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deerfever

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I am out this morning on my place doing some work and a couple of tractors just pulled in to cut on the farm across from me. I know it has to be done but for those of you who cut hay does it not seem earlier than what most folks used to do or is this about right on time? I realize you got to do what you got to do, I just don't really remember it being this early years ago? Am I just imagining this? Of course I was always just the one throwing the square bales so then again what would I know. I hope any hens that are involved make a run for it.
 
Jcalder said:
It's not early to be cutting hay
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Roger that! . I just couldn't remember. I guess it all depends on the weather also as it's been so wet for it to grow and now it's dry and perfect for cutting. The weather probably delays it some years just a little .
 
Most fescue hay has a short window of time for it to be cut to yield optimum quality and yield. Preferably just prior to seed heads maturing. Earlier than that and yield is less, later than that and it becomes to 'stemmy' and less palatable and nutritious. In middle TN, mid May is usually optimum time. Most hens are starting their 2nd week of setting by then, so they are willing to abandon their nests. When you cut into June, hens are entering the 4th week of incubation, and usually won't leave the nest (and get chopped up with the hay).

It would be wonderful for turkeys if hay could be cut after 3rd week of June, but quality of hay would suffer too much, plus it would be impossible to get 3 cuttings during the cooler and wetter summers.

Bottom line, hay practices have not changed since the reintroduction of turkeys. It really hurts to chop up a nest, but cannot be blamed for the decline in populations.
 
Historically, weather permitting, we always cut hay memorial day weekend... mainly because we had an extra day off work and normally the hay is ready....so for us this past week is a little early....but so many are cutting hay now because the forecast is absolutely perfect with high temps and little to no chance of rain.
 
megalomaniac said:
Most fescue hay has a short window of time for it to be cut to yield optimum quality and yield. Preferably just prior to seed heads maturing. Earlier than that and yield is less, later than that and it becomes to 'stemmy' and less palatable and nutritious. In middle TN, mid May is usually optimum time. Most hens are starting their 2nd week of setting by then, so they are willing to abandon their nests. When you cut into June, hens are entering the 4th week of incubation, and usually won't leave the nest (and get chopped up with the hay).

It would be wonderful for turkeys if hay could be cut after 3rd week of June, but quality of hay would suffer too much, plus it would be impossible to get 3 cuttings during the cooler and wetter summers.

Bottom line, hay practices have not changed since the reintroduction of turkeys. It really hurts to chop up a nest, but cannot be blamed for the decline in populations.
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Thanks for the information! Like I said I am in no way blaming farmers for anything. They have to cut when the time is right . Again the weather is perfect, I just didn't remember ever seeing them this early and couldn't remember. That is good to know that the hens will get out of dodge . There is another guy that I will not see until later in June, my father n law grew up on a farm and he always says" he is letting that hay ruin" lol. So I know what you are talking about with the quality of the hay. ! All I remember is picking up those bales of hay, being hot and if the farmer offered you a bolgana sandwich you had hit the jackpot!
 
megalomaniac said:
Most hens are starting their 2nd week of setting by then, so they are willing to abandon their nests. When you cut into June, hens are entering the 4th week of incubation, and usually won't leave the nest (and get chopped up with the hay).

It would be wonderful for turkeys if hay could be cut after 3rd week of June, but quality of hay would suffer too much, plus it would be impossible to get 3 cuttings during the cooler and wetter summers.

Bottom line, hay practices have not changed since the reintroduction of turkeys. It really hurts to chop up a nest, but cannot be blamed for the decline in populations.
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I've made sure there is an abundance of great nesting cover around all my hay fields.

My thinking may be off here, but I don't seem to have many turkeys nesting in the hay fields. You think this is making a big difference or just very little difference? My thinking is that in many situations, the turkeys are nesting a lot in the hay fields because that can be about the only nesting cover they have in the general area?

But, heck, right now, don't have many turkeys at all, so maybe not enough observational data for me to even comment.
 
TheLBLman said:
I've made sure there is an abundance of great nesting cover around all my hay fields.

My thinking may be off here, but I don't seem to have many turkeys nesting in the hay fields. You think this is making a big difference or just very little difference? My thinking is that in many situations, the turkeys are nesting a lot in the hay fields because that can be about the only nesting cover they have in the general area?

But, heck, right now, don't have many turkeys at all, so maybe not enough observational data for me to even comment.
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Turkey preference for hay fields seems to vary from year to year based on how much early growth of the fescue there is at nest initiation time mid April. Very warm early springs leads to earlier growth of the fescue, thereby attracting more hens. Cold cloudy springs retard fescue growth in March and early April tending to cause the hens to seek other places to nest.

Last year was the perfect storm for us on one farm... warm early leading to hayfields becoming attractive to hens to nest, then very wet May keeping us from cutting hay until mid June. 9 nests chopped up, and even worse, 7 hens themselves got chopped up.

This year was not bad, only lost 1 nest, and the hen bailed off and wasn't injured since she was early enough in the incubation process.

All my hayfields are surrounded by timber mixed with early succession younger growth. There is good nesting habitat, a water source, and brood rearing cover within 500 yards of any point on my farms. But the birds some years still prefer to nest right in the middle of the hayfields.
 
megalomaniac said:
All my hayfields are surrounded by timber mixed with early succession younger growth. There is good nesting habitat, a water source, and brood rearing cover within 500 yards of any point on my farms. But the birds some years still prefer to nest right in the middle of the hayfields.
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I'm trying to do similar, including leaving a significant buffer that is both non-native hay grasses & native grasses, before another buffer of early succession younger growth (mostly blackberry briars, greenbriar, and some rose bushes), then (typically) more mature hardwoods or pines.

Despite what appears better to me, I sometimes discover a nest right out in the more mature hardwoods.
Go figure.
 
I cut hay Thursday, which is about a week earlier than normal. The fescue did seem a little ahead of schedule.

Luckily, no nest were destroyed either.

*Keep in mind, we have a hot dry spell right now so rain is not a factor, which is a huge deal when trying to get hay up.
 
Neither my farms nor my parents have been cut yet, but its about time. Its more about long windows of dry weather, which we dont always get. Usually i was hauling hay during exams, which was about May 15-20th
 
I have always done it around Memorial Day. When the weather permits the week before, week of or week after.
 
megalomaniac said:
Most fescue hay has a short window of time for it to be cut to yield optimum quality and yield. Preferably just prior to seed heads maturing. Earlier than that and yield is less, later than that and it becomes to 'stemmy' and less palatable and nutritious. In middle TN, mid May is usually optimum time. Most hens are starting their 2nd week of setting by then, so they are willing to abandon their nests. When you cut into June, hens are entering the 4th week of incubation, and usually won't leave the nest (and get chopped up with the hay).

It would be wonderful for turkeys if hay could be cut after 3rd week of June, but quality of hay would suffer too much, plus it would be impossible to get 3 cuttings during the cooler and wetter summers.

Bottom line, hay practices have not changed since the reintroduction of turkeys. It really hurts to chop up a nest, but cannot be blamed for the decline in populations.
Click to expand...
Very well said
 
Do groups of hens typically nest at the same time? I ran over a hen with bush hog 3 weeks ago so I stopped. She had to be nested for several weeks after seeing the inside of an egg. Kind of curious when it would be safe to finish mowing.
 

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