28 acres worth a hay operation?

[bushhog28]

Was thinking about a mower/conditioner and 4x4 round baler. Im just not sure what a bale would sell for and how many i would get.

 

[Fawken]

Depending on the grass you have and the area you're in you can make money in square bales.

 

[smstonypoint]

Was thinking about a mower/conditioner and 4x4 round baler. Im just not sure what a bale would sell for and how many i would get.

Those are two questions that no one can answer at this time. Your yields are going to depend on a number of factors, including the productivity of your soils, your fertility program, and the weather. Hay prices when you are ready to sell are going to depend on local supply and demand conditions at that time.

To get an idea of current hay prices in your area, check with your local CL, the ag. agent in your local Cooperative Extension office, and NCDA&CS - Agricultural Review Classified Ads. Farmers in your local area may give you info on their yields.

You also need to have a good handle on your costs. I tried to access the forage budgets at NCSU --
Field Crops Publications | North Carolina Cooperative Extension -- but obtained an error message. The forage budgets for SC should be comparable. See Enterprise Budgets : Extension : Clemson University : South Carolina. You can modify these budgets to reflect you situation.

Good luck.

Steve

Edit: I suspect that you would need to scale up from 28 acres to breakeven.

 

[flusher]

Was thinking about a mower/conditioner and 4x4 round baler. Im just not sure what a bale would sell for and how many i would get.

28 acres of what? Native grasses? What kind?

 

[bushhog28]

Thanks for the replys. Its native now but id prob plant bermuda if i gave this a try. Im not sure what the current grass even is.

 

[smstonypoint]

Thanks for the replys. Its native now but id prob plant bermuda if i gave this a try. Im not sure what the current grass even is.

The Clemson site (linked above) has a budget for establishing bermuda for hay.

Steve

 

[bushhog28]

Was looking at that. 1200/acre seems pretty steep.

 

[smstonypoint]

Was looking at that. 1200/acre seems pretty steep.

Which $1200/acre?

Steve

 

[rustyshakelford]

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

 

[Old Junk Man]

I feed Bermuda seed mixed with my cattles cotton seed meal salt & mineral mix. I also dig & plant sprigs by hand. Selling hay you sell your top soil. You must replace with fertilizer or chicken litter ect or yields diminish. My 273 bailer cost me $425 my side delivery hay rake cost $120. My international mower cost $110 and my M farmall cost $325. All bought at auction. and I don't like to sell hay. We can have folks fighting over small square bales in the field at $4 per bale. after fuel , twine cost you really are not getting much for the labor and loss of organic matter.

 

[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