How can you make any money selling bermuda hay?

[Alan L.]

Fertilizer cost alone seems out of whack. Everything I read says bermuda hay needs 46 pounds of nitrogen per ton of hay. Thats 2 round bales that will sell for $50 to $70. The fertilizer alone, if you use 13-13-13 (which you of course wouldn't use after inital planting) is about $14.50 for 100 pounds, or $51 to make 46 pounds (46/13*$14.50).

I suppose high nitrogen fertiler might be cheaper, but 13-13-13 is all I have priced, for the initial planting. I'm still trying to figure out how much to use. Don't have time for a soil test, if I want to start it this year.

I am doing common bermuda with seed, as I don't know how to do sprigs and don't have the equipment to sprig a hybrid, and haven't found any one who wants to fool with my measley 8 to 10 acres broken up by about 15 mesquite and cedar trees, a road and 1-acre tank (pond).

Anyway, just in the process of figuring out how much fertilzer is needed, it seems awfully expensive considering potential revenues. The only reason I am doing it is to maintain my ag exemption for property tax, otherwise I'd just keep the pasture I have now.

 

[cowboydoc]

Anyway, just in the process of figuring out how much fertilzer is needed, it seems awfully expensive considering potential revenues.


/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif /forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif Welcome to the world of farming Alan! High inputs and low return. Story of a farmer/ranchers life. Although prices have been good of late if they stay there. As far as what you need I would get a soil sample first. You have to start there. If you don't you really are just guessing and probably throwing money away.

 

[Alan L.]

cowboydoc, I know getting a soil analysis is good advice, and I may try to get it done anyway, at the cost of getting my bermuda planted late. Thanks.

 

[cowboydoc]

Alan,

If you already have pasture why not just get a couple feeder cattle and run on it and sell them when the grass quits growing in the fall. You might not make alot but you won't lose anything either.

 

[Robert_in_NY]

That sounds good, also saves him a lot by not having to buy/rent any hay equipment.

 

[ljh2]

doc,
Assuming of course that he already has a fence and an available water supply. Otherwise it might keep him in the red. /forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif

 

[Robert_in_NY]

Putting up a fence will be considerably cheaper then buying the equipment needed to hay the land. Drilling a well might cost as much as getting the ground brought up to specs for good hay. After the initial investment he is set to raise beef. With hay he has the constant investment to maintain the soil. It will come down to what he wants to do. Set a few animals on his land and let them raise themselves, or go out there and play in the nice warm sun getting the hay in. (I would go the hay route as I have the equipment and if I didn't I do have access to it).

Only downside to the animals is that you have to make sure they stay healthy which is not hard if you keep an eye on them and can notice if anything changes in their pattern or behavior.

 

[Alan L.]

Well, this pasture happens to be our front "yard". I have no problem with raising cows, I've done it on a small scale before. However, I don't yet have a fence, and I'm not really crazy about the cows getting in the tank (pond) and muddying it up, as I know cows like to do in the hot sun.

Let me tell the other thing that bothers me. I get attached to the calves and feel bad about taking them away from the Mommas and selling them for slaughter. I did it a long time ago and didn't like it, although I eat as much beef as the next guy. I've thought about horses, but they seem to be alot more trouble and require a lot more care.

When it comes down to it, I'm just trying to keep my ag exemption. If I don't make a profit its OK, I just don't see how anyone can make a profit at it with the cost of fertilzer the way it is.

I guess I could go ahead and plant the bermuda, and run cows on it at some time in the future if I'm of a mind too.

Thanks for the information guys.

 

[Junkman]

can you lease it out and still keep the exemption? /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif

 

[riptides]

Can you plant some government program crop? I seem to recall a few years back, some man in black offered to plant soybeans, due to some corn issue in our area. Weird.

Rumor or factoid? It was suppose to help both parties.

-Mike Z. /forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif