How easy is it to make hay?

Min acreage - none upwards if you have your own equipment. Couple of acres prob for a contractor.

Equipment - tractor, hay mower (not a topper or conditioning mower - the former doesnt cut in neat rowa and cuts too high and bashes the grass, the latter is design to cut the grass and chop it and inject it back into the ground for nutrition) the hay mower cuts close to the ground and in neat rows, hay wuffler (I know, great name!) to fluff up the cut grass and spread it over the field (ours is an old PZ haybob), and hay baler (we use an ancient new holland superliner 268)

The hardest part is getting your free time coordinated with at least 3 or 4 days of good weather (ideally sunny with a light breeze as the breeze helps to dry the hay quicker).

Type of soil; well doesnt matter if you arent worried about maximising yields and are harvesting the ordinary field grass (known as meadow hay). If you were ploughing, harrowing, sowing grass seed (normally ryegrass mix) to make more commercial hay or haylage you would ideally want a rich loam with PH in the middle, not too acidic or too alkali.

It is very hard work, but hugely satisfying to get your own bales in and then watch your animals prefer them to the hay you bought in!
 
If you have the right equipment and weather then its pretty straightforward.

If either of the above go wrong it's a mamoth pain in the rear!

Be aware that if you are using a contractor they will have other clients too and each field will be done in turn, you will not necessarily be able to get them to come just when you want them to. Not a problem if the weather holds but can be frustrating if hay is ready and sat in the field because the contractor is busy and it rains before they get there!
 
Agree with Glutton, timing issues can be surrounding contractors, and if you're only a couple of acres you may not be in their main firing line in terms of timing.

Hay is weather dependent, so watch the forecast closely, and hope & pray that it's accurate.

Once down and it rains.... not so good.

We're heading for the second crop of the year, and watching the next few weeks for a suitable period,

the number of bales per acre is also determined on the type of soil/grass and climate conditions.

Piling nitrogen onto the fields is a fav of the large scale producers, making thick, dark green fields ready for cutting.

It is rewarding watching your animals eating your own hay, we also have haylage as one can't handle the dry hay - and that's another issue altogether!
 
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