Having someone hay my field

[Parrs_Gold_Bar]

I’m a noob when it comes to this stuff as we just purchased the property and any farm I’ve worked at didn’t pull hay off their own fields. I tried searching but couldn’t get specific enough to get answers to my particular questions.

We have around 9 acres of hay and won’t have enough horse this summer to graze it all down. What would be a reasonable deal for someone to come do it as we don’t have the equipment?

The two options I’m aware of are:

1- Farmer keeps a percentage of hay he’s pulled off my field in lieu of payment. How much will they usually want to keep to make this worth their while?

2- I pay a reduced rate for the bales? Hay is going for around $4-$6ea here now, so is it reasonable to expect to pay around $2-3 per bale pulled off my field assuming we are doing most of the heavy work.

Thanks guys!

[SuckerForHorses]

Depends on how many bales you need, and how many bales the 9 acres will produce.

My dad does this for some local land-owners (on top of the 100 acres of his own that he does).

If your acreage is basically only going to provide the # of bales you need, I would expect to be paying a farmer full price/bale to have him come do it for you. It’s really not worth his time to bring his equipment to your field, to sell it for a loss to you, and leave with no hay for himself. It’s costing him time and fuel and wear-and-tear on his equipment, and $2 to $3 per bale isn’t going to be worth it for him.

ETA: think of it this way - if it’s not worth it for the farmer, and you can’t find anybody to do it, you’re going to be paying someone to brushhog it, and you’ll be paying full price to buy your hay somewhere else anyways.

[khall]

I have 15 acres we hope to hay this year and will do it on halves with the farmer. We are assuming all cost for fertilizer and spraying for weeds he is doing the haying itself.

[trubandloki]

The cost paid from what I understand is far more than half price per bale on a lot that size. Like has been mentioned, there is no real plus for the farmer to spend his haying time doing your little lot otherwise.

Also understand that your lot will likely be done after all the fields that the farmer is doing for himself or bigger clients are done.

[ejm]

Adding to what SuckerForHorses and trubandloki said, a few more questions for you…

What kind of hay are you looking for, and what kind of and quality of grass is growing in the field now? How does the grass in your field look compared to other hay ground in your area?

Do you want high-quality hay for breeding stock or horses in heavy work, or hay to give a few old easy keepers something to munch on? It takes a lot of effort to make really high-quality hay, both in having the soil fertility right and the timing and effort of actually harvesting the hay.

Have you had the soil tested, and do you know if it has been limed and fertilized recently? Is it relatively weed-free, or is it weedy and overgrown?

If that all seems positive, do you have a close neighbor that could cut and bale it without having to move their equipment very far?

[Parrs_Gold_Bar]

ejm- honestly, I don’t know much about the science behind hay quality. It appears someone hayed the field last year, but I have no idea if they fertilized or not. The previous owner passed away in 2014 and I suspect a neighbor pulled hay off the field so that it didn’t sit unused all year, but the property owner’s wife would have had no use for it as they had no animals.

It looks to be timothy, not too weedy.

Just looking to feed a couple easy keepers; despite quality, it’s probably better to hay the field, then let it overgrow and die, right?

I also suspect this will be the only year we actually pull hay off the field, as we will have more horses on the property in the future.

[SuckerForHorses]

it’s probably better to hay the field, then let it overgrow and die, right?

Yes. Otherwise, weeds will like to start growing. So either hay it, or find someone to brushhog it. which will likely cost you money, which is why I mentioned it may make sense to find someone to hay it and still pay full price/bale - if you’re going to pay someone, it might as well be someone that can give you hay bales in return, instead of just mowing your field and leaving it.

[Parrs_Gold_Bar]

OK, so is it reasonable to expect around 100+/- bales per acre? That’s what google is telling me (Ontario climate).

[SuckerForHorses]

Depends on how the baler is set up, how dense the grass is, etc.

I would ask around your area to see if someone has a general idea versus google.

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=Parrs Gold Bar;8645290]
OK, so is it reasonable to expect around 100+/- bales per acre? That’s what google is telling me (Ontario climate).[/QUOTE]

Some if not all of the information found on Google about hay is a joke. I doubt very seriously you will get anything close to 100+ bales per acres regardless of that is planted. This number might be approachable is the hay field has been really well managed and was planted with a specific type of hay, a “pure stand”. The yield will also depend on how old the field is.

Myself and others have said repeatedly especially in this forum you need to given you general location. Don’t understand why people are reluctant to do this.

I ask because geographic location will help with given an idea of yield and perhaps what is growing there.

This time of year it would not be easy for the average person to look and determine what what they have.

Both Timothy and Orchard, have very similar leaves. Timothy are usually a bit wider. By late May early June depending on location both will start putting out seed heads. Then it becomes easy to know which is which. Regardless both are highly disable.

Both Timothy and Orchard are “clump” grasses. Everything in the field is an “individual” plant. It does not become a “carpet” by sending out “runners” and filling the space in between the plants over time. Like “lawn” grass or like a lot of pasture grasses.

