I agree with all of the above; I would think if you can find a local neighbor that doesn’t mind doing a small job for 50+% of the hay baled, that is your best bet for a smaller acrage job. 
Make it worth their while re: % of hay they keep and help load hay. You never know, it may be too good of a deal to change later on, so don’t count yourself out for years to come with this. I would suggest asking them about testing soil and etc. as well if you decide to continue (next year, and so on) once you find someone. If you can cover the maintenance of the field, that is super.
I have about 3 acres that gets hayed - luckily I’ve got the local hay guys just a couple of miles down the road, and the deal we worked out last year is that they hay it, and give me credit (I think it was $10/round bale) when I buy hay from them (I only feed small squares). Honestly, they’re probably getting more than a 50% share, but I save money on hay for my pony (which they also deliver and stack for me and in smaller than their usual delivery minimum), goodwill and I don’t have to do any work to maintain those acres (I’d be mowing them, and that would cost me in time and diesel). Win-win for all parties.
I just recently asked this question. I am under contract on land right now, also nine acres, and it is currently a hay field that the owner pulls approximately 25 tons of orchard/fescue off of annually. Basically someone will come hay it and give you a quarter of the hay or a quarter of the “profit” he gets from the hay.
So expecting a dollar or two less per bale for the whole shebang? Probably not.
Here is a picture of the field. No major weeds- some clover and dandelions but nothing stalky.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt56/parrsgoldbar/20160503_195046_resized.jpg
And a close up of some of the grasses:
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt56/parrsgoldbar/20160503_195055_resized.jpg
I left a message with our neighbor, here’s hoping.
[QUOTE=Parrs Gold Bar;8647822]
…
And a close up of some of the grasses:
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt56/parrsgoldbar/20160503_195055_resized.jpg
…[/QUOTE]
You have “clumps”…my bet is that your field is mainly fescue or orchard grass as this is the growth habit of these grasses…Eg., vs kentucky bluegrass or other “sod formers” that have a low profile and form a dense mat when send out rhysomes.
We have a local guy that will bale a field for $3 - $3.50 /bale - approx 50 lb bales. Then there is a truck load of local kids that will put the hay up in the barn for 50 cents a bale, with a little extra to the guy that owns the truck. My property is smaller so I pay $3.50 now. When my next door neighbor, whose filed is about 10 times mine, was using him he charged me $3 a bale because he did both on the same day.
Local grass hay goes for $6 to $8 a bale at the feed store depending on the season and how much they get in stock.
I usually get about 75 bales an acre. Last year we had a very dry spring so he baled it a month earlier than usual and I only got 50 bales an acre.
Just as important as knowing how to run the baler, this guy knows when to cut to get the best hay and will moisture test before baling. Last year people who waited and cut at the usual time had dry, yellow hay while mine was nice and green. The moisture testing is important because hay cut too wet can spontaneously combust in the barn.
[QUOTE=Parrs Gold Bar;8647822]
Here is a picture of the field. No major weeds- some clover and dandelions but nothing stalky.
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt56/parrsgoldbar/20160503_195046_resized.jpg
And a close up of some of the grasses:
http://i597.photobucket.com/albums/tt56/parrsgoldbar/20160503_195055_resized.jpg
I left a message with our neighbor, here’s hoping.[/QUOTE]
Looks like fescue to me. Makes for a nice traffic resistant grazing grass for cows, horses and mares not in foal.
Makes moderate hay and not a lot of yield.
These are 2 pictures of our Orchard/Timothy hay field taken today. It will be twice as thick/high when baled next month. First cutting always gives the biggest yield. Second and third cutting is about 1/2+as much depending on weather
http://s1136.photobucket.com/user/gumtreestables/media/IMG_0041.jpg.html?o=1
http://s1136.photobucket.com/user/gumtreestables/media/IMG_0043.jpg.html?o=0
Lots of good advice here on getting it cut and put up, shares or cash for the hay.
My suggestion is to get a soil test done IMMEDIATELY, and fertilize ASAP. I fertilize now, to get good growth of the grass/hay during the next year. Fertilizing will help production whether you graze it or cut for hay. Haying removes the nutrients from the soil, having no grazing animals on the fields doesn’t do anything to partly replace the nutrients needed for good plants.
