those of you who make your own hay

[Jesstickle]

How easy is it and how much does it cost.

My outlaws have about 3 acres of field. They did offer me it for the horses but they live an hour away so not terribly practical. However, I did wonder if it might be worth me asking them about making hay from it.

How much do you have to do to make hay, do you just let the grass grow and then find someone to come and do it for you? Sorry, I sound an utter numpty, I've never thought about it.

How many bales would you get off 3 acres, would it be worth it at all?

All info gratefully received!

 

[martlin]

I'll try to help
Depending on what sort of forage you want to get really, you can just leave the grass to grow and then have somebody cut it - if the grass is decent you will just get traditional meadow hay.
Or you could go about it the more ''advanced'' way, have it weed killed, fertilised etc, then have somebody cut it for you.
Again, depending on type of grass and type of soil, weather, moisture etc you will get varying amounts of hay per acre, just to give you an idea, my good old Staffordshire clay/gravel based old meadow was producing around 100 small bales per acre without any help and with a bit of hindrance from me My heavily managed, well draining light sandy soil on the Fens, with Italian Ryegrass ley is managing about half of that
As to the prices, it's tricky to say, but average contracting prices for last year were: cutting £10 per acre, turning £10 per acre, rowing up £5 per acre. The you still have baling and carting.
It is certainly cheaper than buying hay, but problem with a small piece of land like that is, it won't be high on a contractor's list of priorities And in haymaking, the timing is everything

 

[hayinamanger]

Sounds sensible to make hay off that field, 3 acres could give you up to 300 small bales, depending on how long the grass is. Ideally ask a local farmer there to do it when he's doing his own, or a contractor can probably tie it in with others orders. Cost varies, but roughly, to cut, turn, row up & bale approx £15 per acre. The hardest part is carrying and stacking small bales.

 

[DuckToller]

A lot depends on where you are in the country.

Round here farmers really don't want the hassle of cutting other people's hay so they tend to charge quite a bit. A friend pays £1.10 for every bale, thats cut, turned and baled but not collected, so you have to go round and pick it up and store it.

That still makes it worth it if hay is £4 a bale, but less so if it gets rained on and isn't great quality. She had trouble persuading the contractor as he was so busy, but there could be more contractors where you are.

Seems a shame to waste that much grass, I would definitely give it a go.

 

[Jesstickle]

Hmm, p'raps it's more effort than it's worth. I don't want to annoy the outlaws as they are nice. And they are non horsey so think all the effort I pour in is madness!

Plus I'd have to find somewhere to store the stuff and cart it home to mine. Don't think OH will be massively pleased if I tell him he has to pick up 200 bales off the field and put them on the trailer.

How would I go about finding a farmer or contractor to cut it etc? I don't know any where OH's folks are annoyingly. If it was my parents house I could just ask them all in the pub on Friday and someone would take pity on me...

 

[martlin]

If it isn't top secret, whereabouts are we talking?

 

[hayinamanger]

Logistically it may not be such a good idea. Do your in laws know any of the local farmers socially? Biggest downside that I can see is getting the bales off the field and transported back to your yard. If you are intending to use a horse trailer, you can get 40-50 in at a time, depending on the size of the trailer. Then, an hour's drive home, unload, drive back and do it all again twice more. It's hard work. Also, if it gets any rain on it during the making process it's spoilt, or after it's baled, you can't stack it. I've probably talked you out of it, sorry

 

[HorseGirl18]

its much cheaper to do it yourself, once you have brought all of the kit, which is very expensive.
if you want a contractor to do it, they will choose which ones he does first so yours might not get done in time because it has so little worth.

bale wise, dependant on how thick the grass is, not just how long. last year we ot 300 bales of about 8 acres because it hadn't been grazed or topped for the last couple of years, it will get thicker and will soon be 100 bales per acre

 

[Jesstickle]

Well they have it topped twice a year currently so they must know someone as they definitely aren't doing it with the lawn mower. But no, in the grand scheme of things they're pretty hopeless and don't know any one! Like I say, would be much easier if it were my house at home! I think they'd probably let me store at least some in their barn so wouldn't have to shift it all in a day though.

