Cutting the hayfield crop

Friday I cut the barley, oat, and pea crop planted this Spring.  The barley was heading out, the oats was getting seeds and some peas had flowers.

To keep the nitrogen level down in the cut crop, a guy at CHS recommended cutting the crop at noon before the photosynthesis during the day raised the nitrogen level.  I started cutting a little after 10 am once the dew was dry.

I had to get my tractor and haybine from the NE pasture to the hayfield.  That meant passing through the north pasture where the cattle were.  All the cattle but two cows had gone into the corral.  The two cows were far enough away and the cattle usually don't rush an open gate.  Big Red was one of the cows.  Once I drove the tractor and haybine through the gate she ran for the open gate and squeezed behind the haybine and through the gate and got into the NE pasture before I could stop her.

*sigh*

She wouldn't hurt anything in the NE pasture but of course the cattle would notice her there and then make a ruckus.  I locked all the other cattle into the corral and then herded Red back into the north pasture and then reopened the corral.  Then I could start cutting hay.

At the end of the day when I was done cutting the field I was able to get the tractor and haybine into the north pasture.  But when I parked outside the NE pasture gate too many cattle were nearby and most had an eye on me.  So I waited a while until they lost interest after checking the tractor and haybine out, and wandered off.  Then I was able to get the tractor and haybine into the NE pasture.

For some reason I thought I would get the field cut in five hours or so.  It took me almost 8 hours.  The crop was so tall and thick I had to cut while driving in a lower and slower gear than I usually do.  So while I started cutting when the plant's nitrogen level was lower, I am sure it was higher by the time I quit just before 6 pm.

The temperature was in the 90s this afternoon.  When I ended the first windows were already starting to dry.  As thick as the windrows are they probably will take longer to dry.

The weather forecast was for hot and dry over the next week.  But.... late afternoon I watched blue clouds form to the south/SW and coming my way.

Really?      Really?!!! 

Since I was cutting my hay the weather forecast changed to now include a chance of isolated thunderstorms.  While normally in the Summer the rain goes around me, this time I got a few raindrops.  Thankfully the drops were few.  I also saw a lightning bolt in the distance and heard thunder nearby.  But I avoided a serious rain.

I had to be careful when going around the S curve near the house.  The windrows were so thick that if I swung out a little too far on some S curves my haybine's hitch would catch and drag the previous windrow.  The windrow was heavy to pull out from under the hitch even after I backed up the haybine a little bit.

The first cut along the fence is in the opposite direction so the haybine is along the fence.  Now when I am going in the "right" direction you can see the tracks from the tractor when I was driving the other way.  The haybine did a pretty good job in picking up the smashed flat crops.

Late in the afternoon a flock of geese ran across the cut field.  I doubt they were hiding in the tall grass.  I think they flew in while I was at the far end of the field.

No geese or other animals were harmed in cutting of this field.

Here is a 21 second video of my New Holland 488 haybine cutting my crop:  https://youtu.be/JxCtVhO_4t4