Learning Hay Production

[ivacskota]

I have some horses, and tracking down not crappy hay is a hassle. I'd like to bale my own, and ideally sell a little excess to offset some of the fuel bill. I don't have enough land to bale off of my own property, which leads me to a dilemma: I don't know **** about bailing hay yet, so I don't want to go lease/rent acreage just to destroy it all trying to teach myself. I also don't want to buy a bunch of equipment that won't do what I need it to.

Now for the question, I live near several large cattle farms that do a ton of baling. Is it a thing to go knock on their door and offer to help for free in exchange for learning? I've been around equipment my whole life, so I don't need a how to on driving, I need to know things like drying, cut timing, raking, storage etc. Youtube and the internet will only get so far. Or do I just go for it, hay seems to be a straightforward crop but I'd rather not burn my barn down.

Sorry if it's a stupid question, but I really want to learn and don't want to look like an idiot either.

 

[Mrsig]

and enjoy the forum!

 

[Shawn T. W.]

Welcome to the forum from the Ozarks!

You could ask, worse they can say is no.

My question is, if you don't have enough acreage now, where do you plan on cutting to get the required grass to bale?

When I looked into buying the neighboring 8 acres, to add to my own 14 acres to cut, and buy my own equipment, I was told buying used equipment would set me back $65K - $75K ... New would be double, and that was with doing round bale, small bales you need storage for them too ...

@Hay Dude may be able to give you better advice ... I know you are required to post in this section being new, but now that you are in, try posting in https://www.tractorbynet.com/forums/haying/

 

[Rockbadchild]

Most farmers would take the free labor, especially smaller farmers... I would assume bigger industrial farmers not as much but generally most are willing to share their knowledge.

 

[lman]

I have some horses, and tracking down not crappy hay is a hassle. I'd like to bale my own, and ideally sell a little excess to offset some of the fuel bill. I don't have enough land to bale off of my own property, which leads me to a dilemma: I don't know **** about bailing hay yet, so I don't want to go lease/rent acreage just to destroy it all trying to teach myself. I also don't want to buy a bunch of equipment that won't do what I need it to.

Now for the question, I live near several large cattle farms that do a ton of baling. Is it a thing to go knock on their door and offer to help for free in exchange for learning? I've been around equipment my whole life, so I don't need a how to on driving, I need to know things like drying, cut timing, raking, storage etc. Youtube and the internet will only get so far. Or do I just go for it, hay seems to be a straightforward crop but I'd rather not burn my barn down.

Sorry if it's a stupid question, but I really want to learn and don't want to look like an idiot either.

Your general location would help. You can put it in your profile. I have enough land that a guy down the road uses it for hay(alfalfa/grass) and I get enough for my horses and he gets the rest. He sells most of his hay to Amish. Contrary to popular belief, most Amish around here work in factories or construction.

 

[Hay Dude]

You mean “learing” hay production, right?

 

[CH4Ohio]

Go knock on the doors and offer to help. Can't hurt. If they're doing small square bales they'll probably welcome the help, and I'd be very surprised if they don't pay you if you prove to be worth keeping around.

If you don't already have the land and hay, I'd think this will be a lost cause. You'll spend a lot on equipment -- even used old equipment. And it's not a "straightforward" crop. Very weather dependent, timing is critical, you'll need help on short notice.

I like your plan. Get up close to someone else that's doing it and see what it's all about.
Keep in mind that you'll be helping someone that probably has several hundred thousand dollars invested in tractors, barns, balers, tedders, rakes, wagons, accumulators, grapples, trailers . . . Don't think that a 50 year old baler will tick like a Swiss watch.