200 acres of fields-how best to get in hay busines

Slippy · Jul 25, 2004

Looking to start cutting my own hay and/or mow it. I currently have a 60 hp tractor and 10' rotary cutter that I have been using to cut the fields. Slow going on some of the hills. I am wondering what would be a good set up in used equipment I should look for in tractor, bailer, etc. for round bails, and what I could expect to spend. Biggest problem will be time, so equipment will have to work, and work quick. With those requirments, how long does it usually take to get your money back out of the investment? I have been co-oping up to now, but it has not worked out.

Also, is it better to take all the hay every year, or to cut it down every other cut or so? If so, I have a line on a good used 15' woods bat wing cutter.

dixiedrifter · Jul 26, 2004

I dunno bout up in ohio, but here in TN 200 acres would make a LOT of hay.

How do you plan to get rid of it all?

Egon · Jul 26, 2004

First see an accountant and derive a financial plan.

Then talk to the local Agriculturist on how to prepare the fields for the type of grass you grow to maximize production.

As for equipment as time is a major factor you may be looking at major dollars as you'll probably need a whole new set inculding a much larger tractor.

How about sales and distribution? Storage?

Main thing is to have a plan before you start.

Egon

Robert_in_NY · Jul 26, 2004

Check your area, round bales are not good sellers here because the horse people can't handle them very well and the farmers have their own round balers. I have my neighbor round bale for me with his 4x4 Case-IH baler and I sell those to the grape farmers to put in the grape rows as a much and blanket to protect the roots. Small squares is where the market is here as the horse people like them and can handle them. If you want easy, get a nice NH baler like a 320 or so (NH is what I know but there are other balers like JD, Freeman, MF and Hesston), get a quarter turn chute and go to Roeder Implement and buy a nice, reconditioned NH bale wagon. Money wise you will have as much tied up as getting a bunch of kicker wagons. For a rake, the bar rakes are hard to beat. As for a cutter, the NH 489 is a very good haybine, a discbine would be better and faster but are more costly and I would not recommend you buy a used one as they are very expensive to repair. Plus, the discbine should only be operated behind a cabbed tractor. Cowboydoc will be able to help you out with the JD models to look for.

It is very expensive to start out. I am lucky that I have a tractor already and my in-laws have the rake and haybine. All I had to buy was a baler and wagons. Spent $15,000 easy on just the baler and 4 wagons.

MMM · Jul 26, 2004

Probably never make money back(by the time you sell enough hay, equip is worn out) The quickly/200ac part is what's expensive and hard to justify, I've got a friend who does thousands of acres round and sqare a year (quickly)and barely makes it. Buuuuuut, if you cut it anyway, might as well try to sell it Round here, it's got to be fert or you can't give it away. Is it marketable hay or just grass? Why not fert and custom hire? Low risk and labor saving - might even make dollar or two. Never heard of cutting every other year, usually 3-4 cuttings in a good year. Maybe 2-3 up north. Batwing cutter for hay? Not your prefered method.

Slippy · Jul 27, 2004

It is good hay. My co-op before was selling it to stable for horses and he loved it. Was not thinking of cutting for hay with batwing mower, it was option for seasons when I don't cut for hay or just want to fert. for next season.

kensfarm · Jul 28, 2004

If you had someone come hay it on shares.. could be worth it for a farmer that lives close by.. and w/ your tractor.. you could help by raking or hauling the bales.. while they are baling. Then you could sell your shares.. and see what the market brings.. and maybe it will help you decide on what & how much to spend on your own equipment.

Slippy · Jul 28, 2004

Good idea. That was my original plan, but I could only find one guy interested, and he was not dependable, and would not pay me my share. Needless to say, he is no longer an option. He used some pretty beat up equipment, so it was not much help in determining what to use. I so like your idea about doing part of the work. I think I might run an ad in the local paper for a co-op. Thanks.