talltimber
Well-known member
I am trying to decide which way to go on buying/purchasing hay. None of it is tested, so we will just use past experiences and seat of the pants reasoning. Here are the options
1. 5x6 bales of rye,orchard grass, timothy, fert., new stand, 30/bale plus transport half = around $32/bale (I will mow it with my rig, taking that value off the hay price. I drive others tractor raking while he bales, trading my raking labor off with half the hay transport to my place, so I will have some additional time in on it)
2. Make my own hay, fescue with probably a small to med amount of wild clover in it. It will cost at least 100/ac for fert. If I make 4 bales an acre, that's 11.75 (mow, rake and bale, counting my mowing it in there, family discount on baling at 8/bale) + 25= 37.75/ bale 5x5.5
Purchase outside last years hay currently at the following three sources, have not seen any of it so don't know the density, weeds, fert? etc:
3. 5x5 net, barn, mixed grass, delivery available, 25/bale
4. 5x5.5 net, barn, fescue, 35/bale
I anticipate these last two getting cheaper as time goes on, if it doesn't sell first.
If orchard grass, timothy, and ryegrass is as good or better than fescue/clover then I'm thinking that's the better route for new hay. Cheaper than making it here, and I still have my hay ground for backgrounding my calves this summer. I will have some area for the calves if I do make my own, but may play out in the middle of summer.
What do you all think? What do you know about #1 option hay mix vs fescue/clover?
1. 5x6 bales of rye,orchard grass, timothy, fert., new stand, 30/bale plus transport half = around $32/bale (I will mow it with my rig, taking that value off the hay price. I drive others tractor raking while he bales, trading my raking labor off with half the hay transport to my place, so I will have some additional time in on it)
2. Make my own hay, fescue with probably a small to med amount of wild clover in it. It will cost at least 100/ac for fert. If I make 4 bales an acre, that's 11.75 (mow, rake and bale, counting my mowing it in there, family discount on baling at 8/bale) + 25= 37.75/ bale 5x5.5
Purchase outside last years hay currently at the following three sources, have not seen any of it so don't know the density, weeds, fert? etc:
3. 5x5 net, barn, mixed grass, delivery available, 25/bale
4. 5x5.5 net, barn, fescue, 35/bale
I anticipate these last two getting cheaper as time goes on, if it doesn't sell first.
If orchard grass, timothy, and ryegrass is as good or better than fescue/clover then I'm thinking that's the better route for new hay. Cheaper than making it here, and I still have my hay ground for backgrounding my calves this summer. I will have some area for the calves if I do make my own, but may play out in the middle of summer.
What do you all think? What do you know about #1 option hay mix vs fescue/clover?