buying hay vs. producing it

[farmerjohn]

I also think that applying fertilizer every other year is ridiculous.

Maybe it is, but that's what we've done for years. We generally hay different pastures each year but only one cutting. When I do a soil test in the fertilzer year there are times that the field doesn;t actaully require anything. It is still within the acceptable range for the type of grass/forage being grown on it. It's towards the low end, but still within range.

dun

The original poster was talking hay fields, not a rotation between hay and grazing. I do the same on those types of fields but hay fields that never have cattle on them need nutrients every year.

I am like the guy from east Texas that posted. If you want hay you put out about 400# acre of 23-7-14 for each cutting. This is for coastal bermuda

 

[S.R.R.]

I also think that applying fertilizer every other year is ridiculous.

Not applying fertilizer every year is cost effective, smart, environmentally friendlier, and often times all that the soil requires.
Do not hesitate to test your soil and go with what the results tell you. You should find that you will not have to fertilize every year. At times you may fertilize for two years in a row and then find that the soil is good on that third year and you will not need to fertilize.

Money saved is money made.

 

[farmerjohn]

I also think that applying fertilizer every other year is ridiculous.

Not applying fertilizer every year is cost effective, smart, environmentally friendlier, and often times all that the soil requires.
Do not hesitate to test your soil and go with what the results tell you. You should find that you will not have to fertilize every year. At times you may fertilize for two years in a row and then find that the soil is good on that third year and you will not need to fertilize.

Money saved is money made.

You either have very fertile soil or you know nothing about growing hay. To get both high protein and high production you have no choice but to pour on the fertilizer.
I can skip a year on the fertilizer too but production will be less. My goal is max production from my hayfields. If that is not years then you aren't serious about it anyway

 

[IluvABbeef]

I also think that applying fertilizer every other year is ridiculous.

Not applying fertilizer every year is cost effective, smart, environmentally friendlier, and often times all that the soil requires.
Do not hesitate to test your soil and go with what the results tell you. You should find that you will not have to fertilize every year. At times you may fertilize for two years in a row and then find that the soil is good on that third year and you will not need to fertilize.

Money saved is money made.

You either have very fertile soil or you know nothing about growing hay. To get both high protein and high production you have no choice but to pour on the fertilizer.
I can skip a year on the fertilizer too but production will be less. My goal is max production from my hayfields. If that is not years then you aren't serious about it anyway

I have to agree with SRR on this...we don't fertilize the hayfields EVERY year, it's only done when it's absolutly needed. With our alfalfa, timothy, smooth brome mix, the stands of the grass-legume mix that come up every year, without application of fertilizer, comes up tall, thick, and high-yeilding.

Besides, we have enough headache to buy fertilizer for our 200+ acres of crops we have to sow every year, along with herbicides and pesticides, and since the hay crop has been doing very well with adequate moisture, good N fixation in the legume part of it, and other good growing conditions, we can have a high yeilding, very palatable forage crop...no extra money required.

So yes, money saved IS money earned.

 

[Cowdirt]

I also think that applying fertilizer every other year is ridiculous.

Not applying fertilizer every year is cost effective, smart, environmentally friendlier, and often times all that the soil requires.
Do not hesitate to test your soil and go with what the results tell you. You should find that you will not have to fertilize every year. At times you may fertilize for two years in a row and then find that the soil is good on that third year and you will not need to fertilize.

Money saved is money made.

You either have very fertile soil or you know nothing about growing hay. To get both high protein and high production you have no choice but to pour on the fertilizer.
I can skip a year on the fertilizer too but production will be less. My goal is max production from my hayfields. If that is not years then you aren't serious about it anyway

I have to agree with SRR on this...we don't fertilize the hayfields EVERY year, it's only done when it's absolutly needed. With our alfalfa, timothy, smooth brome mix, the stands of the grass-legume mix that come up every year, without application of fertilizer, comes up tall, thick, and high-yeilding.

Besides, we have enough headache to buy fertilizer for our 200+ acres of crops we have to sow every year, along with herbicides and pesticides, and since the hay crop has been doing very well with adequate moisture, good N fixation in the legume part of it, and other good growing conditions, we can have a high yeilding, very palatable forage crop...no extra money required.

So yes, money saved IS money earned.

You guys and gals in Canada and some northern areas of the U.S. got that rich deposit of topsoil by the glaciers a few years ago that some of us missed. I am really envious of that but then you have to take all that snow. Maybe it all balances out.

 

[IluvABbeef]

Bottom line - with your own land and own hay at least you know what you are feeding your cows. When you buy hay, you rarely know what you're getting.

Good point.

But then, wouldn't you know what's in it if the seller tells ya?

 

[Crowderfarms]

Bottom line - with your own land and own hay at least you know what you are feeding your cows. When you buy hay, you rarely know what you're getting.

Good point.

But then, wouldn't you know what's in it if the seller tells ya?

Unfortunately, Not everyone selling Hay is as Honest as the next.I know some boys that just bought a bunch of rolls sight unseen on the promise of good Hay. Was full of good hay after the sticks, leaves, briars and sage.

 

[IL Rancher]

We have an annual hay field that only needs to be limed but that is because we feed on it all winter. The only thing it needs sometimes is a shot of nitrogen in the middle of summer for the annual millet that we plant but you gotta count that 300 cows for 120 days as fertilizer.. The only reason I know we need no Potash or Phosphate or anyhting else (except maybe some lime every few years) is because we soil tested and I was stunned how fertile the ground was.. Going to try an annual clover this year in that field so hopefully the nitro shot won't be needed in July. We shall see.

As far as the Vermeer 605M.. I have one. You can do better than that price Earl.. I got mine for a lot less than that. You can also shop around for net if you want and you should get closer to 160 bales out of a roll.. WE got 110 bales of Corn stalks out of and it was triple wraped.

 

[preston39]

I am assuming your $20K for the equipment is for used stuff which probably means you need to figure in a little more for maintenance.

I've been reading on the forum that Vermeer with net wrap is the hot baler setup and discovered (rediscovered) that you ain't gonna get no round baler big enough to do any good for nothing. Just priced a Vermeer 605M w/net wrap for $36,000.00 AND the net wrap is $238/roll which will give you enough to do 100 bales (two wraps/bale). Further, hay in my part of Texas is more like $80/bale and up IF you can find any.

So I guess where I'm goin' is if your buyin' your hay instead of baling your own then over the long haul your gonna be ahead with your own equipment. And you can bale when YOU'RE ready, not when someone else has the time.

If you're gonna sell hay you sure need to figure in when everyone has hay your not goin' to command the price you think you need. When no one has hay neither will you.

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Earl..,

We are not in the hay business but, do sell some now and then. We sold 250 bales so far this year with another 100 spoken for.

If we were in the hay selling business we would tarp hay and have it available in lean hay years. We just sold some 5 year old hay that was as nice as when stacked. We decided to clean out the hay stockpiling because of re-locating the storage area and are hoping for another good season this year.

The sale of Five-ten bales delivered to the hobby rancher is the way to go. They don't have the equipment to handle it in most cases. The need time is generally a slow period of the year and labor gives our guys extra earnings.

You should be able to beat that price for a baler. Unless you want NEW. We just bought a like new 4 year old 505 Super I Vermeer baler from a going out of business sale for less that 1/2 the price of a new one. It had only baled 200-250 bales x 4 years. The paint was still on the rollers and it had been stored inside. A net wrap isn't what it is touted to be and nothing can beat inside/tarped hay.