Haying Equipment needs 101

[riptides]

Thank you all for the information. I have read, rather quickly, all your advise. I will be re-reading and learning more in-depth as time permits.

I *hope* to do this part-time. I do have a full time job, but can be very flexible in my timing to tend to the hay. The acreage is actually about four parcels. We will say 30-10-10.
My first priority will be increasing my tractor size, and then the
hay equipment basics.

I *hope* to provide the hay for the two hay-burners we have presently. They will probably think they died and went to heaven when they see where they are ending up. The rest of it I hope to make available for the horse community locally.

I do have amble store areas. with a *huge* barn that will do just fine.

By quick reading these wonderfull info-bites I have already found out I need a rake, and the cutters are not as simple as I thought either.

I don't mind the work, and am actually looking forward to it.
I'd rather be outside, than in.

Again, thanks and I will be replying to posters individually for more information and elaboration. I am humbled.

Happy New Year.
-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[motorjock]

We have 30 acres and sprigged 2 yrs ago this march. We have about 95% stand of beautiful coastal, thanks to some right timed rain. We also wanted to do our own hay, but couldn't justify the money for the right equipment at this time. I did by a TN75d if we ever get to, I was trying to purchase for the future . Right now we have a man down the rd who we go to church with that does hay for a living and doesn't mind making some xtra easy money at $1 a bale. We would like to buy a disc mower in the future so we don't have to depend on him to do everything. The only drawback is that when our hay needs to be done, so does his. But this year it worked out good. We got over 2100 bales off and have sold out except what we keep for ourselves. We have learned that if you fertilize a bunch, your hay is better than most people who don't want to spend the xtra money. We sold our hay at $4 in the barn and $4.50 delivered. All of it was in our local area. Good luck and I look forward to see what you decide.

 

[Banjo]

This is an amazing thread ... exactly the question I was looking for an answer to. We're just about to take posession of a farm near Merrickville, in Eastern Ontario (very exciting). There's ~80 acres cleared/60 fenced and we're hoping to harvest some hay. All I have right now is an Allis Chalmers D-14 tractor (with loader, plow and backhoe). This info so far seems right on the money, is there anything that anyone would recommend differently for this area? All our fields are flat.

I'm also looking for recommendations on improving the ground. The fields have had cattle grazing on them for the past 10 years or so (as far as I know), and they have been fertilized with a 27-13-13 fertilizer, about 2 tons to do the 60 acres or so. I'd also like to know about "organic" options too. Pointers to other threads is fine ... I haven't started searching on this part yet, so appologies if it's already been answered previously.

thanks in advance, Andrew

 

[HayDR]

You need to do a soil test or you will wind up wasting money on the wrong fertilizer mix. 2 tons 27-13-13 on 60 acres is nothing. Likely you will need 3 tons of lime per acre and use 12-24-24 it will not burn your lime up so quick.
Mark Carter

 

[Keith_B]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( If you use a single roller bar rake on hay fields of 3 acres or more you are exposing you hay unnecessarily to rain. You could have had the hay raked and in the bale with the capacity of the larger rakes.

Many of the part-time farmers work another job and will get off early at noon to 2:00 and go home and rake hay all afternoon and bale well into the evening. With a V-Rake or larger capacity rake you can let the hay cure longer if needed because you can rake it 3-5 times quicker with a larger rake. If it takes you a day to rake your hay then you have added that time period as extra time you have exposure of rain damage. A large rake and large tedder is a must for the part-time grassland farmer.

NH256 rakes still have their place. )</font>

I have a tough time figuring that one out. We can start raking a 15-20 acre field while getting the baler greased up and ready to bale. By the time the raking is finished the baler still has a long way to go. The NH roll-o-bar rake we have will walk through the hayfield in a hurry.

Going slower with the roll-o-bar has no advantage, as it is ground driven. The tire is going to turn a revolution by distance, and actuate the rake the same amount for the hay no matter if you are creeping along, or running at a pretty good clip.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

One problem with the NH rakes is that if you go to fast in heavy windrows the hay will just unroll itself and make picking it up with a baler fun even with the superwide pickup of the 575. So while you can drive just as fast as you want you do need to maintain a certain speed to control your windrow shape and consistency.

Please understand, no one is knocking the side delivery rakes. They are good rakes but like everything, there are better rakes now on the market. Each rake on the market is designed for a certain type of operation. So while a rotary rake might not work for you the NH 256 would. Same with a wheel rake, it works great for some but it didn't fit my application. In the end, the 256 still has a place on most hay farms and most farmers still have a side delivery on their farm somewhere for certain applications. I use a 256 for all my raking needs right now till I can get a rotary.

 

[slowzuki]

I think the comment on speed is that smaller part time farmers generally don't have two tractors.

We have the use of 2 and it sure is handy but with some better equipment one would be enough.

 

[Greg_Phillips]

One our farm I have used both a side delivery rake and a 8 wheel Vermeer wheel rake. The wheel rake makes raking faster (one pass to a windrow) and will pick up everything on the ground. The wheel rake is fine for most cattle applications. However, I feel that if you were going to do a large amount of hay for horse farms, a twin side delivery rake would be better. JMHO

 

[riptides]

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( First off I would get a tractor at least in the utility size and in the 50 hp range. )</font>

Now I am leaning towards keeping the B7800 and just getting another tractor all together. Ouch. From what I am reading, two tractors look to be the best solution for even a part-time hay operation(s).

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( Then come along with a hay tedder to get the hay spread out and dry quickly. )</font>

I take it a tedder lays it out properly? These new cutters, can they do tedding too?

</font><font color="blue" class="small">( I'm also assuming two things. One is that your land is relatively flat. Second assumption is that you are doing grass hay. If your land isn't flat and you want to do alflafa I would change things. )</font>

The land is flat and flat! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif I love it! /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

If I want to do alfalfa, what would I be looking for that would be different?

Thanks, doc.
-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif

 

[riptides]

Paul,

</font><font color="blue" class="small">(
A mower-conditioner will make windrows, and crimps the hay so it dries out quicker. For that amount of hay in a damp climate, you will want something with condioning rolls on it - not just a simple sickle bar or disc cutter. )</font>

I am still a little confused here, mower-conditioners and tedders, do they not make the same result? Nice windrows?
Perfectly cut grasses.

Thanks.
-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif