What to do with my grass

[Adam33]

I couldnt find a better forum but I hope I can get some help here. I have about ten acres and 8 of the ten have very good bermuda growing on it. i dont live on the property and live about 110 miles away and hae =ve been hesitant to put any animals on it.

I dont have any experience farming or ranching but over the last three years have ben working on my place and have acquired some eqipment and maintain the place. I have also been building a house that is very near completion.

During the summer I use a bush hog to cut the very nice bermuda that just goes to waste. The ground is not very level in some spots and has a few trees here and there and nobody has ever taken me up on my offer to come and take it.

Can somebody explain the process of bailing and how expensive is it to get into? What type of equipment is needed? Are there older outdated pieces of equipment available that can be purchased reasonably. There always seems to be a market for the grass.

Question- If I am going to cut it and leave it is there a better way to cut the grass that makes a finer cut and distributes the cutttings without the clumping that occurs with the hog.

Question-How would you handle it?

It probably is a non issue and I should just let it go. Some how it just bothers me. I have a Ford 4600

 

[Egon]

For 8 acres it's probably too expensive to get into baling.

Check with your neighbours and find out why they do not want the grass. Perhaps there are things you could do to make the grass more attractive for them.

 

[ToadHill]

It might pay off to check with several people in the area to see if they want to hay it for you. Even if they can't afford to pay for the hay, at least you can keep the fields looking good and it won't cost you anything.

If you don't do anything with these fields they will eventually become weed patches.

 

[Western]

I would try the closes feed store, some times they will bale it for sale or they may give you a name of some one that bales hay.

I've done it by the halves, or paid a per bale fee to have mine done before and I had over 200 acres of grass at the time, but I didn't feel the investment of bailing equipment was feasible. You will need a cutter, ( I like the rotory), a rake and either a round or square baler.

If you get soil samples and fertilize, you will make better money on good clean square bales for horses but you will need a dry place to store them, hay barn.

 

[kossetx]

People in the country can be strange.

The cost of hay equipment is way to high for this size tract, even used. I would get the field in good hay and would keep beating the bushes and sooner or later you'll find someone who will take the hay. Even then, don't give it away because it is your land and land isn't cheap. See if you can get 5.00/bale for round bales. Talk to your extention agent and see what he says about costs and people to hay.

Good luck.

 

[hudr]

Not trying to be rude, but 8 acres is usually not worth hauling in the equipment. If it is a real good meadow, you will probably only get 10-15 or so bales (5x6 rolls). Best way would be to catch someone baling a nearby (tractor driving distance) meadow and see if they would cut yours "while they are there".
Also bear in mind if you cut the hay and sell it, you are hauling off all those nutrients that it took to grow the grass. So eventually, without fertilizer, the meadow will only grow goatweed and maybe bahia.

 

[PA hayseed]

If you don't live there, and your not putting animals on it, my suggestion is to get someone with a sod cutter to come in and cut it up for resale.

I'm not trying to be smart, but sod/grass is expensive, and there is always some new develpment going in that needs it. If your not farming or ranching it, it seems like it is just maintenance - and a distance to get to. If your building a new house, you could transfer the sod to your place, and not pay to have some trucked in or seed and wait.

just thought i'd throw in a different idea. FWIW.

 

[dixiedrifter]

Its not worth fooling with if its 110 miles away.

Put you up a sign that says "free hay" and your phone number.

Let someone else deal with the mowing and maintenance.