Sounds like no fertilizer has been put on for at least 2 years, but hay was taken off because field is neatly mowed. The land NEEDS a good fertilizing, to be productive. You need to plan on yearly fertilizing, whether hayed or grazed, to keep the plants working for you, keeping horses grazing on it healthy. I am sure the local Fertilizer plant can provide the service of adding fertilizer for you if you have no equipment. They have been an informative help to me. But the soil test is needed to know EXACTLY what fertilizer recipe the land needs to produce better. No use doing Nitrogen if you need lime, or putting lime on if your land needs Potassium instead. Soil test tells you precisely what is needed to grow your Grass crop on this field.
So add getting the soil test to your list, needed to put fertilizer on ASAP. I don’t hay our fields, but we do graze them pretty hard. I expect my fields to provide good grazing all the warm season for 6-7 adult horses, only giving hay if we haul to a horse activity. I mow regularly down to a 5" height, right after horses are shifted to another field, because keeping grass mowed makes it more productive. Mowing keeps the weeds from making seed, so there are very few weeds anywhere out there. Mowing also prevents grass going to seed, which makes it go dormant, not growing. Once grass sets seed, it quits being productive grazing. So OP should be planning on getting some kind of tractor and mower in the future, to keep pastures more productive. We have about 11 acres as pasture, so it has to work to be extremely productive grazing. Mowing often, at tall heights, is part of the program to achieve that. I don’t have fescue grasses, sometimes we have foals so I never planted fescues.
Thanks gumtree and goodhors, you have been very helpful!
Probably nailed it, the previous property owner died May 2014, I doubt the field was properly taken care of the past two years, though someone definitely used it.
My neighbor is asking the guy who pulls her hay if he’ll do ours as well she gave me a couple backup names of locals who may also be interested.
I will look into getting a soil sample done.
Question- how long do you keep horses off a field after fertilizing?
I have just a fraction of your acreage - my total farmette is 5ac.
Neighbor who does hay on leased fields all around the neighborhood cuts & bales an L-shaped area that borders my pastures.
We’ve had this arrangement for the last 4yrs.
In exchange for him keeping the hay I get property that looks civilized & less long grass for ticks to live in.
I’d guesstimate he cuts around 2ac+ & last year got 120-odd 40# squares off it.
The land was uncultivated for years, and even now nobody fertilizes between seasons. Still, every year the grass hay gets a little nicer.
I also let him store loaded wagons in my indoor & when I buy hay I get it at roughly a 50% discount from what locals pay.
This year - at their suggestion - I’m getting free hay in return for letting them cut & use my indoor for storage.
Just an idea of what you might expect.
[QUOTE=Parrs Gold Bar;8649968]
Thanks gumtree and goodhors, you have been very helpful!
Probably nailed it, the previous property owner died May 2014, I doubt the field was properly taken care of the past two years, though someone definitely used it.
My neighbor is asking the guy who pulls her hay if he’ll do ours as well she gave me a couple backup names of locals who may also be interested.
I will look into getting a soil sample done.
Question- how long do you keep horses off a field after fertilizing?[/QUOTE]
Worth pulling a sold test to have a “look see” it doesn’t cost much. I would bet you will find the “numbers” to be within acceptable ranges unless it has been heavily hayed off for a number of years. Stressing it with 3 cuttings, close mowing to get every last drop etc.
You will find a lot of people “preach” soil testing and fertilizing year in year out as the word of god around here. Because that’s what the “book” says some wet behind the ears, fresh out school Ag extension agent writes or lectures on.
Does it hurt, no, is ALWAYS necessary not IMO and experience. But it does depend on the type and the quality of the land. Its use now, in the past and in the future.
Fertilizer is expensive and the rule of diminishing returns can and does kick in rather quickly. The economic crash hurt a lot of businesses/people. Horse businesses especially. Just before and during commodity prices sky rocketed. One of the most beneficial fertilizers to put on a hay field and one that just about all need the most is Potash. This stuff went up 10 fold.
To justify “properly” fertilizing my hay stand I would have to have increased the price by about 30+%. People just aren’t willing to pay the increase. So I didn’t fertilize for 6 years. My yield suffered a bit but certainly not enough cough up the price of fertilizing. But my stand is planted in excellent deep rich soil.
