# Do you fertilize grass hay in between cuttings



## Liberty1 (Jun 17, 2014)

Hey folks,
I have a question. I'm selling my hay at 25-30 a 5x5 roll. First cutting of 2014 is long gone already. I need quantity. We do soil tests and fertilize accordingly in the spring but that's it. First cutting is ways nice. To get quantity what fertilize should I use on mixed grass hay. Fescue & clover, orchard grass n fescue, and how much? Any suggestions on how to get 3 cuttings of grasses


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## MFMan (Jul 2, 2013)

If you spend some time reviewing threads on this forums you'll see many discussions about theory of fertilizing. Folks have all kinds of formulas.

I'm wondering why you don't just raise your prices? Collect more money and do less work....Those bales that you sold today (for what it costs to manufacture them) will be worth twice as much January thru June next year when nobody else has any hay... Unless you aren't interested in making a profit, then nevermind me.

You need to be able to irrigate...And if you are spending $30/acre to fertilize then your costs (for irrigation and fertilizer application) need to be added to your prices to cover the increased costs... Of course the customer will get a better product too so they will be willing to pay for it.


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## ETXhayman (Jul 19, 2012)

Most of the time your soil sample analysis will also say something like (for each additional cutting apply "x" amount of Nitrogen at green up). We will be fertilizing after each cutting when we start irrigating our Jiggs fields.

Rain is usually the deciding factor seeing as how even with heavy fertilization, water is still needed to make the plant grow and draw in those nutrients.


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## barnrope (Mar 22, 2010)

I couldn't stay in business selling 5x5s for $30. I don't know how anyone else could either?


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

I usually put 300 lbs per acre in the Spring. Then I come back with Nitrogen between cuttings.

This year I have a couple of places that needed more Potassium so I am putting 21-0-21 on those fields after first cutting. I am a firm believer in more hay on less ground. The more fertilizer I put out, the more hay I grow.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

This reminds me of a cartoon that hangs in local truck shop.

2 hayhaulers are sitting there having a drink and the one says"I can't figure it out I can't make any money.I buy it for $5 a bale and sell it for $4 a bale."

2nd guy says "It's simple you just need a bigger truck"

You are to cheap if sold out of first cutting already,raise your price.


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## Tim/South (Dec 12, 2011)

My grandfather always said, "A poor man has poor ways".

I am not saying anyone who does not have the money to fertilize is poor. If it come between the kids lunch money and fertilize, the grass is on the short end of that stick. There have been times in my life when $20 may as well have been a million. I had neither.

There are 2 hay guys around here that will put 100 lbs of 10-10-10 per acre and call it fertilized hay. Technically they are correct. They will talk about baling 100 acres of hay but do not mention less than a roll per acre yield.

I feed most of my hay. I would rather spend and extra $2500 in fertilizer than to spend it on poor hay if I run out.


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## deadmoose (Oct 30, 2011)

Gotta spend money to make money.


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## somedevildawg (Jun 20, 2011)

Liberty1 said:


> Hey folks,
> I have a question. I'm selling my hay at 25-30 a 5x5 roll. First cutting of 2014 is long gone already. I need quantity. We do soil tests and fertilize accordingly in the spring but that's it. First cutting is ways nice. To get quantity what fertilize should I use on mixed grass hay. Fescue & clover, orchard grass n fescue, and how much? Any suggestions on how to get 3 cuttings of grasses


That's too cheap.....in terms of your question, In the south, we grow Bermuda grass probably completely different than yours in terms of inputs, but I fertilize after every cut except the last and once in the spring....usually apply lime after the last cutting.....