I just mailed OH and he said he thinks they'd be thrilled if I took hay off it so that's something. And during uni summer holidays I have plenty of slave labour as he has two siblings at uni looking for jobs.

M- no, not top secret at all! We're Norfolk folk and OH's parents are in the middle of nowhere between Diss and Norwich (Long Stratton way if you know the area).

I might go over one evening and see how much of it is grass at the moment and how much weed as it might be a massive undertaking that I can't be bothered with!

 

[Honey08]

I definately think its worth doing! People are worrying there will be a shortage this year - if you don't use it you can always sell it locally. Find some big yards in the area and offer it them - when we had spare haylage bales the local big livery yard came and collected it themselves..

We found that it was harder making hay - not as many contractors bother anymore, its slightly harder to make as it really doesn't want raining on, whereas haylage can live with a slight shower (obviously better if not), and then you have the hassle of storing it.. By the way, we were quoted £2/bale, all done and brought in for us last year.

I would go for haylage bales. They are easier to store. We were quoted £12/bale all done, wrapped and brought onto the yard for us. They probably weren't the cheapest, but did a good job and didn't fit it in around their own..

 

[Jesstickle]

Just to add, I do livery on a yard belonging to a farmer with a son who does contract work. They might be able to point me in the direction of someone in the right area.

Thanks all for your input. I will speak to the outlaws and go and take a look at what the grass is like. I don't know if it's been topped this year or not so it may be that there is nothing there to cut and bale anyway!

 

[martlin]

My advice would be, especially this year - go for it! I would ring one of the big contracting boys, just Google agricultural contractors Diss or whatever and although they probably won't touch it, they will point you in direction of a smaller fish that would

 

[Jesstickle]

Thanks all. I will have a google. OH says tells me to avoid the farmer just round the corner as he drove into MILs car and might not be entirely welcome

I actually thought I'd only get about ten bales off three acres, am surprised by how much it could potentially be.

Maybe I'll head over to sneak a peek this weekend as have to pick brother up from Norwich airport anyway

 

[martlin]

There is an airport in Norwich?!!!

 

[Jesstickle]

Of course, it's a Fine City

http://www.norwichairport.co.uk/

 

[Dry Rot]

If you are going to use a contractor to make hay, I wish you luck. Three acres will be at the bottom of their "to do" list and you could lose the lot and still have the bills for cutting...and turning...and turning...

If you can get a local farmer to do it when he does his, that would be better.
But you still have no control over how much work and expense it might take to get it.

Big bale haylage is certainly an option. But can you handle something like a big round bale of hay -- but several times heavier? Haylage will keep for 12 months max, though it can vary. It is, in my opinion, difficult to handle unless you have a lot of horses and can put it in a self feeder with a loader tractor.

I believe the best way is to ask your friendly local farmer to make the hay when he does his and to split the crop. That way he has a vested interest in making a good job of it. Big bale hay is not too difficult to handle with a bit of ingenuity.

I was working until 1am on Monday getting my small bales for the horses inside. And, yes, it came down in stair rods Tuesday morning as predicted, but all safely inside. I can't see many contractors bothering to do that.

 

[Jesstickle]

How do I find out who farms round there? Like I say, OH's parents are not farmy at all so won't know the answer. I don't suppose many make hay anyway. We're sugar beet country and you don't see many hay fields out our way!!

I've got no problem picking them up off the field but I don't have a tractor so someone else really will have to cut and turn and bale for me.

 

[Dubsie]

Who tops it if it isn't the ILs? Start there...

 

[SNORKEY]

Hi, I'd do it if you can store some of it there. We have a spare acre paddock and the farmer refused to do it as he said it would only make about 30 bales! I don't think he could be bothered. I'm looking to keep ours out this year as we have good grass and I'm just going to put some hay in the stables and let them walk in and out when they want. its going to be a rubbish year for hay and we have a baby on the way to need to save money.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

If you cant find anyone to do it mechanically but you have lots of helpers you could always do half an acre or so by hand using scythes (austrian the best) making stooks out of the sheaves and once dry making bales (apparently wheely bins are quite good for compressing the hay tho not sure how you do the strings.

