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One thing that every grain grower knows is that once the grain is harvested there is another crop to be gathered. This year, it is proving difficult to get this currently high-value product collected from the field, with weeks of intermittent rainy weather and no more than two days in a row dry.
Straw that has been sitting in wet conditions deteriorates and will bale up with a far lower yield than would have been originally in the field. Straw is very scarce at the minute and all attempts are being made to get what is on the ground baled up and available to the market. The one thing to keep in mind is that dry straw with bad colour is a more saleable and usable commodity than better coloured straw that is too high in moisture.
Having the right gear makes the job easier and quicker but if the weather is on your side it can be done with a simple hay bob and nothing else. There are few key steps to bear in mind when getting the crop wrapped up.
1 Patience:
The most important thing when it comes to getting straw baled is waiting for the weather to help you out. The less moving of the straw that you can do, the more of that precious yield you will have left.
Straw that is baled dry is worth waiting for as if it is baled too soon the moisture will not allow the bales to be stored for any length of time and the end user will not appreciate the lumps and dust.
2 Move it on to dry ground:
This is the first plan of attack as soon as the ground around the rows dries up. It should be done using a single rotor rake, which will transfer the full row on to dry ground and allow the previously covered ground to dry out. Depending on how long the straw has been down, there may be regrowth coming up through the row. If this is the case, then something like a wuffler should be used to lift the straw up out of the green material before the straw is moved sideways, stopping the green material from becoming an issue.
3 Spread it out:
Once the previously covered ground has dried out, the straw can be spread out using a tedder. At this time of year with the shorter days, the sooner that this can be done after any dampness has left the surface of the straw, the better. The better spread that you can get on the straw the sooner it will be ready to bale.
Considering the condition of some of the straw currently on the ground it may be necessary to repeat this to get the straw ready to bale. If the weather plays ball, one good tedding should do the job.
4 Row it up:
This can be done using a single rotor rake once the straw is ready to bale. Care should be taken to keep all rakes and tedders up from the ground to reduce the risk of contaminating the straw with clay or stones, neither of which are helpful to the end user.
5 Bale it up:
Tou should do this once the straw is dry enough to bale, whether this is judged the old-fashioned way by touch and feel, or using a moisture meter. If a meter is being used, moisture levels in the mid-teens are acceptable for big square bales and up to 18 or 19 if you are using a round baler.
Whether you are the end user of your own straw or you plan to sell it on to the open market it is of the utmost importance that the moisture is low enough for it to be stored until it is needed to either bed or feed animals this winter. Getting all the straw in the country baled up will be a challenge but if the weather plays ball for a week or more, it will happen.
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