# Equipment needed for alfalfa



## Kdehmlow (Sep 4, 2015)

I am starting a farm/ranch in Colorado and me being new to farming am wondering what equipment is needed for alfalfa? I know this is very expensive to just get started but I understand the costs. Also of the equipment needed which equipment is okay to buy used compared to new? Which pieces of equipment are worth buying new and which are okay to spend a little less on for used? I will be starting farming about 200 acres but will eventually be doing more. Thanks in advance for all the information.


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

Will you be doing Round, square or big square bales?


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## mlappin (Jun 25, 2009)

If you can always mow on time and don't have to deal with a down crop or grass a haybine will be fine, preferably one with aftermarket conditioning rolls, but aftermarket may not be required in your area.

Here a person would also need a tedder, again may not be required in your area.

A rake, a lot prefer a rotary, but I've done just fine with my v-wheel rake for better than a decade now.

I do roundbales and have a straight truck and a trailer, can haul 22 at a time, have one loader in the field and another at home.

We have a few members in Colorado, they can give you a better ideal depending on where in Colorado you are.


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## Kdehmlow (Sep 4, 2015)

I'm thinking I will be doing square bales. Haven't quite decided on whether to do big or small. Depends on equipment costs. Would round bales be better? And I will be in the montrose area.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

Depends what you are going to do with the hay,sell it or feed it.What does the customer want and willing to pay for?


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## rjmoses (Apr 4, 2010)

Kdehmlow said:


> I'm thinking I will be doing square bales. Haven't quite decided on whether to do big or small. Depends on equipment costs. Would round bales be better? And I will be in the montrose area.


Best advice I can think of: Start small, grow acres and equipment as you develop your customer base and market area.

Maybe start with 40 acres or so, a 75-90 HP tractor, 9' 3pt disc mower, 8 wheel V rake, and either a sm. square bale or a 4x5 round baler, trailer to match. Buy at auction and take a knowledgeable friend along. Be prepared to make mistakes. Trade in/trade up as you refine your market. Figure that for every $1,000 you spend, you'll need another $500. Develop a friendship with an agronomist in your area and heed his advice on soil conditioning, fertilizing, etc.

Allow at least 6-8 years to really learn all the kinks peculiar to your area and climate.

Hope this helps.

Ralph


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## Trillium Farm (Dec 18, 2014)

Start with sq you can always move up to SQ later when budget permits it.

*Buy New*: BALER I prefer an inline as it makes better looking bales if you want to sell especially to horse people. You don't want a baler to brake down when baling needs to be done.

*Buy Used: *but in good conditions Tractor, Discbine or Haybine, Rake (prefer rotary, but any will do) and Tedder.

It will be a costly investment, but you should be able to recover financially (mentally is a whole new story) in a few years


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Trillium Farm said:


> Start with sq you can always move up to SQ later when budget permits it.
> 
> *Buy New*: BALER I prefer an inline as it makes better looking bales if you want to sell especially to horse people. You don't want a baler to brake down when baling needs to be done.
> 
> ...


He doesn't need a tedder. Tedders are kinda useless for alfalfa in Colorado. Also if he is baling small squares a rake isn't all that important, but good to have in case lots of rain.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

Kdehmlow said:


> I'm thinking I will be doing square bales. Haven't quite decided on whether to do big or small. Depends on equipment costs. Would round bales be better? And I will be in the montrose area.


You will find that small square equipment is much much cheaper then large square. If you are doing small square you also will want to find a hay stacker.


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## vhaby (Dec 30, 2009)

200 acres is a lot of alfalfa. If doing sm sq bales on that many acres, Teslan's suggestion of a hay stacker such as a NH haywagon is spot on. If doing less acres like 20 to 30, an accumulator with an accompanying grapple likely will be sufficient. A used Hoelscher accumulator and grapple would work well in this situation, but you will need a baler that rarely miss ties bales. It's a pain to have to exit the tractor to go remove a miss tied bale from the accumulator before or after it gets thrown onto the trailer.

Don't see or hear of many operations round baling alfalfa unless it might be for feeding on the producer's farm.


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## Lostin55 (Sep 21, 2013)

200 acres of alfalfa and I would want 2 balers running.
I second the statements about getting a stacker. That is alot of hay to put up if it is irrigated ground.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

vhaby said:


> 200 acres is a lot of alfalfa. If doing sm sq bales on that many acres, Teslan's suggestion of a hay stacker such as a NH haywagon is spot on. If doing less acres like 20 to 30, an accumulator with an accompanying grapple likely will be sufficient. A used Hoelscher accumulator and grapple would work well in this situation, but you will need a baler that rarely miss ties bales. It's a pain to have to exit the tractor to go remove a miss tied bale from the accumulator before or after it gets thrown onto the trailer.
> 
> Don't see or hear of many operations round baling alfalfa unless it might be for feeding on the producer's farm.


I have a neighbor that round bales alfalfa. He then gets mad when people don't want to buy it for the same prices as large squares. But he won't allow a large square on his land.


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## swmnhay (Jun 13, 2008)

I figure my cost of baleing per ton are less with lg rd bales then lg or sm sqrs.Localy all 3 sell for the same per ton.The only benefit would be shipping if going long distances but lg rds also can be shipped with out much of a problem.

So the bottom line is profit per ton.

As always Location is the key,what will people buy and what they will pay.


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## Teslan (Aug 20, 2011)

swmnhay said:


> I figure my cost of baleing per ton are less with lg rd bales then lg or sm sqrs.Localy all 3 sell for the same per ton.The only benefit would be shipping if going long distances but lg rds also can be shipped with out much of a problem.
> 
> So the bottom line is profit per ton.
> 
> As always Location is the key,what will people buy and what they will pay.


Starting from scratch if you want big bales to get into rounds is far cheaper then big square. Though the trade off here is lower prices. Small square is the best bet for money here and cheaper to get into if you have a place to store inside and a good stacker.


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