Even if that only made 40 bales, at £4 a bale thats £160 saved, as long as you only have to stuff the helpers with food and drink. Altho of course if they eat/drink more than £160 you might be better buying it economics wise.

I have to say, the hay we make on our wee farm is a million times higher quality than the hay we can buy in. Ours is pale greeny yellow, made up of loads of different meadow plants and herbs and even after a year smells as sweet as anything and the horses and sheep go mad for it. The bought in stuff - no smell, animals will eat it but not thrilled. That makes the back breaking effort worthwhile (and even with the equipment it is a LOT of work)

 

[*Welsh_Ponies*]

Its definately worth doing especially the way the harvest is this year. My family are farmers they charge £10 acre for mowing, £10 per acre for turning and £8 per acre for rowing up. We don't do small bales so can't tell you how much that would be but we charge by the hour for loading, carting and unloading again. Speak to your local farmer but make sure your gate ways have good access so they can get in and out easily with the machinary.

 

[ester]

we make off about 3.5 acres

If you can its best to do some asking round, we have had it cut by farmers in the past in return for money or bales but we do rather end up being the bottom of the list.

We now use a friends eldest son who has some small kit, although he has to borrow a baler as his is kaput. We paid about 1.20/1.30 I think a bale last year .. but we know its good hay and where it's come from.. plus we have to get it off the field so we can ride in it/ponies can then eat it. We also slip a couple of young lads a tenner and free beer to help us shift it into the barn and we get about 180 ish bales off it. (tho Id have to check with mum.. know we couldnt fit it all in last year.

 

[Jesstickle]

Thank you everyone Would be great if I could make it work as I could probably just about hay my two for the winter with it ( I feed haylage alongside)

I will speak to the inlaws about who was topping it etc and see how we go

I'm sure I'll be able to find someone to come and do it but if not I'll try again next year. I don't think I'll be buying a tractor though!!

 

[depurple1]

If you would have trouble transporting/storing, but could get it baked, could you sell off the field to someone local to your in-laws and then put the profits towards buying hay more local to you?

 

[depurple1]

That's *baled*. Blooming phone.

 

[Dry Rot]

Couldn't agree more with what lachlanandmarcus has said. If you can raise the labour, all things are possible. I used to stay with a show jumping family in Ireland and all the hay bought in was tripodded as that made the best quality. I've turned a lot of acres by hand with a two pronged fork. Maybe you can get some parts of the process mechanised (mowing?) then turn by hand?

The procedure is to turn by hand until it is a bit drier that when cut, place in small heaps. Then when the weather is better, put it on tripods. The tripods used to be moved to the stack on a buck rake behind the tractor, then lifted onto the stack with a grab or even forked up. The stack would be thatched with straw! Ye gods, I'm feeling my age! But that's how hay has been made for hundreds of years -- and still is in some areas.

http://www.scytheconnection.com/adp/hay/index.html

 

[shellonabeach]

My farmer has quoted £1.10 - £1.20 per bale to be cut / turned / baled

He is a lovely chap and reliable, makes great hay and will not cut unless he knows it is going to be dry. He is doing 7 small fields in a mile radius of me (5 of which belong to my friends)

Friend has organised teenagers and a flat bed trailer to get hers and mine in, teenagers require £5 an hour each and a few bottles of beer

I will sell the surplus that I don't need off the field and the people buying will come in and collect it in themselves (surplus is spoken for already!)

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

Find out who tops the field, perhaps they can mow it when the time is ready, and if they don't have a haybob, they will probably know someone they can borrow it from.

We are cutting our own and turning, all we are paying for is someone to bale it. These days the big contractors around here generally only have big machinery, so the mowers are being borrowed from little farmers.... you might be surprised if you ask about! XX