Hay 2021!

[southernultrablack]

last year I got hooked on trying to make good hay. It's kind of addictive, like owning cattle! I know it's probably not the most profitable of ventures, but I take pride in having good feed for my cattle. This is going to be my first cutting, ryegrass and crimson clover. Hopefully followed by Sorghum Sudan, Sunn Hemp and Red Ripper cowpeas. All will be wrapped as baleage.

 

[sstterry]

Good hay can probably be more profitable than cattle.

 

[wbvs58]

That clover in it looks good.

Ken

 

[1982vett]

last year I got hooked on trying to make good hay. It's kind of addictive, like owning cattle! I know it's probably not the most profitable of ventures, but I take pride in having good feed for my cattle. This is going to be my first cutting, ryegrass and crimson clover. Hopefully followed by Sorghum Sudan, Sunn Hemp and Red Ripper cowpeas. All will be wrapped as baleage.

Haven't puta pencil to it lately, but I think good hay is well worth the effort, especially in the south. My cows get hay and whatever is in the pastures....for the most part. I did put out some range meal for a few weeks last October after the dry fall and a killing frost. Made me feel better, still some left in a couple bunks.

The balance is, if I don't have to buy feed to supplement I can put that $ into better quality hay... winter pastures and a decent hay quality works for me. You also need to consider the cost of winter pasture too. It's gotten to expensive to grow as I once did also.

 

[4hfarms]

Guy I get good fertilized, weed free hay from, cuts from his 100ac. He makes way more $ then his farming neighbors... just bought a new Deere 2 years ago, cash. And this year, a new baler.

 

[ARS]

Looks great @southernultrablack!

I get the love for hay - you sound just like my husband. He says if he could only keep one aspect of the farm, it would be making hay, no question. It's been awesome seeing his efforts over the years and watching him turn old overgrown brushy land into beautiful fields of hay. Also, to echo ssterry, good hay can definitely be very profitable.

 

[Dave]

I am jealous. The grass in my fields is about 2 inches tall. We are about 3 months away from making hay.

 

[JParrott]

I'm tempted about every year to sell the herd and use about 75 acres to make hay with. Even at 3.5 tons/7 bales to an acre selling at $50 a bale one cutting a year, I'd make more money than I do on cattle. However, time is the one thing I can't come up with.

 

[1982vett]

Guy I get good fertilized, weed free hay from, cuts from his 100ac. He makes way more $ then his farming neighbors... just bought a new Deere 2 years ago, cash. And this year, a new baler.

Takes a lot of "profit" to pay for that new equipment....the more you use it the faster it wears out too.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Couple inches??? My grass hasn't started growing!! Clover is showing some tiny little round leaves popping out of the ground! Had a dusting of snow yesterday - and it's sunny and 50's today.

 

[Atimm693]

We tried a mix of sunn hemp and green graze (sorghum sudan hybrid) last year, the hemp never really amounted to anything in several fields, not sure why. Probably won't try it again.

We've been planting the sudan for a couple years now, makes some good baleage.

 

[chevytaHOE5674]

We still have a bit of snow to melt, 4" of fresh over the weekend, lot of frost still in the ground. Still 6+ weeks from growing grass UP here.

 

[TJSideBiz]

We haven't had but maybe a couple inches of rain all winter and we can barely see any green in the pasture. Gonna have to start irrigating already.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I did put a pencil to it and haying is a difficult way to make money here. I can buy good heifer hay for $90/ton plus delivery. Junk cow hay is about $70/ton.

We have three common types of haying operations here:
- Run simple old equipment, do their own maintenance, and rent some stumpage. These guys cash flow but usually don't charge for their time.
- Run newer equipment, hire some maintenance, and fertilize. These guys usually don't make a profit since they don't make enough tonnage to cover the overhead. Depreciation and maintenance are killers.
- Run newer equipment, renovate stands, and sell into a niche market like dairy or horses. They guys can make a profit. A lot of management is required.