[Gpdd] [CARE] Making hay from mown grass?

[DebJonSara at aol.com]

Northern France, like most of Britain, has had the wettest summer so far  for 
decades, and it has been really difficult to find a day dry enough to mow  
the lawn. Hence, our lawn grass is now pretty long, and that in the meadow is  
even longer.
 
At the same time, the local farmers are having an awful job trying to get  
any hay made. We have all heard the saying, "Make hay while the sun shines".  
Well, there has been so little sunshine that hardly any hay has been made, and I 
 have seen them baling it whilst it is still damp, so wonder what kind of 
quality  it will be when unwrapped - fermenting, surely?
 
Now, I know piggies must not be fed lawnmower cuttings out of the lawnmower  
box, because of this fermenting problem, but as and when we do get some dry  
weather, we will have to mow the lawn without the box on, leaving the long, 
mown  grass behind on the lawn. If I keep turning this over and over like I see 
the  farmers do, will it eventually (assuming a long enough dry spell) turn 
into hay  which will be fit for my piggies to eat? 
 
I usually buy a huge bale from a farming neighbour twice a year, and that  
does the piggies and the 3 goats for 6 months. But I am anticipating a shortage, 
 and know that if hay is scarce, local farmers will be giving priority to 
their  dairy and beef herds, and not to my little goat and piggie herds, who in 
their  eyes are completely non-productive. We don't have timothy hay here - not 
even in  pet stores. It is all just plain hay, and the stuff from farmers to 
me seems  better then that in tiny plastic packets from the pet stores. But 
could I make  my own? The lawn is never treated with chemicals, though the dogs 
and chickens  probably do excrete on it from time to time. But then, any hay 
we buy is sure to  be contaminated to some extent by the wild creatures that 
wandered or flew  across the field before it was mown. I could pick out any 
buttercups when  storing or serving it. 
 
If necessary, I guess I could scythe it if the lawnmower made it unsuitable  
in some way. But the farmers mow theirs mechanically .... . 
 
What do you all think? HAs anyone ever done this, and what were the  results?
 
Debbie (with the 14 Dolly Mixtures anxiously awaiting a response as their  
hay supply dwindles!)