Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Bad year for the hay growers here

It's been the most cloudy rainy summer I've been in NW MT this year. It won't stop raining long enough to get the hay crop off. My neighbor said they are 50% average yield this year on the little he did take off and it's crap quality with some rust. A few ranchers I know are already trying to source more winter hay because it's going to be such a bad year.

It's July 18 and I haven't watered my lawn once. A normal year I'm watering by Early/mid June. And it's currently raining again. I hope the guys east of the divide are in better shape or there's going to be a lot of cow in this falls auctions.

All the rye grass and clover fields around our place were cut a couple weeks ago. Hasn't been sunny since and has rained or sprinkled every day. Very little has been baled. Looks like they keep turning it.

Gonna be some cheap beef this fall? I cut up and grind my own deer, I wonder how much harder it would be to butcher a cow?

It's not too much harder. Just make sure you shoot one of your neighbor's calves instead of a full-grown steer or cow. Damn sure don't shoot his bull-too tough. If you have to get in and out of the pasture quickly, especially at night, make sure your chainsaw is running good and has a sharp chain.

It’s been good here in southeast Texas. Three cuttings, maybe 4.

Bull makes some good burger ... really some of the best. I've been eating burger from a friends bull that had a jaw problem for months now, I like it better than steer burger. Everyone else seems to think so too because he has waiting list now for the next bull to kick over.

Any idiot knows that the weather can change.

No sympathy.

In this part of the Midwest we lost nearly the entire month of May for haying.. Normally, first crop's cut between 5/13-5/23.. Not this year - first crop was cut 5/30.. And this last winter caused severe winter kill on many farms.. One guy north of me had to order 400 BAGS of alfalfa seed to replace what he lost.. The farm I work for part-time only lost 170A out of about 700 - so he was a bit lucky.. Even so, first crop barely made 50% of normal.. Second was better. Third crop will be cut in 9 days - IF it stops raining.. I've had 3.5" here in the last 5 days.. But at least they're getting enough feed - thanks to a bumper crop last year allowing some in reserve for this year..

The good thing about this rain is it's fanTASTIC for the corn crops.. Even getting 'em in as late as it was this year, that crop seems to gain 6" a day.. If it all holds together it could be a very, very good year for the corn..

The 1st cutting here was late but it's been pretty good weather since Memorial Day, although not as hot as usual. They might not get a 4th cutting this year, though.

And use vegetable oil for the bar lube.....I heard.

I think there is a "You might be a redneck if you use vegetable oil on you chain saw bar" illustrations right there

Dewalt 20v sawzall with rough wood blade is the quiet option ... hint ...

EthanEdwards I always heard if you can clamp a hose on your chainsaws exhaust and submerge the opposite end in a bucket of water you have a silenced chainsaw .

I prefer a Milwaukee. If you're gonna do a whole steer, make sure you've charged the battery all of the way.

Bad year? What the Hay!!!

Up in this corner of the world, farmers are just getting finished with the first cutting due to wet, wet spring, Some farmers dug up their fields pretty seriously due to soft ground.. Last year, that's all they got, 1 cutting. Most are a little paranoid about a 2nd cutting as we're continuing to to get regular rain storms.

This/\/\/\/\. Works VERY well. Sharp knife and a sawzall, all ya need.

And be careful. A guy got killed mowing ditches the other day.

We are about a month late with 1st cutting alfalfa and maybe a couple weeks late on our hay barley.

Late spring and we have had record moisture the last 4 weeks.

It has been amazing to watch the country side stay green this far into July. It's literally like May in July...



Just crawled out of the swather, no rain in the forecast and pending a break down I'm gonna knock a BUNCH of stuff down in the next 5-6 days.


The barley is so thick and green in places I'm only taking a partial swath in hopes that it will dry out faster. You can see where the really heavy stuff lodged...

Uber potential for great feed if the weather cooperates!






This was a couple evenings ago.

Good luck with it Sam. That barley looks great.