Recommendations for a tiny (3 acres) baling operation In southern Illinois

[Bid]

Hi everyone. I'm thinking about putting out a small hay crop.

A couple of years ago I acquired a few acres in Jefferson County, Illinois. The ground is nearly all woods but there is a flat, well-drained 3 acre clover/grass/weed patch. I suspect the previous owner used it as a food plot for white tail deer. I have been mowing the 3 acres to keep the weeds from going to seed.

Due to the recent drought the clover is looking pretty rough. Some rain may revive what little clover is there it but I have a feeling that most of it is shot. In fact, I'm thinking it's time to scrap the whole plot and put out a new hay crop. Since my sister has a couple of horses and she has been buying small square bales for several years, I'm thinking of putting out a hay crop suitable for her horses (i.e. alfalfa, timothy, or orchardgrass).

I own or can borrow the equipment needed for the ground preparation and sewing of the seed, but I would need to acquire the equipment needed to cut, condition, and bale. Since this effort is mainly a labor of love (and something to do that gets me out of the city and back into the seat of a tractor) the budget is pretty small; let's say $3,500-$5,000. Given that budget what mowing, conditioning, tedding, and baling equipment would you recommend? The tractor is a Yanmar 336 (3,400 LBS, 27 PTO HP, with a FEL, probably another 1,000 LBS).

 

[greasemonkeyok]

Not trying to be a smart *****, but with that budget and acreage, hand tools (pitchfork, sythe, etc.) The investment in hay equipment for your tractor will never pay out.

 

[rtimgray]

Given those constraints, you could probably pick up a used sickle bar or a disc mower. I'm not sure how big of a cut you could do with a 336, but it would be on the small size of the disc mower spectrum. Used sickle mowers can be found for $500 to $1000, disc mowers are almost certainly more than that. Hay rakes are also kind of on that line - old but servicable can be had for $500, better ones are as much as you want to spend. The baler (I'm assuming square) - you can probably find a unit for $1000 or so, but it will likely be old and need some work. As long as you don't mind tinkering with it, you could make it work.

I wouldn't concern myself with conditioning and tedding as for most types of hay crops an extra day in the sun will do the same thing.

I just checked Craigslist and if you wanted to make a trip to Murray, KY you could pick up a mower, rake and baler for $1500. So it's possible with your budget, you'll just have to look around.

Good luck and take care.

 

[flusher]

I work a 6-acre hayfield with a Massey Ferguson 124 baler (two-twine small squares, $2000 bought out of the field from the previous owner), an MF31 sicklebar mower (7-ft, $550 at auction plus about $200 in new parts to get it running) and a JD350 pto-driven 5-bar side delivery rake ($800 with new belt and tines). Don't have a tedder or a moco since we bale in May at the end of the rainy season when the temperature is high and humidity is low. You might be able to find a combination rake/tedder for $1500 or so on eBay or craigslist.

Good luck.

 

[Bluegill2]

We found it much cheaper to buy a hundred or so bails of hay for our horses every year. After growing our own for a few years and cutting on half's with a neighbor who had the equipment.

 

[CBW1999]

I have been back and forth on this issue. The cost effectiveness of baling vs buying what you need should be the deciding factor. I have yet to find a powered baler and other needed equipment that would give anything less than an almost 7 year break even over purchasing (similar acres as you)

Recently however, I found plans for building a hand powered baler. In addition there is a company that sells a decent hand powered baler for about 350.00
Balers

These are built primarily for pine straw baling but work just as well for hay and forage.

I think that this method would be easier for the "casual" hay maker using less fuel than mechanized equipment. Also, smaller areas can be cut at any one time to help if the weather doesn't cooperate. One site stated a single person could bale 100 in an 8 hour day- a bit exaggerated in my opinion. I can see, with a couple of people helping a more realistic scenario like that.

Good luck!
Using my brush hog to mow and building a simple bull rake for my FEL (to scoop up the cut hay), I should be able to recover costs the first year. That is even if I purchase the baler.

 

[Bid]

That would probably be good for my health to use the hand tools, but I think I would rather be on the tractor. The real goal is to take what is being mowed and the time I am spending mowing it and produce something useful. If a few pieces of haying equipment can be added to the collection then I can save my sister some money by providing her with some good quality hay and I can create a hobby for myself that won't take too much time out of the spring and summer. It may be more of a hobby that I want, but I'm willing to give it a try.

 

[Bid]

rtimgray, your suggestions are similar to what I'm thinking. I talked with a part-time farmer that is getting rid of some of his equipment and he has a 7' New Holland haybine that can be bought for around $1,000. According to the specs my little tractor should be able to handle it. I haven't checked it out yet but if the rolls are in good shape I may get it.

I'm assuming a rake or a combination tedder/rake can be used a day or so after the haybine. I'm hoping to find one for $600-$1,000.

The next step is to locate a servicable baler. I quick Craigslist scan shows a John Deere 24T ($2200) and a couple of New Holland 273 units ($2000, $2250), so it seems reasonable that one could be bought for around $2,000.

The JD and NH brands seem to be common in this area so it may even be possible to find a parts baler.

Am I missing anything?

 

[PatasColo]

Hi Bid,
I've seen some neighbors around here with 2 to 4 acres hay. They make arrangements with someone local who already has the equipment and is doing some haying in the area. Land owners get half the hay, the guy doing the haying gets the other half (i.e. a co-op arrangement).

It doesn't get you on the tractor and doesn't give you a hobby, but it does make use of your land and get your sister some free hay. If you find the right hayer, they might like to have you help out with some phase of the operation (i.e. driving the machinery while they take a break between local plots).

Just another approach/idea.
-Mitch

 

[Bid]

Hi Bid,
I've seen some neighbors around here with 2 to 4 acres hay. They make arrangements with someone local who already has the equipment and is doing some haying in the area. Land owners get half the hay, the guy doing the haying gets the other half (i.e. a co-op arrangement).

It doesn't get you on the tractor and doesn't give you a hobby, but it does make use of your land and get your sister some free hay. If you find the right hayer, they might like to have you help out with some phase of the operation (i.e. driving the machinery while they take a break between local plots).

Just another approach/idea.
-Mitch

PatasColo, I like your idea. I'll do some scouting for a hayfield but this is corn and soybean country. I will be surprised if a find a hayfield within 2 or 3 miles. Thanks for the idea.