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What is the difference between tedding and raking hay?
In order to speed the drying time of the hay, tedding is generally done the second day after the hay has been mowed or after a heavy rainfall. Raking, however, is not done until the hay has less than 35 percent to 45 percent moisture content. Raking is usually done right before baling.
Is tedding hay worth it?
Simply put, tedding is the function of lifting and separating hay in order to hasten dry down time. Why is this important? According to Josh Vrieze, Vermeer Corporation Product Manager, speeding dry down saves time, gives hay producers greater flexibility and can result in higher quality forage.
What is Tedding in hay making?
What is tedding? Simply put, tedding lifts and separates hay in order to hasten dry-down time. Speeding dry-down saves time, gives hay producers greater flexibility and can result in higher quality forage, according to Josh Vrieze, Vermeer Corporation product manager.
Why do you tedder hay?
A tedder (also called hay tedder) is a machine used in haymaking. It is used after cutting and before windrowing, and uses moving forks to aerate or “wuffle” the hay and thus speed up the process of hay-making. The use of a tedder allows the hay to dry (“cure”) better, which results in improved aroma and color.
Which hay rake is best?
Models like the Vermeer R2800 twin rake are consequently better able to handle wetter, heavier forage crops in addition to performing well in dry hay. Because teeth don’t come into contact with the ground, parallel bar rakes offer an overall durability and ease of maintenance similar to wheel rakes.
Why is it called a Tedder?
A horse-drawn implement for fluffing hay after it was cut, and primarily after windrowing. It was intended to stir up and turn over extra heavy hay to help the part near the ground to dry, or to help the drying of cut grass that had been dampened by an unexpected rain.
Are hay Tedders necessary?
Tedders are intended to be used on crops while they are still higher in moisture and pliable. A crop that is overly dry should not be tedded due to loss of leaf material. So, for most farmers, a tedder is a needed implement.
Why is it called Tedding?
To strew or spread (newly mown grass, for example) for drying. [Middle English tedden, ultimately (perhaps via Old English *teddan) akin to Old Norse teðja, to manure, and Old High German zetten, to spread, scatter, both from Germanic *tadjan; see dā- in Indo-European roots.]
When can I Tedder hay after mowing?
Initial tedding should be performed after a brief wilting period following a morning cutting while the hay is still moist (two to four hours). In very damp conditions, tedding may need to be done immediately after cutting. A second pass is usually done the next day, and the hay is raked and baled that afternoon.
What size hay rake do I need?
If you want to rake two swaths on one the basic math would be to take your mower width (18 ft) + swath width (6 ft) + some wiggle room ( 2-3 ft) = about 27 ft, so 30 should work. We run a 14 ft mower, drop a 7 ft swath, and rake with a 23 ft rake.
What are the different types of hay rakes?
“The four most prominent styles of hay rakes are wheel rakes, parallel bar (rollabar) rakes, rotary rakes, and belt rakes. Let’s look at each of these.” These rakes are built for speed and productivity when handling dry hay. Wheel rakes are simple machines that require minimal adjustments for proper operation.