Making your own hay - how much?

[CazD]

Our bottom paddock is about 1.5 acres and hasnt been grazed this year. The grass is really long and there is no way I can let any of our fat cobs on it. Would it be worth trying to find a local farmer to make hay on it? How much approx would it cost to cut, turn and bale. How many small bales could I expect to get?

Anyone know someone that could do this for me close to Hereford/Ross on Wye

 

[Cahill]

probably now worth the bother IMO.

i have long stuff in my bottom field because mine are kept trim and have a small paddock to graze in, but later on,i will strip graze it and call it `standing hay`lol

maybe you would get 70-100 depending when it was shut up and the rainful that you have had.

and then there is all the worry of having it cut,turned and baled with the right weather conditions.
farmers do their own 1st so if they are busy and the weather turns when it is your turn it could all be ruined.
it may cost you £1 a bale or more.

 

[Finlib]

Just made hay off 5 acres which had not been grazed since February .Had good amount of showery rain here in S W Wales and made it during the really hot spell so it was cut turned and baled in 4 and a half days .Beautiful good quality hay got the equivalent of 550 small bales off the field.
Our guy charges by the hours worked rather than by the bales made.
Haven't had his bill yet but should be well under £1 a bale

 

[rebmw]

I'm in dorset and paid £27 an acre to cut, turn twice and row up. Baling was 50p a bale. Got 78 bales off 2.5 acres at the end of june. Enough hay for me thankfully but not oodles as we've hardly had any rain all spring. With VAT it works out at about £1.80 a bale which is better than £5 I paid last year.
I'm lucky that the contractor I used lives in my village and did 3 of us in the village with smallish acreage at the same time. He wasn't prioritising larger jobs that week so thankfully we didn't get abandonned halfway through which I know can be a problem for some people who only have small acreage.
Good luck if you decide to do it. It was a stressful time deciding when to cut and I was so relieved when we managed to get it in the barn without a drop of rain on it. I'm sure in the consequent years we may not be so lucky!

 

[lazybee]

TBH 1.5 acres isn't worth the hassle, unless they are doing the field next door. The tractor would have to get to your field with the mower, then come back with a tedder perhaps twice, then put it in lines and finally come back with a baler. So you are talking about perhaps five visits to your field. If you see someone cutting close to yours you could offer the tractor driver cash to cut yours at the same time. Saying that though, it's a bit late now. Probably best to let them graze it as foggage as Cahill says.

 

[FairyLights]

we make our own hay off 2 1/2 acres and will be making hay for a neighbour on their 1 1/2 acre paddock for their horses.
it is well worth the hassle IMO. we feed our horses for virtually nothing all winter. Hay here [welsh border] is £4.50 a small bale. I usually get 250 + bales off our own piece. Thats £1,125 worth of hay for the cost of a bit of fertilizer and diesel.
We charge around £1 a bale for making other peoples hay. It depends on how many times the hay is turned and how heavy the crop is. if its a light crop its more expensive per bale.

 

[meesha]

I would say definately worth doing - I had hay for first time this year off 2 acres !! however they had to leave a big margin round edge of field as there were loads of thistles so prob more like 1.5 acres. I was quoted around £2 a bale but it turned out I got 140 bales for £160 !! brilliant !! it was cut on a Friday turned Sat and Sun and baled Monday - the farmer was good as gold as had to travel to me to do it - the key is finding someone who wont let you down and isnt too busy.

You would prob have to get it off the ground anyway before winter to avoid it being trampled in - if you are in doubt about the weather have haylage made as it takes less days to do - my hay was quick to do (and is lovely stuff) but thats just luck of weather - it was v hot !! I sold 38 bales I didnt have room to store and nearly made my costs back.

Good luck