25 acres & trying irrigate hay

[dkwally]

I've got 25 acres in coastal hay and a river that is never dry at my little farm. Am looking to irrigate from the river. Am calculating and learning the correct volumes, pressures, and delivery system. Getting this right appears to be more complicated than anticipated. Have an good running ford 851D and hope to create a PTO pumping situation. Wisdom/experience/suggestions will be welcome.

 

[Muhammad]

Welcome to TBN.

 

[RickB]

I've got 25 acres in coastal hay and a river that is never dry at my little farm. Am looking to irrigate from the river. Am calculating and learning the correct volumes, pressures, and delivery system. Getting this right appears to be more complicated than anticipated. Have an good running ford 851D and hope to create a PTO pumping situation. Wisdom/experience/suggestions will be welcome.

I have zero direct experience with irrigation, but I will tell you that I don't think there is sufficient value in Coastal hay to pay for the inputs to irrigate it.

The last place I would put a 50 year old tractor is running an unattended irrigation pump.

 

[Briana03]

Hello & WELCOME to TBN!

I moved your thread to the Build-It Yourself Forum.

 

[ptwohig]

At 10 dollars a sqaure bale and 150 a round bale for Horse hay, I think you could make some money. We are trucking hay in from as far away as Wisconsin right now.

 

[Cacinok]

At 10 dollars a sqaure bale and 150 a round bale for Horse hay, I think you could make some money. We are trucking hay in from as far away as Wisconsin right now.

Your bio doesn't state where you're at, but prices around here are pretty close to what you quoted. Peak hay.

Welcome to the forum DKWally.

 

[MarkV]

At 10 dollars a sqaure bale and 150 a round bale for Horse hay, I think you could make some money. We are trucking hay in from as far away as Wisconsin right now.

Trucking to where??? It is all relative to where you are located. This year in Texas I am sure hay prices are over the top with their drought, not necessarily true elsewhere.

My experience with irrigation is also limited but I can't imagine watering 25 acres with a tractor operated pump.

MarkV

 

[dkwally]

Rick, Thanks for the input. I've been surfing, reading, asking and my numbers still indicate that in the context of my plan I should be able to make a decent go of it. Agreed that the 851 is a questionable power source but that is not the key ingredient here as I see it. A better diesel tractor will be needed eventually. Although I have no solid formula it looks like about 40 horsepower will power a Peerless 800 gpm centrifugal pump to elevate and pressurize irrigation water the necessary 25 feet. This fits the tractor pretty well barring mechanical problems. On the production side of this, my property has made 5 large rounds per acre in a perfect year about 5 seasons ago. I had it subbed out at the time and know none of the particulars, just that it was an excellent rain year. If quality management, chemicals, and irrigation could get and keep production at 5 bales an acre that should be 100 to 110 small square bales. Given that the price around here for high quality horse hay is to $6 to $8 and this year is much higher due to drought I'm thinking there's some margin here for each of the probable 5 cuttings I expect. What do your think I'm missing here? Thanks again for the commentary>
Wally

 

[flusher]

I've got 25 acres in coastal hay and a river that is never dry at my little farm. Am looking to irrigate from the river. Am calculating and learning the correct volumes, pressures, and delivery system. Getting this right appears to be more complicated than anticipated. Have an good running ford 851D and hope to create a PTO pumping situation. Wisdom/experience/suggestions will be welcome.

What type of irrigation setup are you planning to use--pipes and sprinklers, surface irrigation, pivot sprinkler, water reel, traveling sprinkler?

 

[dkwally]

I looked at a Kifco pto pump and reel recently. The reel was nearly new but turned out to not be available although I was ready to purchase the pump. My acreage is in three separate but adjacent areas which presents additional distribution problems. I am currently thinking about permanent trenched sprinklers. With such a small area it looks like a single reel may cost nearly as much as trenching, piping, and valving the very sandy soil on my place. Moreover, the reel would need tending and positioning. Center pivot just doesn't look like a sensible solution on my property. I assume permanently piped sprinkers could be controlled with valving and electronics. It is likely that an added adjoining 20 acres will be leased and irrigated. That acreage WOULD need portable watering since I would not do permanent irrigation on rented property. Got any advice???