Small Hay Field Idea to cut?

HOTW · #1 06/23/13, 11:38 AM

So we just closed last month on our small farm and I am pondering the hay field and came up with the idea ot trim it with a field trimmer. Would this work? I am talking the line trimmer that looks like a mower they cost about $300, I'm thinking it would be a way I can do the work by hand without a huge layout for a tractor yet. Does this sound feasible? I was thinking of building a small hand baler to bale the hay so it doesn't go to waste until we get critters. Does this sound feasible? Any suggestions? Right now I get ot the property about 2x a month(mother lives there) until I can get there FT. I just feel it is a waste to let all that hay just sit there when wemight be able to make use of it in the furture.

Tabitha · #2 06/23/13, 12:44 PM

How big is this small hayfield? Hay does not need to be baled to be put up. You can put it up loose. You need a hay rake.

BlackWillowFarm · #3 06/23/13, 01:10 PM

Depending on the size of the field, there might be someone nearby with the equipment to get it baled for you. They usually get half of the field as compensation. I'm lucky to have people with equipment nearby who will cut and bale for me. I have a four acre field I get done and pay the farmer per acre and per bale. Maybe you could find someone to do that for your field.

HOTW · #4 06/23/13, 01:46 PM

There is a farmer who did it for the previous owner but only once per year in the fall. I would like to do it more often but until we sell our present house we are carrying 2 homes so we can't afford to sink money into a tractor until we sell our US house.The field is probably about 5 acres an dI would like to sell handmade bales as a novelty to locals who would go for that for Halloween etc. We are trying to find a lot of ways to diversify our income from th efarm. Most of th efields around are corn crop and th efarmer who has been haying th efield has been paying th eprevious owner some cash to hay. I just feel that if I can find a way to do this without breaking the bank while we try to reassemble th efmily in one locale it would be worth it. The barn is not an option to use right now as it has about 30 tonsof hay rotting in the loft I have to clear out, but we do have a shed I can use that is dry

FarmboyBill · #5 06/23/13, 02:24 PM

Look on U Tubes for Home made hay bailers. Also look at making hay by hand. IF yolu do try to do 5 acres by hand, I bet youll find a way to get a tractor, Which you could get here from one side or the other $1000, and a mower $200, and rake $200

fordy · #6 06/23/13, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HOTW

There is a farmer who did it for the previous owner but only once per year in the fall. I would like to do it more often but until we sell our present house we are carrying 2 homes so we can't afford to sink money into a tractor until we sell our US house.The field is probably about 5 acres an dI would like to sell handmade bales as a novelty to locals who would go for that for Halloween etc. We are trying to find a lot of ways to diversify our income from th efarm. Most of th efields around are corn crop and th efarmer who has been haying th efield has been paying th eprevious owner some cash to hay. I just feel that if I can find a way to do this without breaking the bank while we try to reassemble th efmily in one locale it would be worth it. The barn is not an option to use right now as it has about 30 tonsof hay rotting in the loft I have to clear out, but we do have a shed I can use that is dry

...............Why not allow the farmer to cut your hay now , and in the fall , keep 100% , IF he will remove and dispose of ALL the rotting hay in the barn ? , fordy

HOTW · #7 06/23/13, 02:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fordy

...............Why not allow the farmer to cut your hay now , and in the fall , keep 100% , IF he will remove and dispose of ALL the rotting hay in the barn ? , fordy

No one wants to touch it it's been there 30-40 years.... The previous woner got a quote of $20,000 to remove it ..not going there..its my project to help me getin shape...

FarmboyBill · #8 06/23/13, 04:05 PM

O, I think you cut 5 acres by hand, and hand rake it, and pick it up. You wont worry about what shape yourin

farmerDale · #9 06/23/13, 04:35 PM

Have you talked to the farmer who has been haying it? He may be open to all kinds of options if you talk to him. Work something out, don't be shy...

edcopp · #10 06/23/13, 04:37 PM

First things first. Clean out the barn, and fix it so the roof does not leak. Then you will have a place to store some hay.

Let the guy who is cutting the hay now keep on cutting it. He can pay you for that or, you may take part of the hay that he cuts in payment. You will need a dry place to store that hay.

The barn loft will not clean itself out, so get to it.

Darren · #11 06/23/13, 04:45 PM

The hay in the loft represents a soil amendment or possible mushroom bed ,material. When you work on it wear a good dust mask. Is there somewhere near that you can get horse manure without a lot of sawdust or straw mixed in?

fishhead · #12 06/23/13, 05:08 PM

When you remove hay from a field you are removing nutrients that you will have to replace. What about just cutting it once a year and letting it go back to the soil to keep the weeds and trees down?

$20,000 to remove 30 tons of rotten hay sounds like the person wasn't interested even if they were going to haul it away for that price. I'd gladly pitch that out of the barn by hand for that amount of money or I'd use some of the money to buy a tractor with a front end loader.

