Hay Field Operations Guide

Hay Raking Techniques: Windrow Width, Speed, and Moisture Targets

Raking is the most underestimated quality event in the hay making process. Done correctly at the right moisture with the right rake speed, it is a transparent step that simply consolidates the crop without quality loss. Done incorrectly — too dry, too fast, or at the wrong rake wheel angle — it can knock 15–25 points off the RFV of your best cutting before the baler ever sees the windrow. This guide covers the specific techniques, not the general principles.

What Raking Must Accomplish — and What It Must Not Do

The rake serves two purposes in the hay making system: it consolidates the dried swath into a windrow of the correct width and density for the baler, and — in damp conditions or for crops that dried unevenly — it can accelerate drying by fluffing and turning the partially dry swath. Both purposes are legitimate and valuable. The risk is when the speed, moisture condition, or rake type produces leaf shatter — the physical separation of dried leaves from stems due to mechanical impact.

Leaf shatter is the most consequential quality loss in the raking operation. In alfalfa, the leaf fraction contains approximately 65–70% of the plant’s total protein and a disproportionate share of digestible energy — it is the highest-quality part of the hay. When leaves are knocked off by the rake at low moisture, they are lost permanently: they either blow away or break into pieces too small for the baler pickup to collect. A raking pass that causes 10% leaf shatter on an alfalfa crop with 22% CP could reduce the delivered CP of the baled hay to 19–20% — a difference that crosses a market quality grade threshold on many elevator specification sheets.

Moisture Targets for Raking: The Numbers That Protect Quality

finger wheel hay rake in alfalfa field application — raking at the correct moisture target prevents leaf shatter that reduces RFV and crude protein in the finished hay

The moisture at which you rake determines both the quality loss risk and the functional purpose the raking achieves. There is no universal “correct” raking moisture — the right target depends on why you are raking and what crop you are raking.

Crop / raking purpose Rake at this moisture Why this range Leaf shatter risk
Alfalfa — premium dairy / export 20–25% Leaves are still pliable; rake tine contact causes flexing rather than shattering. Adequate moisture remains for safe outdoor baling after an additional 2–4 hours of drying. Low (2–4%)
Alfalfa — beef / on-farm hay 18–22% Slightly drier target acceptable when quality standards are less strict; still avoids the brittle-leaf zone below 15%. Low–moderate (3–7%)
Grass hay (orchardgrass, fescue) 18–24% Grass hay has more flexible leaves than alfalfa and tolerates a slightly wider moisture range for raking without significant quality loss. Low (2–5%)
Raking for faster drying (tedder function) 30–50% At this moisture, leaves are fully pliable and will not shatter under any normal rake speed. Raking at high moisture is a drying accelerant, not a windrow-forming step. Very low (0–2%)
Any crop — danger zone <14% At below 14% moisture, alfalfa leaves are brittle — tine contact causes immediate shattering. Quality loss from a single rake pass at this moisture can exceed 20% of leaf mass. High–severe (10–25%)

The practical rule: if the stems feel dry but the leaves still feel slightly cool and flexible, you are in the safe raking window. If the leaves crinkle or crumble when you rub them between your fingers, the hay is too dry to rake without significant quality loss. At that point, either bale without raking or wait for morning humidity to restore sufficient leaf pliability (typically 18–22% in the early morning).

Rake Speed: The Variable Most Operators Set Too High

Ground speed during raking is the variable most directly under the operator’s control that determines leaf shatter rate — and most operators run their rake 20–40% faster than optimal. The relationship between speed and leaf shatter is not linear: doubling the raking speed approximately quadruples the leaf impact force from the rake tines, because impact force scales with the square of relative velocity between the tine and the crop.

Finger-Wheel / Rotary Rake (V-rake)

Optimal speed: 5–8 mph for dry hay (20–25% moisture); 8–12 mph for high-moisture turning/fluffing (30%+)

Why speed matters more here: Rotary rakes generate higher tine-to-crop impact velocities than belt rakes at the same ground speed, because the rotary motion of the rake wheel adds its own velocity to the ground speed impact. In dry conditions, faster wheel rotation at higher ground speed dramatically increases leaf shatter. Slow down in proportion to how dry the crop is.