We are located in the mushroom growing capital of the country. They pay us for our straw muck out. They will also give me around $75 a ton if I loose a hay cutting to rain. They buy a lot of generic baled grass. All of which is composted and used for mushroom growing soil. After each crop of mushrooms is harvested the “spent” soil is given away. They truck it to local farms for free and is spread paddocks, hay fields, crop fields etc. It does a very good job for a very low cost. Every other year or so we spread chicken “litter”. There are a lot of egg producers around here. We have to pay a bit for this but it gives a big bang for buck. Cost a fraction of “bagged” chemical type.
Sounds like you are in an Ag area good chance there are lots of chicken farmers. But you still need to find a farmer who has access to and a spreader.
I wouldn’t bother with fertilizer at this time of the year and growing season. Way too late to have any effect. Good chance most will wash off with the heavy spring early summer rain anyway. But time to do any fertilizer is the fall or early winter before snow hits.
You could get someone to liquid spray which gives a pretty quick reaction. But can be pricey and you might find it difficult to find anyone with time to bother with such a small piece of property. Most Ag people don’t really like dealing with small property owners not enough money in it for the time and hassle. They don’t much like dealing with “horse people” they have a rep for being a “know it all PITA”.
The problem with hay share cropping small property is the fact when it time to make hay its time to make hay for EVERYONE. One is never quite sure when the window of opportunity will open. Priority is going to be given to hay stands they own, or lease/given out right. Your field will be given the lowest priority. Especially given it looks like nothing special. You may get someone interested. Hay season gets underway things get behind scheduled due to weather and by the time thy get around to you little field it is over the top and contains too much “brown” leaf to bother with. You may get an apology and be stuck with an over grown field.
When this happens there will be even less interest come second cutting. Way too much dead leaf in the bales. Looking at the pictures it not that thick to begin with. Looks like this had just been mowed from time to time in the past. You can see all of the “dead” decomposing clippings and winter kill in it. When baled this stuff will be baled along with the new growth. Doesn’t make for quality hay. If this field is put back into hay production the quality of the first baling will suffer. But will produce a clean second cutting.
Be VERY weary of “hobby hay farmers” for reasons Color of Light post #11 gave lol. You will most likely end up with a mess.
There is so much more to “making hay” then just cutting, tedding, raking baling etc. SO MUCH MORE. It takes lots of knowledge based on trial and error, decent equipment that doesn’t come cheap, Cheap equipment breaks down. Even 10 acres needs several big hay wagons. At least 2, one to load while one is being unloaded. More the better a thunder storms can and do come out of no where. I don’t care if the forecast says no rain in site for the next month. We bale and put up like it may rain in any hour.
I know a number of people that spent money on “value” equipment and put up far more crap then good. They soon gave up. Once the hay is cut it HAS to be baled and the field cleaned up. No matter what. Rain or shine. You can’t leave it laying in the field for too long. It will kill the grass under it very quickly.
As Hilary #17 pointed out the number of bales per acre is a meaningless number without knowing the weight of the average bale. I bale at 45-50 lbs. Makes nice tight good looking bales that stack tight and even. 25-30 lb bales are a PITA usually done by hobby farmers. Sure you get more “bales” but not more hay. You end up with a lot more bales to move around and space to put them in. They don’t stake very well either. Much more labor required.
Proper equipment is a must IMO and experience. The baler should be of recent vintage, mush have a thrower on it and proper wagons. Proper tedder and rake is a must. The person should own a moisture probe. They only cost around $200. In humid growing area there is only a couple of hours of baling opportunity. Late morning to early afternoon. After that the humidly zooms up and the hay will absorb it like a sponge before it is baled. If one continues to bale they are pretty much guaranteed to end up with a bunch of spoiled bales.
“The moisture testing is important because hay cut too wet can spontaneously combust in the barn”
While this can be true in EXTREME cases it is blown way out of proportion. It takes a number of other factors for it to happen. If a person needs a hay prob to figure out if the hay is TOO wet to bale they shouldn’t be baling hay to begin with.
The above is based on my experience in my neck of the woods baling around 200 tons a year of Orchard/Timothy.
