28 acres worth a hay operation?

[Lawnman TX]

I spent about $1200 for 10 acres for fertilizer and seed. Have everything disced and leveled. Maybe have 5% germination. Record rainfall we couldn't predict ruined it. Now we have a nice stand of weeds we're proud of Brett

Where are you located?

 

[rustyshakelford]

Where are you located?

Near navasota. Between conroe and college station.

Brett

 

[Lawnman TX]

If the weeds are up and over the Bermuda, I would use that to your advantage. Spray with roundup at 1 pint per acre. Bermuda is really resilient and should survive the application. The dead weeds will then give it cover, and hold moisture.

 

[roadhunter]

Probably easier to just let someone graze that property a couple times a year.

 

[fordmantpw]

Have someone bale for shares, or just bale and pay you a small fee per bale. That's what we do on our 15 ish acres. We haven't profited yet. Since the ground was in such bad shape when we bought it, we decided to give the person baling a few years at no cost just to get it in shape before asking for anything. The upside is that we don't have a dime in it ourselves.

 

[rustyshakelford]

If the weeds are up and over the Bermuda, I would use that to your advantage. Spray with roundup at 1 pint per acre. Bermuda is really resilient and should survive the application. The dead weeds will then give it cover, and hold moisture.

I couldn't sleep last night so I went out at 3am and mowed everything. I guess I bought myself some time to procure a spray rig. Kinda worried about killing the weeds and having nothing left. Best we can figure is the seed washed away from the torrential rain

Brett

 

[Fawken]

$4 a bale? I can get $12.50 in Plano. That's why I said the area you are in is critical.

 

[big bubba]

with only 28 acres i wouldn't dream of investing that kind of $ for a hay operation. i lease mine out for hay (22 ac) unless of course if you can afford it as a sidekick activity. otherwise, it would take nearly a lifetime to recoup the equipment investment. an investment in a cd or similar with that kind of capital would yield more results with a lot less work & environmental risk... if there were $ in that kind of hay acreage you'd see fat cat bankers mowing out in the fields (unless of course it were a write off but imho only. best regards

 

[PROFarms]

Just my 2 cents. I'm in the UK so is different to you guys. I started haying on 10 acres this year having invested in used tractor mower Tedder, was given a wheel rake for free, and someone comes in to bale for me and I go work for them in return. Well I have just finished mowing the second cut - bit behind really as some are on third but also some still not done first!!

Anyway as I was saying, we have sold the bales straight off the field and should be breaking even after first year so long as this cut is good and maybe get another one in later in the year.

Best of luck to you, it's a great experience and I don't regret doing it at all!!

 

[smstonypoint]

Just my 2 cents. I'm in the UK so is different to you guys. I started haying on 10 acres this year having invested in used tractor mower Tedder, was given a wheel rake for free, and someone comes in to bale for me and I go work for them in return. Well I have just finished mowing the second cut - bit behind really as some are on third but also some still not done first!!

Anyway as I was saying, we have sold the bales straight off the field and should be breaking even after first year so long as this cut is good and maybe get another one in later in the year.

Best of luck to you, it's a great experience and I don't regret doing it at all!!

Just curious. What grasses do you grow for hay in Devon? Is alfalfa grown there?

Steve