Cut my own hay or buy in??

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Dora5

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Hi everyone, for the last few years I've been getting a friend in to cut my 1.5 acre field for hay, it was going ok until last year when it was so wet that he couldn't cut it til september (my field is small beans compared to what he usually does so prob did mine last), which meant the horses were in their winter grazing til then and went into the summer grazing after the hay had been cut for about 2 months then back into winter paddock (winter paddock is drier and smaller). So- after only getting 58 bales, I'm thinking its not worth it seeing as I've had to put hay in the field this winter due to lack of grass. So should I not bother this year? Sorry for huge post!!
 
I think the last year was exceptional. In previous years if it was worth your time/money to make your own, then I would do so again this year.
 
Its difficult cos what if we get a bad summer again? I only got 58 bales last year but normally get 80ish but its a fine line between having 24hr turn out sooner and for longer and buying hay for winter or trying to keep them going in winter paddock til mid summer where there's no grass
 
I have a couple of friends who have had their fields cut for hay and they are always unhappy with the result.The people cutting it are always late and by the time you have paid for fertilizer and baleing its not that much cheaper.
I have 14 acres and unless I decide to have no horses I will buy it in. I always budget for it and buy from a couple of diffferent sources so I can choose the quality.
 
Dora5 said:
Its difficult cos what if we get a bad summer again? I only got 58 bales last year but normally get 80ish but its a fine line between having 24hr turn out sooner and for longer and buying hay for winter or trying to keep them going in winter paddock til mid summer where there's no grass
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It depends a bit on what you pay to have hay made. For smaller acreages, I honestly think that grass on the ground is better 'value' than making hay/haylage. If you can shut up some of your acreage in September and 'save' it for winter grazing, you'll use less hay. If the extra acre or two is available in the spring, you'll use less hay. So I would manage your fields for the best grazing possible and buy in some hay at the right time (ideally off the field.)
 
JanetGeorge- I'm thinking that I may do that. I'm not sure my winter paddock will be able to cope for much longer! How much do people normally pay for hay off the field? I think including fertalising I paid aboout 2.20 per bale last year to have mine cut but have had to buy in around 40 extra bales as our winter grazing ran out so quickly cos I couldn't rest it for long
 
We sell hay from the field at £2 (different area though).

You'll always pay over the odds for people to come and make small fields for you as a lot of the cost is bringing the kit to you (which is the same whether you have 1.5 acreas or 1500 acres) and the fact the kit is tied up for a few days (hence why you'll always be done last/ in not ideal weather).

We make about 8 acres but we have all the kit ourselves so we can do it when we want/ is perfect time.

Do you make very heavy bales? even 80 sounds low for fertilised 1.5 acres - we're on poor heavy clay soil only sown to grass 5 years ago and we get 100 bales an acre - even last year, some years 120 bales.

We made from the winter field last year but this year I think I'll be leaving it as 'standing hay' - cos we;ll have a new baby next winter and lugging hay over there is one less job.
 
When we made hay, we used to have a cut off date - on a bad year, if it hadn't been cut by August, and was going to be rubbish, we let the horses in the field to eat it down, leaving them in the field for the start of winter too, until it was eaten down.

If it can be got, its always a lot cheaper than buying in.
 
Honey08 said:
If it can be got, its always a lot cheaper than buying in.
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Buying from a feed shop/ dealer in February - I definitely agree with you.

If you can store it - I'd be supprised if you can't buy direct and collect from the field for the £2.20 a bale that the OP currently pays to have it made. Any you have no risk, if it's been raining that week - don't go and collect it, if you turn up and it's rubbish - don't buy it etc.

We have people that buy off the field each year and they will come and wonder round before it's cut to check themselves for weeds. so they get a good deal IMHO.
 
South Lincs sadly so probably not worth the diesel for you!

£2 a bale off the field is going rate round here. I had a sheep farmer friend who we made 300 bales for (he only wanted 50, but the grass needed to be short for sheep to eat) - I called round the local dealers and they wouldn't collect it for free beause they didn't have anywhere to store it !! Shocking when they are now charing £5 a bale

I had one lady come with her estate car and collect 5 bales at a time tho because I'm very particular about how it's made.

Collecting it in and stacking it is lots of the pain so if you know local farmers who make it - a phone call/ knock on the door can't hurt - the worst they can say is no
 
Agree with Honey08, let it grow as though you're going to cut it but if the weather if dreadful again, let the horses on when you run out of summer grazing.
 
Polos Mum said:
South Lincs sadly so probably not worth the diesel for you!
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Correct! I have a friend down there that who pays similar, and it always depresses me!

Perhaps we should fill the caravan up on the way back from camping at Burghley!

Around us, even off the field, its more expensive, as its not a "big field" area where you get the same quantities..
 
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