Hay

cricket2075 · #1 07/06/08, 12:28 PM

Wanted to pick everyone's brain out there. I own 30 acres in western pa. I have been renting approx 10 acres to a local farmer for 20 years. I would like to look into the possibility of growing my own hay, but have no intention of baling it myself. The farmer would cut and bale it for me next year. Would I need to plant it in the fall? There is corn on there now. How would I get started? Thanks for any input!!!!

CowgirlGloria · #2 07/06/08, 12:33 PM

Are you wanting to raise alfalfa or a grass hay?

cricket2075 · #3 07/06/08, 01:49 PM

grass hay for horses. We have 4 horses, goats and sheep. A nice grass mix, timothy, etc. is what I usually buy. Last year I used approx 900 bales!

Jalopy · #4 07/06/08, 04:14 PM

My suggestion is to put in the hay next spring with a nurse crop. (I.E. OATS)You can either drill or broadcast the seed on worked ground or have it no=till drilled into standing corn stalks. If hay is your primary goal then cut the nurse crop just as soon as it heads out and get it out of the way for the primary hay crop to get sunlight. I guess I would put a small amount of a legume with the grass seed to aid in nitrogen fixation which will increase the hay yield. If it is corn now that will not be harvested soon enough to get grass started this fall. I would also suggest a soil test to see if ph level is correct and what nutrients might be needed. BTW the oat hay you harvest would have value so you can use it or sell it and use that money to offset the establishment cost for your hay.

rambler · #5 07/06/08, 09:38 PM

If he used a grass killer on his corn this spring, you might want to wait until next spring to plant a grass crop. Some of those, such as Dual, will linger in the ground for a few months, keeping grasses from sprouting. Which is a good thing if you grow corn & beans, but not so good for a non-corn grass crop......

In many states you need to let the renter know he no longer will have the land the following year by September of this year. Or he will have his seed, fert, etc bought, and you pull the rug out from under him. Probably not an issue for you, but you can see it is a good idea to mention this to him well before next spring!

Here in MN you are often harvesting corn after several killing frosts, or even in snow. So planting after the corn harvest in fall is not possible. A fall planting in August (after peas, sweetcorn, or oats/wheat) works very well. Perhaps you climate is warm enough for this to work after corn harvest.

--->Paul

DaleK · #6 07/06/08, 09:44 PM

The only way you could seed in the fall after corn here is if it was taken off as corn silage, and it would still have to be kind of early. Pennsylvania is a bit warmer than here, but not much. Make sure the farmer knows NOW what's going on (with fert prices where they are lots of people are booking now) then seed next spring.

Sammy · #7 07/07/08, 05:11 AM

If you are not going to put the hay up yourself, how do you plan to have it done, if the farmer does not want too ?

If he is okay with it, why can't you buy the seed and pay him to put it in for you ?

Why can't you take hay in trade for the rent of your 10 acres ?