# Alfalfa per acre



## lcarbuc (Sep 4, 2019)

Hi Guys can you please settle a bet between a friend and I.

Our question is under perfect growing conditions and perfect soil conditions can you harvest 100 small square bales per acre?

we are putting in 124 acres in alfalfa under pivot irrigation, i am guessing 36 bales an acre with the field at 10% bloom and he is guessing 100 bales per acre.

I know there are a lot of variables in this scenario, but if you took them out is it even possible?


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## PaulN (Mar 4, 2014)

For small squares, I have had 100+ bales per acre on first cutting many times.


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## lcarbuc (Sep 4, 2019)

so it is possible then ? well guess i was wrong thanks for replying


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

Always used to figure 100 bales/acre on first cutting.


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## lcarbuc (Sep 4, 2019)

how much do you figure for 2nd 3rd and 4th cutting?


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## PaulN (Mar 4, 2014)

I was never so aggressive to get 4 cuttings, but the second and third together could be another 100 bales. Since you're under irrigation, and all that New Mexico sunlight, you should be able to push it pretty hard  .

By the way, welcome to Haytalk!


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## lcarbuc (Sep 4, 2019)

i didnt think it would do 100 bales per acre thanks for the info everyone..

and thanks for the welcome....


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## danwi (Mar 6, 2015)

Sometimes it varies by area 100 bales at 40 lbs small kicker bales equals 2 ton per acre if you are thinking 100 lb western bales times 100 equals 5 ton per acre.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

lcarbuc said:


> how much do you figure for 2nd 3rd and 4th cutting?


Personally--I get about half of what I did for first cutting, and at 3rd cutting about half of what I did at second cutting. But that's not straight alfalfa either, nor am I in remotely the same climate.


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

We made 50lb bales. Anything lighter seemed like a waste of time, anything much heavier and you'd have issues with em busting in the thrower wagons.


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## skyrydr2 (Oct 25, 2015)

mlappin said:


> We made 50lb bales. Anything lighter seemed like a waste of time, anything much heavier and you'd have issues with em busting in the thrower wagons.


 Same here! I just got 223 second cut bales off a 2 acre field( actually its a persons front lawn)


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## r82230 (Mar 1, 2016)

To throw a wet blanket on the bales per acre numbers. As a few have mentioned what are the 'actual' weight and size of the bales?

As a starting point, if you look (and get) the tons per acre (of dry matter), then you can get more realistic (IMHO) numbers. I read somewhere the US average is 2 tons of dry matter per acre in hay production. Different areas can be vastly different, some folks get 6-8 cuttings would most likely be higher, some a one cut situation could be lower.

A big thing in my mind is how many folks don't weigh their hay. My RB's manual says it can make a 1500# bale and I have done that. However, the hay didn't keep (too high moisture and they spoiled). There are folks that use the manual's numbers for their bale weights. Verses weighing a few bales, to get YOUR actual numbers. I know that it seem my ss bales weigh a lot more at the end of the load/day than they do at the beginning for some odd reason. 

Plus you can have the western 3 string bale (16" x 18") verses the 2 string bale (14" x 18".

Reminds me of a fellow HT that was baling what he though was heavy bales. Got him to grab a few and step on a simple bathroom scale. His bales weighed around 31 -33# each. My ss bales weighed in at 62.5# each.

So using his ss bale weight of 35# and getting 100 bales per acre, really doesn't compare with me only getting 75 -60# bales per acre. His would be 3,500# (1.75 tons and at 15% moisture 1.4875 tons of dry matter being removed per acre), while I would have 4,500# (2.25 tons and at 15% moisture 1.9125 tons of dry matter being removed per acre). Which in turn makes my fertilizer removal rate higher, too.

A place to start would be your local ag college, they might have some yields per acre (by tons) for your area. In my area the local ag college is getting almost 6 tons an acre yield. BUT that is only being done, with haylage (not dry hay) and more cuttings (I attempt to get 4 cuttings, they attempt 6 cuttings).

My less than two cents.

Larry


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## lcarbuc (Sep 4, 2019)

thanks for your input Larry around here everyone usually makes 65 to 70 pound bales that are 2 string.


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## Hayjosh (Mar 24, 2016)

That is a big bale. I check my bales and they weigh around 45-50 pounds. I don't like to make them too light because there's more bales occupying space but I don't want to make them too heavy because then I'm essentially giving away hay, I'll wear the kids out on the wagon in no time, and most of my customers are women feeding their horses who don't like a super heavy bale.


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## Ray 54 (Aug 2, 2014)

r82230 said:


> To throw a wet blanket on the bales per acre numbers. As a few have mentioned what are the 'actual' weight and size of the bales?
> 
> As a starting point, if you look (and get) the tons per acre (of dry matter), then you can get more realistic (IMHO) numbers. I read somewhere the US average is 2 tons of dry matter per acre in hay production. Different areas can be vastly different, some folks get 6-8 cuttings would most likely be higher, some a one cut situation could be lower.
> 
> ...


Three string bales use to be 16 x 23. As more hay is sold by the bale they have been shrinking.  First was 15 x 23, then 14 x 23, now some are 14 x 22. Forty years ago under 120 lbs alfalfa bales was unheard of. My son weight some by the bale alfalfa that average 86 lbs and had fist size cobble stones in it. Thankfully he was not paying just feeding and was curious as to weight.

Most go for 7 cuttings, low southern desert gets more, north on Oregon border as little as 3. Years ago Calif state average was close to 7 ton. With 7 cuttings and lots of water 10 ton was possible. I have not seen anything to current other than with buried drip and supper gopher control 10 or better ton/ ac was the goal.

I believe the 16 x 18 is the 2 wire size that was common if there were any 2 wire bales around. Truckers stop handling 2 wire bales in the 60's. That killed the demand for 2 wire balers..


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## stack em up (Mar 7, 2013)

In this area, we hope for a 5-6 ton per acre average in mixed alfalfa fields. First cut is by far and above the largest, then each subsequent cutting about half of previous one.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

stack em up said:


> In this area, we hope for a 5-6 ton per acre average in mixed alfalfa fields. First cut is by far and above the largest, then each subsequent cutting about half of previous one.


It really depends on the weather,you are generally right but I've had 3 rd cutting yeild almost as well as first if we get a wet August.Sure won't happen this yr went from wet to dry lately.


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

lcarbuc said:


> Hi Guys can you please settle a bet between a friend and I.
> 
> Our question is under perfect growing conditions and perfect soil conditions can you harvest 100 small square bales per acre?
> 
> ...


1st of all how are you seeding? How many lbs of alfalfa per acre, then we may be able to give you a more accurate response. 100 50 lbs bales about @ acre would be a good average on 1st cut, but depending on seeding, soil and fertilization could be up to 150 bales. 2nd cut a good average would be 50% less.


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