Ist time growers

I spend some time on AGTALK, and learn a lot on there and share a little to pay back for what I get . You here tons more bull that on HT , but got to put up with it to get the good stuff. With row crops cheap and weather woes for 2 years … Never heard that much interest  and I mean every 3 hours another post on how to plant alfalfa. Guys putting small boxes BIG Drills really gearing up ! I guess ?? Wonder if it is true  or not  

Ist time growers

MPG

have you been able to get a feel on the fuel usage in different uses? the inet says 34 mpg but i know using it on the farm will make a large variation most likely???

MPG

R450 vs 4995 windrower

Currently I have a 4995 windrower and looking to upgrade...the 2 main reasons I want to get rid of this 4995 is the road speed is only 12mph and the cab is super loud. I've found a couple r450's I'm interested, they go 22mph, But wanted to ask is the cab a lot quieter? Thanks in advance!

R450 vs 4995 windrower

Bh77 backhoe problems

So the backhoe has been acting up after we blew a hose and replaced
It. First the swing wouldn’t go left so I pulled the relief valve and cleaned put it back in and it worked for a minute then stopped working again. Tried again and then the slick quit working. Pulled valves cleaned put back and it worked for a day. Then tried the next day and intermittently the slick swing and boom would quit working. So I pulled the entire valve body out of the tractor split the valve open cleaned it all out thinking there was some crap in there replaced all the o rings put it all back together and still the same problems. Only the functions with reliefs are acting up. When one function stops working if I loosen the corresponding relief valve not to the point that it would leak but just barely loosen it the function will work again tighten it back down and it works for a bit then stops again. This works for all functions with reliefs when they quit working. It’s plausible that the reliefs are bad but all of them going at once is not probable. The tractor has less than 500hrs on it and the hoe has been attached to the tractor sense new. Any ideas???

Bh77 backhoe problems

Hay wagon floor - paint, oil or ?

Just picked up my first haywagon. It has a wood floor, boards 3/4 thick perhaps. One missing. Not pressure treated. I'll have to store it outside.

I'd like to treat the floor with something to prolong it's life.  I don't want to make it slippery or have it affect the hay (for horses) when I start using it.

One guy tells me he sprays his with used motor oil. I spilled some veggie oil in the paved driveway and water beaded on it for 2 years. Better half says tounge oil or mineral oil. Or perhaps thompson's water seal. Good old porch and floor paint perhaps?

What do you use, how's it work?

Hay wagon floor - paint, oil or ?

BIG

https://www.wweek.com/news/2020/01/02/department-of-agriculture-declares-environmental-cleanup-of-eastern-oregon-mega-dairy-site-complete/

BIG

2019 Year End Hay Observations, Lessons Learned and Changes

We had a great year in 2019, in spite of the early rain and later drought. I felt about half of our timothy had been invaded enough by orchard grass and fescue that I sold it as Timothy mixed grass, the rest - straight timothy.

With the drought, hardly any second cut yield.

The shortage of hay really showed me a lot of different customers and their REAL needs in hay. Most could give not a rat’s arse about hay verity (these are horse customers) - but wanted green, clean hay at the lowest price and preferably second cutting. Most could care less about forage analysis. However, we have a core of repeat customers that don’t mind paying for straight timothy - forage tested.

The joke around the barn were customer’s words, “I’ll take all you’ve got” which always translated to BS and no hay sale.

It was amazing how many customers bought our hay because that’s all they could find vs buying quality hay as the motive for spending money with us.

2020 will be another interesting year. We will have more timothy mixed grass and at the end if the season have a decision to make. Refurb completely some of our fields back into straight timothy or go all clean mixed grass hay.

As long as the core customers want and will pay the cost to grow forage tested timothy, we will continue that hay need beyond 2020. We’re going to plant some Teff this spring too, beyond that - it will be interesting to see if we have a hay shortage or glut in our area and the overall customer reaction to it.

Hope everyone has a great 2020 haying season!

Bill

2019 Year End Hay Observations, Lessons Learned and Changes