Harvesting
Cutting
Each type of crop has a stage of maturity when it is at its highest potential for making quality hay. For example, some alfalfa is cut on a 28 day cycle, while others will allow the hay to grow a bit longer between cuttings. Knowing how to tell when your hay is ready to mow can make a difference in the end product that you feed. If you cut the hay past its peak maturity, it will start to lose its nutritional value.
Unfortunately, making hay is not all about planning, a little bit of luck comes into play because weather has such an important role in harvesting a great hay crop. Generally, you want to look for a window of two to three days without rain. This should allow enough time for you to cut the hay, let it dry down to the correct moisture, rake it and then bale it.
When rain falls on hay that has been cut and is lying in a field, there is a good chance that the overall nutritional value of the hay will be reduced, especially if the hay had already dried a bit. Since the hay was rained on, it will have to sit longer to dry. This means the crop will be vulnerable to the elements, such as the sun, which can reduce the nutritional value and alter the color of the hay.
