough hay that i know i can get up , if i was u i would rank up the outside round in every field and get that baled up so the rest of the field will be easy to get rank up and u will have room to turn around at the end of the field

It looks kind of thin. Other than that I would put fertilizer on it. I'm from the south so I could be wrong about your area.

Pot ash on the field for us

It's for the cows now! Make some silage and get some bucks back. No horses will eat that anymore though.

Brock let the hay dry and then turn it

Morning

@Cowboy_Steve

23 күн бұрын

Howdy 🤠

@toddcaskey9984

23 күн бұрын

@@Cowboy_Steve Brock said get over their and rake some hay for him 🤪

@RockhillfarmYT

23 күн бұрын

Good morning sir. Sorry I’m late

@toddcaskey9984

22 күн бұрын

@@RockhillfarmYT you're forgiven no worries lol

I think they must have bumped there head on the price, it is way too expensive for all that it is

No big deal, flip it, let it dry and bale it. You'd go broke with them small fields to make it grade 1 hay. I don't believe there is really any thing as trash hay

Flip it, move on

@anthonyg6924

23 күн бұрын

Agreed.

Wet is wet, period. It needs to be dry. Flip it and move on.

Hay cutter non owner unfair to owner is regular