Need advice on starting up cattle and hay business/extra job

[bbd 25]

Hello, I'm a new member and new to the farm world. My family has had cattle farms and iv help from time to time. Overall I'm a nube to farming. My plans are to get an extra job/hobby of baling hay and owning a couple cattle to take to the sales. I have a place to put the cattle but that's about all I got. I plan to start off with a unregistered angus cow and calf. I also have two other pastures around 80acres total unused I could use for whatever. They both will need work before getting any decent hay off of. I plan to buy a tractor and implements to run square bales to start up my new extra job/hobby. When the hay isn't full swing I was thinking I can bush hog and scrape to help with overhead. What's your opinion on the cheapest way to get started? I know I'm starting from ground zero but everyone has to start somewhere. Before I jump into this head first I wanted to see opinions on how I could go about this without getting too far in debt I cant swim out. My day job is three days a week so I get my 40hrs mon-wed. That leaves me with Thursday - Sunday to do what I need to. I know I wont be making money right away and I don't plan on that.

Any and all thoughts appreciated

Thank you and nice to be on the forum

 

[Streetcar]

Contact your neighbors to see what equipment they have and what they are willing to help to complete.
Will they bale for shares of the crop.
Farming is capital intensive
Square bales are labor intensive
What is your budget, short and long term
Are there friends or family close with experience that can help

 

[Streetcar]

Welcome to tbn

 

[RedNeckRacin]

Do you have help? If you are really curious about this I would start putting things down in writing. Day dreaming is one thing and figuring with numbers is very sobering. What is the local market like? What are you going to do about storage of the hay? Do you know how to work on older equipment? Do you enjoy 12 hour days? What do you really know about hay? Can you tell the difference between good hay and garbage? Are you ok with letting the weather dictate your schedule? That hay has to be made when it's ready, not when you are.


I don't want to sound negative but I'm being honest. I grew up doing thousands of square bales and round bales a year. I even ran my own hay operation for several years.

 

[bbd 25]

Contact your neighbors to see what equipment they have and what they are willing to help to complete.
Will they bale for shares of the crop.
Farming is capital intensive
Square bales are labor intensive
What is your budget, short and long term
Are there friends or family close with experience that can help

Neighbors have nothing but land for me to grow hay on. Got about 80-100ac for me to do as I please with nothing in return asked. Square bales are labor intensive, I've work with them before. It was always a family event once a year growing up to load and stack hay my grandfather cut. Got a family member that's ten miles away that has cattle and all equipment. (for him and his cattle) I may could go partners with him but I wanted to do my own thing. I have help as far as knowledge and experience goes. Labor help will be me, me and me with my two boys 9 and 14. I'm sure I could go in half on a round baler with that same family member cause I know he's wanting one and would probably jerk my arm off at the offer. I originally wanted square bales because of them being small and that means (usually) cheaper everything tractor and attachments. Plus I was thinking they would be easier to get rid of with locals and easier to haul if I needed to haul. I got 2500 chev diesel to haul with. Getting into round bales (I would imagine) means I needed bigger rig to start. IDK just stating my thoughts. If I'm wrong on any of it, just shoot me straight. Budget +-30,000. nothing down. yes gulp haha I know that isn't much and yes I know how much tractors and equipment is. I wanna be in it for the long term. Hopefully make a little money to spend more time doing this than my day job in the distant future.


RedNeckRacin
market is pretty good. If local falls through I got a guy in TN 4h north that says he would take all I could bring him. At what price you ask....I don't know yet but I do know they pay double for what we charge here. Storing Hay is my bigger puzzle right now. I may could build a hay shed. That I can do my self. Just need to figure dimensions and price material. I work 14.5hr days now so long days I'm used to. Nope I cant tell much difference in Hay (yet). I know what looks good and bad TO ME and yes I can tell if its garbage or not.

Hope I answered all your questions. Thank you for the responding. I know you got to be shaking your head because everything is rough when you don't get hand me downs and shown the ropes from early on. But that's one of the beauty's of me starting at ground zero is me being able to pick and choose how I want to start it all and what I want to do. I will be live and learn lessons just as I was a kid. The best Is I have people I trust to call if I need help. When it all boils down; I'm just wanting a cattle and tractor to play on and make a little extra cash. Ill take other thoughts and opinions on other things to do with my spare time and land at disposal; but I'm pretty set I want a few cattle. I looked into corn but it look like it would take big $$$ to start fresh.

Thanks and keep it coming

 

[Streetcar]

Can you do your own wrenching. I have not baled hay in twenty years.
All of my equipment was bought used, sickle bar mower, rake and baler.
I also worked another job at the time.
You would be better off partnering with your family member initially. It is best to have someone experienced to learn from and cut some initial expenses .
Remember hay is time and weather sensitive

 

[Bookemdanno]

More power to ya bbd25. I'm about 2 - 2 1/2 hours to the SW of you. More and more hay farmers seem to be hanging up their hats, so I'm glad to see someone trying to get into it, rather than out of it........ My only advice is make sure you get a big enough tractor and 4wd/MFWD is worth it's weight in gold here in the red clay...........Good Luck!!!

 

[zzvyb6]

I'd recommend doing a couple of things before you start buying anything.

1. Talk to an accountant to see what tax advantages you will be able to get. Lots of initial deductions for equipment, fuel, etc. are part of the deal.

2. Start looking at ads from hay buyers right now. My biggest profit comes from squares that horse owners buy. See what the market is paying for all types of hay. It aought to improve late in winter when supplies run low.

Will you be storing hay and then delivering it, or will you sell off the wagon ? or will buyers come to you. What kind of building do you have for storing hay, equipment, fuel and supplies?

Answer these simple notions and you'll better be able to commit to haying for profit or to cut taxes.

 

[Garycw]

All the $$$$ you'd have invested in equipment to do your own hay would buy ALOT of hay. What hay you do have, usually you can get someone to cut & roll it for half.

 

[CDennyRun]

So many variables here! Having a place to store the hay is paramount. You might want to look into hay tarps. They might cost less than constructing a barn to start with. People in Eastern WA use them almost exclusively.

If you really want to start cheap, you could buy a Ford 4000, or maybe even 3000, for under $5k. A good baler will be extremely important given the large acreage you'll be working with. A good used baler will run about $6k. A decent used disc mower is anywhere from $2-5k, and you'll need a rake. Wheel rakes are pretty affordable @ around $2-5k depending on brand, wheel count, and condition.

To make good, desirable hay, you'll probably have to seed (seed is expensive). Research the heck out of different grasses, and what grows good in you climate/soil. Learn about what the grasses need to prosper, and what gives them the nutrients they need to give animals what they need. Also what grasses fit the market you're catering to. You could overseed, instead of tilling and starting fresh, depending on whats already growing in your fields. If you plan to irrigate, you'll be looking at much more equipment, and expenses. Fertilizer is also not cheap, but will make some great hay!

I'm planning to start haying as well (on a much smaller scale) and have been spending most of my free time researching all aspects of it. There is much to learn!

I hope it works out for you, and you and your boys have fun!

Cheers!

Chris

Edit: You're also going to need a hay wagon or two, which can be as cheap at $2k used. All the pricing I mentioned in this post is based off what I've been seeing in my area. It could be totally different in your area. Also keep in mind that you're going to be nickle and dime'd left and right with maintenance and fuel costs.