25 Acres worth buying hay equipment?

[TigerFanatic1]

In the process of purchasing around 29 acres of old pasture land, which is roughly 25 acres of grass, 3/4-1 acre pond, and the remaining is smaller woods that I will likely reclaim with a mulcher or something similar. I'm not sure what I want to do with is, but it connects to our the property (mostly wooded) that we are building on. Could I realistically make my money back on the haying equipment on such a small property? I currently have a Kubota M9540 and 15' flexwing, so would have to buy everything. No real desire to start cutting commercially outside of my property, just looking for something to do with it that would allow me to keep it looking nice other than just bush-hogging. I work in the oilfield so spend periods of weeks away from home, so cattle is unlikely until I retire in 10-15 years.

 

[Thomas]

Until you retire may someone near buy could hay the land?

 

[Hay Dude]

It depends on what you expect. Do you want shiny newer equipment? Or are you ok with older, more worn-out equipment.
1. I would not expect to make one dollar. I like your attitude in that you are looking at it as a way to mow your property.
2. I would buy a simple disc mower, a wheel rake, and save the most for a solid round baler.
3. Survey you area and try to see how much you can potentially sell. Are there a lot of cow/cattle operations around? You need to be able to sell hay quickly. It doesnt last long outside and takes up a lot of space stored inside.

 

[sea2summit]

First you need to take some soil samples to the extension office and see what it will take to get the soil right for hay. You can sell much hay, cow and maybe goat without amendments but you’ll get low yields and won’t be able to sell it for much.

25 acres if you square baled for max profit you’re looking at ~500 first cut, 1k second, maybe 1k third. So ~2,500 bales, what’s the market in your area? Can you store that hay?

Round bales for easiest one man operation probably 40-55 depending on size first cut, maybe 80-90 on the others. What’s the market like for those?

Now, a general rule of thumb is you’ll break something every time you bale. Maybe small, maybe big but I’m thankful when I cut with less than $100 in broken stuff. For me to square bale that many acres it’s about 30 hrs of seat time regardless if I’m getting 300 or a thousand bales that’s just what it takes to mow, rake, and bale (I don’t Ted). You’ll probably be about the same. Picking up bales is a whole other story, small squares you’re boarderline too much land to expect to pick and stack them all yourself…probably at least two days. Rounds, depending on how far you need to move them is probably most of a day to spear and move them one at a time.

Then there’s hay buyers…you won’t sell to horse people the first year which is where the money is. Probably not the second year either unless you fertilize, test and advertise….a lot.

In the end, if you have the money and time I’d encourage anyone to make some hay at least for a while. If not, I’m sure there is some local guy like me who would be interested in the field if it’s in hay production.

Good luck.

 

[jaxs]

Let someone else do it on shares and sell yours along with theirs.

 

[Hay Dude]

The OP already owning an adequate size tractor helps. He’s 1/2 way there on equipment costs.

Another consideration (if you go forward with baling) is to ask as many people as you can who s the best AG dealer is in your area for SERVICE and parts.….you’re gonna need it (them). Usually it is NOT the biggest dealer with the nicest trucks, uniformed personnel, and a waiting area lounge with gourmet coffee.

 

[TigerFanatic1]

Until you retire may someone near buy could hay the land?

This is my backup plan and something I may at least look into for a year or 2. I will need to discuss some of the finer details because I don't want anyone bringing in a bunch of manure as fertilizer. lol. I plan to run a disc through it in the spring because it is a little rough.

 

[TigerFanatic1]

It depends on what you expect. Do you want shiny newer equipment? Or are you ok with older, more worn-out equipment.
1. I would not expect to make one dollar. I like your attitude in that you are looking at it as a way to mow your property.
2. I would buy a simple disc mower, a wheel rake, and save the most for a solid round baler.
3. Survey you area and try to see how much you can potentially sell. Are there a lot of cow/cattle operations around? You need to be able to sell hay quickly. It doesnt last long outside and takes up a lot of space stored inside.

Not going for looks for sure, would likely do as you said and worry more about the baler than anything because I feel like that is what I'd be least experienced at repairing.
There is some cow operations around, but not an extremely high amount. Mostly older individuals, who have downsized over the years.
I don't have a place to store at the moment, but may look at in the future as I learn a little more about haying.

 

[sea2summit]

This is my backup plan and something I may at least look into for a year or 2. I will need to discuss some of the finer details because I don't want anyone bringing in a bunch of manure as fertilizer. lol. I plan to run a disc through it in the spring because it is a little rough.

Affordable manure right now is hard to find, if you can get a bunch for free that could be a game changer! Soil test brother, they will tell you exactly what you need to include how to figure out the correct amount of manure to spread.

 

[TigerFanatic1]

Affordable manure right now is hard to find, if you can get a bunch for free that could be a game changer! Soil test brother, they will tell you exactly what you need to include how to figure out the correct amount of manure to spread.

Thanks, I will get some tests for sure. Should I take samples from different areas such as where there is different types of grass? It's family property that I'm buying, so familiar that a small area has Johnson (at least what I call it), bahia, and then there is a section that has some really thick grass that doesn't grow as fast vertically. I've never paid attention to exactly what's in the thicker section, but do remember that it would bog down the bushhog even though it wasn't tall.

