The more I learn …

[Southernspeed]

The more I realise how little I know!
We are going to attempt to hay ( for horses) 15 acres of horse pasture this summer. Several acres were hayfield in the past ( before I lived here) and have some green grass all year round although I have no idea what.
My plan was to over seed it all with orchard grass but now I’m reading that orchard grass is dormant all summer? If that’s the case, what type of grass gives 2nd,3rd and sometimes even 4th cuts around here? (VA) I thought I was buying orchard grass hay all these years!
And on a totally different topic, where is a good source for hay equipment spare ? (Tines, bearings, sicklebar spares, baler parts, even twine! ) It would be good to find one general outlet for that sort of stuff.
As always, I’m very grateful for all your help!

 

[MossRoad]

It never hurts to talk to your local county extension agent. They've been there for decades and know what types of crops grow in their locations better than anybody. That applies universally across the country. They have contacts for seed, fertilizer, equipment rental, equipment exchange, equipment co-ops, etc... well worth a call.

 

[Southernspeed]

It never hurts to talk to your local county extension agent. They've been there for decades and know what types of crops grow in their locations better than anybody. That applies universally across the country. They have contacts for seed, fertilizer, equipment rental, equipment exchange, equipment co-ops, etc... well worth a call.

Thanks. I’ve been talking ( a lot) to our local Southern States rep. He’s been more than helpful ( picking up a whole bunch of fertiliser,seed etc tomorrow or later today if the rain stops. I just like to get a few different ideas, especially when it comes to horse’s hay.
The next county rents out a seed drill I’d love to use but they don’t allow it to go out of county and we don’t have one here. I will ask him later though, maybe he knows of one. Thanks.

 

[zzvyb6]

I would wait until you have running machinery & have succeeded in producing hay bales from it before you address the field contents. I cut & bale 'weeds' (no extra special plantings) with great success & happy customers. The vets say it's the best for horses (unless heavily worked). Customer horses eat every tiny single piece.

Then when you know how it all goes, you have the weather, help, transport, breakdowns, drying time, and storage needs all figured out, then incrementally add acreage, fertilizer, and new plants.

First thing I would suggest this spring is to mow down all the old weed plants, saplings, ant hills, and remove rocks, tree limbs and trash from your fields. You don't want a mower to see junk and your horses to eat wild rose bushes, etc. I use a finish mower to do this on a new field. I've even controlled burned a field on occasion. I use a leaf blower to control (i.e.stop) the burn front. But be careful, some fertilizers or PH modifiers don't taste good to horses. Cows, OK. Not horses.

Machinery is found on FB Marketplace, Craigslist, auctions, and can even be borrowed if you get along with neighbors. Most of my stuff is almost as old as I am (except for the tractor, which has to run NOW, not when it needs a new starter or a tire blew out.. I get parts from TSC, Rural King, and my New Holland & John Deere dealer(s) as necessary.

A decent set of battery powered tools is recommended to change broken knives, rake teeth, loose bolts, on the fly in case there is a breakdown. This means sockets, extra nuts & bolts (do not reuse old rusty or stretched ones.

I get help from customers: They need hay ? I need it picked up because I don't store it anymore. They get a break on price.

 

[Hay Dude]

The more I realise how little I know!
We are going to attempt to hay ( for horses) 15 acres of horse pasture this summer. Several acres were hayfield in the past ( before I lived here) and have some green grass all year round although I have no idea what.
My plan was to over seed it all with orchard grass but now I’m reading that orchard grass is dormant all summer? If that’s the case, what type of grass gives 2nd,3rd and sometimes even 4th cuts around here? (VA) I thought I was buying orchard grass hay all these years!
And on a totally different topic, where is a good source for hay equipment spare ? (Tines, bearings, sicklebar spares, baler parts, even twine! ) It would be good to find one general outlet for that sort of stuff.
As always, I’m very grateful for all your help!

I like an endophyte free fescue for a hearty, drought tolerant grass.
You can probably find spare parts at a used ag equipment salvage yard. We have many around here. If you call a local New Holland dealer and tell them you are looking for older equipment spare parts, they will probably give you a few leads if they don’t have any.

 

[sea2summit]

Can't help on your field other than what Moss said, go talk to the local extension office.

For parts if it can't be found through Shoup, Agzaga, or Messicks you probably don't need it.

 

[gary49]

There’s an Agri Supply in Petersburg, Va. that makes TSC stores look tiny. If you want to have a look at what you’re buying, it might be worth a road trip. You can but buy online from them as well. it’s less than 2 hours from Free Union, in Albemarle County.

 

[Hay Dude]

I was just in Central/Southern VA (Harpers Ferry, Lexington).
Nuthin BUT bankrupt hay farms down there.
Should be super easy in your area to find used hay equipment cheap.

 

[Southernspeed]

There’s an Agri Supply in Petersburg, Va. that makes TSC stores look tiny. If you want to have a look at what you’re buying, it might be worth a road trip. You can but buy online from them as well. it’s less than 2 hours from Free Union, in Albemarle County.

I’ve dealt with them but never been there. I’ll take a look.

 

[Southernspeed]

I was just in Central/Southern VA (Harpers Ferry, Lexington).
Nuthin BUT bankrupt hay farms down there.
Should be super easy in your area to find used hay equipment cheap.

You’d think so! Don’t know where they’re advertising it though.