Bar Rake / Parallel Bar (Wheel Rake)

Optimal speed: 6–10 mph at 20–25% moisture; up to 12 mph at higher moisture

Leaf shatter profile: Bar rakes have lower tine-to-crop impact velocity at the same ground speed because the tines move predominantly in the direction of travel. Somewhat more forgiving at high speeds than rotary designs, but still produce significant shatter above 10 mph in dry conditions.

Horizontal Belt / Conveyor Rake

Optimal speed: 5–8 mph regardless of moisture

Leaf shatter advantage: Belt rakes generate the lowest leaf shatter of any type — the conveying action moves crop rather than striking it. Ground speed is limited by the belt conveying capacity, not by leaf shatter risk. Used specifically when leaf loss minimization is the highest priority (export timothy, premium alfalfa).

A detailed comparison of rake designs and their leaf shatter characteristics by crop type is in the saman tırmığı çeşitleri karşılaştırma kılavuzu. The mowing and conditioning pass that determines the initial windrow character and moisture distribution that the rake subsequently works with is covered in the mowing and conditioning quality guide. For the PTO shaft speed requirements on rake drives, gear ratio, and rake gearbox specifications, see tarımsal şanzıman ve PTO tahrik sistemi bileşenlerinin özellikleri.

agricultural gearbox and pto shaft

Windrow Width and the Baler Pickup Ratio

9LH-12 towed horizontal hay rake forming windrow — the ratio of windrow width to baler pickup width determines pickup efficiency and field cleanliness

The windrow formed by the rake must match the baler’s pickup width for efficient, clean pickup. A windrow that is too wide for the pickup causes the baler tines to miss the windrow edges, leaving a stripe of hay on each pass. A windrow that is too narrow causes the pickup to sweep over empty ground between the windrow and the field surface, reducing pickup efficiency and requiring more passes to collect the same acreage.

Windrow Width Formula
Optimal windrow width = 50–65% of baler pickup width
Example: 60-inch (5 ft) baler pickup → optimal windrow = 30–39 inches wide
Example: 72-inch (6 ft) baler pickup → optimal windrow = 36–47 inches wide

A windrow width at 50–65% of pickup width allows the pickup tines to sweep 2–4 inches past each windrow edge, ensuring complete collection of loose material at the windrow margins. This marginal sweep is where the most valuable leaf fraction concentrates after leaf drop during drying — collecting it cleanly requires that the pickup runs past the apparent windrow edge by a few inches on each side.

Setting windrow width correctly requires adjusting the rake’s delivery angle or the number of swaths being merged per pass. A V-rake with adjustable wheel angle produces a narrower or wider windrow based on wheel angle setting — wider angle produces a narrower, taller windrow; shallower angle produces a wider, lower windrow. For the same rake collecting the same amount of crop, a 30-inch wide windrow will be taller and denser than a 45-inch wide windrow, with different drying characteristics after raking.

Combining Swaths: When Merging Makes Sense and When It Does Not

Combining two or more mowed swaths into a single windrow (raking wider than a single-swath windrow) is a common practice for improving baling efficiency when yield per acre is low. The decision to combine should be based on the baler’s minimum windrow density requirement, not on a desire to make fewer baling passes.

When combining is beneficial
  • Single-swath windrow is too light to form a full bale without requiring very slow baling speed (below 2 mph)
  • Crop yield per acre is below 1.5 tons DM — single-swath windrows too thin for efficient pickup
  • Field conditions allow combining without uneven moisture layering (both swaths dried to same moisture)
  • The combined windrow still fits within the baler pickup width at 50–65% ratio
When combining creates problems
  • The two swaths dried at different rates — combining buries wetter material inside drier material, creating moisture-stratified bales that heat unevenly in storage
  • The combined windrow exceeds 65% of the baler pickup width — the pickup cannot cleanly collect the full windrow width
  • The combined windrow is so dense that it causes slug loading in the baler at any reasonable ground speed
  • One swath dried on rocky, elevated ground and another in a low, wet area — combining mixes two different moisture levels
The moisture-stratification risk in combined windrows: When a wetter inner swath is rolled underneath a drier outer swath during combination, the resulting bale has a moisture gradient from core to outer surface. The dense core at 18–20% moisture can heat and mold while the outer surface at 14% appears dry and normal. This internal heating goes undetected until the bale is opened for feeding and the inner material is found discolored and degraded. Test both swaths for moisture before combining, and only combine if readings are within 3 percentage points of each other.

