First cutting of our alfalfa is just around the corner...next week...there are just a few blooms out. Too many blooms means it's past its prime for dairy quality hay (high in protein and other valuable nutrients and food value) for the best production of milk. Ten percent bloom is about right...hopefully the weather will cooperate!
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| Alfalfa bloom...almost time to mow the field! |
Last year, we only ran our wheel lines 5 days before 1st cutting...it was a very wet spring. This year, it's been pretty dry, and we've had to water quite a bit. We got a really good soaking at the beginning of this week, and the blooms are coming on. Mother Nature always does a better job at irrigating than man!!
So it's time to quit watering and let the ground dry out enough to get the equipment across the field.
I'm anxious to see the bales on the field and then stacked up in the stack yard...waiting for the truck to haul them to the dairy. The cycle goes on...
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| Red, head of Quality Control, inspects the field...he's givin' it two paws up! |
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Wow! Great blog ~ Love your post and photos ~ especially your dog ~ am big animal and nature lover ~ Your world is so different from mine near the ocean ~ do have a few horse farms inland ~ but love hearing about your live ~ thanks, (A Creative Harbor)
ReplyDeleteHaying is going to get hurt in the Willamette Valley as we got heavy rains right when we shouldn't have. I've seen some clover cuttings that will only now work for silage if that. Haying is a tough business on a lot of levels.
ReplyDeleteI never knew alfalfa had such pretty blooms!
ReplyDeleteHere's hoping you get good sunny weather at the right time to get your crops up.
ReplyDeleteIt's been dry here, too, & I can't help but worry what'll happen... We may have to get hay from someplace else like Texas did last year... COME ON RAIN!!! =)
ReplyDeleteha, love that guy in charge of quality control! cute!
ReplyDeleteLove the photo of Red in the field!
ReplyDeleteYou have a great looking blog I love when we get to see what other creative people do with their space.
ReplyDeleteWe are waiting to start haying too. It has rained everyday here and the hay is getting very high. Our cows are enjoying the abundant pasture though.
Happy haying. B
We are haying right now also! Hope the weather holds!
ReplyDeleteLinda
http://coloradofarmlife.wordpress.com
Great pictures you show - flowers and especially your lovely dog. I love dogs. Wishing you a good day. Hanne Bente / hbt.finus.dk
ReplyDeleteOh yah, if we can get the rain to stop long enough hopefully we will be able to get the first cutting off before the end of July ;) Your fields look great!
ReplyDeleteBeautiful field of alfalfa, I always love the blooms too! I did not know that about too many blooms means it's past it's prime. I always look for blooms in the alfalfa hay for my dairy goats and now I've learned something important! :)
ReplyDeleteWe get a few volunteer alfalfa sprouts around the farm -- they are so pretty! I hope you have a fine harvest! :) Thank you for sharing at RT this week. xoxo
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