All though “hay” is referred to as “grass hay” they desirable types are called by their name. In my neck of the woods Timothy and Orchard because it grows well around here.

If the hay is not one of these types it is referred to as just plan “grass hay” baled from a generic field of what ever is growing in there. This kind of hay commands a much lower price. It also produces a fraction of the yield per acre.

The first thing any hay producer is going to ask is what you have. Their level of interest will depend completely on the answer. No big deal if you don’t know if it were me I would come over and take a look and this discuss a deal if it merits my time, trouble and expense.

But if the property wasn’t real close I’d pass. Or I would ask for some pictures before making the trip. 9 acres that is not down the road isn’t really worth hauling equipment to. But others may feel differently. Again it depends on what you have to offer.

My guess it is most likely a “generic” grass field. Most are. Good for some cattle people and some budget minded horse people.

“Deals” vary, 50-50, 60-40 when the baler maintains the stand. Small acreage of generic it may be worth just given everything to the baler just to keep it mowed and cleaned up.

If you are located in an Ag area shouldn’t be too hard to find someone who maybe interested. Put a sign out on the road or drive around find leave a note in a farmers mail box. Or when haying season starts, stop in a field being hayed and talk.

[gumtree]

[QUOTE=Parrs Gold Bar;8645290]
OK, so is it reasonable to expect around 100+/- bales per acre? That’s what google is telling me (Ontario climate).[/QUOTE]

Some if not all of the information found on Google about hay is a joke. I doubt very seriously you will get anything close to 100+ bales per acres regardless of that is planted. This number might be approachable is the hay field has been really well managed and was planted with a specific type of hay, a “pure stand”. The yield will also depend on how old the field is.

Myself and others have said repeatedly especially in this forum you need to given you general location. Don’t understand why people are reluctant to do this.

I ask because geographic location will help with given an idea of yield and perhaps what is growing there.

This time of year it would not be easy for the average person to look and determine what what they have.

Both Timothy and Orchard, have very similar leaves. Timothy are usually a bit wider. By late May early June depending on location both will start putting out seed heads. Then it becomes easy to know which is which. Regardless both are highly disable.

Both Timothy and Orchard are “clump” grasses. Everything in the field is an “individual” plant. It does not become a “carpet” by sending out “runners” and filling the space in between the plants over time. Like “lawn” grass or like a lot of pasture grasses.

All though “hay” is referred to as “grass hay” they desirable types are called by their name. In my neck of the woods Timothy and Orchard because it grows well around here.

If the hay is not one of these types it is referred to as just plan “grass hay” baled from a generic field of what ever is growing in there. This kind of hay commands a much lower price. It also produces a fraction of the yield per acre.

The first thing any hay producer is going to ask is what you have. Their level of interest will depend completely on the answer. No big deal if you don’t know if it were me I would come over and take a look and this discuss a deal if it merits my time, trouble and expense.

But if the property wasn’t real close I’d pass. Or I would ask for some pictures before making the trip. 9 acres that is not down the road isn’t really worth hauling equipment to. But others may feel differently. Again it depends on what you have to offer.

My guess it is most likely a “generic” grass field. Most are. Good for some cattle people and some budget minded horse people.

“Deals” vary, 50-50, 60-40 when the baler maintains the stand. Small acreage of generic it may be worth just given everything to the baler just to keep it mowed and cleaned up.

If you are located in an Ag area shouldn’t be too hard to find someone who maybe interested. Put a sign out on the road or drive around find leave a note in a farmers mail box. Or when haying season starts, stop in a field being hayed and talk.

[Color_of_Light]

Check out their baling references and see hay they have previously baled in person. Make sure that the “baler” knows how to bale properly, with tight and even twine, consistent size and weight of bales. Make sure they know how to adjust their baling equipment and their equipment is well maintained…

If they have equipment problems and cannot make quality bales out of your field, how does that effect payment for their services?

We once hired a guy without looking into the above. He cut the field (lots of waste), then had equipment problems, so the windrows sat too long, dried out. When he finally baled it, the twine was too loose on all the bales, bales were various sizes, and some bales came apart when lifted and stacked. Lesson learned.

[Parrs_Gold_Bar]

thanks gumtree, I figured take google with a grain of salt.

I’m in the Niagara area of Ontario. Right in the middle of a very dense horse population. All hay we’ve ever bought was either timothy or alfalfa, hence my answer, but for all intensive purposes I guess mixed is safer until it actually comes up and I can ID it

Great idea about asking neighbors. It’s very ag out here, every other household probably has the equipment, we are in a very horse-dense area, too, so I’m hoping someone will split it with me. I personally don’t have the capacity for more than 300 bales right now.

Like I said, it’s an odd situation because we don’t have horses to graze it down, so I want to make the most out of this opportunity, but we can’t justify purchasing the equipment for one season.

Guess it’s time to start doing some reading.

[ejm]

[QUOTE=Color of Light;8645517]
Check out their baling references and see hay they have previously baled in person. Make sure that the “baler” knows how to bale properly, with tight and even twine, consistent size and weight of bales. Make sure they know how to adjust their baling equipment and their equipment is well maintained…

If they have equipment problems and cannot make quality bales out of your field, how does that effect payment for their services?