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## Grateful11 (Apr 5, 2009)

Well there's this stuff. Basically it's going to cost about $16 an acre so to use it you might need to go up on your price but I guess you already know that. Around the guys that are selling that cheap are basically mowing and baling just to get it off their property and keep their land in "farm use". They don't really care what the hay quality is or looks like.

http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?urlRequestType=Base&catalogId=10051&storeId=10151&productId=1671&langId=-1&errorViewName=ProductDisplayErrorView&categoryId=&parent_category_rn=&top_category=&urlLangId=&cm_vc=-10005

http://www.organiclabs.net/Hay%20Maker%C3%A2%C2%84%C2%A2%2018-3-4%202F.pdf


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Grateful11 said:


> Well there's this stuff. Basically it's going to cost about $16 an acre so to use it you might need to go up on your price but I guess you already know that. Around the guys that are selling that cheap are basically mowing and baling just to get it off their property and keep their land in "farm use". They don't really care what the hay quality is or looks like.
> 
> http://www.tractorsupply.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?urlRequestType=Base&catalogId=10051&storeId=10151&productId=1671&langId=-1&errorViewName=ProductDisplayErrorView&categoryId=&parent_category_rn=&top_category=&urlLangId=&cm_vc=-10005
> 
> http://www.organiclabs.net/Hay%20Makerâ¢%2018-3-4%202F.pdf


For $16 per acre you will get.
1.74 lbs of N
0.294 lbs of P
0.392 lbs of K

For $16 you could buy 66lbs of urea @ 480 a ton that would give you 28 lbs of N

I know what I would spend my $ on.


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## Josh in WNY (Sep 7, 2010)

swmnhay said:


> For $16 per acre you will get.
> 1.74 lbs of N
> 0.294 lbs of P
> 0.392 lbs of K
> ...


I tend to agree with you on this one. You need to be sure to look at the cost per pound on N, P or K that you are getting. I also found it interesting that it states "For use on lawns".


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## Hayman1 (Jul 6, 2013)

Not sure where this thread is going or what the real point is, but- two years ago I did a tight accounting for costs on making about 100 rb-4x5s. I wasn't in the rb business but wanted the flexability when my kicker wagons were full etc. I don't pay rent. I made 72 rolls off 10 acres of mixed fescue, orchard, and bluegrass and had fertilizer costs of 17-18$ a roll, 15$/roll to pay the guy up the street to roll-I cut, tedded, and raked, then picked up and hauled to barn. When you used published rates for cutting, tedding and raking, you get into the 45$/roll area with known costs. I did make some second cutting squares so some of the fertilizer would be allocatable to that. All of that said, how in the world can you make 5x5s and sell for 25-30$


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## RockyHill (Apr 24, 2013)

Liberty1, you're not too far from us and the round bale market isn't any better here. Probably 8 or 10 years ago hay was short; some folks finally whining and crying (and cussing) paid $60 a roll. I really think folks will let their animals starve before they pay a fair price for round bales. Had to roll some over mature orchard grass; hoping next cutting small squares will do well. Believe me, I know what it costs to produce hay and I also know the mindset of the market in our area. I know "charge more for your hay" would help but gotta have buyers.

Shelia


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

1: if I can't get at least $45 a roll for a 1st cutting 4x5 it will goto corn next year. Anything less than $45 a roll I'm better off holding it back as cow hay.

2: Sharpen the pencil more often, regardless of inputs $30 for a 5x5 seems like not only are you doing it for free, you're loosing money in the long run.

3: seriously pencil out a bale unroller and turn those rounds into small squares in the winter.

4: Invest in covered storage so it looks as good in February as it did when you baled it. NO tarps don't count.

5: Sharpen that pencil some more, if your not making a profit at it then why do it? Any hay field that I lose money on or barely break even on promptly gets no-tilled to corn.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Last thing, no matter the cost fertilizer always pencils out. If it doesn't then you need to look very hard at why it doesn't.

One of the greatest advancements man has made towards increased yields besides GMO's has been the ability to custom formulate a fertilizer blend for any field.


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## hog987 (Apr 5, 2011)

Guys think iam crazy for fertilizing hay and pasture. Fertilizer is too expensive they say. So instead of fertizing for $50/acre to double yield they buy more land with payments of $200/acre per year or more. But the other thing with fertilizer is not only the yield higher but also better quality more protein so the cattle gain better on it too.

Tell some guys to sharpen their pencil. Ya ok. But I think some guys need to get a pencil in the first place. I tell my wife sometimes my figuring was wrong. She looks at me and says ya but at least you figured.


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## siscofarms (Nov 23, 2010)

Do more with less . Dad always said no matter the cost fertilizer is the cheapest thing you can get for farming .


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## shortrow (Feb 21, 2012)

deadmoose said:


> Gotta spend money to make money.


Quoted for truth.


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