Windrow Density and Baler Pickup Efficiency: Setting Up the Baler for Success

round baler working cleanly formed windrow — correct windrow density and width created at the raking step directly determines pickup efficiency and bale formation quality

The density and consistency of the windrow is as important as its width. A windrow that varies from thin to heavy along its length — common when the rake operator drives over windrow edges and misses material — creates the slug-loading / empty-chamber alternation that reduces bale density consistency and increases the risk of shear bolt events. The ideal windrow is uniform in both cross-sectional area and material density from one end of the row to the other.

Fluffed vs. compressed windrow profile

A rake that rolls rather than fluffs the swath produces a compressed, dense windrow that sits lower to the soil surface. This compressed profile can trap moisture in the windrow base and dry unevenly — the upper portion may reach baling moisture while the bottom is still 5–8 percentage points wetter. A raking technique that fluffs the swath (achieved by slightly higher rake wheel angle or a more vigorous tine arc) produces a lighter, taller windrow that dries more uniformly because air can circulate through the cross-section. For premium hay, slightly slower speed and more aggressive wheel angle to create a fluffed windrow is worth the modest reduction in raking rate.

Maintaining consistent windrow placement

Windrow placement consistency — keeping the windrow exactly centered on the intended row line from field entry to exit — determines whether the baler can travel in a straight, predictable path during baling. A windrow that wanders, curves, or lies at an angle to the field rows requires more baler steering corrections, reduces baling speed, and increases the likelihood that the pickup misses windrow edges on the inside of curves. Keep rake passes parallel to mower passes and to field boundaries; align at the field entry point before beginning each rake pass.

Six Raking Mistakes That Cost You at the Elevator

1
Raking below 15% moisture in midday heat

The most common quality-destroying raking mistake. Visible as fine dust behind the rake and a visible leaf loss trail. Schedule raking for early morning (after dew dries off, before midday heat drives moisture below 15%) or late afternoon when rising humidity increases leaf pliability.

2
Raking in wind above 15 mph

Wind-dislodged leaf material from a raking pass is carried laterally out of the windrow before it can be collected. In a 20 mph crosswind, a finger-wheel rake can scatter 8–15% of fine leaf and chaff material outside the windrow width. Postpone raking in high-wind conditions for premium hay; for cattle hay, the quality impact is less critical.

3
Running rake tines too close to the soil surface

Tines touching soil pick up mineral material that increases ash content and contaminates the bale. Check tine clearance before raking each new field, especially when transitioning between fields with different soil tilth or after rain when the soil surface is raised. Maintain 0.5–1 inch clearance between lowest tine arc and firm soil.

4
Combining two swaths of different moisture levels

Combining a 22% moisture swath with a 16% moisture swath creates a mixed bale with unpredictable internal moisture distribution. The bale appears dry on the outside but contains wet internal zones that heat. Test both swaths and only combine when within 3 percentage points of each other.

5
Setting windrow too wide for the baler pickup

A windrow wider than 65% of pickup width leaves crop at the edges that the pickup misses on every pass. These missed-edge strips are often the densest part of the windrow (the heaviest crop settled to the base) and may represent 10–15% of total crop mass. Verify windrow width against pickup width before committing to a rake angle setting.

6
Raking the second time when baling would suffice

A second raking pass to “clean up” windrows after baling recovers the material left at windrow edges but at the cost of an additional mechanical disturbance of already-dry material. Each rake pass below 15% moisture increases leaf shatter. If the first baling pass left windrow edges, lower the pickup height slightly and bale more slowly on the second pass — this collects more edge material than a second raking pass without adding leaf loss.

