gertman
Well-known member
Considering baling my own hay next year instead of buying, I'll have to buy a round baler, mower, tedder, and rake any options or features on the above equipment you all feel are must haves?
45-50 acresgabby":woyq0c4y said:How many acres?
Ryegrass and bermuda, maybe millet.HAY MAKER":1ri7t7po said:What type of hay are you considering,cane type or the Bermudas ?............good luck
gertman":1fynatxn said:Considering baling my own hay next year instead of buying, I'll have to buy a round baler, mower, tedder, and rake any options or features on the above equipment you all feel are must haves?
gertman":3pzoirub said:45-50 acresgabby":3pzoirub said:How many acres?
You don't have enough acres to do,that it would pay to own your own equipment.Let someone else make the payments on the equipment.gertman":1yp8d8ul said:45-50 acresgabby":1yp8d8ul said:How many acres?
gertman":3n8a1lao said:Ryegrass and bermuda, maybe millet.HAY MAKER":3n8a1lao said:What type of hay are you considering,cane type or the Bermudas ?............good luck
regenwether":2s4cxeb4 said:Dun, How do you like using a hay tedder? They really not used much in this area. I'm starting to see more of them. This was a good year for them. It seemed like we never got that extra day we needed for hay drying(rain).
Jogeephus":1x8xs1t9 said:The extension service will say you can't come out growing your own - its cheaper to buy it. This may be true if you use hay as a filler but if you are feeding feed quality hay it is not. Had I listened to them I'd be in a real bind this year like many are. True, the drought hurt my production but I have plenty of good quality hay to feed and am in a position to purchase more cows since many are dumping due to lack of feed. Personally, I think you are doing right by raising your own - if your intent is to raise feed quality hay and you already have a tractor. Half the stuff people sell for hay is merely filler that I wouldn't feed to a horse. If you could get someone to custom bale it, this would be a viable option. But will he be able to come when the hay is at its highest nutritional value. Probably not. He'll probably get to yours when he has finished his and your hay quality will suffer.
The one thing I would seriously consider is your ability to drop everything and cut hay when its ready. You can't schedule the weather. Other than that, I'd look for a used mower, tedder and rake but get a new or nearly new baler. The one thing you don't won't to break is the baler since you got too much time and money invested by the time you hook up to this. To me, its pure foolishness to buy a wore out baler - unless you are a mechanic.
You will find that there is a lot to learn about raising hay. It is a crop and there is a lot to learn about it. It can be frustrating, expensive, time consuming, interesting but above all rewarding. To me, it is one of the hardest jobs I ever loved. To me, there is nothing better than to cut the strings off a bale of hay in December and smell spring! ;-)