Cutting the last of the hay... finally

[Richnm]

Pretty hay. Very seldom do we have any that looks that nice and green, except alfalfa. We are working on some 2nd cutting orchard grass right now. First cutting was pretty good, although some was a bit late with some rainy weather. This is light but it dried real good as we have had a couple of days of 80's and no humidity. Got about 400 sq bales off maybe 20 acres, so not as good as it could be but this is mostly all "for sale" hay. Or I should say, already sold hay to a couple of regular horse customers. Got a couple more places to cut but it will wait til after the possible weather we might get from Hurricane Dorian. They can't decide where it is going to come ashore, or what path it is going to take....

I made my first ever square bales today. I picked up my share as a kid but never made any. Bought an old Massey 9 last fall for $500 and thought I'd try to make some horse hay for travelling to high school rodeo's this coming fall and spring. I made 27 bales and it was an ordeal. The crop was so heavy the bales were coming out end to end. Some tied and some not. I got a bit of an education pretty fast, not certain I want to learn more. But at $10 per bale I made back over half my investment.

More money in little bales! @$10 per bale = $300-$400 per ton!

 

[farmerjan]

Definitely more money in small sq bales. More in labor too. If you do it by hand, when we can get help, then we have more per bale. Depends greatly on output of field. You can always go to the newer mechanical ways to handle the small sqs. A baler with a "bundler or cuber" will run 35,000 and up... gotta sell alot of small sq bales to do that . There are 2 guys here that have invested in them and do custom work, but it seems with us having short windows to get it done, they are tied up elsewhere, when you need them. Would be good for someone who is doing alfalfa custom small sq bales though.
Just average grass small sq bales here are $5.00 and up. 40-50 lbs. Straight orchard grass are a bit more. We deliver and that adds too but the people are regular customers and pay their bills. Always have someone else wanting hay. This year have major weed problems, think it is related to so much wet last year and early this year. "Sand briers" are terrible. Johnson grass invading one field and the cows like it but the horse customers don't . Too warm here for timothy most years but that is a favorite for hay. We do alot of orchard grass. Have at least 3 fields that we keep in orchard grass, rotating out 1 every few years to renovate with sorghum/sudan and a winter crop of wheat or barley or rye, sometimes put in corn like this year, do a 2 year "clean up" then go back to orchard grass.

 

[Richnm]

I am jealous. The grass hay demand is Extremely high. Timothy sells for $15.00 per small bale. Teff for $10.00 a small bale. Anything "labeled " grass $8.00 and up. Grass does not grow out here. And demand is high

 

[Hardnosecattleco]

I am jealous. The grass hay demand is Extremely high. Timothy sells for $15.00 per small bale. Teff for $10.00 a small bale. Anything "labeled " grass $8.00 and up. Grass does not grow out here. And demand is high

I know I'm selling to family and friends but I'm clearly way under selling my hay holy smokes!

 

[Richnm]

I do to friends and family too !