U$S 25,000 for more haying equipment ?

[Stocker Steve]

Went on the Minnesota Cattlemen's tour today. Equipment rep tried to sell me on a tedder and a rotary rake. Nice stuff, but if I had that much to spend - - an inline bale wrapper would seem more versatile. :dunce: What do you think?

 

[sim.-ang.king]

For 25k you could buy two rollabar rakes, two beater tractors, and hire a couple high school kids to drive them for ya, and still have enough left over to buy a double basket tedder.
But I don't have a BTO mind set, sooo...


:lol:

 

[Aaron]

Wrapper for sure. I don't know why you would even consider a tedder at this latitude.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Tedders are on backorder here. Sounds like people buy a two basket tedder due to drying frustration, and then often upgrade to a bigger more expensive unit. The rep claimed they even worked on legume as long as you tedded within 6 hours of cutting...

Nasty wet in SW Minnesota. Some prevent plant, some standing water, and lots of yellow beans. Saw one prevent plant field with a huge pile of drain tile coils staged on it.

 

[Stocker Steve]

For 25k you could buy two rollabar rakes, two beater tractors, and hire a couple high school kids to drive them for ya, and still have enough left over to buy a double basket tedder.

A fertility and production focus can take you into some dark damp places. Heavy legume stands will not dry, heavy reed canary stands can not be handled with traditional rakes, gear boxes get hot...

A legendary Wisconsin dairy grazing pioneer felt balage was required for a productive grazing operation. He would wrap early rather than clip later. With beef cows you have another option - - cross fence them tight and trample it.

 

[ClinchValley86]

For 25k you could buy two rollabar rakes, two beater tractors, and hire a couple high school kids to drive them for ya, and still have enough left over to buy a double basket tedder.

With beef cows you have another option - - cross fence them tight and trample it.

I am dying to run our cows across the hayfields instead of cut. They are mostly purple with clover blooms right now.

If weather stays wet, I might just do it. Needs to be cut soon. Johnson grass is starting to put up heads.


Back to your post. If I had 25k to spend on hay "toys," I would buy a couple years worth of hay, put it under roof, and graze everything on our farm. Think thats what I want to try and do. Already know I would be more relaxed that way.

 

[Stocker Steve]

So spend the $25K on more fence and cows?

 

[ClinchValley86]

So spend the $25K on more fence and cows?

That may be the outcome of I had the money to play with.

I am only 5 years into this cattle venture, so take this for what you will .

But I am positive we could graze this place entirely and use less than half the hay we have been going through. Running the same amount of cattle at first of course. Just to see how it plays out.

I believe that 2 to 3 years worth of purchased hay would last at least 4 or 5 years. And would eventually end up increasing our head count.

Just my thoughts after running the cattle tight and moving often this year and seeing the forage response.

Hoping to buy a years worth and try it next year.

The ridiculous costs of equipment, fertilizer, lime, seed, and most importantly my time are telling me that resources would be better spent buying hay and grazing more.

The catch for me would be finding a reliable source for decent hay that isn't priced for horses.

Again, just my thought process out loud. I'm sure there will be surprises. Good and bad.

 

[ClinchValley86]

Plus, hay fields would get better and better with each grazing.

It pains me to have healthier pastures than my hayfields. Having put this much money and effort into the hay ground.

 

[Stocker Steve]

At first I thought you should go into consulting. Then I saw you had too many years of practical experience. ;-)

 

[ClinchValley86]

Lol. It just boggles my mind how expensive everything is.

 

[Stocker Steve]

I reordered a $25 item for the first time in a couple years. It is $35 now...

 

[Nesikep]

Plus, hay fields would get better and better with each grazing.

It pains me to have healthier pastures than my hayfields. Having put this much money and effort into the hay ground.

I find manure on the fields as deposited by the cows, harrowed or not, doesn't do a whole lot of good... Manure that's partly composted from corralled cows on the other hand works very well.

I wish I could get rid of my cows for just a couple months over the summer, I could greatly increase my herd, get much more manure, and then I'd be better off... As it stands I have to let my first cut get way over mature to have grazing to get me to the 2nd cut, so I lose a whole lot of production and feed quality there

 

[ClinchValley86]

I would have to say it is plain as day where they've pooped and urinated in the fields. Even in the hay fields, and they've not been on them since this past winter.

Where grass is nibbled shorter, piles definitely take longer to get grown around. But if dropped into taller stuff, it seems to be grown through in 4 to 6 weeks. And is noticeably more vigorous.

But, we are very warm and wet right now. I'm sure that affects it all.

Heard on the radio this morning we are having our 2nd wettest something on record? Should have paid more attention...

 

[Nesikep]

We're usually EXTREMELY dry, so that doesn't help with decomposition and nitrogen absorption.. but this year is an exception.. We usually have about 18" of rain a year, a dry year is 10-12.. We've had 6" of rain in the last month so we're relatively wet as well.. It's unheard of to be able to shut down irrigation for 2 weeks in July!

 

[Stocker Steve]

Walked a pasture with a non traditional producer. He owned a semi and a FEL tractor and lots of cows.
Most of his cows went on rented pasture during the summer. Home place was mined out before he bought it, and now lightly stocked in the summer.
Moved all cows back in the fall, and when the stockpile was gone, he started hauling in purchased roughage with his semi. He fed every weekend because he worked out.
Manure from imported feed built up the home place and it was becoming very productive...


Another half step approach would be to turn out the cows later to make the grass stronger?

 

[ClinchValley86]

Manure from imported feed built up the home place and it was becoming very productive...


Another half step approach would be to turn out the cows later to make the grass stronger?
[/quote]

I've waited a couple weeks extra the last two years to start grazingSeems to be helping a whole lot.

Andthr idea of imported feed stuffs building soils is exactly my reason for wanting to buy instead of make hay. It just makes too much sense to me. Feed it where I need it.

Nesi, im glad we are getting good moisture. Feel for those who aren't. There rain chances every day for the next 10 here.

Neighbor said it rained on the dog days so we will be wet for 6 weeks. I can handle that! May get to graze the hay fields after all!

 

[Stocker Steve]

Most people turn out much too early for peak forage production. That first bite costs you two or three bites later. You just need to have a way to harvest the peak, or be willing to trample forage to generate soil.

Lots of studies are out there on the value of imported hay or byproduct. My experiment this year will be buying in beet byproduct early and feeding it on the ground with my $300 forage box to pairs in some paddocks, while stockpiling other paddocks. I bought some beets late last winter after hay prices spiked, but then I got way too much practice rescuing stuck semis.

 

[ClinchValley86]

Lol, that sounds frustrating.

I am wanting to drill some cool annuals into part of our pastures this fall and stockpile as much as I can. Will be the first time stockpiling with some urea.

Thinking hard on what to plant. Definitely want to include oats and wheat I think. Have thought about a legume and a brassica to kind of round it out. Going to try drilling I to a perennial stand. May be an unrealistic thing to try. Not sure. Thinking on it hard though.

That'll be a thread of its own pretty soon I guess.

 

[5S Cattle]

Wheat, oats, turnips, and crimson clover last year is what i planted for some heifers. Didn't get the best showing but we also barely got any sun last winter. Overcast almost every day after fighting off army worms for the first month. Will try agin this year