CesumPec · #13 06/23/13, 05:12 PM

I would love to be able to haul away all that old hay. it would make great strawberry mulch, compost.

WoolyBear · #14 06/23/13, 05:27 PM

We just had our 5?acre field done yesterday. 12 4x5 round bales. We have a working relationship with the young man to make it. He does the cutting, raking, baling and we keep one bale (I only have rabbits to feed right now). He has a large dairy farm and can use the hay more than us.
Not sure how many cuttings your land is giving. With ours we cut in June and if we can get good rains thru the summer we can get a second cutting.
I'd say get your farmer to make the hay for himself this year. This way you all will get to know each other. And you may find a mentor as you get your homestead started.

BlackWillowFarm · #15 06/23/13, 05:53 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HOTW

There is a farmer who did it for the previous owner but only once per year in the fall. I would like to do it more often but until we sell our present house we are carrying 2 homes so we can't afford to sink money into a tractor until we sell our US house.The field is probably about 5 acres an dI would like to sell handmade bales as a novelty to locals who would go for that for Halloween etc. We are trying to find a lot of ways to diversify our income from th efarm. Most of th efields around are corn crop and th efarmer who has been haying th efield has been paying th eprevious owner some cash to hay. I just feel that if I can find a way to do this without breaking the bank while we try to reassemble th efmily in one locale it would be worth it. The barn is not an option to use right now as it has about 30 tonsof hay rotting in the loft I have to clear out, but we do have a shed I can use that is dry

I see a few options here using the farmer who already cuts the field.

Find out if he's interested in taking half instead of cash. If not, sell it out of the field to the locals. Then you can pay him for his work. See if he'll bale it all summer and not just the fall. You will get a lot of hay off a five acre field. Well, maybe. If it's all weeds then not so much, but you get the idea. You can run a free ad on Craigslist to sell it. If you have good hay, the folks who come for first cutting might want second and third cutting too. Ask them.

Have the farmer leave a row or two for you to stack by hand to sell to the people interested in having their hay hand stacked.

People might be interested in the rotten hay in the barn for compost. If it's still baled you could move it out fast enough. If not, I don't envy the work you have ahead you.

Just to give you an idea, I paid $127.00 to the farmer who raked and baled my hay. A friend cut it first and didn't charge me but we trade favors to each other. I got about $700 - $800 worth of hay for my $127.00.

You should be able to work something out that won't cost you anything and if it goes well, you'll pocket some money instead with very little work on your part.

Michael W. Smith · #16 06/23/13, 11:03 PM

How quickly do you think you can cut, rake, and "bale" hay by hand? It's going to be alot slower than you think, and right now is probably the proper time to cut it and bale it. Wait much longer, and it isn't going to be good for much.

But you have to determine if you are ever going to need that hay. Not much use in going to all that work when you aren't ready for it. You don't say what kind of shed you have - but the hay has to be kept off the floor. A dirt/stone/cement floor will mold hay very quickly unless you put it up on pallets. But seeing you don't have any animals yet, what's the rush?

I agree, you need to get a new roof / at the least FIX the roof of the barn, and then work on getting the old hay out of the barn. Quickest way would probably be to chuck it out a window / door. If there are none, make your own. Remove some of the side boards, hook up something to keep the hay from falling right against your barn building, and push/shove/throw/pitch all that old hay out. Let if land in a pile (again, DO NOT let it pile up against the barn) and you can let nature reduce that pile into compost.

Down the road when you are ready to get hay off the field yourself, once it's baled (and all those nutrients leave your field), put some of it back with all that compost.

Molly Mckee · #17 06/24/13, 12:51 AM

It sounds like you might have better things to do with your time than cut and bale 5 acres of hay that you don't need by hand. Hay has to be made in a timely manor to have much value, unless you are planning to spend several weeks at a time on the farm all you will have is junk hay. I'm betting you give up before you make much hay, you are talking about a lot of work.

bja105 · #18 06/24/13, 05:50 AM

Get yourself some girls with rakes. easy.

rod44 · #19 06/24/13, 06:07 AM

Wow! That looks like the hard way to make hay!

BigHenTinyBrain · #20 06/24/13, 06:21 AM

We've used one of those big trimmers to cut a field before. It works... kind of. But if you don't have animals, and you don't already have people interested in buying hand baled hay (seriously? I think that's a dream) as a novelty, I'd look for a cheap alternative. Cut it and let it compost, trade with someone who can do the work and needs the hay, something.

I really doubt you'll get many people interested in buying hand baled boutique hay if there are locals who bale by machine and have hay available. In my experience most people want cheap straw or hay bales for decoration, and appropriately graded quality hay for feed. A trimmer won't make high quality hay (from experience), and it's a lot of work to cut and bale by hand for an iffy prospect of sale.