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Post by lakeportfarms on Jul 16, 2013 20:10:11 GMT -5
I know many of you will laugh at me, but this week of nearly 90 degree high temperatures and high humidity isn't much fun for us Northerners. Our first cutting of hay has just finished up, and we now have almost 300 4x5 round bales ready to go. So like a squirrel with his nuts collected, I can rest much easier and wait for the first snowflakes to fly
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Post by ssrdex on Jul 16, 2013 20:14:13 GMT -5
I'm envious Hans. I'm short 100 bales to get through and the prices bring a tear to my eye ;-). What a relief it is to have the hay put up & to know the herd will be well fed!
Joel
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Post by lakeportfarms on Jul 17, 2013 6:23:47 GMT -5
Ouch Joel, is that round bales?...we're swimming in hay around here, unlike last year. I sure wish it was easier to transport from area to area. It's a great year for us to pack away and I hope to have a extra winter's worth of hay stockpiled. It's a lot of money stacked up and not doing anything, but the peace of mind feels good.
I imagine a lot of you in hotter dry areas do their hay feeding in the summer months, and fall, some of the winter, and early spring are the grazing seasons. Since I have so much right now, I decided to put them in a sacrifice area with hay for the week since it's so hot and our cool season grass just quit. I have plenty of grass, but I don't want to damage the pasture. It's supposed to drop to 70 for high temps on Saturday.
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Post by ssrdex on Jul 17, 2013 8:25:46 GMT -5
I wish I had enough cattle to need 100 round bales...one of these days Hans. I know of one guy around here that likes to put up round bales but everyone else does the small bales-100-115#. They go anywhere from $4 each for basically dried up pasture weeds to $22 each for premium horse hay. As far as feeding, being non-irrigated gets me about a 2 month reprieve in the spring...& I'll take it. I know there are those that don't even get that. Having an extra winters worth of hay put up is right where you want to be, yea?
Joel
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Post by rezzfullacres on Jul 21, 2013 20:21:24 GMT -5
I know many of you will laugh at me, but this week of nearly 90 degree high temperatures and high humidity isn't much fun for us Northerners. Our first cutting of hay has just finished up, and we now have almost 300 4x5 round bales ready to go. So like a squirrel with his nuts collected, I can rest much easier and wait for the first snowflakes to fly Feels really good doesn't it.......We have enough from our first cutting to make it through the winter, unless it is super extreme but the way it looks we will get a very good second cutting.......
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Post by dexterfarm on Jul 22, 2013 13:21:57 GMT -5
We had a good first cutting and then the rain stopped. until last night we have not had any rain in a month. Got .2 last night so that will not go far. Getting redy to start second cutting and it will be disapointing but If I dont cut it what is there is just going to burn up.
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Post by lakeportfarms on Jul 22, 2013 18:14:33 GMT -5
Yes, it feels great Rezz...last year I was sweating on the hay, I even used the 100 or so bales I had stockpiled from the prior mild winter. Fed my last round bale on May 12 this year, and they went on pasture May 15th which was a bit early, but fortunately it's been a good year for pasture.
Sheri, we feed hay nearly 6 months of the year. I've thought about cutting our numbers and stockpiling grass for the fall and early winter, but many times by December the snow gets really deep. And it's just too wet and muddy with the deep frost coming out of the ground through April to even think about getting them on the pasture, they'd absolutely destroy it. So they go in sacrifice areas (our summer garden)until things firm up and the grass gets a good start. But I like the snow and cold, and going out to check on them on the snowmobile.
I hope you get a little rain Mike. I'm surprised you're anywhere near a second cutting there, if there isn't much to bale I'd consider waiting for the rain to arrive and cut it later in the summer.
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