In the end, there is little or no quality loss when you cut in May, even if the hay gets rained on. Timely first cutting allows you to harvest second cutting when re-growth will be very fast. By the end of the season, yield and quality will be higher when alfalfa is cut on time. Hay that is being cut for the first time in the middle of June is all stems for the bottom 24 inches of the plant. Lodged hay results in a lot of stubble being left in the field.
Weevil populations cause much more damage to late cut hay.
Scouting work by MSU shows that even though the potential for scab was very high this Spring, actual disease development is very low.