We once hired a guy without looking into the above. He cut the field (lots of waste), then had equipment problems, so the windrows sat too long, dried out. When he finally baled it, the twine was too loose on all the bales, bales were various sizes, and some bales came apart when lifted and stacked. Lesson learned.[/QUOTE]

We got in the hay business because we quit breeding horses and our 20 acre pasture/former hayfield was too rich for our riding horses and retirees. We got tired of bushhogging it outselves and our neighbor, nice guy but not a very good farmer, agreed to do the hay and give us a couple hundred bales for our horses. After 3 years of not getting a single usable bale from him we bought our own (well-used) equipment and started doing it ourselves. Now we put up a few thousand bales every year. Our horses have all the nice hay they can eat, and we sell most of it to other horse people for enough to pay for fertilizer and farm maintenance.

Edited to add: we are in eastern WV on decent farm land, and get 120 or more 35-40 lb. bales per acre in our first cutting.

[S1969]

[QUOTE=Parrs Gold Bar;8645530]
Guess it’s time to start doing some reading.[/QUOTE]

No - it’s time to start making some phone calls.

If you can find anyone at all to do the field, you will just have to negotiate with that farmer based on what it’s worth for them.

I have an 8 acre field and came up with all of ZERO farmers worth coming here to make hay. Too small, even for a five mile trip to move the equipment and make trips to move the hay - says my own hay farmer, who lives close by. He has a few outside fields he cuts, but they are bigger - AND, if the weather is bad, his get done first.

Unfortunately, for <10 acres, it might not be worth it unless a farmer lives very near. Ask your immediate neighbors first - they can look at your field and give you the best answer.

ETA: I just mow mine. It’s a bit sad, but on the other hand, now we can use it for our ATV, walking dogs, training hunting dogs, etc. without worrying about trampling the hay.

[HungarianHippo]

You’re getting lots of good feedback. I agree with not worrying about reading up and trying to become an expert-- it’s not like you can make a foolish mistake here that will cost you lots of $$. :lol: Anyone that will come out to bale 9 ac is mostly being a good neighbor–they’re not making much off the deal.

We have 15 ac in hay, and split 50/50 but our hay guy lives right on our road so he can just swing through and cut, turn the rows, etc on his way to other fields. We wouldn’t be worth his time otherwise. And, we help each other out, like when there was a storm approaching in the middle of a roofing project, we were at his barn within 30min of his call (with a bunch of other neighbors) and helped him all day to finish the roof. A good hay guy is a relationship worth cultivating. No pun intended.

So, consider this a relationship-building opp’y vs shopping for the best deal, since 9 acres does not give you much bargaining power. (especially since you don’t expect to be a repeat customer). Just call or stop by a couple of neighbors with horses and ask if they know who has been haying the field in years past, and if they can recommend any custom balers who operate in the neighboorhood.

[Mallard]

I am in Eastern Ontario and yes… you need to start looking for someone to cut/bale your hay NOW!

So many people have gone to large squares or rounds, that it may be difficult to find someone with a small square baler.

We used to have a guy who did ours… 50/50… but he doesn’t have time anymore. And he recently switched to large squares. Which I have no way to move or store properly in my loft.

We have now had a local Dairy guy doing ours for the past 5 years.
He cuts, rakes and bales (with a ‘thrower’ baler into his wagons).
We use our tractor to bring wagons to the barn and we unload (with the help of local kids we pay) into the loft.
We often do the raking - with his rake - and he gives us a bit of a discount.
We have our own elevator.
He has no need for any of our extra hay, so he charges us. I think last year it was $1.05 per bale.
Last two years I have also had him do up some rounds @ $8 per 4x4 bale.

If we have standing hay left over after I have what I need - which we always do- then he bales it up and delivers it to one of our neighbours.
He charges the neighbour the same $1.05 per bale + delivery fee …and we also get .50 per bale from the neighbour

Hope this helps…

[Hilary]

Just seconding what the others have said about making calls and asking the neighbors. For that amount of hay, they will want to within a few miles of other fields they are working. Hauling the equipment to your farm is an extra effort and it will have to be worth it for them.

I think 100 bales/acre is a little generous but not impossible with well fertilized fields, but it’s sort of like asking how long is a piece of string. You can set a baler to make 3-flake bales, or 6 foot monsters no one can lift. Rounds and big squares can weigh 500-1200lbs depending on different factors.

But don’t give up hope because there may well be someone who will swing by and do it for you.

[Parrs_Gold_Bar]

Awesome, thanks for all the advice, guys!

We are going to stop at the neighbours, they have horses and a hay field- someone must be doing it if not themselves. Either way, you can tell someone had hayed the field last year as there are cut lines. Time to hit the pavement.

[pluvinel]

Since you are new to the “neighborhood” go out with the idea just to meet the locals and offer them “free hay” for anyone willing take it off your field.

You can then discuss your hay needs for the future.

If you get no takers, then just keep the field mowed down.