Hay farming on a small time basis

[Builder]

"Hay" y'all,

I have a question. What is the most economical way to buy equipment to grow/harvest hay on a small basis? I have to use my land for some sort of agricultural reason to keep my ag-use status. I am looking forward to doing this as I can use the hay in my business. The land currently is horse pasture. Foliage looks like overgrown grass, clover & weeds.

Where do I begin? I have a whopping 4-10 acres to hay. I need to keep it economical. What should I use to cut? I was thinking sickle mower since I need one for other work anyway. Should I just cut it and let someone else bail it since even a small bailer is pretty spendy? Should I get my own rake?

 

[JESSE1]

Around here, it's real hard to get someone to bale small acreage. If you can find someone to do it, it will usually be for a minumum rate. You might be able to find some decent equipment at a farm auction. Sickle mowers work well and probably sell for pretty cheap since few people use them anymore.

 

[Farmwithjunk]

You'll be amazed....A GOOD used rake can cost more than a decent used small square baler. But the entire set-up doesn't have to break the bank. A friend recently bought a nice NH451 sickle bar mower, a NH#58 rake, and decent a NH273 baler, all for less than $3000. All 3 pieces are GREAT entry level equipment, and would fit a smaller tractor really well to boot. This is actually a good time of the year to start shopping for hay equipment. Usually a few people getting "out of the business" about this time of the year.

Finding a custom baler, especially one that can work with-in your schedule, can be a daunting task. I'd rather own my own equipment if possible.

 

[Mike120]

If you can find decent cheap equipment it's certainly doable. Sickle mowers can run from $500 to $1,500, a decent NH 256 rake will run from $1,000 to $1,800 and I just sold a working IH-37 baler for $1,200 because I got a new one. Just figure on a reasonable amount of maintenance. Your use of the word "spendy" indicates you're up North.....maintenance will give you something to do in the winter. Good luck!

 

[Builder]

You'll be amazed....A GOOD used rake can cost more than a decent used small square baler. But the entire set-up doesn't have to break the bank. A friend recently bought a nice NH451 sickle bar mower, a NH#58 rake, and decent a NH273 baler, all for less than $3000. All 3 pieces are GREAT entry level equipment, and would fit a smaller tractor really well to boot. This is actually a good time of the year to start shopping for hay equipment. Usually a few people getting "out of the business" about this time of the year.

Finding a custom baler, especially one that can work with-in your schedule, can be a daunting task. I'd rather own my own equipment if possible.

I have a couple local used farm equipment places and I've been keeping an eye on their prices. My guess is I'd never recoup my equipment costs in sales of hay bales, but one never knows.

What suggestions do you fellas have for fertilizing/planting during off season? How do I get the hay to grow for next summer?

How many bales per acre per cutting should I expect?

Thanks for the encouragement/advice.

 

[zzvyb6]

I agree completely with F.W.J. : Now is a good time to shop and $2500 to $3000 gets you in the game. Take a look at local auctions. Post a 'wanted' on Craigslist. Maybe get a package deal. Hay prices are really good this year and no one is really able to jump into the market at any time anymore. All my stuff is as old as I am except for the tractor.

I didn't plant/fertilize or weed kill. I just mowed down the field really close to start, especially when there is manure there. Then let the grass come in. You can sprinkle some pasture mix seeds out there and they will eventually germinate. I do 10 - 15 acres. Take one late cutting and get 100 bales per acres. I call it 'baled weeds' and the locals line up in the driveway to get whatever I have on baling day. I remind you that once the hay is baled, it becomes a labor intensive project to collect it, store it, or transport it.

Also get a good ag accountant. You will need all sorts of tools, welders, trailers, snow plow, beer refridgerator, maybe a bass boat, a few 4 wheelers, a golf cart and some dogs to help you run your new hay operation, too. A snowmobile to help inspect the wintertime drainage areas is also very handy if you are in snow country. Don't forget a Remington 700 heavy barrel to keep the woodchucks from ruining your areage, too. You can loose a heck of a lot of money in the hay business every year so stock up on gov't peanut butter to keep from starving.

Works for me....

 

[JasG]

"Hay" y'all,

Where do I begin? I have a whopping 4-10 acres to hay. I need to keep it economical. What should I use to cut? I was thinking sickle mower since I need one for other work anyway. Should I just cut it and let someone else bail it since even a small bailer is pretty spendy? Should I get my own rake?

I would try to find a local farmer or equipment mechanic and be his new best friend. Maybe get them to go look at some equipment with you before you buy. It's not hard to find someone's junk and spend big bucks fixing it. If you know what to look for it's much easier to find a good used machine. They may even know of something for sale. Also take a baler for example, once it's had many year of use it's not uncommon to need to set up to compensate for the wear. The manual doesn't cover that, it comes from experiencing this yourself, or your new best friend hopefully can help.

 

[JasG]

What suggestions do you fellas have for fertilizing/planting during off season? How do I get the hay to grow for next summer?

How many bales per acre per cutting should I expect?

Thanks for the encouragement/advice.

All of these depend on location, length of growing season, soil content, etc. What do you want to grow?

 

[Builder]

If you can find decent cheap equipment it's certainly doable. Sickle mowers can run from $500 to $1,500, a decent NH 256 rake will run from $1,000 to $1,800 and I just sold a working IH-37 baler for $1,200 because I got a new one. Just figure on a reasonable amount of maintenance. Your use of the word "spendy" indicates you're up North.....maintenance will give you something to do in the winter. Good luck!

The sickle mower looks easy. Plenty to select from at local farm dealer for $750-$1,500.

The rake shouldn't be too bad, if I can find one small enough. Got any models to suggest?

The baler I'd be pretty hopeless on. I'm mechanically inclined, but never touched a baler.

Thanks

 

[kthompson]

You can use the hay in your business...do you use hay or straw in your business? I don't raise hay but there is a difference in when you cut and bale depending on your end need. Looking at your picture makes me think you could use either for water control.