Most farms and smallholdings with livestock will always have a need for hay. It is by far more preferable to have on hand than straw, which has less nutrition for animals. Hay is typically comprised of grasses (ryegrass and other kinds), leguminous matter, clover and even green oats and barley – if you can get them.

Hay is ideally harvested with lots of leaf matter and under-ripe seed heads adding to protein content.  Cut grass can become, hay, silage or haylage. Hay is a necessity on any farm or smallholding and has numerous uses.

If you have good quality pasture, paddock or meadowland, the substrate for making hay is all around you. Grass comes into its own and is at its most nutritious in mid to late June.

From that point in the season farmers carefully scrutinize the weather forecasts to find the ideal run of clear dry weather which is essential for drying.

Weather is the single biggest factor affecting the success of haymaking, it is vital to have optimal weather to ensure that your cut grass will dry. You will need around 5 days to ensure that the moisture in the grass is reduced. Cutting, spreading, turning, lining up in rows and baling up.

This year did proved to be a difficult year – we were cutting silage, this is wilted grass with little drying.

The silage was cut – Richard spread, turned and lined it all up ready to bale……..and then the baler failed!!  (even though he spent a good number of hours greasing it up and getting the machinery ready……..you still can’t foresee every little gremlin that is sent to try you!!) 

Then the rain arrived.  We missed our window of opportunity, and then had to wait another week, before we started the whole process again, drying out the wet grass, which we then had to turn into haylage.

Clearly, when making winter fodder is best made when the sun shines!!