Looking for n opinion on haying

Larro Darro · Aug 15, 2013

Another thing to think about is how flexible is your work schedule. If it is 8-5, and not easy to get a day off, making hay will not be easy. You know the old saying, you make hay while the sun is shining. Old saying get repeated for a reason. Maybe you could cut a part of the field before work on a Friday, rake on Saturday and bale on Sunday.

petes · Aug 15, 2013

As long as you can work on your own equipment it's a great way to go. I have about $3500 into my setup (IH B275 (38HP), JD 24T baler, Kuhn 2 basket tedder/rake and a NH 451 7ft sickle). I geared up to do it so I could cut our 3ac pasture + our school field (4ac) at the right time since for obvious reasons we coudn't get on any custom balers high priority list.

This year I leased the neighbors 15-ish acres and pulled 1300 bales off on the first cutting. We've sold about 250 bales ($1000) of it which covered lease and expenses and the rest is already spoken for to dole out over the winter to a couple customers (friends) who don't have storage space (another ~$4200), so all the equipment investment will be repaid in 1 year, plus expenses covered (if my time to fix up the equipment isn't counted). In 2 weeks I'll go for a second cutting and probably get another 300-500 bales which should be worth around $2000-$3500... I work full time so this is a hobby, and to feed our 2 horses. I should have kept better track of time spent this year, but probably have 4-5 days into 1500 bales.. I did staggered (by one day) cuttings of about 5 acres each and had a couple friends help pick up the 800 or so bales. For the rest, I figured out I can cut 2-3 acres on a Wednesday or Thursday after work, tedd the next evening after work, windrow it Friday evening and bale Saturday afternoon and get it on the trailer in front of the barn dark, leaving Sunday as a buffer in case things don't go smoothly, or for getting it up the elevator then resting if they do. 200-ish bales is a do-able pace if doing it all by myself, other than my wife driving the truck and kids helping pick up and stack on the trailer. I found getting help from horse owners is reasonably easy by offering to pay in hay (6 bales an hour), and a promise to earmark hay in the barn for them.

In 2 weeks I'll go for a second cutting and probably get another 300-500 bales which should be worth around $2000-$3500... that's just gravy, although I've got my eye out for a new (old/used/probably broken) side delivery rake... and maybe the neighbors old broken Vicon 8ft tag along disc mower (for scrap value).

rtimgray · Aug 16, 2013

Petes, I think you have exactly the right plan and attitude for a small time haying operation and show that, given some effort on your part and the right set of circumstances, it can be practical and sometimes even profitable. The way you mention is the way I have adapted to this year - since I have the equipment, I can do it at my own pace. Good to see someone having the success that I hope to emulate.

Good luck and take care.

Bigfoot62 · Aug 16, 2013

As many have already said, it depends on lots of things.

Just a couple thoughts off the top of my head:
A used round baler can be a headache. A used small square baler can be a nightmare!!!
You need to figure out how many years that it will realistically take to break even on the investment. (make sure to count all the expenses: fuel, twine, mower blades, etc, PLUS repairs)
You need to decide if you REALLY want to do it. The desire to DIY drives these kind of decisions.

Just for example, I decided, several years ago, that I was going to do my own hay. I now have more than $100K invested in hay equipment and tractors. I also have a barn full of hay that's not selling at the moment. I had 82 rolls (4x5) left over from last year, that I did manage to sell, but had to discount the price so that I really didn't make any profit from it. Will I keep doing it? Yep. I enjoy it, and everything is paid for except the newest tractor. (I have a year to go on it) And, as soon as I can come up with the money to put a roof on my second barn, I can have TWO barns full of hay that's not selling!

jerry shannon · Aug 19, 2013

Great consideration. I work out of my home office. I set my own schedule. I watch daily sometimes several times per day the local weather and of course TWC online. I get 2 weeks vacation and it is very flexible. I would take my time off to match a good spell of weather for 1st and 2nd cutting. Thanks Larry.

jerry shannon · Aug 19, 2013

Sounds like a good system. I have a 25 acre field but I estimate it to be around 29a minus the woods in the back of the property. I would do this for my wife's horses and the dyi aspect of it. I like to do things myself and hate to be dependent on someone that is not as motivated in my situation as I am. To your point custom balers are available in my area but they somewhat scoff at you when you tell them 20 acres. I would buy good used equipment and work on it myself and take my chances. Thanks for the response.

jerry shannon · Aug 19, 2013

Amen brother. That would be my plan and hope as well. I need roughly 650 square bales per year for my horses. My field is new and coming in great. I expect to get a minimum of 1000 bales per cutting. I would sell off 300ish of what I do not need and second cutting would be gravy. In my area of Michigan hay is going for roughly $3.50 to $4.00 for hay. If I put up a great product for horses I can get $4.00 and use what I make for equipment and barn repair. I have a good barn on the hay field that is 50 by 100 and I have 4x4 round bales for my use in it now. Have 100 of them and they are all on pallets and under cover and down one side of the barn 2 high. Tons of room left if I have to store more.

jerry shannon · Aug 19, 2013

LOL. I like your attitude. I would do this for the independence and control of circumstances. I do not want to have to go on someones list to cut and bale. I do not want to have to apologize for only having 20 acres or so. I enjoy the outdoors. Have a great tractor, (Oliver 1855 diesel 98 hp at he pto), a great Bobcat Skidsteer 78 hp turbo with hay spear. I think I can pull this off. I am not looking for a business. Just to control when I get hay and know it was done right. Any extra money would go for repair and return on investment is there is such a thing. Thank you for the insight. Bigfoot.

Larro Darro · Aug 19, 2013

PF, since you control your worktime, you can do this. I was raised making hay, so it is like breathing to me. But it is simple to learn. Though cutting the field 5 acres at a time would be a good practice until you get some practice. Good luck.