I am trying to quit... but then I cut back the stocking rate just in time for the rains to come back.
So I made about 5 acres of small squares for the calves in June. Had problems with the tractor, the swather conditioner and the baler. Put new fuel filters on the tractor, junked out the conditioner, and borrowed another baler. A lot of running... This line of horse **** line of haying equipment cost 2400+1300+500+700+450= $5350. Should have spent about $12K. I think a middlin mechanic can get by with modest haying equipment but you really have to like doing it.
The cows pounded down some pretty tall stuff in July. This upset a couple of the neighbors, but one said he kind of liked the blue (chicory) flowers.
I had a custom guy make about 250 bales of cow hay and 100 bales of oats straw in August. Had a different custom guy chop and bales about 120 bales of corn stalks in November. Then I bought in the rest of the hay.
Grazed the sorghum sudan from late July to mid September. Upset another neighbor by not chopping "all that feed".
All this grazing gave me more time to work on the old swathers that I still use for clipping Canada thistle and cutting grain. This alone is a part time job in mid summer.
* A profit approach would be to graze everything at least once in the spring, make some small squares for sale after the June rains stop, and then start stockpiling grass for fall.*