From Field to Bale The Complete Hay Cutting Handbook

It's best to cut grass pastures from the boot stage to the early head stage for the first cut, and then 4 to 6 weeks afterward. The late boot level might best ... Second or third cutting is usually best. There's a few reasons. Everything grows fast in late spring/early summer, and it's wet, raining every ... It is fine to harvest through the first week of September, and we recommend harvesting at least six weeks before the killing frost. As plants mature, their lignin content (a component of fiber) increases and traps the nutrients within indigestable cell walls. Although cutting hay early will ... The cutting decision for 'all grass' and grass-dominant mixed hay should be based on the feed quality needs. Grass is considered higher in fiber ... 1st cutting is the first hay cut from that field for the year. It tends to be more coarse and have more grasses in it. 2nd cutting is usually greener in color ... That's because in that region of the country, it is best to cut hay between dusk and about midnight in order maximize sugar content. So, why is there a ... 3rd Cut Timothy Hay Is Similar To Second Cut But Is Even Softer. It Is An Extremely Leafy And Tender Hay. Harvested late in the season, it may have a few yellow ... The first cut of hay is usually in the late spring or early summer. The grass will continue to grow after the first cutting. It uses sugars and starches to fuel ... Hay season 2024 is officially here. We started out cutting our biggest field. Last year we drilled it with Marshall Rye Grass and fertilized ...