Hay - approximate yield per acre

RobA · Jun 9, 2006

I have 22 acres of which I am in the slow process of clearing for a house site and horse pastures. If I chose to clear more and plant with hay in mind how much can I expect to get per acre. I realize it depends on a lot of different factors - type of grass, weather, etc.

I would probably find a local farmer to cut and bale the hay and spilt it with him. I'm not looking for a money maker just a way to lessen how much I would have to buy. We have 2 horses now and don't see having any more than 4 total.

RobA · Jun 9, 2006

I have 22 acres of which I am in the slow process of clearing for a house site and horse pastures. If I chose to clear more and plant with hay in mind how much can I expect to get per acre. I realize it depends on a lot of different factors - type of grass, weather, etc.

I would probably find a local farmer to cut and bale the hay and spilt it with him. I'm not looking for a money maker just a way to lessen how much I would have to buy. We have 2 horses now and don't see having any more than 4 total.

DaveNay · Jun 9, 2006

We get around 100 bales per acre per cutting, three to four cuttings per year. However, we have been told that our field is exceptionally well producing.

DaveNay · Jun 9, 2006

We get around 100 bales per acre per cutting, three to four cuttings per year. However, we have been told that our field is exceptionally well producing.

TwinWillows · Jun 9, 2006

Our first cutting last spring yield was 80 square bales per acre. In the fall we ended up w/about 2 round bales per acre. This spring, much drier & we did not get our fertilizer out, our first cut was about 33 square bales per acre. We'll see how the 2nd cut goes. This is all orchard grass by the way - it'll be overseeded this fall to help fill in the bare spots.

TwinWillows · Jun 9, 2006

Our first cutting last spring yield was 80 square bales per acre. In the fall we ended up w/about 2 round bales per acre. This spring, much drier & we did not get our fertilizer out, our first cut was about 33 square bales per acre. We'll see how the 2nd cut goes. This is all orchard grass by the way - it'll be overseeded this fall to help fill in the bare spots.

DaveNay · Jun 9, 2006

( This is all orchard grass by the way...)

Good point...the details. Ours is alfalfa and timothy, good coverage, planted about 4 years ago. Wo do small square bales of about 50lbs each (the girls in the barn complain if they are heavier).

DaveNay · Jun 9, 2006

( This is all orchard grass by the way...)

Good point...the details. Ours is alfalfa and timothy, good coverage, planted about 4 years ago. Wo do small square bales of about 50lbs each (the girls in the barn complain if they are heavier).

TwinWillows · Jun 9, 2006

Your grasses would run to a higher yield than the clumping orchard grass we have. Also bale size is something to consider. Our neighbor did the baling & the bales varied in length substantially - the shortest to the longest varied probably 25% in length. I guess that's why big hay buyers/sellers do it all by the ton....

TwinWillows · Jun 9, 2006

Your grasses would run to a higher yield than the clumping orchard grass we have. Also bale size is something to consider. Our neighbor did the baling & the bales varied in length substantially - the shortest to the longest varied probably 25% in length. I guess that's why big hay buyers/sellers do it all by the ton....

scott_vt · Jun 9, 2006

Hi Rob,
I think your going to get a wide crossection of answers depending what part of the country your talking about. Your even going to get different yields in the same local depending on fertilized or non-fertilized, elevation, river bottom land, amount of sun the property gets. But to give you an idea, my next door neighbor got 2500 square bales off of 28 acres, first cut.

Good luck with your property!

scott_vt · Jun 9, 2006

Hi Rob,
I think your going to get a wide crossection of answers depending what part of the country your talking about. Your even going to get different yields in the same local depending on fertilized or non-fertilized, elevation, river bottom land, amount of sun the property gets. But to give you an idea, my next door neighbor got 2500 square bales off of 28 acres, first cut.

Good luck with your property!

riptides · Jun 9, 2006

4998 bales on approx. 49 acres. Last cut, last year. Orchard type grasses with mixture of Timothy.

Northern/Central VA.
-Mike Z.

riptides · Jun 9, 2006

4998 bales on approx. 49 acres. Last cut, last year. Orchard type grasses with mixture of Timothy.

Northern/Central VA.
-Mike Z.

HammerFour · Jun 19, 2006

Tons per acre is an easier figure to compare, as most everyones round bales and square bales can all come out different weights based on size of baler and how that baler is adjusted...

Renze · Jun 19, 2006

The 25% length difference of the bales will be due to the driving speed of the baler, or: the amount of hay per stroke. Also most brands of balers have inaccurate rope knotters that dont allways rope to length... 95% of all contractors in my area use Welger small square balers because they are built tougher to withstand 100 PTO hp if needed, never miss a knot and give a more uniform bale length. I dont know which brands of balers you have in Northern america which we dont have in Europe, but neither a NH or a Deutz-Fahr could get close to the performance and dependability of a Welger. (welger round balers arent any better than other makes though)

riptides · Jun 20, 2006

Renze,

..a NH or a Deutz-Fahr could get close to the performance and dependability of a Welger.

I'd like to hear more about tht brand. Is it the preferred baler for your part of Europe? Does it come in only one size? Is it a complete ag-line or just a baler comapny?

-Mike Z.

Renze · Jun 20, 2006

http://www.welger.de/ordner_english/produkte-engl/produkte_m01-e.html

Welger is a German brand that makes conventional, and big square and round balers.
The round balers arent that good but every contractor insists on a Welger small square baler.
They belonged to Lely for some years but they got independent again after a change of company policy at Lely.

I know a contractor that had 2 NH presses, but changed them for 1 Welger. The Welger required a lot less maintenance time and cost so he could run through peak season with just one machine with less downtime. The NH needed knotter rebuild every winter. Another contractor tried Deutz-Fahr, which kept breaking shearbolts, and an NH which put out too many mis-knot bales when the capacity was pushed up a bit.
Another contractor used a 130 hp tractor pulling a Welger, when the air showed thunderstorms were coming so they hurried, they could bring the 130 hp Same tractor on its knees while the Welger was just spitting out bales without breaking shearbolts and very little mis-knotted bales.

Off course these are just some stories you pick up from the headland when baling is done (when you've offered the contractor a beer) but Welger certainly has a good name.