 

[Farmer495]

"here" you'd be 15k CDN minimum just for a serviceable discbine and round baler and old rolabar rake....and that stuff would break down so you'd need to work on it yourself.

Disc-moco are cheap used here compared to straight mower.

100k CDN would get you all new basic round baler (70k), 8 foot disc mower (15k) and rotary rake (15k). Yes I have been pricing.

 

[sea2summit]

Thanks, I will get some tests for sure. Should I take samples from different areas such as where there is different types of grass? It's family property that I'm buying, so familiar that a small area has Johnson (at least what I call it), bahia, and then there is a section that has some really thick grass that doesn't grow as fast vertically. I've never paid attention to exactly what's in the thicker section, but do remember that it would bog down the bushhog even though it wasn't tall.

Johnson grass can be toxic in hay, I wouldn’t feel comfortable selling it in feed. A lot of the hay I do is Bahia so very familiar with that, not good horse feed though.

If you go into the extension office they’ll have the test “kits”, aka paper bags, and describe how they want samples. Here typically we run a sample ever ~5 acres but it has multiple core samples in a single sample. They can do more and even have mapping software to see it very precisely on where the drainage is slumping nutrients and stuff. But for us average folks who are just gonna drag a spreader wagon through the field without GPS and fairly standard spread rate one sample in ~5 acres works “good enough”.

The extension office can also help you identify those grasses if you bring in a sample or pictures.

 

[zzvyb6]

I just went thru this passed Summer with a young woman with too may horses. John Deere baler as junk, New knotter frame, shimmed a twine disk. junk rake, and a NH1477 mower. Has less that $1500 in it (had the JD4400 35? h.p. tractor. Baled a couple of acres late in the year. Around here in mid-Michigan, hay is selling in groups of 20 at the local auction for $6 - 12.50 per small square bale. EVERY Saturday. Now she needs a good accountant to loose money in the hay business every year. And, she has a barn full of good horse hay for herself and to sell a few hundred extra. You don't need expensive equipment for 20+ acres. You don't need 65 horsepower.. You need some tools and a source of parts (ebay, TSC, Rural King, Farm & Ranch) and a close by dealer of your equipment brand. It's a LOT of fun, too, especially for me at my own ranch. I also have a NH automatic pickup wagon that holds 56 - 64 bales and single bale unloads. When a load is ready, there are several horse owners waiting in the driveway.

 

[Hay Dude]

Not going for looks for sure, would likely do as you said and worry more about the baler than anything because I feel like that is what I'd be least experienced at repairing.
There is some cow operations around, but not an extremely high amount. Mostly older individuals, who have downsized over the years.
I don't have a place to store at the moment, but may look at in the future as I learn a little more about haying.

Round bales (net wrapped) will store outside the longest. I suggest that baler if you can’t store hay bales inside. There is nothing worse than 25 acres of hay baled up with no place to go.

Thanks, I will get some tests for sure. Should I take samples from different areas such as where there is different types of grass? It's family property that I'm buying, so familiar that a small area has Johnson (at least what I call it), bahia, and then there is a section that has some really thick grass that doesn't grow as fast vertically. I've never paid attention to exactly what's in the thicker section, but do remember that it would bog down the bushhog even though it wasn't tall.

Take maybe 6-10 samples and your local ag extension, or ag university will get you results and suggested courses of action to improve. Might be good soil if it hasn’t been hayed. Mowing makes for good compost and healthy stands.

 

[SethWilliams]

I would recommend shopping your local Craigslist and FB marketplace and find deals. You already have an adequate tractor for most mowers and balers, so if you find deals on equipment that has been taken care of, I would jump on it and start building your equipment up.

That is exactly what I did. Bought a 12 wheel rake for $1,200, 4 basket Tedder for $600, 8’ vicon mower for $2000, and a John Deere 435 baler for $4000. Had to put about $500 into the baler, but all in I’m at $7,800, and I can get parts and work on all of my equipment myself.

Took me about two years to get those deals, but it allowed me to learn a lot about the haying process too. Good luck.

 

[Hay Dude]

Careful! haying, and the associated losing of money, CAN be addictive.

 

[kenmac]

Just be prepared to lose money and decide how much you want to lose.
For good hay, you going to have to fertilize, spray for weeds, and add lime. Consider what all that will cost you.
Then, the equipment. Hay cutter, hay rake, and bailer, sq, or round.
a new bar type cutter is going to run around !5 K. Round bailer ( net wrap) close to 40K rake around 8 K depending on style.
You can buy used but , you going to spending more down time making repairs on cheap worn out equipment

 

[two_bit_score]

The smart guys down at Texas A&M say that a hay barn is the only building on a farm that will pay for itself. Hay lasts a lot longer under a roof than outside. So they say.

 

[big bubba]

Let someone else do it on shares and sell yours along with theirs.

my suggestion too. i've got about the same acreage in hay fields & have them leased out, have an M8540, but would never consider the equip investment given that amount of acreage. add the uncertainty of climate change w/drought & flooding & temp extremes, etc, & you have even bigger challenges to reap your investment.

some may say well go into the hay business & cut elsewhere as well to retrieve your investment. but is that why you bought your newfound land?
regards,

 

[redman135]

Does the OP recognise when hay is ready to bale? ie right moisture content. Moldy hay is easy to make and it cost the same as the high quality hay to make.