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When preparing to bale hay, the transition from freshly cut, high-moisture grasses and legumes to dry forage is known as curing. This process takes on average 3 days—in good weather. While some of the factors involved in the curing process like weather can be out of your control, there are many steps you can take to ensure properly cured, high quality hay while even reducing drying time. The first step to speeding up curing time begins with mowing. Since sunshine is a hay producer’s best fr …

There can be much debate about which cutting of hay is best for which species of animal. Unfortunately, there is no way to win that debate. The issue is far too complex. First off, there is just as much variance within a species for which cutting of hay is best as there is between species. Second, as discussed in a previous  blog, there can be more variance in the quality within a cutting of hay than between cuttings. However, we can provide some general guidelines to keep in mind. Wo …

Windows for perfect hay baling conditions can be few and far between especially in the fickleness of late spring. For this reason, it is best to begin preparing for the hay season at least a month before that first cutting is due. In this blog we’ll discuss the steps to be taken to ensure your equipment, fields, and barns are ready when the hay-making stars align. Technically, the brunt of the spring baling prep should have been done in the fall. If you heeded the advice of our past blogs, …

In a previous  blog, we discussed when to cut hay. In this blog, we will provide an overview of a season’s different hay cuttings. Typically, first cuttings of a hay season can be achieved around May 15th in the southern regions of the US and May 25th to the north. The climate of a location will determine the number of cuttings that can be achieved each year. Northern areas of the US might only get 2 cuttings per season while southern areas might get 4 or more. In very general terms, …

The month of January may seem like a strange time to discuss the best time to cut hay, but why not use the slow winter months to prepare for a great baling season? Once the grass starts growing, you’ll need to be ready to spring into action! A haying season is divided up by its cuttings. In the northern regions of the US and Canada where the summer season is shorter, farmers aim for 2 cuttings a season. The middle regions aim for 3 while the southern regions might manage 4 or more in a good yea …