This was an OLD post but was curious as to how it worked out. We bale fields for other horse folks & just recently took on a small (10 acre) parcel for a new owner as it was on the way to another large 50+ acre parcel field.
[QUOTE=murphysmom;8651669]
This was an OLD post but was curious as to how it worked out. We bale fields for other horse folks & just recently took on a small (10 acre) parcel for a new owner as it was on the way to another large 50+ acre parcel field.[/QUOTE]
Hmm, where are you? My (50ish acre) neighbor was asking her hay guy if he’d to my (10ish acre) lot as well as I’m a new owner and it would be on the way for him 
I’m still waiting to hear back either from my neighbor or the hay farmer as she took my contact info down to give him. Going to give it a day before pestering her again if I don’t hear back first. I have another name of a local guy to call next.
It’s a huge learning curve, and I suspect we’ll do some tripping the first few years, but I look forward to this journey.
I think I know where you are in Niagara, and I know of only one hay farmer that does any kind of custom cutting/haying. We used to do that, but dealing with the stress of weather and prioritizing other’s hay over ours caused us to scale right back to just do our own.
[QUOTE=K~2;8652726]
I think I know where you are in Niagara, and I know of only one hay farmer that does any kind of custom cutting/haying. We used to do that, but dealing with the stress of weather and prioritizing other’s hay over ours caused us to scale right back to just do our own.[/QUOTE]
Yes, you do Around the corner.
Finally got someone to bite.
I left a couple voicemails today and while mowing the front lawn one of the guys I called pulls into the driveway. In hindsight I never gave him my address… but everyone knows everyone around here so in saying “I’m new to the neighbourhood” in the voicemail, he knew exactly where I was.
Anyway, he’s agreed that although the 9acres isn’t really a big haul for him, if we get a good string of dry days, he’ll make time to hay it, I’ll keep what I need for the year, he’ll pull the rest.
We had a good chat and I learned a lot about the street, he’s given me a lot of contacts for other needs, and was very welcoming.
Since I am down to five horses I have too much pasture now. I just have my neighbor cut one of the fields which is about 5 acres and let him have what there is which turned out to be 16 large round bales. I don’t feed round bales so no use to me. He rents and works 20 acres at the back of my farm and in turn spreads my manure and plows me out in the winter.
This has been an interesting thread. I’m a new farmer, and have 66 acres in North East Texas for hay production. At present, I have a farmer maintaining the field, cutting, raking, bailing etc. In exchange he keeps all the hay. What’s a better structure for this arrangement. I have no animals on the farm, but believe I should have a better structure.
since you are not receiving any of the hay you could donate all of the hay to a horse or livestock rescue, at least you would maintain the ag use and have an IRS tax deduction for the value of the hay
@jdilley363 well, I guess be sure to first define what “better” means. A good deal may not necessarily mean getting top dollar for something you don’t otherwise have a use for. I don’t see any harm in trading the hay away without additional compensation, if the guy who’s maintaining your field is a good person doing a nice job maintaining the fields, etc,-- and especially if you don’t have other options (ie are there other hay producers around you who would pick up your farm if this current guy dumps you?). Do you have the equipment to at least keep it mowed so it doesn’t go to weeds if it’s not being baled? While it may seem like he’s getting a fantastic deal, the flip side of the coin is your field could be worthless for hay in a pretty short timeframe if it’s not being maintained.
In our farming neighborhood, there’s lots of stuff we barter, where the monetary, fair market value is not equal. For example, our neighbor gets hunting rights for one shotgun season, in exchange for plowing our driveway all winter along. I’ve never priced it out, but I’m pretty sure we come out way ahead on that deal. And there are other barters where we end up giving more than we get (again, if an accountant were to run the numbers). But who cares-- we are getting what we want and giving what we’re comfortable giving. They’re all good people we smile and wave at when they’re on the property, and life is good that way.
But if he’s not someone you’re happy to have on your farm, and if you feel like you have other good options, 66 acres is certainly a lot of hay ground to be just giving away. There’s no harm in at least investigating other arrangements. I’d check on craigslist and with your local extension office to see what is the going rate for hay ground rental. While it doesn’t sound like you have a firm contract in place, I’d still give him a year’s notice of any change so he can budget for the new arrangement.