Hay Raking FAQs

Should I rake in the direction of or against the mowing travel path?+
Rake in the same direction as mowing wherever practical. Mowing creates a slight surface orientation of the stems and leaves — the crop is slightly layered in the direction of travel. Raking against the mowing direction tends to roll and tangle the crop more aggressively, producing a higher-density but more tangled windrow that the baler’s pickup must work harder to separate. Raking in the same direction produces a looser, more parallel-stemmed windrow that flows more smoothly through the pickup tines. The exception: when the mowing direction creates windrow orientation that is not parallel to the longest field dimension, rake at the angle that produces the longest windrow rows (parallel to the longest field axis) even if this means raking at a slight angle to the mowing direction.
My windrows are consistently too heavy in the center and thin on the edges after raking. How do I adjust?+
A windrow that is heavy in the center and thin on the edges indicates the rake is depositing most of the crop at the center convergence point without spreading adequately to the windrow width. On a V-rake, this is typically caused by the rake wheel angle being set too steep (too acute a V angle), which drives all the crop toward a narrow center point. Reduce the V angle (open the rake wider) to spread the deposit width. Also check that all rake wheels are running at the same height — if the outer wheels ride higher than the inner wheels, they deliver less crop to the windrow than the inner wheels, creating the thin-edges effect. On a bar rake, a center-heavy windrow indicates the bar delivery speed is higher than the ground speed can carry, creating a pile rather than spreading. Increase ground speed slightly or reduce bar speed.
Can I rake at night to avoid the midday heat and leaf-shatter risk?+
Raking after the evening dew begins to settle (typically after 9–10 PM in most summer conditions) is counterproductive — you are raking at increasing moisture when you want to capture the window between “dry enough to avoid mold” and “so dry that leaf shatters.” The optimal raking window relative to the daily dew cycle is: after morning dew dries off (typically 9–10 AM) and before afternoon heat drives moisture below 15% (typically 2–4 PM). In the hottest part of summer in the arid Mountain West, this window may be only 3–4 hours wide. Set the alarm for morning and plan raking as the first field operation each day.
Does tedding before raking eliminate the need for careful raking moisture management?+
Tedding at high moisture (30–50%) is low-risk because leaves are pliable. The subsequent raking after tedding still carries the same leaf-shatter risk as any raking pass if done at low moisture — tedding does not eliminate raking moisture risk, it just separates the operations. The advantage of tedding followed by raking at a higher raking moisture is that the tedding-accelerated drying allows you to rake sooner (at higher moisture, less leaf-shatter risk) and then have the windrow continue drying to baling moisture after raking, rather than having to wait for the swath to reach baling moisture before raking. This staging — ted at 40–50%, rake at 20–25%, bale at 14–18% — is the most leaf-friendly sequence for premium alfalfa production where minimizing each source of leaf loss matters.
When is it better to bale directly from the swath without raking?+
Baling directly from the swath without raking is appropriate when: the mowing swath width matches the baler pickup width well enough for efficient pickup; the crop has dried uniformly to baling moisture without raking; and the yield per acre is sufficient to form adequate bales from a single-swath cut width. In high-yield irrigated alfalfa with a wide-cut mower-conditioner producing a 12–14 foot swath, direct baling from the conditioned swath without raking is practical and eliminates one potential source of leaf loss and one equipment pass. For lower-yield dryland operations where multiple swaths must be merged, or for grass hay where the mowing swath is too narrow for efficient baling, raking remains necessary. The quality advantage of eliminating a rake pass is most meaningful for premium dairy and export hay — for beef hay and straw, the quality impact of raking is less financially significant.
How does rake tine condition affect windrow quality?+
Rake tine condition directly affects windrow uniformity and leaf shatter rate. Bent tines — the most common wear mode on finger-wheel rakes — create an irregular sweep arc that results in a wavy, uneven windrow with alternating heavy and light sections. A bent tine that runs shorter than its neighbors misses material at its arc position, leaving a consistent gap in the windrow that becomes visible as a stripe of uncollected hay after baling. Broken tines leave a gap in the rake wheel that creates a periodic deposit pattern — a dense section followed by a thin section. Replace bent or broken tines promptly; the cost is minimal and the windrow quality improvement is immediate. Inspect all tines by sighting along the rake wheel after any significant rock impact — a single rock can bend multiple adjacent tines.
foragebaler.com hay raking equipment and round balers — matched rake and baler pickup width specifications confirmed before delivery

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